North Carolina Highway Contractor Highlighted & Tabbed Book Package

Prepare for the North Carolina Highway Contractor examination with a comprehensive collection of professionally highlighted and tabbed references. This package combines the six books permitted in the examination room with eleven additional study references covering the major technical, legal, safety, and regulatory subjects associated with highway construction.

The North Carolina Highway Contractor examination covers a wide range of work, including asphalt paving, concrete paving, excavation and grading, bridge-related construction, piles, concrete reinforcement, tunneling, railroad construction, marine construction, traffic control, erosion and sedimentation control, sports fields, licensing, liens, and business law. Because the examination draws from many different construction disciplines, candidates need an organized study system and a clear understanding of which references may be used during the test.

Every reference in this package is highlighted and tabbed to help direct your attention to important concepts and make key sections easier to locate. The tabs divide large technical books into practical subject areas, while the highlighting identifies definitions, procedures, tables, specifications, safety provisions, construction methods, and regulatory information that may be useful during preparation.

The package is divided into two groups. The first group contains the six references approved for use in the North Carolina Highway Contractor examination room. The second group contains eleven study-only books that support preparation but are not permitted inside the testing center for this classification. Keeping these groups clearly separated helps prevent candidates from mistakenly bringing an unapproved reference to the examination.

This package is designed for contractors, qualifiers, project managers, estimators, supervisors, engineers, and construction professionals preparing for the North Carolina Highway Contractor examination. It provides a structured way to study a broad classification without beginning with an unorganized stack of technical references.

All books require professional preparation before shipment. Please allow 15 business days for the highlighting and tabbing process.

Exam Details

The North Carolina Highway Contractor examination is administered by PSI for the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Candidates must receive examination eligibility through the licensing board before registering and scheduling a testing appointment.

• Examination classification: Highway Contractor
• Number of scored questions: 90
• Passing score: 70%
• Time allowed: 265 minutes
• Testing format: Computer-based examination
• Testing provider: PSI Services LLC

The published content outline distributes the 90 scored questions across the following subject areas:

• Paving — Asphalt: 12 questions
• Piles: 5 questions
• Excavation and Grading: 8 questions
• Concrete Paving: 3 questions
• Safety: 5 questions
• One Call: 3 questions
• Traffic Control: 2 questions
• Concrete: 6 questions
• Metals, Including Concrete Reinforcement: 5 questions
• Erosion and Sedimentation Control: 4 questions
• Tunneling: 8 questions
• Railroad Construction: 8 questions
• Marine Construction: 6 questions
• Licensing: 2 questions
• Liens: 1 question
• Business and Law: 7 questions
• Sports Fields: 5 questions

The examination may also contain a small number of experimental questions that are not scored. Candidates should prepare for the entire published content outline rather than concentrating only on asphalt paving. Tunneling, railroad work, excavation, business law, concrete, marine construction, reinforcement, safety, and sports-field construction collectively represent a substantial portion of the test.

Open Book Test

The North Carolina Highway Contractor examination is an open-book test. However, candidates may use only the references specifically approved for this examination classification. Six books in this package are designated as exam-room-approved references. The remaining eleven books are included for study and must not be taken into the testing room.

Approved references may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the examination. Tabs must be permanent and firmly attached to the pages. Removable flags, temporary notes, loose papers, and easily detached tabs are not permitted. Notes may not be written on the tabs, and candidates may not write in their references during the examination session.

The CAMA Handbook must be complete and bound when taken into the testing center. A downloaded copy may be spiral bound or hole-punched and placed in a binder, but partial copies are not accepted. Candidates are responsible for bringing their own approved books to the examination.

The 265-minute testing period provides an average of slightly less than three minutes per scored question. That time includes reading each question, reviewing the available answers, performing calculations when needed, finding information in a reference, and submitting a response. Effective preparation therefore requires more than owning the correct books. Candidates should practice navigating the approved references before test day.

Licensing Steps

1. Select the Highway Contractor classification. Confirm that the classification matches the construction services the company intends to offer.
2. Choose the appropriate license limitation. North Carolina general contractor licenses are issued with limitations that affect the value of projects the licensee may undertake.
3. Designate a qualifier. The applicant must identify an individual who has passed an examination approved by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors for the requested classification.
4. Submit the application or examination request. Complete the current licensing documents required by the board and provide the requested supporting information.
5. Meet the board’s applicant requirements. The applicant must satisfy the applicable age, character, financial-responsibility, fee, and background-check provisions.
6. Receive examination eligibility. After approval, the candidate receives an eligibility letter containing the information needed to register with PSI.
7. Register and schedule the examination. Contact PSI within the eligibility period, pay the required examination fee, and select an available testing appointment.
8. Take and pass the Highway Contractor examination. A score of at least 70% is required.
9. Complete the board’s licensing process. Passing the examination completes the testing requirement, but the license is issued only after the board completes its application review.

An examination result does not independently authorize a person or company to perform licensed contracting work. The business entity must hold the appropriate active license issued by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.

State Requirements

A North Carolina general contractor license is generally required when a person or business bids on, contracts for, or undertakes a construction project valued at $40,000 or more. The law applies to covered work involving buildings, highways, public utilities, grading, improvements, and structures.

