New Mexico Streets, Roads, and Highways Contractor GA-1 Exam Book Package

New Mexico Streets, Roads, and Highways Contractor GA-1 Exam Book Package

The New Mexico Streets, Roads, and Highways Contractor GA-1 Exam Book Package is designed for candidates preparing for the New Mexico GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways contractor exam. This package brings together the listed reference materials used to study roadway construction, paving, excavation, concrete, asphalt, stormwater management, work zone traffic control, trenching safety, highway specifications, standard drawings, and New Mexico excavation requirements.

The GA-1 classification is connected to streets, roads, highways, tunnels, parking lots, alleys, seal coat, and surfacing work. Candidates preparing for this exam should be ready to work with references that cover both practical construction methods and formal construction standards. Roadway contracting requires knowledge of materials, safety, equipment, grading, drainage, traffic control, concrete placement, asphalt paving, pavement maintenance, excavation, and public infrastructure requirements.

This book package supports a structured study approach for candidates who need the correct references in one place. The listed materials include OSHA construction safety standards, concrete mix design guidance, excavation and pipe contracting information, asphalt paving and pavement maintenance references, traffic control standards, New Mexico highway specifications, stormwater management references, New Mexico One Call excavation guidance, NMDOT standard drawings, and urban stormwater management guidance.

Because the New Mexico GA-1 exam is open book, candidates should use these references throughout the study process. Open-book testing does not remove the need for preparation. The references are detailed, and the exam is timed. Candidates who know how the books are organized can move through questions more efficiently than candidates who try to search unfamiliar materials for the first time on exam day.

A strong preparation routine should include reading key sections, practicing reference lookup, reviewing roadway construction terminology, becoming familiar with tables and drawings, and connecting field experience to written specifications. The more time candidates spend working with the references before the test, the more confident they can become with the open-book exam format.

Exam Details

The New Mexico GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways contractor exam is administered through PSI for New Mexico contractor licensing. Candidates must be approved before scheduling the exam. Once eligibility is granted, candidates can schedule through PSI and take the examination by computer at an approved testing location.

The GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways exam includes 60 questions. Candidates are allowed 180 minutes to complete the examination. The required passing score is 75%. Since the exam is timed, candidates should prepare to identify the subject of each question quickly, choose the correct reference, and locate supporting information without wasting time.

The GA-1 exam is tied to heavy civil construction knowledge. Candidates should be prepared for questions involving roadway construction, asphalt paving, concrete work, excavation, trenching, drainage, stormwater practices, traffic control, safety, pavement maintenance, New Mexico highway specifications, and standard construction details. The listed references support these areas and should be treated as working study tools.

Because the exam has 60 questions and a three-hour time limit, candidates should practice pacing during preparation. Some questions may be answered from general trade knowledge, while others may require looking up a standard, specification, safety rule, table, drawing, or procedural requirement. Candidates should not spend too much time on one question. A more effective strategy is to build enough familiarity with the references to know where answers are likely to be found.

In addition to trade-specific testing, New Mexico contractor candidates may also need to satisfy Business Management and Law requirements as part of the licensing process. Candidates should review their full New Mexico contractor licensing path so they understand all examination, application, qualifying party, and business requirements connected to the license they are pursuing.

Open Book Test

The New Mexico GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways contractor exam is an open book test. Candidates are responsible for bringing their own approved reference materials to the examination center. The open-book format allows candidates to use approved references during the exam, but candidates must still study thoroughly and learn how to use the books efficiently.

Reference materials must be bound and may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the examination session. Permanent tabs are allowed. Temporary tabs, including Post-it notes, are not allowed and must be removed before the exam begins. Reference materials containing writing are not allowed into the examination, and candidates are not permitted to write in the references during the testing session.

Open-book roadway exams can be challenging because the reference list is broad. A safety question may require OSHA. A traffic control question may require the MUTCD. A paving question may require the Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook or Asphalt in Pavement Maintenance. A state specification question may require the New Mexico Specifications for Highway and Bridge Construction. A drainage question may require one of the stormwater references. Candidates should practice recognizing which reference matches the subject being tested.

The best preparation is active reference use. Candidates should review a construction topic, locate the related material in the appropriate book, read the surrounding section, and practice finding similar information again later. This builds speed, confidence, and familiarity with the reference set before exam day.

Licensing Steps

Candidates pursuing the New Mexico GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways contractor classification should begin by following the approval process required for New Mexico contractor examinations. Candidates must be approved before scheduling through PSI. After approval is granted, the candidate can register for the examination, select an available testing date, and complete the required exam process.

