United States
Hong KongAn eight-week plan
Eight weeks at eight to ten hours a week. Books and tabbing in weeks one and two, the two big categories in three and four, the trades in five and six, and mocks in seven and eight.
The default plan for somebody working full time, which is nearly everybody sitting this exam.
Weeks one and two: the books
Buy them, check every edition against the current bulletin, and start working questions with them open and untabbed.
Tab wherever you land. Color code by book. Build the category-to-book map and keep it beside you.
This feels slow and it is the highest-value fortnight of the plan.
Weeks three and four: the big two
Procurement and Contracting Requirements, then General Requirements. Fifty-six of the 115 scored questions between them.
Contracts, bonds, liens, estimating and business structure in one week. OSHA in the other.
Nearly half the paper, and the material most contractors are weakest on because it is the office half of the job rather than the site half.
Weeks five and six: the trades
Site Construction is 15 questions and deserves most of week five. Concrete, metals and mechanical are 6 each; wood, thermal and finishes 5 each; masonry and doors 4; electrical 3.
Work down that list and stop when the time runs out. The bottom of it is worth very little.
Week seven: the first mock
Full 125 questions, 330 minutes, with the actual books. Review by category the following day.
Week eight: repair and confirm
Fix the two weakest categories, sit a second mock three or four days after the first, then book.
Common questions
What does an eight-week NASCLA plan look like?
Books and tabbing in weeks one and two, the two big categories in three and four, trades in five and six, mocks in seven and eight.
Which weeks matter most?
Three and four, on Procurement and General Requirements, which carry 56 of the 115 scored questions.
How much time per week?
Eight to ten hours for most people working full time.
When do I sit mocks?
Week seven and week eight, three or four days apart, full length and timed with the books.
What if I run out of time?
Work the categories in question-count order and stop at the bottom. Electrical is three questions.