North Carolina Boring and Tunneling Contractor Exam Book Package

Prepare for the North Carolina S(Boring and Tunneling) Contractor examination with a comprehensive book package that combines the references allowed in the exam room with additional technical, safety, business, legal, estimating, concrete, tunneling, excavation, and construction study materials.

The North Carolina Boring and Tunneling Contractor Exam Book Package is designed for candidates who want both the approved open-book examination references and a broader library for studying the work performed under this specialty classification. The package supports preparation involving underground and underwater passageways, boring operations, tunneling methods, excavation safety, rigging, erosion control, jacked tunnels, microtunneling, temporary tunnel safety, concrete, reinforcing steel, post-tensioning, estimating, project management, and North Carolina contractor law.

The S(Boring and Tunneling) classification covers the construction of underground or underwater passageways by digging or boring through and beneath the earth’s surface. The scope includes bracing and compacting passageways to make them safe for their intended purpose and preparing ground surfaces at points of ingress and egress.

This type of contracting work can involve complex interactions among soil conditions, groundwater, excavation support, lifting operations, equipment selection, tunnel alignment, jacking forces, pipe installation, shafts, work-zone safety, ventilation, concrete structures, reinforcing systems, erosion control, and project coordination. Candidates should be prepared to understand both field procedures and the responsibilities involved in managing a licensed contracting business.

Two references in this package are identified as allowed in the examination room: the North Carolina occupational safety and health standards for construction and the Handbook of Rigging. The remaining books are included as study materials. They provide important technical and business preparation but are not identified as exam-room-approved references for this examination.

The package includes books only. It does not include an online course, highlighted or tabbed preparation, examination registration, licensing fees, application service, engineering services, business formation, project design, or contractor compliance services unless those features are specifically included in another product package.

What You Get

• Exam-Room Approved References: The North Carolina construction safety standards and Handbook of Rigging listed below.
• Technical Boring and Tunneling References: Study books covering jacked tunnels, microtunneling, tunnels under construction, pipe and excavation contracting, and underground transit estimating.
• Excavation and Erosion-Control Materials: North Carolina excavation safety guidance, sedimentation-control regulations, and the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act.
• Concrete and Reinforcement References: Books covering concrete mixtures, reinforcing bars, and unbonded post-tensioning field fundamentals.
• Business, Law, and Project Management Books: North Carolina contractor references addressing business operations, licensing law, contracts, financial management, and project administration.
• Open-Book Navigation Support: The approved references needed for realistic exam-room lookup practice.
• Broader Trade Preparation: Additional materials that help candidates understand field methods, jobsite risks, project planning, estimating, structural work, and regulatory responsibilities.

Exam Details

The North Carolina S(Boring and Tunneling) Contractor examination evaluates knowledge associated with underground construction, tunneling, boring, excavation, rigging, construction safety, equipment use, and accepted trade practices.

Candidates should prepare for questions involving the planning and performance of underground passageway construction. Topics may include access shafts, ingress and egress, excavation support, ground stabilization, tunnel alignment, pipe jacking, boring methods, material handling, lifting operations, equipment safety, ventilation, concrete work, reinforcement, and protection of workers.

Construction safety is a major part of preparation. Boring and tunneling projects can expose workers to cave-ins, falling materials, moving equipment, suspended loads, limited access, hazardous atmospheres, water intrusion, electrical hazards, noise, poor visibility, and other underground-work risks.

Rigging preparation should include wire rope, chain, synthetic slings, hardware, hitches, load control, inspection, lifting angles, center of gravity, load weight, signaling, and safe use of hoisting equipment. Candidates should understand that rigging capacity can be affected by sling angle, configuration, condition, loading method, and hardware selection.

Excavation preparation may include soil conditions, protective systems, access and egress, spoil placement, underground utilities, water accumulation, inspections, mobile equipment, trench safety, and protection of adjacent structures.

Tunneling preparation may involve conventional tunneling, jacked tunnels, microtunneling, shafts, excavation faces, tunnel supports, guidance systems, spoil removal, pipe installation, lubrication, jacking forces, settlement control, groundwater management, and surface protection.