A practical preparation path includes identifying the correct GA-1 classification, completing the required application or qualifying party approval process, receiving examination eligibility, scheduling the exam through PSI, reviewing the approved references, studying consistently, and arriving at the testing center with proper identification and approved materials.

After passing the trade examination, candidates should complete any remaining New Mexico contractor licensing requirements. Passing the GA-1 exam is an important step, but candidates are still responsible for meeting applicable business, law, documentation, experience, financial, bonding, registration, and administrative requirements connected to the license.

Candidates should keep application documents, eligibility notices, exam scheduling confirmations, reference lists, score reports, and licensing correspondence organized. Good recordkeeping helps reduce confusion during the licensing process and allows candidates to focus more attention on preparation.

State Requirements

New Mexico contractor licensing is connected to the Construction Industries Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. The GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways classification covers work related to streets, roads, highways, tunnels, parking lots, alleys, seal coat, and surfacing. Candidates preparing for this classification should understand that the exam is built around heavy civil construction knowledge and the standards used in roadway work.

New Mexico-specific references are especially important for this exam. The New Mexico Specifications for Highway and Bridge Construction, 2019 and the New Mexico Department of Transportation Active Standard Drawing Master List and Standard Drawings support preparation for state roadway construction standards. These materials help candidates understand how New Mexico highway and bridge construction requirements are organized and applied.

The New Mexico One Call Excavator Handbook, 2004 is also important because roadway and excavation work often involves underground utilities. Contractors working around buried facilities must understand excavation notification, utility coordination, and safe digging responsibilities. This reference supports preparation for questions related to excavation safety and utility protection.

Roadway construction also involves environmental and stormwater responsibilities. The stormwater references in this package support preparation for construction-site runoff, erosion control, sediment control, drainage planning, and stormwater management systems. These topics matter because streets, roads, and highways interact directly with drainage patterns, right-of-way conditions, soil disturbance, and public infrastructure.

Reference Books

• Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA)
  This reference contains OSHA construction safety standards. Candidates should use it to review trenching and excavation safety, personal protective equipment, hazard recognition, equipment safety, fall protection, traffic-related jobsite hazards, and general construction safety responsibilities.
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th Edition
  This concrete reference supports study of concrete materials, mixture design, placement considerations, cementitious materials, aggregates, admixtures, durability, testing concepts, and quality control for concrete construction.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
  This reference supports study of excavation practices, trenching, pipe installation, bedding, backfill, equipment use, underground construction, and jobsite considerations related to roadway and utility work.
• Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook
  This reference supports study of asphalt paving operations, hot mix asphalt placement, compaction, paving equipment, pavement construction practices, and quality considerations for asphalt roadway work.
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 2003
  This reference supports study of traffic control devices, work zone traffic control, signs, signals, pavement markings, channelizing devices, and roadway user safety during construction operations.
• New Mexico Specifications for Highway and Bridge Construction, 2019
  This reference contains New Mexico highway and bridge construction specifications. It supports preparation for state-specific requirements involving materials, construction methods, acceptance standards, and roadway project specifications.
• Storm Water Management for Construction Activities, 1992
  This reference supports study of stormwater controls, erosion prevention, sediment management, runoff considerations, and construction-site water quality practices.
• Asphalt in Pavement Maintenance (MS-16), 3rd edition
  This reference supports study of asphalt pavement maintenance, surface treatments, repair methods, pavement distress, preservation practices, and maintenance planning.
• New Mexico One Call Excavator Handbook, 2004
  This reference supports study of New Mexico excavation notification, underground utility coordination, safe digging practices, and excavator responsibilities before and during excavation work.
• New Mexico Department of Transportation Active Standard Drawing Master List and Standard Drawings
  This reference supports study of NMDOT standard drawings, construction details, roadway components, drainage details, structural details, and standard plan information used in transportation work.
• Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management Systems, 1992
  This reference supports study of urban drainage systems, stormwater design concepts, conveyance, detention, runoff management, and infrastructure planning for stormwater control.

Each reference in this package supports a different part of GA-1 exam preparation. Candidates should avoid treating the book list as a simple checklist. The better approach is to learn what each reference is for, which topics it covers, and when it is most likely to be useful during the exam.

Test Information and Study Materials

The New Mexico GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways exam is a timed, open-book trade examination. Candidates should prepare by reviewing roadway construction methods, construction safety, excavation practices, concrete materials, asphalt paving, pavement maintenance, traffic control, stormwater management, New Mexico highway specifications, and NMDOT standard drawings.

