Current NASCLA format: the Commercial General Building Contractor exam contains 115 scored questions plus 10 non-scored pretest questions. Candidates receive 330 minutes and must answer at least 81 scored questions correctly. Procurement and Contracting Requirements is the largest current subject with 31 scored questions.
What Is the Louisiana NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor Exam?
The NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors is a multi-jurisdiction contractor trade examination administered through PSI. It is designed for commercial general building contractor candidates who need to demonstrate knowledge across project management, contracting, construction methods, jobsite operations, safety, structural work and building systems.
Louisiana accepts a qualifying NASCLA Building examination transcript for applicable examination credit. The NASCLA result can satisfy the trade-exam requirement for Building Construction and/or Residential Construction, but it does not automatically create a Louisiana contractor license.
Exam answer: 115 scored questions, 10 additional non-scored pretest questions, 125 total questions presented, 330 minutes, open book and a minimum passing score of 81 correct scored answers.
Louisiana answer: a passing NASCLA transcript can provide applicable Building Construction or Residential Construction examination credit, while Louisiana application, qualifying-party and Business and Law requirements still apply.
The exam is heavily weighted toward contractor management topics. Procurement and Contracting Requirements and General Requirements account for 56 of the 115 scored questions, so successful contractor exam prep should include contracts, administration, project controls, jobsite management and reference navigation instead of concentrating only on concrete, masonry or carpentry.
This page combines research from 3 primary authority groups and 5 visible secondary research groups, with additional competitor research used for topic discovery. Official NASCLA, PSI and Louisiana licensing information controls when commercial exam-prep information conflicts.
Louisiana NASCLA Contractor Exam Domains
Match your contractor exam prep time to the current 115-question NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor blueprint.
| Exam Area | What to Study | Scored Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement and Contracting Requirements | Contracts, procurement, bidding, estimating, contractor responsibilities, project administration, documentation and commercial construction agreements | 31 |
| General Requirements | Project management, jobsite supervision, scheduling, safety, quality control, codes, accessibility and general construction administration | 25 |
| Site Construction | Excavation, grading, utilities, trenching, site preparation, stormwater controls and other site-construction operations | 15 |
| Concrete | Structural concrete, reinforcing steel, placement, curing, precast concrete, post-tensioning and concrete quality | 6 |
| Metals | Structural steel, steel decking, steel joists, erection, connections, handling and field installation | 6 |
| Mechanical and Plumbing Systems | Mechanical systems, HVAC, plumbing coordination, fire protection, building services and contractor coordination | 6 |
| Wood | Carpentry, wood framing, trusses, floors, walls, roofs and commercial wood construction | 5 |
| Thermal and Moisture Protection | Roofing, insulation, moisture protection, flashing, weather barriers and exterior building systems | 5 |
| Finishes | Gypsum assemblies, interior finishes, wall systems, ceilings and related commercial finish work | 5 |
| Masonry | Brick, block, stone, mortar, reinforcement, layout, installation and masonry construction | 4 |
| Doors, Windows and Glazing | Openings, glazing, doors, windows, accessibility, installation and related commercial building requirements | 4 |
| Electrical Systems | Electrical-system coordination, building power, lighting and construction-manager electrical responsibilities | 3 |
Louisiana NASCLA Contractor Exam Breakdown
NASCLA Exam 115 scored questions | 330 minutes | 81 correct to pass
Total Questions Presented 125 total | 115 scored + 10 non-scored pretest questions
Testing Provider PSI
Exam Format Computer-based and open book
Largest Topic Procurement and Contracting Requirements | 31 scored questions
Second-Largest Topic General Requirements | 25 scored questions
NASCLA References Large approved commercial construction reference library plus onsite diagram/blueprint packet
Louisiana Trade Credit Building Construction and/or Residential Construction when qualifying NASCLA transcript requirements are met
Louisiana Business and Law 50 questions | approximately 30 to 45 minutes | 70 or above to pass
Louisiana NASCLA Contractor Licensing Path
Passing the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor examination can remove the need to take an applicable Louisiana-specific Building Construction trade examination, but the NASCLA exam is only one part of the contractor licensing process.
Classification: Louisiana Building Construction is a major commercial classification covering construction, maintenance, repair, raising, leveling, development and demolition of structures along with related work.
Qualifying Party: Louisiana commercial applicants designate a qualifying party to represent the licensed entity and satisfy applicable classification and Business and Law requirements.