Before becoming entitled to an examination, an applicant must be at least 18 years old, possess good moral character as determined by the board, provide evidence of financial responsibility, submit the appropriate application fee, and consent to a criminal background check when required.

The applicant must identify a qualifier or qualifying party who has passed an examination accepted by the board. The qualifier demonstrates knowledge related to construction practices, plans and specifications, estimating, ethics, contractor responsibilities, state laws, liens, and erosion and sedimentation control.

The Highway Contractor classification covers highway construction activities such as grading, paving, exterior artificial athletic surfaces, bridge construction and repair, culvert work, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, storm drainage, parking decks, guardrails, fencing, signage, and related highway hardware. It also includes paving and grading for airport runways, taxiways, and aprons, along with associated fencing, markings, signage, and runway-lighting work.

The scope also incorporates work performed under several related specialty classifications, including boring and tunneling, concrete construction, marine construction, railroad construction, and grading and excavating. This broad scope explains why the examination contains questions from many different construction disciplines.

Reference Books

This package includes seventeen professionally highlighted and tabbed references. Six are approved for use inside the examination room, while eleven are provided for study only.

• Sports Fields Design, Construction and Maintenance, Second Edition, 2010
  Exam Room Approved. Covers the planning, construction, drainage, grading, soil preparation, turf establishment, irrigation, and maintenance of sports fields and exterior athletic surfaces.
• Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management — North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition
  Exam Room Approved. Addresses North Carolina contractor licensing, business organization, contracts, project management, financial administration, risk, insurance, employment, liens, and other business-law subjects.
• North Carolina Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures, 2018
  Exam Room Approved. Contains North Carolina Department of Transportation requirements for roadway and structural construction, including earthwork, asphalt, concrete, materials, structures, drainage, measurement, and construction procedures.
• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Available Amendments
  Exam Room Approved. Provides construction safety requirements involving excavation, equipment, fall protection, cranes, personal protective equipment, traffic exposure, concrete work, tunneling, and other workplace hazards.
• Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, 10th Edition
  Exam Room Approved. Explains construction planning, production, equipment selection, earthmoving, excavation, hauling, compaction, concrete operations, cranes, piles, tunneling, and construction methods.
• CAMA Handbook for Development of Coastal North Carolina
  Exam Room Approved. Provides guidance on development within North Carolina’s regulated coastal areas, including permits, areas of environmental concern, shoreline activities, docks, erosion, and coastal-development responsibilities.
• North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 15A, Chapter 4 Sedimentation Control, Including the Latest Amendments
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Contains administrative rules governing erosion and sedimentation control for land-disturbing activities in North Carolina.
• North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 113A, Article 4 Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Contains the statutory framework for controlling sedimentation caused by land-disturbing construction activities.
• North Carolina Excavation Safety Guidelines, 2022 or Later
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Supports preparation for North Carolina One Call and safe-digging questions involving underground utilities, notification, markings, communication, and excavation responsibilities.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Reviews excavation, trenching, soils, dewatering, pipe installation, grading, equipment, production, estimating, backfilling, and compaction practices.
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th Edition
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Covers concrete materials, mixture proportioning, durability, testing, placement, curing, strength, admixtures, and quality-control principles.
• Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Explains asphalt-mixture production, hauling, placement, compaction, paving operations, equipment, quality control, and common pavement-construction issues.
• Laws and Regulations Applicable to General Contracting in the State of North Carolina
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Contains statutes and administrative rules governing North Carolina general contractor licensing, qualifiers, classifications, limitations, renewals, responsibilities, and enforcement.
• Placing Reinforcing Bars
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Addresses reinforcing-bar materials, detailing, supports, placement tolerances, splices, field practices, and reinforcement for concrete construction.
• Training and Certification of Field Personnel for Unbonded Post-Tensioning — Level 1 Field Fundamentals
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Introduces field procedures, components, installation practices, stressing operations, safety considerations, and inspection fundamentals for unbonded post-tensioning systems.
• Jacked Tunnel Design and Construction, 1999
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Reviews planning, design, ground behavior, equipment, shafts, alignment, jacking forces, pipe-jacking operations, and construction considerations for jacked tunnels.
• The Practical Guide to Railway Engineering, 3rd Edition, 2019
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Provides an overview of railroad engineering, including track, subgrade, drainage, structures, construction, maintenance, operations, and railway-system fundamentals.

Exam Room Approved Books

The following six references from this package are approved for use inside the North Carolina Highway Contractor examination room:

• Sports Fields Design, Construction and Maintenance, Second Edition, 2010
  Used for questions related to exterior athletic surfaces and sports-field design, construction, grading, drainage, and maintenance.
• Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management — North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition
  Used for business law, licensing, liens, contracts, project administration, and contractor-management subjects.
• North Carolina Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures, 2018
  Used for roadway specifications, paving, grading, drainage, concrete, materials, structures, and construction requirements.
• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Available Amendments
  Used for construction-safety questions and precise occupational safety requirements.
• Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, 10th Edition
  Used for construction equipment, production, excavation, earthmoving, piles, tunneling, concrete operations, and construction methods.
• CAMA Handbook for Development of Coastal North Carolina
  Used for coastal-development and marine-construction subjects. The complete reference must be properly bound before it is taken into the examination center.

