NASCLA Commercial General Building Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The NASCLA Commercial General Building exam has 115 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10 unscored pretest items, and a 330-minute time limit (PSI candidate bulletin). The exam is open book: listed references and a diagram or blueprint packet are provided. A minimum score of 81 of 115 scored items, about 70 percent, is required to pass. This portal's practice mock has 115 questions.

Many states accept the NASCLA exam as the technical portion of a commercial general contractor license, so passing it can open the license process in several states.

Contractors and construction managers seeking a commercial general contractor license in states that accept NASCLA, and candidates retaking the exam.

The certifying body does not publicly publish an official pass rate for this exam. Be wary of third-party sites citing a specific number here — treat any pass-rate claim you see elsewhere for this exam as unverified.

Candidates get three attempts within one year of application approval; after that you can reapply once the one-year eligibility period has expired (PSI bulletin).

A minimum passing score of 81 of 115 scored items (about 70 percent) is required. States add their own business and law exam, which is scored separately. Format: computer-based, open book, with a silent non-programmable calculator allowed. No official pass rate is available for this exam, so none is quoted here.

The NASCLA Commercial General Building exam has 115 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10 unscored pretest items, and a 330-minute time limit (PSI candidate bulletin). The exam is open book: listed references and a diagram or blueprint packet are provided. A minimum score of 81 of 115 scored items, about 70 percent, is required to pass. This portal's practice mock has 115 questions. 115 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10 unscored pretest items · 330 minutes · open book · minimum passing score 81 of 115 (about 70 percent). A minimum passing score of 81 of 115 scored items (about 70 percent) is required. States add their own business and law exam, which is scored separately.

• General Requirements21.7%
• Site Construction13%
• Concrete5.2%
• Masonry3.5%
• Metals5.2%
• Wood4.3%
• Thermal and Moisture Protection4.3%
• Doors, Windows, and Glazing3.5%
• Finishes4.3%
• Mechanical and Plumbing Systems5.2%
• Electrical Systems2.6%
• Procurement and Contracting Requirements27%

The content outline spreads questions across 12 areas: General Requirements (21.7%); Site Construction (13.0%); Concrete (5.2%); Masonry (3.5%); Metals (5.2%); Wood (4.3%); Thermal and Moisture Protection (4.3%); Doors, Windows, and Glazing (3.5%); Finishes (4.3%); Mechanical and Plumbing Systems (5.2%); Electrical Systems (2.6%); Procurement and Contracting Requirements (27.0%).

NASCLA approves your application before you schedule with PSI. State licensing boards set experience, financial and business-and-law requirements for the license itself.

The exam fee varies by state. One Georgia guide listed $106 for the NASCLA Commercial General Building exam and a third-party estimate put total out-of-pocket costs from about $195 before buying reference books. These are examples, not national fees.

Contractor license renewal and continuing education are set by each state; this guide does not give national figures.

Start with the heaviest areas of the content outline: Procurement and Contracting Requirements (27.0%); General Requirements (21.7%); Site Construction (13.0%). Then work through the remaining areas, and finish with timed full-length practice runs of 115 questions in one sitting.

Content outlines, fees and passing standards change; this guide follows the materials listed under Verification as of October 2026. Check your state contractor licensing board and PSI before you register.