NASCLA transcript: the passing transcript must be sent directly through the NASCLA Examination Database when requesting Louisiana examination credit.
Business and Law: using NASCLA credit does not eliminate Louisiana's Business and Law requirement for an applicable qualifying party.
Application documents: Louisiana applicants must complete the state's licensing process and provide the applicable business, qualifying-party, financial and supporting documents required for the application.
What Is on the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor Exam?
Each bar is scaled against Procurement and Contracting Requirements, the largest 31-question category.
Procurement and Contracting Requirements 31 questions
General Requirements 25 questions
Site Construction 15 questions
Concrete 6 questions
Metals 6 questions
Mechanical and Plumbing Systems 6 questions
Wood 5 questions
Thermal and Moisture Protection 5 questions
Finishes 5 questions
Masonry 4 questions
Doors, Windows and Glazing 4 questions
Electrical Systems 3 questions
Current NASCLA Contractor Exam Reference Library
The NASCLA exam uses a large commercial construction reference library. Candidates should verify the current PSI bulletin before testing and practice locating information across the full approved book set.
| Reference Group | Primary Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor Business and Project Management | Procurement, contracts, administration, project controls, financial management and contractor responsibilities | NASCLA Contractors' Guide to Business, Law and Project Management; Construction Project Management; Construction Jobsite Management |
| Building Codes and Accessibility | Commercial building requirements, occupancy, egress, construction types and accessibility | International Building Code; ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities |
| Safety | Construction-site safety, excavation, fall protection, scaffolding, equipment and OSHA requirements | 29 CFR Part 1926 construction safety regulations |
| Concrete and Reinforcing | Structural concrete, reinforcing bars, concrete quality, precast work and post-tensioning | ACI 318; Placing Reinforcing Bars; Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction; precast and post-tensioning references |
| Structural and Building Trades | Steel, wood trusses, carpentry, masonry, gypsum, roofing and commercial construction methods | Steel deck and joist references; BCSI; Carpentry and Building Construction; Modern Masonry; Gypsum Construction Handbook; Roofing Construction and Estimating |
| Site and Environmental | Excavation, utilities, grading, stormwater, exterior systems and environmental controls | Pipe and Excavation Contracting; Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan guide; EIFS standard |
| Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical | Building-service coordination, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lighting and communication systems | Mechanical and Electrical Systems for Construction Managers |
| Testing-Center Diagram Packet | Plan and blueprint questions used during the examination | Physical diagram and blueprint packet supplied onsite |
Your Louisiana NASCLA Contractor Licensing Roadmap
Use the NASCLA exam for applicable trade-examination credit, then complete the remaining Louisiana contractor licensing requirements.
1
Choose the Louisiana contractor classification
Confirm whether you are applying for Building Construction, Residential Construction or another classification that fits your planned scope of work.
2
Submit the Louisiana contractor application
Complete the required LSLBC application and provide the applicable business, ownership, qualifying-party and supporting information.
3
Complete qualifying-party requirements
Designate the qualifying party who will represent the licensed entity and meet the requirements for the requested classification.
4
Prepare the NASCLA reference library
Learn which reference covers each major subject and practice using indexes, tables of contents, permanent tabs, code sections and technical tables.
5
Prepare with targeted contractor exam prep
Prioritize Procurement and Contracting Requirements, General Requirements, Site Construction and timed open-book reference navigation.
6
Take the NASCLA exam
Complete the 115 scored questions plus 10 non-scored pretest questions within 330 minutes and answer at least 81 scored questions correctly.
7
Complete Louisiana licensing follow-through
Send the NASCLA transcript directly through the NASCLA Examination Database when requesting credit, complete Louisiana Business and Law, and finish all remaining LSLBC requirements.
