Prepare for the Nevada Sewers, Drains, and Pipes Contractor (A-15) examination with a focused exam-room package containing the specific Nevada environmental reference materials allowed into the open-book trade examination. This package includes the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection: Bureau of Water Pollution Control, Fact Sheets WTS-22 and WTS-23.
The Nevada A-15 Sewers, Drains, and Pipes examination is an open-book test. The WTS-22 and WTS-23 fact sheets are the exam-room-approved materials included in this package. Candidates can use them during preparation to become familiar with the organization, terminology, and wastewater-related information they may need to locate during the examination.
The Nevada A-15 examination contains 50 questions, allows 2 hours for completion, and requires 35 correct answers to pass. The exam covers Safety, Underground Utilities - Concrete Pipe Installation, Excavating and Grading, Paving, Septic Tanks/Cesspools, and Nevada One Call.
This Books Allowed into Exam Package is intended for candidates who specifically need the approved reference materials for the Nevada A-15 trade examination rather than the broader group of study-only references used for subjects such as OSHA safety, ductile iron pipe installation, concrete pipe installation, excavation, paving, and Nevada One Call.
The A-15 classification covers underground utility work involving sewers, drains, irrigation piping, excavating, grading, trenching, backfilling, paving, surfacing, cesspools, and septic tanks. Because the approved exam-room materials focus on wastewater-related subjects, candidates should also build strong retained knowledge in the other major trade areas before exam day.
Regular practice with WTS-22 and WTS-23 can help candidates become more comfortable locating information efficiently. Even in an open-book examination, strong preparation is important because candidates must manage time carefully while moving between technical questions and reference lookups.
The Nevada A-15 Sewers, Drains, and Pipes Contractor examination contains 50 questions. Candidates are allowed 2 hours to complete the examination and must answer 35 questions correctly to pass.
The exam content is divided into the following subject areas:
Septic Tanks/Cesspools is the largest section of the examination with 15 questions. This makes wastewater-related preparation especially important for A-15 candidates. The WTS-22 and WTS-23 fact sheets included in this package should be used regularly during study so candidates can become familiar with the material before test day.
Underground Utilities - Concrete Pipe Installation and Excavating and Grading each account for 10 questions. These topics require practical understanding of pipe installation, trench preparation, bedding, grade, alignment, excavation methods, backfill, and related underground construction practices.
Safety accounts for 9 questions and should also receive significant attention. Candidates should understand the hazards associated with trenching, excavations, equipment, access, material handling, and other construction activities commonly encountered on sewer and drain projects.
Paving and Nevada One Call each account for 3 questions. Although these sections contain fewer questions, candidates should still understand pavement restoration concepts and excavation-related utility-location responsibilities.
The Nevada A-15 Sewers, Drains, and Pipes Contractor examination is an open-book test.
The exam-room-approved materials included in this package are:
This package focuses specifically on the materials allowed into the Nevada A-15 trade examination. Study-only references covering OSHA, pipe installation, excavation, paving, and Nevada One Call are not included in this package.
Candidates should become familiar with the organization of WTS-22 and WTS-23 before exam day. Open-book testing is most effective when the candidate already knows what type of information is contained in the approved material and where that information is likely to be located.
With 50 questions in two hours, candidates have a little more than two minutes per question on average. Spending too much time searching through reference material can reduce the time available for other questions.
A useful study technique is to select a wastewater or septic-system topic, locate the applicable information in the fact sheets, close the material, and then repeat the process. Timed reference-navigation drills can help candidates become more efficient with the approved documents.
The Nevada A-15 Sewers, Drains, and Pipes classification covers the laying of cast-iron, steel, concrete, vitreous, and nonvitreous pipe for sewers, drains, and irrigation.
The classification also includes related excavating, grading, trenching, backfilling, paving, and surfacing. Candidates should therefore understand the full sequence of underground utility work, from excavation and trench preparation through pipe placement, backfill, compaction, and surface restoration.
The A-15 scope further includes the fabrication and erection of cesspools and septic tanks. This is reflected directly in the examination, where Septic Tanks/Cesspools is the largest content area.
Underground utility projects require close coordination between the pipe system and the surrounding soil and trench conditions. Proper grade, bedding, alignment, backfill, and compaction can affect system performance and long-term durability.
The A-15 trade examination is one part of Nevada contractor licensing. Applicants must also satisfy the applicable qualification, application, business and law, financial, and other licensing requirements before a contractor license is issued.
A strong Nevada A-15 study plan should begin with Septic Tanks/Cesspools because this section contains 15 questions, the largest number assigned to any single subject area on the examination.
Use WTS-22 and WTS-23 throughout preparation rather than waiting until just before test day. Repeated use can help candidates understand how the fact sheets are organized and where key wastewater-related information can be found.
Practice reference navigation under timed conditions. Choose a wastewater or septic-system topic, locate the applicable information, and repeat the exercise until the search process becomes more natural.