Concrete preparation may address materials, mixture proportioning, placement, consolidation, curing, strength, durability, testing, reinforcing steel, bar placement, cover, supports, splices, and field quality considerations.

Business and legal study may include contractor licensing, classifications, license limitations, qualifier responsibilities, contracts, bidding, estimating, financial management, project administration, safety programs, insurance, employment responsibilities, and North Carolina laws affecting general contractors.

Candidates should use the additional study references to build technical understanding and then practice locating safety and rigging information using only the books allowed into the examination room.

Open Book Test

The North Carolina Boring and Tunneling Contractor examination allows specified references into the examination room. For this package, the approved references are the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, including the latest available amendments, and the Handbook of Rigging, 5th Edition, 2009.

The remaining books included in the package are study-only materials. They should be used to develop technical knowledge before the examination but should not be brought into the testing room unless the current official candidate instructions specifically authorize them.

Open-book testing requires preparation. Candidates should know which approved book applies to a question and where important subjects are located. Searching an unfamiliar safety manual or rigging handbook during the examination can consume valuable time.

Practice should include locating excavation standards, underground-construction requirements, personal protective equipment provisions, material-handling rules, crane and hoisting requirements, scaffold provisions, electrical-safety requirements, fall-protection rules, and emergency procedures.

Rigging drills should include identifying sling types, determining how configurations affect capacity, reviewing inspection criteria, selecting hardware, calculating or evaluating sling angles, locating hand signals, and recognizing unsafe lifting practices.

Approved references should be prepared only in ways permitted by the current examination rules. Candidates should review requirements concerning highlighting, underlining, permanent tabs, notes, loose papers, and binding before arriving at the testing location.

During preparation, complete mixed lookup exercises using only the two approved references. Read the scenario, identify whether it involves construction safety or rigging, locate the supporting information, and confirm the answer.

Licensing Steps

1. Review the S(Boring and Tunneling) classification. Confirm that the specialty scope matches the underground passageway, boring, tunneling, bracing, compaction, and access work the business intends to perform.
2. Select the appropriate license limitation. Determine the North Carolina general contractor license limitation that fits the size of projects the business plans to undertake.
3. Identify the qualifier. Select the individual who will satisfy the examination requirement and serve as the qualifier for the business.
4. Submit the applicable application. Provide the required ownership, business, qualifier, financial, and organizational information to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.
5. Obtain examination eligibility. Complete the Board’s approval process before scheduling the specialty examination.
6. Study the complete book package. Use the technical, legal, business, safety, excavation, tunneling, concrete, and estimating references to build broad preparation.
7. Practice with the exam-room books. Complete timed searches using only the North Carolina construction safety standards and the Handbook of Rigging.
8. Schedule and take the examination. Follow the current examination instructions and testing-center procedures.
9. Complete the licensing process. Satisfy the financial and organizational requirements associated with the requested classification and limitation.
10. Maintain regulatory compliance. Follow applicable safety, environmental, erosion-control, excavation, permitting, and contractor requirements on each project.

State Requirements

The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors regulates the S(Boring and Tunneling) specialty classification. The classification covers underground or underwater passageways constructed by digging or boring beneath the earth’s surface.

The authorized scope includes bracing and compacting passageways to make them safe for their intended purpose and preparing ground surfaces at ingress and egress points.

A North Carolina general contractor license is required when a covered construction project meets the state licensing threshold. The contractor must hold a classification that covers the work and a license limitation appropriate for the project value.

The individual who passes the qualifying examination is associated with the license as the qualifier. The applicant business must also satisfy the Board’s financial, ownership, organizational, and application requirements.

Holding the contractor license does not replace project-specific permits, professional engineering, utility coordination, environmental approvals, excavation notifications, safety programs, or other requirements that may apply to a boring or tunneling project.

