What You Actually Need to Pass the NASCLA Exam

The NASCLA Accredited Commercial General Building Contractor exam is open-book, but do not let that fool you into thinking it is easy.

You can bring all 24 official reference books into the test room. The catch is that you have 5.5 hours to answer 115 questions. That is roughly 2 minutes and 50 seconds per question, including the time it takes to find the answer in the books.

Most candidates who fail do not fail because they did not know the material. They run out of time. The exam is as much a timed reference race as it is a knowledge test.

That is why everything about how you prepare, which books you get, how you organize them, and what system you use to look things up, is built around speed as much as knowledge.

The Three Things Every NASCLA Candidate Needs

Every candidate who passes does these three things:

1. The 24 Official NASCLA Reference Books — Current Editions, Properly Prepared

These are the exact books PSI, the testing company, allows in the exam room. No substitutes, no older editions, and no PDFs.

You can highlight them and add sticky tabs, but you cannot write notes in the margins.

PSI checks editions and condition at check-in. Show up with the wrong edition and you may not be able to sit for the exam that day.

2. A Fast Lookup System

This is the part most candidates underestimate. With more than 5,000 pages across 24 books, you need a way to find any answer in under 30 seconds. That means tabbing, color-coding, and building a master index across all your references.

CTC teaches a proven method called the TRICK system, a step-by-step approach to organizing your books so you can locate answers quickly and accurately, even under exam pressure.

Most successful candidates spend more total prep time building their lookup system than reading the books. That is the right tradeoff.

3. A Structured NASCLA Prep Program

The 24 references cover a wide range of topics including building codes, safety, project management, business law, and more. A NASCLA exam prep program helps identify which areas carry the most weight on the exam so you can focus your study time where it matters most.

Whether that is an online course, a live seminar, or tutoring, the goal is the same: do not just study everything. Study the right things.

The 24 Official NASCLA Reference Books: What They Cover and Why

The 24 NASCLA reference books fall into six categories. Here’s what’s in each one and how much it matters on exam day:

Always buy the current edition. NASCLA updates the reference list periodically and outdated editions get rejected at check-in. If you’re thinking about borrowing books from someone who passed a couple years ago, verify every title against the current NASCLA reference list first.

The TRICK Method: CTC’s System for Fast, Accurate Lookups

Contractor Training Center teaches students how to navigate the NASCLA reference books quickly and efficiently using its proprietary TRICK method.

The NASCLA exam is an open-book exam, but that does not mean it’s easy. Success often depends on how quickly you can locate the correct information inside more than 20 reference books during a timed exam.

The TRICK method is designed to help students improve:

• Book navigation
• Keyword recognition
• Index usage
• Time management
• Overall exam speed and accuracy

Rather than trying to memorize every answer, the system focuses on teaching contractors how to find information quickly under real testing conditions.

Contractor Training Center’s NASCLA prep programs also emphasize proper book organization, tabbing, highlighting, and repeated practice exams to help students become more comfortable using the reference materials during the exam.

Students are encouraged to:

• Tab important sections throughout the books
• Become familiar with tables of contents and indexes
• Practice locating keywords quickly
• Use timed practice exams to improve speed and confidence
• Build consistent book navigation habits before test day

Because the NASCLA exam covers a large number of reference materials, preparation time spent organizing and learning the books can make a major difference on exam day.

The goal of the TRICK method is not to memorize every page. The goal is to become efficient at finding accurate information quickly and confidently during the exam.

Your NASCLA Prep Options: What Each One Gives You

Once you have the books, how you prep depends on your timeline, learning style, and how much structure you need.

At Contractor Training Center, we offer several NASCLA exam prep packages designed for different experience levels and study preferences.

NASCLA Pro Package

The NASCLA Pro Package combines the required books with guided NASCLA exam prep tools.

The package includes:

• Complete NASCLA book set
• Online NASCLA exam prep course
• The TRICK lookup system
• Practice exams
• Video instruction
• Timed exam simulations
• Code navigation training

This is one of the most popular options for first-time NASCLA candidates because it combines structured preparation with realistic exam practice.

NASCLA Pro Plus Package

The NASCLA Pro Plus Package is the most comprehensive NASCLA prep option available through Contractor Training Center.

The package includes:

• Complete NASCLA reference book set
• Pre-tabbed and pre-indexed books
• Online NASCLA exam prep course
• The TRICK lookup system
• Practice exams
• Study support tools

Many contractors choose the Pro Plus Package because indexing and organizing all 24 books themselves can take 30 to 40 hours.

For contractors balancing active projects, crews, and licensing deadlines, professionally prepared books can save significant time while improving exam-day efficiency.

How Much Does NASCLA Exam Prep Cost?

The right investment depends on where you’re starting from. Ask yourself:

• How fast do I need to pass, 30 days or 90 days?
• How comfortable am I reading and interpreting building codes?
• Have I held a contractor’s license before, or is this my first licensing exam?

Here’s how the numbers break down by path:

The exam fee, approximately $145, is a small line item. Budget for a potential retake because even well-prepared candidates sometimes need a second sitting.

What to Buy, and in What Order

Start here:

1. The 24 reference books: unindexed if you’re tabbing them yourself, pre-indexed if you’re not.
2. A prep course or package: whichever format you’ll actually use and stick with.
3. Tutoring: only after practice exams reveal a specific gap.

Don’t buy multiple prep courses. Don’t buy old-edition books to save money. Don’t substitute trade-specific texts you already have on your shelf for the official references.

Bottom Line

The NASCLA exam is winnable, but it rewards candidates who treat it like what it is: a timed, open-book reference race that favors preparation and organization over raw knowledge.

Get the right books. Build a fast lookup system with the TRICK method. Study the right categories with a program that fits your timeline and how you learn best.

Contractor Training Center offers all three: official reference books, the TRICK lookup system, and online and live prep courses with a pass guarantee.