North Carolina Masonry Construction Contractor Ultimate Exam Prep Rental Package

Prepare for the North Carolina Masonry Construction Contractor examination with a complete Ultimate rental package that combines the approved exam references, an online trade course, live classes, and Application Service. This package is built for candidates who want an organized preparation path covering masonry materials, concrete block, brick construction, specialty masonry, mortar, grout, jobsite safety, building-code requirements, licensing rules, and open-book reference navigation.

The North Carolina Masonry Construction specialty classification covers work involving materials and systems commonly used throughout the masonry industry. Candidates must be prepared to answer questions about brick, concrete masonry units, structural masonry, stone, tile and block products, mortar and grout, reinforcement, anchorage, flashing, movement joints, fire-resistance requirements, construction tolerances, and safe jobsite practices.

This package includes the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry with the latest amendments, the 2018 North Carolina Building Code, ACI 530/530.1 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures with Companion Commentaries, and the 2018 North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies. Together, these references support preparation for the principal safety, technical, structural, code, and administrative subjects associated with the examination.

The included online trade course provides 1 year of course access. Live classes are also included during the one-year access period, giving candidates an additional way to review difficult concepts, reinforce reference-navigation skills, and work through masonry-related topics in a structured learning environment.

Application Service is included with this Ultimate package. The service provides assistance organizing the information and documentation needed for the North Carolina general contractor examination and licensing application process. Examination eligibility and final license approval remain under the authority of the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.

The package price is $1,195, plus a $250 refundable rental-book deposit, for a total initial payment of $1,445. After the rental books are returned in similar condition within 1 year of rental, the $250 deposit is refunded. Please allow 15 business days for processing.

Exam Details

The North Carolina Masonry Construction Contractor examination is administered by PSI for the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Candidates must receive examination eligibility from the Board before scheduling the computer-based test.

The Masonry Construction examination contains 50 questions. Candidates must earn a score of at least 70 percent, and the testing time is 120 minutes. Because the examination covers several technical and regulatory areas, candidates should combine subject review with repeated practice locating information in the approved books.

The official examination content outline assigns questions to safety, concrete block, brick, specialty masonry, mortar and grout, laws and regulations, liens, and general building-code requirements. Concrete block and brick represent a substantial portion of the examination, while mortar and grout, safety, specialty materials, and regulatory subjects complete the test outline.

The North Carolina Masonry Construction specialty classification covers the installation, with or without mortar or adhesives, of materials and products common to the masonry industry. The classification includes brick, concrete block, gypsum partition tile, pumice block, lightweight masonry units, fire-clay products, refractory construction, rough-cut and dressed stone, marble panels, slate units, structural glazed tile or block, glass brick or block, and solar-screen tile or block.

Technical preparation should include masonry-unit properties, layout, bonding patterns, wall construction, anchorage, reinforcement, flashing, drainage, lintels, control joints, expansion joints, mortar selection, grout placement, curing, weather protection, structural requirements, and inspection considerations.

Candidates should also review practical jobsite safety topics. These may involve fall protection, scaffolds, ladders, personal protective equipment, material handling, silica exposure, tools, electrical hazards, excavation conditions, housekeeping, lifting operations, and employer responsibilities under North Carolina occupational safety and health standards.

Building-code preparation should focus on requirements that affect masonry assemblies, structural walls, fire-resistance-rated construction, means of protection, material standards, inspections, special inspections, structural design provisions, and the relationship between the North Carolina Building Code and referenced masonry standards.

Open Book Test

The North Carolina Masonry Construction Contractor examination is an open-book test. Candidates are responsible for bringing the approved references to the examination center. The books must match the editions identified for the examination and comply with PSI rules for binding, markings, tabs, highlighting, and overall condition.

Open-book testing does not eliminate the need for technical knowledge. Candidates have 120 minutes to answer 50 questions, which leaves limited time for searching unfamiliar books. The most effective preparation combines an understanding of masonry construction with regular practice using the indexes, tables of contents, chapter headings, tables, definitions, and cross-references in each publication.

The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards should be used for questions involving workplace hazards, employee protection, scaffolding, ladders, fall protection, personal protective equipment, tools, material handling, and construction-site safety responsibilities.