Projects disturbing land may be subject to North Carolina sedimentation and erosion-control requirements. Contractors should understand applicable plans, protective measures, stabilization procedures, inspection responsibilities, and pollution-prevention obligations.

Excavation and underground construction must be performed with attention to utility-location requirements, soil conditions, protective systems, access, atmospheric hazards, water control, equipment movement, and competent-person responsibilities.

Passing the examination does not automatically issue a contractor license. The applicant must complete the full application process and satisfy the requirements for the requested classification and limitation.

Exam Room Approved Books

• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, Including the Latest Available Amendments
  A North Carolina construction-safety reference covering excavation, underground construction, personal protective equipment, material handling, cranes, rigging, electrical safety, fall protection, scaffolds, tools, equipment, emergency procedures, and employer responsibilities.
• Handbook of Rigging, 5th Edition, 2009
  A technical lifting and rigging reference covering wire rope, chains, synthetic slings, hooks, shackles, hitches, load calculations, sling angles, inspections, crane operations, signaling, load control, and safe material-handling practices.

Additional Study Books Not Allowed into the Exam

• North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 15A, Chapter 4, Sedimentation Control, Including the Latest Amendments
  North Carolina administrative rules covering sedimentation-control requirements, land-disturbing activities, erosion-control plans, enforcement, inspections, stabilization, and responsibilities affecting construction projects.
• North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 113A, Article 4, Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973
  The state law establishing sedimentation and erosion-control responsibilities for land-disturbing activities, including compliance, enforcement, planning, and pollution-prevention requirements.
• North Carolina Excavation Safety Guidelines, 2022 or Later
  A practical excavation-safety resource covering utility-location procedures, safe digging, damage prevention, markings, tolerance zones, emergency response, and responsibilities of excavators and underground-facility operators.
• Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management - North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition
  A contractor business reference covering licensing, business organization, accounting, financial management, contracts, estimating, bidding, project management, insurance, employment, safety, and North Carolina contractor responsibilities.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
  A field-oriented reference covering excavation, trenching, pipe installation, equipment, dewatering, bedding, backfill, compaction, estimating, safety, and project execution.
• Laws and Regulations Applicable to General Contracting in the State of North Carolina
  A state regulatory reference covering licensing statutes, Board rules, classifications, limitations, qualifier responsibilities, applications, renewals, discipline, and other laws affecting North Carolina general contractors.
• Jacked Tunnel Design and Construction, 1999
  A technical reference covering jacked tunnel planning, design, shafts, jacking loads, pipe selection, alignment, lubrication, soil conditions, construction procedures, monitoring, and risk management.
• Standard Construction Guidelines for Microtunneling, 2001
  A technical guide to microtunneling methods, equipment, guidance systems, shafts, pipe jacking, spoil transport, slurry systems, alignment control, quality assurance, and construction practices.
• Code of Practice for Tunnels Under Construction, 2006
  A tunnel-safety reference addressing construction planning, access, ventilation, fire prevention, emergency response, ground support, plant, equipment, electrical systems, communication, and worker protection.
• Cost Estimating for Underground Transit: Too Dangerous to “Guesstimate,” 1997
  An underground-construction estimating reference addressing project scope, risk, contingencies, cost development, tunneling conditions, uncertainty, and factors affecting underground transit estimates.
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th Edition
  A concrete reference covering materials, mixture proportioning, strength, durability, placement, consolidation, curing, testing, quality control, and concrete performance.
• Training and Certification of Field Personnel for Unbonded Post-Tensioning - Level 1 Field Fundamentals
  A field reference covering unbonded post-tensioning systems, components, installation, tendon handling, stressing operations, safety, inspection, and basic quality-control practices.
• Placing Reinforcing Bars
  A reinforcing-steel reference covering bar identification, placement, supports, spacing, cover, splices, bending, tying, drawings, field procedures, and reinforcing-bar installation.

The additional study books broaden preparation but are not identified as references allowed into the S(Boring and Tunneling) examination. Candidates should use them during study and leave them outside the examination room unless current official instructions state otherwise.