Underground Utilities - Concrete Pipe Installation accounts for 10 questions. Candidates should understand pipe handling, trench preparation, bedding, alignment, grade, joints, backfill, and the basic construction relationships that affect underground pipe installation.
Excavating and Grading also accounts for 10 questions. Review excavation procedures, grading, trench geometry, bedding preparation, soil removal, backfill, compaction, and practical sequencing of underground utility work.
Safety accounts for 9 questions and should be included in every study cycle. Underground work can involve trench collapse hazards, restricted access, mobile equipment, falling materials, and other serious construction risks.
Because the safety reference itself is not part of this Books Allowed into Exam Package, candidates should build strong retained knowledge of the safety subjects covered by the examination.
Paving represents 3 questions. Sewer and drain installation can require excavation through existing paved areas, so candidates should understand general concepts involving pavement removal, preparation, asphalt placement, compaction, and restoration.
Nevada One Call also accounts for 3 questions. Candidates should understand the importance of utility-location procedures, excavation notification, markings, and working around buried facilities.
A useful study structure is to divide the examination into its six subject areas and work on them separately at first. This makes it easier to identify which topics need additional study.
After building familiarity with each subject, move to mixed-question practice. The actual examination can switch quickly from wastewater topics to pipe installation, excavation, safety, paving, or utility-location requirements.
For the open-book portion of preparation, focus on targeted reference use rather than broad searching. When a question appears to involve a wastewater topic, first identify the key subject and then determine where it is likely to appear within WTS-22 or WTS-23.
Time management should be practiced throughout the study period. With 50 questions and two hours, candidates should avoid spending an excessive amount of time on one difficult lookup.
A balanced test strategy is to answer familiar trade questions efficiently, use the approved fact sheets for targeted confirmation when applicable, mark difficult questions, and return to them after completing easier items.
Active recall can help with the subjects not covered by the approved exam-room materials. After reviewing excavation, pipe installation, safety, paving, or Nevada One Call concepts, close the study material and explain the topic from memory.
This method helps candidates identify whether they truly understand a trade concept or are simply recognizing information while a book is open.
For underground utility topics, try connecting individual concepts to the complete construction sequence. Think about locating existing utilities, excavating the trench, preparing grade and bedding, installing pipe, checking alignment, backfilling, compacting, and restoring the surface.
Connecting these subjects to an actual workflow can make technical information easier to retain and apply to exam questions.
1 Exam Prep supports Nevada A-15 Sewers, Drains, and Pipes Contractor candidates through organized study guidance, trade-focused review, practice-oriented preparation, reference navigation when applicable, and confidence-building study structure.
This Books Allowed into Exam Package focuses specifically on the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection: Bureau of Water Pollution Control, Fact Sheets WTS-22 and WTS-23, giving candidates the approved materials included for exam-room use.
Reference-navigation practice can help candidates become more comfortable using these fact sheets during the open-book examination. The goal is to make approved-material lookups more targeted and efficient rather than relying on broad searching during test time.
Trade-focused preparation should also include the subjects that must be understood without relying on these fact sheets, including underground utilities, concrete pipe installation, excavation, grading, safety, paving, and Nevada One Call.
Practice-oriented review can help identify whether a missed question comes from weak wastewater knowledge, uncertainty about pipe installation, excavation concepts, safety requirements, paving procedures, or utility-location responsibilities.
The goal is to help candidates approach the Nevada A-15 examination with stronger underground utility knowledge, better familiarity with the approved fact sheets, improved reference-navigation skills, and an organized study routine without guaranteeing a passing score or licensing approval.
The Nevada A-15 Sewers, Drains, and Pipes Contractor examination contains 50 questions.
Candidates are allowed 2 hours to complete the examination.
Candidates must answer 35 questions correctly to pass the Nevada A-15 examination.
Yes. The Nevada A-15 Sewers, Drains, and Pipes Contractor examination is an open-book test.
This package includes the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection: Bureau of Water Pollution Control, Fact Sheets WTS-22 and WTS-23.
Yes. WTS-22 and WTS-23 are the exam-room-approved materials included in this package.
No. This package focuses specifically on the materials allowed into the Nevada A-15 trade examination.
No. The ductile iron pipe, concrete pipe, excavation, paving, and other study-only references are not included in this Books Allowed into Exam Package.
Septic Tanks/Cesspools is the largest section with 15 questions.
Underground Utilities - Concrete Pipe Installation accounts for 10 questions.
Excavating and Grading accounts for 10 questions.
Yes. Safety - Code of Federal Regulations accounts for 9 questions.
Yes. Paving accounts for 3 questions.
Yes. Nevada One Call accounts for 3 questions.
Yes. Regular navigation practice can help candidates become more familiar with the approved materials and locate relevant information more efficiently during the open-book examination.
No. This package provides the exam-room-approved materials designed to support organized preparation. Examination results depend on each candidate's experience, underground utility knowledge, study, reference-navigation skills, and performance on test day.