Nevada Concrete Contractor (C-5) Books & Course Rental - Exam Room Approved

Prepare for the Nevada Concrete Contractor (C-5) licensing examination with a focused books and course rental package built around the references permitted in the exam room. This package combines the required concrete trade references with the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada, organized study support, and 6 months of course access to help you prepare for the Nevada contractor licensing process.

The Nevada C-5 classification covers concrete contracting work such as preparing surfaces, placing reinforcing steel and embedded materials, pouring and finishing concrete, constructing forms and molds, applying concrete sealants and waterproofing products, and performing concrete and asphalt cutting, drilling, and coring. The C-5 trade examination evaluates knowledge across the major technical areas involved in this work, including concrete construction, reinforcement, formwork, earthwork, cutting, and safety.

This package is designed for candidates who want the convenience of renting the primary exam-room-approved references instead of purchasing every book separately. The included rental books are highlighted and tabbed to make important sections easier to locate during study and while working through an open-book examination. Effective preparation still requires learning where information is located, understanding how the references are organized, and practicing efficient navigation before test day.

The package includes the 2018 International Building Code and ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary for the C-5 trade examination, along with the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada for the Nevada Contractor Management Survey, commonly referred to as the Business and Law or CMS examination.

Exam Details

The Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor trade examination is administered through PSI as part of Nevada’s contractor licensing examination program. The current C-5 examination contains 60 questions, requires a minimum passing score of 42 correct answers, and provides 2 hours for completion.

The C-5 examination content is divided into six technical areas:

• Safety: 6 questions.
• Concrete-Earthwork: 7 questions.
• Concrete: 15 questions.
• Concrete-Reinforcement: 10 questions.
• Concrete-Formwork: 12 questions.
• Concrete-Cutting: 10 questions.

Concrete, reinforcement, formwork, and cutting account for a substantial portion of the trade examination. Candidates should become comfortable finding code provisions and technical information in the permitted references while also developing a practical understanding of concrete construction procedures and industry practices.

Nevada contractor applicants are also generally required to pass the Contractor Management Survey examination unless an applicable waiver applies. The CMS examination addresses contractor business and law subjects such as licensing, estimating and bidding, lien law, financial management, tax laws, labor laws, project management, contracts, risk management, environmental requirements, and safety. The Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada is the primary permitted reference supplied in this rental package for that examination.

Open Book Test

The Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor examination is an open-book examination. The 2018 International Building Code and ACI 318-14 included with this package are approved references for the C-5 exam. PSI also identifies ACI 318-11 as an allowed alternative edition, but this package includes ACI 318-14.

The Nevada CMS examination is also open book, and the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada is permitted in the examination center for that exam.

PSI permits approved references to be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the examination. References may be tabbed or indexed with permanent tabs. Temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are not permitted. References may not contain additional loose or attached papers, and candidates may not write in or highlight the references during the examination session.

Because these tests are open book, reference navigation should be part of your preparation. Knowing that the answer is somewhere in a book is not enough when the examination is timed. Practice identifying keywords in a question, determining which reference is most likely to contain the information, moving quickly to the correct chapter or section, and confirming the answer without spending unnecessary time searching.

Licensing Steps

1. Establish the applicant and qualifying individual. Each Nevada contractor license must have a qualified individual who meets the applicable experience and qualification requirements. A person may serve in the required management and trade qualifying roles when eligible, or those responsibilities may be filled by separate individuals.
2. Document qualifying trade experience. The trade qualified individual generally must document at least four full years of qualifying experience gained within the 15 years immediately preceding the application. Nevada recognizes experience at the journeyman, foreman, supervising employee, or contractor level in the requested classification.
3. Prepare the required business and financial information. The Nevada State Contractors Board requires applicants to provide the information and supporting documentation required by the contractor license application, including applicable business, financial, experience, and background information.
4. Submit the contractor license application. The application is submitted to the Nevada State Contractors Board for review.
5. Receive examination eligibility. When testing is required and the Board has determined that the applicant is eligible, the applicant receives authorization to schedule the required examination or examinations.
6. Schedule with PSI. PSI administers Nevada’s contractor licensing examinations. Candidates schedule their authorized tests after receiving examination eligibility.
7. Pass the required examinations. For the C-5 classification, the qualifying process generally includes the CMS Business and Law examination and the C-5 Concrete Contractor trade examination unless the Board grants an applicable examination waiver.
8. Complete remaining licensing requirements. After approval, applicants must satisfy the Board’s remaining requirements, including the contractor license bond amount established by the Board and any other items identified in the approval process before the license is issued.

State Requirements

The Nevada State Contractors Board regulates contractor licensing in Nevada. Classification C-5 is the state specialty classification for concrete contracting.

A C-5 license authorizes qualified contractors to perform work within the classification’s scope, including preparing surfaces and placing reinforcement steel and other embedded materials that are integral to concrete construction; pouring, placing, finishing, and installing concrete; constructing and assembling forms, molds, slipforms, and pans; applying concrete sealants and other waterproofing products; and sawing, cutting, drilling, and coring concrete and asphaltic paving material.

The trade qualifying individual generally needs at least four years of qualifying experience within the 15 years immediately before filing the application. Nevada may recognize certain education or training toward a portion of the experience requirement in accordance with Board requirements, and other approved methods of documenting qualifications may apply.

The applicant must also demonstrate financial responsibility. Nevada requires financial information as part of the contractor licensing process, and the type of financial statement required depends on the monetary limit requested.

Each Nevada contractor license also requires a contractor license bond. The Nevada State Contractors Board determines the required bond amount during the licensing approval process based on factors established by the Board. Applicants receive the specific bond requirement as part of the approval process rather than selecting the amount themselves.