Six-Week Louisiana NASCLA Contractor Exam Prep Plan
Week 1
Blueprint and Reference Library
- Review all 12 scored exam domains
- Organize the approved references
- Learn indexes and tables of contents
- Take a diagnostic practice exam
Week 2
Procurement and Contracting
- Contracts
- Procurement
- Bidding and estimating
- Project administration
Week 3
General Requirements
- Project management
- Jobsite supervision
- Scheduling and documentation
- Safety and code compliance
Week 4
Site and Structural Work
- Excavation and site construction
- Concrete
- Structural metals
- Masonry and wood
Week 5
Building Systems and Finishes
- Roofing and moisture protection
- Doors, windows and glazing
- Mechanical and plumbing systems
- Electrical systems and finishes
Week 6
Timed Simulation
- Full mixed-topic practice exams
- 330-minute pacing
- Reference-selection drills
- Final book and tab check
Louisiana NASCLA Open-Book Contractor Exam Prep Strategy
Do this during exam prep
- Practice with the current permitted NASCLA references
- Learn which book matches each exam subject
- Highlight and underline important material before test day
- Use permanent tabs permitted under current PSI rules
- Practice indexes, tables and technical diagrams
- Complete full 330-minute exam simulations
Avoid these mistakes
- Using temporary tabs or Post-it notes
- Bringing loose papers inside references
- Trying to read every book during the exam
- Ignoring Procurement and Contracting Requirements
- Studying trade topics without project management
- Assuming open book means easy
Open-book strategy: the NASCLA library is large. A strong testing method is to identify the question topic first, select the most likely reference, use the index or permanent tabs, locate the supporting section, and then evaluate the answer choices. Speed comes from knowing where information lives, not from trying to memorize thousands of pages.
Louisiana NASCLA Contractor Exam Prep Options
Online NASCLA Exam Prep Course
Structured Contractor Exam Prep
- Commercial construction topic review
- Open-book reference navigation
- Practice-oriented preparation
- Timed exam strategy
- Project management and trade review
Highlighted and Tabbed Book Set
Reference-Navigation Prep
- Commercial construction reference library
- Highlighted study locations
- Permanent reference tabs
- Business and law study support
- Open-book navigation preparation
Books and Course Rental Package
Comprehensive Contractor Prep
- Highlighted and tabbed rental references
- NASCLA trade exam preparation
- Louisiana business and law study support
- Reference-navigation practice
- Commercial construction topic review
NASCLA Exam Credit Is Not the Louisiana Contractor License
The NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor exam can satisfy an applicable technical trade-examination requirement, but Louisiana still controls the contractor license application and qualification process.
· 115 scored NASCLA questions
· 10 additional non-scored pretest questions
· 330-minute exam limit
· 81 correct scored answers required
· Louisiana Business and Law remains a separate requirement when applicable
· NASCLA transcripts can also be sent to other participating licensing agencies
Louisiana NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor Exam Prep FAQ
NASCLA Contractor Exam Basics
The current PSI bulletin lists 115 scored questions plus 10 non-scored pretest questions, so candidates may see 125 total questions.
Candidates currently receive 330 minutes, or five hours and 30 minutes.
The current minimum passing score is 81 correct answers out of 115 scored questions, which is approximately 70.4 percent.
Yes. The current examination is open book and candidates are responsible for bringing permitted references.
Procurement and Contracting Requirements is the largest current category with 31 scored questions.
General Requirements accounts for 25 scored questions.
Start with Procurement and Contracting Requirements, General Requirements and Site Construction. Together they account for 71 of the 115 scored questions.
Yes. Current PSI rules allow approved references to be highlighted or underlined before the examination.
Yes. Current PSI rules permit permanent tabs. Temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are prohibited.
No. Candidates are responsible for bringing permitted references. A physical diagram and blueprint packet is supplied onsite.
Louisiana Contractor Licensing
Yes. Louisiana accepts a qualifying NASCLA Building exam transcript for examination credit for Building Construction and/or Residential Construction.
No. Passing NASCLA can satisfy an applicable technical trade-exam requirement, but the applicant must still complete Louisiana's licensing process.
Yes. A qualifying party using NASCLA examination credit must still complete Louisiana's current Business and Law requirement unless that requirement has already been satisfied.
The current Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors page describes a 50-question Business and Law test that normally takes about 30 to 45 minutes and requires a score of 70 or above.
Louisiana states that the NASCLA Building exam can provide examination credit for Building Construction and/or Residential Construction when the transcript is sent directly through the NASCLA Examination Database.
The examination uses a large reference library. Candidates need to identify the correct book quickly and locate answers using indexes, tables of contents, permanent tabs, code sections and technical tables.
Yes. Timed practice helps candidates improve reference selection, book-navigation speed, pacing and familiarity with the commercial construction topics on the exam.
Yes. Candidates who pass can use the NASCLA National Examination Database to send their transcript to participating licensing agencies, but each jurisdiction keeps its own licensing requirements.
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