The eleven remaining references are study materials only. They should be reviewed during preparation, but they are not permitted inside the examination room for the Highway Contractor test.

Test Information and Study Materials

Begin with the published content outline and divide your study schedule according to the number of questions assigned to each topic. Asphalt paving is the largest single category, but focusing only on paving would leave most of the examination uncovered. Tunneling, railroad construction, excavation and grading, concrete, marine construction, reinforcement, business law, safety, piles, sports fields, and erosion control all require dedicated review.

For asphalt preparation, study materials, plant operations, transportation, paver operation, grade and slope control, joints, segregation, compaction, temperature, rolling patterns, density, surface defects, and quality-control practices. Use the road specifications to understand how requirements are presented and practice locating applicable sections quickly.

For excavation and grading, review soil characteristics, cut-and-fill operations, equipment production, hauling, compaction, slopes, trenches, drainage, dewatering, and underground utility precautions. The construction-equipment reference and the study-only excavation books can help candidates connect theoretical questions with field practices.

Tunneling and railroad construction account for sixteen questions combined. Study tunneling methods, shafts, support, jacking, ground conditions, equipment, safety, track components, subgrade, ballast, drainage, alignment, railroad structures, and construction procedures. These sections deserve meaningful preparation even when a candidate’s primary work experience is in conventional paving.

Review concrete materials, mixture properties, placement, curing, paving, reinforcement, splices, supports, and post-tensioning fundamentals. The concrete and reinforcement books are not permitted in the examination room, so the most important principles from those references should be learned during preparation.

Use the approved references under timed conditions. Practice identifying the subject of a question before opening a book. Select the most likely reference, use the permanent tabs to reach the correct section, and confirm the answer from the text or table. Repeated navigation practice helps reduce unnecessary searching during the test.

Study the non-approved books rather than ignoring them. Their subjects appear in the content outline even though the books cannot be brought into the exam. Erosion control, One Call responsibilities, asphalt practices, concrete technology, reinforcement, post-tensioning, tunneling, railway engineering, excavation, licensing, and lien law all require advance preparation.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps candidates organize a demanding examination with professionally prepared references and trade-focused study guidance. The highlighted and tabbed books reduce the time required to create a reference-navigation system from the beginning and provide a more structured starting point for preparation.

The tabs help candidates move between subjects such as asphalt paving, equipment, earthwork, safety, business law, road specifications, sports fields, coastal development, tunneling, and concrete. Highlighting draws attention to important definitions, requirements, procedures, tables, and technical concepts while still encouraging candidates to read and understand the surrounding material.

The package also makes a clear distinction between exam-room-approved books and study-only books. This helps candidates prepare with the full reference library while knowing exactly which six references may be used during the examination.

1 Exam Prep supports practice-oriented preparation through organized study structure, reference navigation, trade review, and repeated lookup exercises. Candidates can use the prepared books to develop familiarity with where information appears and how different examination subjects connect to the approved references.

No study package can guarantee a passing score, licensing approval, or a particular examination outcome. Consistent preparation, practical experience, careful reading, and familiarity with the references remain essential. An organized package can help candidates use their study time more effectively and approach the examination with greater confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are included in this package?

The package includes seventeen highlighted and tabbed references. Six are approved for use inside the examination room, and eleven are included for study only.

Are all seventeen books allowed in the exam?

No. Only the six books listed in the Exam Room Approved Books section may be taken into the North Carolina Highway Contractor examination room.

Is the North Carolina Highway Contractor exam open book?

Yes. It is an open-book examination, but candidates may use only references approved for the Highway Contractor classification.

How many questions are on the exam?

The examination contains 90 scored questions. PSI may also administer a small number of unscored experimental questions.

How much time is allowed?

Candidates are allowed 265 minutes to complete the Highway Contractor examination.

What score is required to pass?

A score of at least 70% is required to pass the examination.

Are the books already highlighted and tabbed?

Yes. Every reference included in the package is professionally highlighted and tabbed for organized preparation and navigation.

How long does preparation take?

Please allow 15 business days for the books to be highlighted and tabbed before shipment.

Why are study-only books included?

The examination includes several subjects whose primary study references are not permitted in the testing room. These books help candidates learn the material before exam day.

Can I use removable tabs or Post-it flags?

No. Exam references must use permanent tabs that are not easily removed. Temporary flags and removable tabs are not permitted.

Can I write notes in the books?

The examination rules permit approved references to be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the test, but written notes and loose attached materials are not permitted. Candidates may not write in the books during the examination.

Does the package include exam registration?

No. Licensing applications, eligibility approval, examination registration, testing fees, and appointment scheduling are handled separately through the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors and PSI.

Does this package guarantee a passing score?

No. The package provides organized references and preparation support, but results depend on the candidate’s knowledge, experience, study effort, reference familiarity, and performance during the examination.

Are you ready for the SEO metadata?