Safety should be one of the first areas of review. Streets, roads, and highways construction often involves excavations, heavy equipment, moving traffic, confined work areas, material handling, and changing jobsite conditions. OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 supports preparation for safety-related questions involving construction hazards, protective systems, equipment, and worker protection.

Concrete preparation should include review of mix design, materials, placement, curing, testing, durability, reinforcement concepts, and quality control. Roadway and highway projects often include concrete pavement, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, drainage structures, and bridge-related work. Candidates should understand how concrete materials and construction practices affect long-term performance.

Asphalt study should include hot mix asphalt production, paving operations, compaction, surface preparation, pavement repair, seal coat, overlays, and maintenance practices. The Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook and Asphalt in Pavement Maintenance help candidates review both new pavement construction and pavement preservation concepts.

Excavation and pipe contracting should be studied carefully because roadway work often includes trenching, utility crossings, drainage pipe, culverts, backfill, compaction, and underground construction. Candidates should review excavation safety, pipe installation methods, bedding, backfill requirements, and utility coordination. The New Mexico One Call Excavator Handbook supports safe digging and underground utility awareness.

Traffic control is another important part of GA-1 preparation. Roadway contractors must understand signs, devices, work zones, flagging concepts, lane closures, channelization, and safety for workers and road users. The MUTCD provides important traffic control standards and should be reviewed as a working reference.

Stormwater and drainage study should include erosion control, sediment control, runoff management, drainage systems, stormwater conveyance, detention, and construction-site water quality practices. These topics are especially important because roadway construction changes grades, surfaces, drainage paths, and site disturbance conditions.

New Mexico highway specifications and standard drawings should be used throughout preparation. These references support state-specific construction details and requirements that may apply to roadway, highway, drainage, paving, and infrastructure work. Candidates should practice locating information in these references before the exam so they are not searching unfamiliar documents under time pressure.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps candidates prepare with organized, trade-focused support designed around the way contractor exams are actually taken. For an open-book heavy civil exam, preparation is not only about owning the right references. It is about learning how to use those references, recognize key terms, locate information quickly, and connect construction experience to written standards.

This book package supports that preparation by providing the listed references for the New Mexico Streets, Roads, and Highways Contractor GA-1 exam. Candidates can use the books to review roadway construction, OSHA safety, asphalt paving, concrete materials, excavation, traffic control, stormwater management, highway specifications, and standard drawings. Consistent use of the references helps candidates build stronger study habits and better test-day readiness.

1 Exam Prep’s approach is practical and exam-oriented. The goal is to help candidates reduce confusion, organize their preparation, and build confidence through repeated reference navigation and trade-focused review. Candidates still need to study consistently and understand the material, but having the proper references is a key part of preparing for the exam.

Heavy civil candidates often have field experience but may not be used to working through specifications, safety standards, technical manuals, and standard drawings under exam pressure. 1 Exam Prep helps support that transition by encouraging structured study, reference familiarity, and practice-oriented preparation. With consistent effort, candidates can improve pacing, strengthen subject knowledge, and approach the GA-1 exam with a clearer plan.

FAQ

What books are included in this package?

This package includes OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook, MUTCD 2003, New Mexico Specifications for Highway and Bridge Construction, Storm Water Management for Construction Activities, Asphalt in Pavement Maintenance, New Mexico One Call Excavator Handbook, NMDOT standard drawings, and Design and Construction of Urban Stormwater Management Systems.

What does the GA-1 classification cover?

The GA-1 classification is connected to streets, roads, highways, tunnels, parking lots, alleys, seal coat, and surfacing work.

Is the New Mexico GA-1 exam open book?

Yes. The New Mexico GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways exam is an open-book test. Candidates are responsible for bringing their approved references to the examination center.

How many questions are on the GA-1 exam?

The GA-1 Streets, Roads, and Highways exam has 60 questions.

How much time is allowed for the exam?

Candidates are allowed 180 minutes to complete the GA-1 examination.

What score is required to pass?

The required passing score is 75%.

What topics should I study for this exam?

Candidates should study construction safety, roadway construction, asphalt paving, concrete materials, excavation, pipe installation, traffic control, stormwater management, pavement maintenance, New Mexico highway specifications, and NMDOT standard drawings.

Should I study all of the listed references?

Yes. Each reference supports a different part of the exam. Candidates should become familiar with the safety standards, paving references, concrete reference, excavation material, traffic control manual, stormwater references, New Mexico specifications, One Call handbook, and standard drawings.

Does this package guarantee a passing score?

No product can guarantee an exam result. This package provides the listed reference books and supports candidates as they prepare through trade-focused study and reference navigation practice.