United States
Hong KongDo you need a prep course?
No course is required. The compulsory purchase is the approved references, and a prep course is worth buying only where it answers a gap self-study will not close.
No, and the question people should ask instead is which gap they are trying to close.
What is compulsory
The approved references. You carry them into the exam, they cost more than the exam fee, and nothing substitutes for them.
Tabs after that, which are cheap and disproportionately useful.
When a course earns its money
| Your gap | Does a course help? |
|---|---|
| You cannot make yourself start | Yes. A booked seminar creates a deadline |
| You do not know the contract and business material | Yes, if it is weighted towards that category |
| You know the material but cannot find it in time | No. That needs your own tabbing and timed practice |
| You want reassurance | No. That is what a full-length timed mock is for |
Procurement and Contracting is 31 of 125 questions, the largest category on the paper. A course that spends most of its time on safety figures is not teaching to the blueprint, whatever it costs.
What no course does
Build your index. Tabs placed by somebody else are labels you read; tabs you placed while looking something up are memories you recall.
That difference is seconds per lookup, and seconds per lookup is the whole time problem on this paper.
The minimum viable preparation
- The approved references, current editions
- Tabs, placed by you while working questions
- A question bank weighted to the blueprint
- At least one full-length timed mock
A course is the fifth item, not one of the first four.
Common questions
Do you need a prep course for the NASCLA exam?
No. The compulsory purchase is the approved references.
When is a course worth it?
When you cannot start without a deadline, or you need the contract and business material taught.
When does a course not help?
When you know the material but cannot find it in time. That needs your own tabbing and timed practice.
How should I judge a course?
By its weighting. Procurement and Contracting is 31 of 125 questions.
What is the minimum preparation?
Current references, your own tabs, a blueprint-weighted question bank and one full-length timed mock.