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NASCLA Builders

The NASCLA Commercial Building exam is great for someone looking to be licensed in multiple states. It is a standardized commercial contractor exam. The exam only needs to be taken once and the passing score can be used across multiple states.

Click Here to see which states accept NASCLA

Product Combos

There are two combos: Regular and Pre-Highlighted. The only difference is that the Pre-Highlighted combo comes with books that are already highlighted and tabbed for you. If you get the regular combo, you still get all of the books and tabs, but you will highlight yourself. The course includes highlighting guides for each book.

What's the difference between Regular and Pre-highlighted?

Regular Combo

Combos include

  • All of the textbooks for the exam
  • Pre-printed book tabs for all of the books
  • Online Prep Course:
    • Highlighting Guides
    • Audio tracks
    • Digital Study Guides
    • Quizzes for each book
    • Book lookup exercises
    • Unlimited practice exams
    • Unlimited tutoring
    • And more!

Pre-Highlighted Combo

Other Products

Course Only

Bookset Only

Tabset Only

Individual Books

Compare Selected

Steps to Obtain Your NASCLA Commercial General Contractor License

Step 1
Purchase Your Exam Prep Course

Buy the NASCLA Commercial Exam Complete Course Package.

Purchase
Step 2
Register for the NASCLA Exam

Register for the NASCLA Commercial Exam here.

Register
Step 3
Study for and Take the Exam

Prepare and complete the NASCLA Commercial Exam.

Study
Step 4
Submit Your Application to the State

Submit your completed state application.

Submit Application

NASCLA Commercial General Contractor Requirements & Application

Requirements: Be sure to complete your exam before submitting the application. Register first at NASCLA.org.

Experience Requirements:

The NASCLA exam is accepted in 16 states. Each state has unique requirements for obtaining a license. Visit NASCLA.ORG for specific state requirements.

Test Fee: $130

NASCLA Commercial Test Information

Test Information: This test covers 12 subject areas with questions derived from a 24-book set.

Candidate Information Bulletin: PSI Exams NASCLA Commercial General Contractor Bulletin

Exam Information Details
Exam Fee$130
Number of Questions115
Passing Score70% or 81 Questions
Time Limit330 Minutes
Subject Area Number of Questions
General Requirements25
Site Construction15
Concrete6
Masonry4
Metals6
Wood5
Thermal and Moisture Protection5
Doors, Windows, and Glazing4
Finishes5
Mechanical and Plumbing Systems6
Electrical Systems3
Procurement and Contracting Requirements31

NASCLA Commercial Exam Reciprocity

The NASCLA exam can be used as the trades exam in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Virginia.

NASCLA Commercial Exam Permitted Work

This license allows construction of commercial properties. Check with your state for approval for residential building under this license; most states permit residential building with a commercial license.

Frequently Asked Questions: NASCLA Exam

What is the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor Examination?

The NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor Examination is a standardized commercial general contracting exam administered by the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) and delivered through PSI testing centers. It tests competency in commercial construction across 12+ subject areas including site preparation, concrete and masonry, structural steel, mechanical systems, electrical fundamentals, finishes, OSHA safety, and project management.

The exam was designed to standardize commercial contractor licensing across multiple states — instead of taking a different trades exam in every state where you want to be licensed, you can pass NASCLA once and use those results in any of the participating jurisdictions.

Which states accept NASCLA exam results?

17+ jurisdictions accept NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor exam results for state licensing:

Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Southwest & West: Arizona, Arkansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah

Territory: U.S. Virgin Islands

Coverage and recognition rules vary by state — some accept NASCLA results directly toward licensure, others require additional state-specific documentation. Always verify with your target state's licensing board for current requirements before applying.

How is the NASCLA exam structured?

The NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor exam is a 115-question, 5.5-hour (330-minute), open-book examination. Key facts:

  • Passing score: 70% — you need to answer at least 81 of the 115 questions correctly.
  • Question pace: roughly 2.9 minutes per question on average, but most candidates spend more time on lookup-heavy questions and less on conceptual ones.
  • Open book: you bring approved reference books into the exam room. Tabbing and highlighting are permitted (and strongly recommended).
  • Computer-delivered: exams are taken at PSI testing centers nationwide.
  • Cost per attempt: approximately $235 (subject to change by PSI / NASCLA).

