Mock paper #3

NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors

A full paper drawn to the blueprint. Answers and worked explanations are at the back of this file.

Questions: 115
Time: 330minutes
Mark: 70%to pass
Paper: #3of 5

Single-user licence. You may print this file and write on it. You may not redistribute, resell or post it. © Sitonce 2026.

Before you start

Sit this the way you will sit the real one. A mock done in pieces over three evenings measures your notes, not your recall.

Questions

115

Minutes

330

Per question

172s

Started at

Set a timer for 330 minutes and do not stop it. Running over is the commonest way a prepared candidate fails, and the only place you can find that out safely is here.
Mark one answer for each question on the answer sheet.
Answer every question. There is no penalty for a wrong answer. A blank is a guaranteed zero and a guess is not.
Flag anything you are unsure of as you go. When you mark the paper, a question you flagged and got right is worth as much of your attention as one you got wrong - you do not yet know it, you guessed it.
When the timer runs out, turn to the Answers section at the back of this file. Mark the paper against the quick-reference key first, fill in the score table, and only then read the worked explanations.

What this paper covers

Area	Questions	Share
Procurement and Contracting Requirements	31	27%
General Requirements	25	22%
Site Construction	15	13%
Concrete	6	5%
Mechanical and Plumbing Systems	6	5%
Metals	6	5%
Finishes	5	4%
Thermal and Moisture Protection	5	4%
Wood	5	4%
Doors, Windows and Glazing	4	3%
Masonry	4	3%
Electrical Systems	3	3%
Total	115	100%

Pass mark vs pass rate

The pass mark is 81 correct out of 115 scored questions, which PSI publishes. Any pass-rate figure quoted for this exam is an estimate - neither NASCLA nor PSI publishes one.

Answer sheet - paper #3

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Paper #3

115 questions. 330 minutes.

1

How often must a crane used in steel erection be visually inspected?

AMonthly, with a written record retained on site
BBefore each shift, by a competent person
CAnnually, by a qualified third-party inspector
DBefore each lift exceeding half the rated capacity of the machine

2

What is the purpose of job cost reporting?

ASupporting the payment application submitted to the owner each month
BRecording the final cost of the job for the annual financial statements
CAllocating company overhead across each open contract for tax purposes
DComparing actual cost against the estimate while the job can still be corrected

3

In the joist designation 22K7, what does the 22 denote?

AThe maximum clear span in feet the joist can carry
BThe nominal depth in inches
CThe safe load in hundreds of pounds per linear foot
DThe weight of the joist in pounds per linear foot

Worked explanations

The paper carries one for every question, at the back. These are the three above.

Q1 B Ch. 5: Metals

Answer: B - Before each shift, by a competent person

Because Cranes used in steel erection must be visually inspected prior to each shift by a competent person, including observation for deficiencies during operation - controls, drive mechanisms, safety devices, and pressurised lines among them. 29 CFR 1926.753

Where the other options lead

A.Uses the monthly inspection. Monthly and annual inspections also exist under the crane standard, but the shift inspection is the one required here.
C.Uses the annual inspection. The annual inspection is a comprehensive one and does not replace the daily check.
D.Ties it to load. The trigger is the shift, not the size of the lift.

Q2 D Ch. 1: Procurement and Contracting Requirements

Answer: D - Comparing actual cost against the estimate while the job can still be corrected

Because Job costing compares committed and incurred cost against the estimate by cost code, in time to act. A report produced after completion records history; a report produced weekly changes the outcome. NASCLA Guide ch. 9

Where the other options lead

A.Confuses it with billing. Applications are built from the schedule of values, not from cost codes.
B.Makes it retrospective. Final cost matters, but the value of the system is in the periods before then.
C.Confuses it with overhead allocation. Allocation is one use of the data rather than the purpose of the system.

Q3 B Ch. 5: Metals

Answer: B - The nominal depth in inches

Because The first number is the nominal depth in inches, the letter is the series, and the last number is the section number - a higher number meaning a heavier chord and greater capacity within that depth. Trade reference ch. 2 (Steel Joist Institute standard specifications)

Where the other options lead

A.Reads it as span. Span is read from the load tables for that designation, and depends on the loading.
C.Reads it as capacity. Capacity is tabulated against span rather than encoded in the depth.
D.Reads it as weight. Weight is listed in the tables and is not part of the designation.

Worked explanations

The paper carries one for every question, at the back. These are the three above.

Q1 B Ch. 5: Metals

Answer: B - Before each shift, by a competent person

Because Cranes used in steel erection must be visually inspected prior to each shift by a competent person, including observation for deficiencies during operation - controls, drive mechanisms, safety devices, and pressurised lines among them. 29 CFR 1926.753

Where the other options lead

A.Uses the monthly inspection. Monthly and annual inspections also exist under the crane standard, but the shift inspection is the one required here.
C.Uses the annual inspection. The annual inspection is a comprehensive one and does not replace the daily check.
D.Ties it to load. The trigger is the shift, not the size of the lift.

Q2 D Ch. 1: Procurement and Contracting Requirements

Answer: D - Comparing actual cost against the estimate while the job can still be corrected

Because Job costing compares committed and incurred cost against the estimate by cost code, in time to act. A report produced after completion records history; a report produced weekly changes the outcome. NASCLA Guide ch. 9

Where the other options lead

A.Confuses it with billing. Applications are built from the schedule of values, not from cost codes.
B.Makes it retrospective. Final cost matters, but the value of the system is in the periods before then.
C.Confuses it with overhead allocation. Allocation is one use of the data rather than the purpose of the system.

Q3 B Ch. 5: Metals

Answer: B - The nominal depth in inches

Because The first number is the nominal depth in inches, the letter is the series, and the last number is the section number - a higher number meaning a heavier chord and greater capacity within that depth. Trade reference ch. 2 (Steel Joist Institute standard specifications)

Where the other options lead

A.Reads it as span. Span is read from the load tables for that designation, and depends on the loading.
C.Reads it as capacity. Capacity is tabulated against span rather than encoded in the depth.
D.Reads it as weight. Weight is listed in the tables and is not part of the designation.

The rest of this mock paper comes with the course

NASCLA Commercial GB: the whole syllabus taught, the questions that test it, 5 timed mocks, and all 6 PDFs to print.