The 2018 North Carolina Building Code should be used for general building-code questions and requirements involving masonry construction, structural provisions, fire protection, life safety, special inspections, materials, building elements, and code compliance.

ACI 530/530.1 is the primary structural masonry reference in the package. It addresses building-code requirements and construction specifications for masonry structures. Candidates should become familiar with provisions involving masonry materials, design requirements, reinforcement, anchorage, construction practices, quality assurance, inspection, tolerances, mortar, grout, and structural performance.

The 2018 North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies supports questions involving permits, inspections, approvals, code administration, enforcement, responsibilities, and procedures used within North Carolina’s construction-code system.

Reference materials may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the examination. Permanent tabs may be used when they comply with the testing rules. Candidates may not bring loose papers or unauthorized additions into the examination center. Downloaded code references must be complete and properly bound when permitted under the examination policy.

Practice locating answers by subject rather than reading the books from beginning to end during the test. A question about scaffold access belongs in the safety standards, while a question about a reinforced masonry wall may require ACI 530/530.1. A question about inspections or permits may lead to the Administrative Code and Policies, while a general structural or fire-resistance question may require the Building Code.

Licensing Steps

1. Confirm the Masonry Construction classification. Review the classification scope and make sure it matches the masonry work the applicant intends to perform.
2. Select the appropriate license limitation. North Carolina general contractor licenses are issued with financial limitations that affect the size of individual projects the licensee may undertake.
3. Establish the applicant entity. Determine whether the applicant will operate as an individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, or another eligible legal entity.
4. Designate a qualifier. The qualifier is the individual who satisfies the examination requirement for the classification requested by the applicant.
5. Complete the Board application. Submit the required application information to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.
6. Provide financial documentation. Submit the financial information required for the selected license limitation.
7. Use the included Application Service. Organize the application information and supporting documentation needed for the Board’s review.
8. Receive examination eligibility. After approval, the candidate receives the information needed to schedule the examination through PSI.
9. Schedule and complete the examination. Follow PSI’s scheduling, identification, security, reference-material, and testing-center instructions.
10. Complete the licensing process. Passing the examination satisfies the qualifier’s testing requirement, but the applicant must complete all remaining Board requirements before a license is issued.

State Requirements

The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors regulates general contracting classifications, specialty classifications, license limitations, qualifiers, applications, financial requirements, renewals, and professional conduct.

North Carolina requires a general contractor license when a contractor undertakes a construction project valued at $40,000 or more. The licensing requirement applies to the contractor who bids, contracts, or undertakes the project, subject to the definitions and exceptions established by state law.

The Masonry Construction specialty classification is intended for contractors performing the masonry work described in the Board’s classification rules. A contractor should operate only within the classification and limitation shown on the active license.

The legal entity that enters into contracts must hold the license. A qualifying examination credential held by an individual does not automatically authorize an unlicensed company to perform regulated work. The qualifier and the licensed entity must maintain the relationship required by the Board.

Applicants must meet the financial requirement associated with the selected license limitation. The Board reviews the application, financial information, entity records, qualifier information, examination results, and required supporting documentation before issuing a license.

Business registrations and legal entity records should remain current when applicable. Changes involving ownership, entity structure, qualifier status, or other material licensing information must be handled according to the Board’s current requirements.

Passing the Masonry Construction examination does not by itself create an active contractor license. Final licensing depends on approval of the complete application and satisfaction of all applicable Board requirements.

Reference Books

• Included Book: North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Amendments
  This rental reference addresses jobsite safety requirements for construction activities, including fall protection, scaffolds, ladders, personal protective equipment, tools, material handling, hazard communication, electrical safety, excavation, silica exposure, and employer responsibilities.
• Included Book: North Carolina Building Code: Building Code, 2018 Edition
  This rental code establishes requirements for structural systems, masonry construction, building materials, fire protection, life safety, inspections, special inspections, occupancy-related provisions, and general building-code compliance.
• Included Book: ACI 530/530.1 – Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures with Companion Commentaries, 2011 or 2013 Edition
  This rental technical reference contains structural requirements and construction specifications for masonry systems, including materials, reinforcement, anchorage, design, workmanship, quality assurance, inspection, mortar, grout, and construction tolerances.
• Included Book: North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies, 2018 Edition
  This rental reference covers construction-code administration, permits, inspections, approvals, enforcement procedures, responsibilities, interpretations, and statewide regulatory policies.