The open-book format means exam success depends as much on lookup speed as on knowledge — which is why pre-highlighted and pre-tabbed books are such a meaningful time saver.

How many books are required for the NASCLA exam, and what are they?

The NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor exam draws questions from the full NASCLA reference library — covering building codes, mechanical systems, electrical systems, OSHA construction safety, contractor business law, and trade-specific references. The current reference list spans approximately two dozen books, and NASCLA updates the list periodically as code editions change.

Always verify the current edition list on the NASCLA website before purchasing, since using outdated editions during the exam may result in lookup mismatches. Our prep combos include the correct current editions for the current exam version.

Why do pre-highlighted and pre-tabbed books matter for the NASCLA exam?

The NASCLA exam is open-book, but the time pressure makes lookup speed the make-or-break factor for most candidates. Consider the math: 115 questions in 330 minutes works out to roughly 2.9 minutes per question — but lookup-heavy questions can easily eat 5+ minutes if you're hunting through unmarked references.

Pre-highlighted books have the most exam-relevant content already marked, so your eye goes straight to the answer.

Pre-tabbed books have section indices physically tabbed for instant flipping — no scanning the table of contents and no thumbing through hundreds of pages.

The DIY alternative — buying clean books and marking them yourself — typically takes 40-60+ hours of careful prep, plus the risk of missing key sections. For most candidates, pre-prep is both faster and more reliable.

What's the difference between the NASCLA prep options on this page?

Each prep option fits a different starting point and budget:

Pre-Highlighted and Tabbed NASCLA Combo — the most comprehensive package. Includes all books pre-marked, the online course, audio guides, study materials, and unlimited practice exams. Best for candidates who want the shortest path to passing.

NASCLA Exam Prep Including Books Combo — same prep materials but with clean books you'll highlight and tab yourself. Lower cost, more prep time required.

Used NASCLA Book Set With Exam Prep Combo — budget combo using used (good-condition) books. Course and prep materials are the same.

General Contractor Reference Book Set — the book set alone, no course. For candidates confident in self-study or who already have access to course material.

General Contractor's Unlimited Full Commercial Trades Course — the prep course alone, no books. For candidates who already own the reference set.

Pre-Printed Book Tabs — just the tabs, for candidates who own books and want to skip the hand-tabbing process.

Do I still need a state Business & Law exam after passing NASCLA?

Yes — in every state that accepts NASCLA. The NASCLA exam covers only the trades portion of contractor licensing. Every participating state requires you to ALSO pass that state's Business and Law exam, which covers state-specific contracting law, business practices, and project management.

So a typical out-of-state contractor pursuing licensure via NASCLA would: (1) pass the NASCLA exam (good in 17+ states), then (2) pass the Business & Law exam for each specific state where they want to be licensed. The good news: the NASCLA half of the work only needs to be done once.

What happens if I fail the NASCLA exam?

You can retake the NASCLA exam if you don't pass on the first attempt. Standard retake rules:

  • Wait period: typically 30 days between attempts (PSI / NASCLA policy — verify current rules at registration).
  • Cost: the full exam fee (~$235) applies for each retake.
  • No retake limit: you can attempt the exam as many times as needed.

Our prep customers who pass on the first attempt do so by combining the prep course (which teaches what to focus on), pre-marked books (which speed up lookup), and unlimited practice exams (which build pacing). Most candidates who fail report they underestimated the time pressure on lookup — which is exactly what pre-tabbing solves.

How long do NASCLA exam results remain valid?

Per NASCLA's policy, your exam results do not expire — once you pass, you have a permanent NASCLA score record you can submit to any participating state's licensing board.

However, individual states may impose their own time limits on when NASCLA results can be applied toward licensure. Some states require results to be used within a specific window (e.g., 5 years), while others have no time limit. Always verify the recency rules with the licensing board in each state where you plan to apply.

It's also worth noting that if the NASCLA exam content is significantly updated (which happens when major code editions change), some states may require results from the current exam version rather than older ones.