United States
Hong KongThe NASCLA exam study plan
Eight weeks at six to twelve hours a week. Weeks one to two on the books and tabbing, three to six on the categories by weight, seven on a timed mock, eight on repair and a second mock.
Most study plans for this exam are wrong because they treat it as a knowledge exam. It is a retrieval exam and the plan should reflect that.
The eight weeks
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Buy the books, verify editions, read the bulletin, build the category-to-book map |
| 2 | Work questions untabbed, tabbing wherever you land |
| 3-4 | Procurement and Contracting, and General Requirements - 56 of 115 questions |
| 5 | Site Construction, and the concrete and masonry material |
| 6 | The remaining trade categories, lightly, by weight |
| 7 | First full timed mock, then review by category |
| 8 | Repair the weakest categories, second timed mock, then book |
Roughly 70 hours. That range is ours; nobody publishes a recommendation for this exam.
Why tabbing comes before studying
Because tabbing is studying. Working a question, failing to find the answer, hunting for it and then tabbing where you landed teaches the material and builds the index in one pass.
There are around 24 of them. You cannot read them and you do not need to. What you need is to know where things are, and that comes from looking things up rather than from reading.
Allocate by question count
Procurement is 31 questions and General Requirements 25. Electrical is 3. Spending equal time on each category is spending eight times too long on Electrical.
The two mocks
Full length, timed, with the actual books. The first tells you where you are and how your pace holds up over five and a half hours. The second tells you whether the fixing worked.
When to apply
Around week six, so the approval window opens near when you will actually sit rather than eight months before.
Common questions
How long should I study for the NASCLA exam?
About eight weeks at six to twelve hours a week, roughly 70 hours. That estimate is ours; nobody publishes one.
What comes first?
The books and tabbing. Tabbing is studying, because looking things up teaches the material and builds the index together.
Should I read the reference books?
No. There are around 24 of them and you cannot read them all. Learn where things are instead.
How should I allocate time?
By question count. Procurement is 31 questions and Electrical is 3.
When should I apply to NASCLA?
Around week six, so the twelve-month window covers when you will actually sit.