Test Information and Study Materials

Begin preparation by separating the package into exam-room references and study-only references. Use the full library to understand the trade, but complete final timed drills with only the two books permitted during the examination.

Study construction safety by focusing on excavation, underground construction, access and egress, protective systems, atmospheric hazards, ventilation, water accumulation, material handling, cranes, hoists, electrical hazards, personal protective equipment, and emergency procedures.

Study rigging through practical scenarios. Review load weights, centers of gravity, sling angles, hitch configurations, hardware ratings, inspection criteria, load control, signaling, and rejection conditions.

Use the jacked-tunnel and microtunneling books to understand shafts, alignment, jacking forces, lubrication, ground behavior, guidance systems, spoil removal, settlement, pipe selection, and quality control.

Use the erosion-control rules and statutes to review responsibilities connected with land disturbance, stabilization, runoff, sediment control, plans, inspections, and enforcement.

Use the concrete, reinforcing-bar, and post-tensioning books to strengthen preparation involving structural shafts, tunnel components, foundations, supports, reinforcement placement, concrete mixtures, and field safety.

Use the business, law, and project-management references to review licensing, contracts, estimating, financial management, scheduling, insurance, employment, project documentation, and contractor responsibilities.

Create mixed study sessions that combine technical reading, safety lookups, rigging problems, estimating concepts, and review of North Carolina laws. Revisit missed questions in the supporting reference and record the subject for future practice.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps North Carolina Boring and Tunneling Contractor candidates organize a large technical and business library into a focused study structure.

Trade-focused review connects boring, tunneling, excavation, shafts, pipe jacking, microtunneling, rigging, underground safety, concrete, reinforcing steel, post-tensioning, erosion control, and estimating.

Business-focused preparation helps candidates understand contractor licensing, classifications, limitations, contracts, accounting, project management, financial responsibilities, safety programs, and North Carolina regulations.

Practice-oriented preparation encourages candidates to answer questions, locate supporting information, review incorrect responses, and repeat difficult safety and rigging searches using the approved exam-room books.

Reference-navigation practice helps candidates become familiar with the organization of the safety standards and rigging handbook. The study-only materials provide broader technical context that can make examination scenarios easier to understand.

No book package can guarantee a passing score, contractor license, project approval, permit, or business outcome. Results depend on the candidate’s preparation, field knowledge, financial qualifications, reference-navigation ability, application completion, and performance during the examination.

FAQ Section

What books are included in this package?

The package includes two references allowed into the North Carolina Boring and Tunneling examination and thirteen additional books for technical, safety, legal, business, estimating, concrete, and underground-construction study.

Which books are allowed into the examination?

The allowed references are the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry with the latest available amendments and the Handbook of Rigging, 5th Edition, 2009.

Are the additional study books allowed into the exam?

No. The additional books are included for preparation but are not identified as approved exam-room references.

Is the examination open book?

Yes. Candidates may use the references authorized for the examination when those materials comply with the current testing rules.

What does the S(Boring and Tunneling) classification cover?

It covers construction of underground or underwater passageways by digging or boring beneath the earth’s surface, including bracing, compacting, and preparing ingress and egress areas.

Does this package include North Carolina contractor law books?

Yes. It includes the North Carolina contractor business guide and the laws and regulations reference as study-only materials.

Does the package cover microtunneling and jacked tunnels?

Yes. Study references for both jacked tunnel construction and microtunneling are included.

Are concrete and reinforcing references included?

Yes. The package includes references covering concrete mixtures, reinforcing-bar placement, and unbonded post-tensioning field fundamentals.

Does this package include an online course?

No. This product includes the listed books only. Courses and other services are included only when specifically stated in another package.

Does passing the examination automatically issue a license?

No. Applicants must complete the North Carolina licensing process and satisfy the applicable financial, organizational, qualifier, classification, and limitation requirements.

Does purchasing the package guarantee a passing score?

No. Examination results depend on preparation, underground-construction knowledge, safety awareness, rigging skills, reference navigation, and performance on test day.