Exam Room Approved Books

• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Amendments
  This reference is approved for use during the open-book Masonry Construction examination when prepared according to current PSI rules.
• North Carolina Building Code: Building Code, 2018 Edition
  This is an approved exam-room reference for general building-code and masonry-related requirements.
• ACI 530/530.1 – Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures with Companion Commentaries, 2011 or 2013 Edition
  This is an approved technical reference for structural masonry requirements and construction specifications.
• North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies, 2018 Edition
  This reference is approved for questions involving code administration, permits, inspections, approvals, and enforcement procedures.

Test Information and Study Materials

Start by dividing preparation according to the official content areas: safety, concrete block, brick, specialty masonry, mortar and grout, laws and regulations, liens, and general building-code requirements. Spend additional study time on concrete block and brick because those areas represent a large portion of the examination.

For block and brick questions, review dimensions, coursing, bonding, wall types, reinforcement, ties, anchors, lintels, flashing, weeps, movement joints, bearing, installation tolerances, and weather protection. Connect each construction practice to the applicable code or specification requirement.

Study mortar and grout as separate materials. Review mortar types, mixing, proportioning, placement, workability, joint finishing, grout selection, consolidation, lift requirements, reinforcement interaction, and temperature-related precautions.

Use timed lookup exercises throughout the one-year course-access period. Read a practice question, identify the subject, choose the correct book, locate the applicable section, and review the surrounding provisions. This process builds both knowledge and navigation speed.

Use live classes to reinforce technical subjects and clarify how the references work together. Combine class participation with individual reading, practice questions, reference searches, and regular review of safety and administrative topics.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps North Carolina Masonry Construction Contractor candidates combine rental books, structured online study, live classes, and Application Service in one preparation package.

Organized study guidance divides the examination into manageable subjects, including concrete block, brick, structural masonry, mortar, grout, specialty materials, jobsite safety, building-code requirements, and administrative procedures.

Trade-focused review helps candidates connect masonry materials and methods to complete wall and structural systems. Candidates can study how units, mortar, grout, reinforcement, anchors, flashing, joints, and code requirements work together.

Practice-oriented preparation emphasizes the skills needed for an open-book examination. Candidates learn to identify the correct reference, locate a code section or specification, read exceptions and related provisions, and confirm answers within the available testing time.

Reference-navigation practice helps candidates become familiar with the organization of the Building Code, ACI 530/530.1, the safety standards, and the Administrative Code and Policies. Live classes provide additional opportunities to reinforce technical concepts throughout the one-year access period.

Application Service supports the administrative side of the licensing process by helping candidates organize application information and supporting documents. No package can guarantee examination passage, application approval, or license issuance, but consistent preparation can help candidates approach the process with stronger knowledge and a clearer plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the Ultimate Exam Prep Rental Package?

The package includes four rental references, 1 year of course access, live classes during the one-year access period, and Application Service.

How much does the package cost?

The package price is $1,195, plus a $250 refundable rental-book deposit, for a total initial payment of $1,445.

When is the $250 deposit refunded?

The deposit is refunded after the books are returned in similar condition within 1 year of rental.

How long is the course access?

The package includes 1 year of course access.

Are live classes included?

Yes. Live classes are included during the one-year course-access period.

Is Application Service included?

Yes. Application Service is included with this Ultimate package.

How long does processing take?

Please allow 15 business days for processing.

Is the North Carolina Masonry Construction examination open book?

Yes. Candidates may use the approved references during the examination when the materials comply with current PSI requirements.

How many questions are on the examination?

The examination contains 50 questions and allows 120 minutes for completion.

What score is required to pass?

Candidates must earn a score of at least 70 percent.

Are all four rental books allowed in the examination room?

Yes. The listed safety standards, 2018 Building Code, ACI 530/530.1, and 2018 Administrative Code and Policies are approved references for the open-book examination.

Does passing the examination automatically issue the license?

No. The applicant must complete the Board’s application, financial, entity, qualifier, and licensing requirements before a license is issued.

Does this package guarantee a passing score?

No. Examination performance depends on the candidate’s preparation, trade knowledge, reference-navigation skills, participation, and performance during the test.