Reference Books

• International Building Code, 2018
  Included Rental Book: The 2018 International Building Code contains building code provisions used as an approved reference for the Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor examination. Becoming familiar with its organization, chapters, tables, terminology, and concrete-related provisions can reduce search time during the open-book exam.
• ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary
  Included Rental Book: ACI 318-14 provides structural concrete requirements and commentary covering major concepts involving concrete construction and reinforced concrete. This edition is permitted as a reference for the Nevada C-5 examination.
• Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada
  Included Rental Book: This Nevada-specific reference supports preparation for the Contractor Management Survey examination and covers contractor business, licensing, law, financial, contractual, and management topics used in the CMS exam.

Exam Room Approved Books

The books supplied in this package correspond to approved exam-room references for the Nevada examinations they support.

• International Building Code, 2018
  Approved for use during the Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor trade examination.
• ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary
  Approved for use during the Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor trade examination.
• Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada
  Approved for use during the Nevada Contractor Management Survey Business and Law examination.

The included rental books are highlighted and tabbed before delivery. Candidates should still spend time working directly with each book before the exam. Familiarity with the location of frequently used tables, chapters, definitions, and technical provisions can make a significant difference when working under a time limit.

Test Information and Study Materials

A productive Nevada C-5 study plan should combine technical review with repeated reference-book navigation. The trade examination is not limited to simply locating isolated code statements. PSI’s examination outline also allows questions based on trade knowledge and general industry practices, making practical understanding important alongside familiarity with the approved books.

Start by reviewing the six C-5 content areas and identifying where your experience is strongest and where additional review is needed. Concrete and formwork represent large portions of the examination, while reinforcement and concrete cutting are also significant categories. Safety and earthwork remain important and should not be overlooked.

When studying, practice looking up information rather than merely reading the books from beginning to end. Take a topic such as reinforcement, formwork, concrete placement, or a structural concrete requirement and practice locating the applicable material quickly. Repetition develops an understanding of each book’s structure and makes the tabs more useful.

Timed practice is also valuable. The C-5 trade examination provides 2 hours for 60 scored questions, which makes time management part of the testing strategy. Work through practice-oriented material while monitoring how long you spend on difficult questions. When a question requires a reference lookup, identify the key terms first instead of searching broadly through several books.

For the CMS examination, concentrate on understanding Nevada contractor business concepts and learning how the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada is organized. Licensing, estimating, financial management, contracts, labor and tax topics, lien law, project management, risk management, environmental matters, and safety all appear within the official CMS content outline.

Use the 6 months of course access alongside the rental references to build a consistent study schedule. Short, focused study sessions can be used to review individual content areas, practice locating information, and reinforce material that needs additional attention.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps Nevada C-5 candidates turn a large amount of contractor licensing material into a more organized preparation process. Instead of beginning with unfamiliar books and trying to determine where to focus, you can work with the principal exam-room references included in this package while following a structured study approach.

The highlighted and tabbed rental books are especially useful for reference navigation. Tabs provide faster access to important portions of the books, while highlighting can help draw attention to information during review. The goal is not simply to have prepared books on exam day, but to become familiar with them through repeated use before you enter the testing center.

Course-based preparation can help reinforce trade-focused review, practice-oriented learning, reference navigation, and a more consistent study routine. Candidates can use their course access to organize preparation around the examination content areas and spend additional time on subjects where they need more review.

For an open-book contractor exam, confidence often comes from preparation and familiarity. Knowing which reference to use, recognizing how a question is structured, finding information efficiently, and managing the available test time are skills that can be strengthened through practice. 1 Exam Prep provides study structure designed to support that process as you work toward meeting Nevada’s examination requirements.

Is the Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor exam open book?

Yes. The Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor trade examination is open book. Approved references may be brought into the examination center in accordance with PSI’s rules.

Which C-5 exam-room books are included in this rental package?

The package includes the International Building Code, 2018 and ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary for the C-5 trade exam. It also includes the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada for the Nevada CMS Business and Law examination.

Are the rental books highlighted and tabbed?

Yes. All included rental books are highlighted and tabbed to support faster study and reference navigation.

How much course access is included?

The Nevada C-5 books and course rental package includes 6 months of course access.

How many questions are on the Nevada C-5 Concrete Contractor exam?

The C-5 trade examination contains 60 questions. The minimum passing score is 42, and candidates are allowed 2 hours to complete the examination.

What topics are covered on the C-5 exam?

The official examination outline covers Safety, Concrete-Earthwork, Concrete, Concrete-Reinforcement, Concrete-Formwork, and Concrete-Cutting.

Do Nevada C-5 applicants also take a Business and Law exam?

Nevada contractor applicants generally must pass the Contractor Management Survey Business and Law examination in addition to the required trade examination unless an applicable waiver is granted. The Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada included with this package supports preparation for that examination.

How much does the Nevada C-5 book and course rental package cost?

The package price is $1,035. A $350 refundable deposit is also required, making the total due $1,385.

How long should I allow for my rental package order?

Please allow up to 15 business days for book & course rental - exam room approved package orders.

Can I use temporary Post-it tabs in the PSI exam?

No. PSI permits permanent tabs or indexing on approved references, but temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are not allowed. Approved references may be highlighted and underlined before the examination, subject to PSI’s examination-center rules.

Does having highlighted and tabbed books replace studying?

No. Highlighting and tabs are navigation tools. Candidates should become familiar with the books, review the C-5 content areas, practice locating information, and develop a time-management strategy before taking the examination.