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Study the Common Content of the NASCLA Commercial Contractor Exam One Topic per Page With Every Concept Drawn Step by Step!

Plan scales, soil swell, block counts, OSHA fall protection, contract types, critical path, and markup vs. margin: in your notes, they're a wall of text. Here, each one gets its own page, with the drawing and what to remember, plus a 4-step routine for open-book lookups. Common content only: state law and state exams aren't included. 75 drawn pages.

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One topic per pageone topic per page: the drawing teaches the concept, the text backs it up
75 drawn pagesfrom your candidate bulletin to your pre-exam checklist
Up-to-date sourcesNASCLA content outline and OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and 1904

This Is What the Pages You Will Study Look Like

One topic per page, the drawing that shows you how it works, and the boxes with what you need to know:

Common construction, business and project content in the book; state law and state exams stay outside.
Common construction, business and project content in the book; state law and state exams stay outside.
At 1/4 in = 1 ft, 3 inches on the plan equals 12 feet on site.
At 1/4 in = 1 ft, 3 inches on the plan equals 12 feet on site.
100 bank cu yd + 25% swell = 125 loose cu yd = 13 loads in a 10-yard truck.
100 bank cu yd + 25% swell = 125 loose cu yd = 13 loads in a 10-yard truck.
600 sq ft of wall × 1.125 = 675 blocks, before deducting openings.
600 sq ft of wall × 1.125 = 675 blocks, before deducting openings.
6 ft and above: guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest (29 CFR 1926.501).
6 ft and above: guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest (29 CFR 1926.501).
Lump sum, GMP, unit price and cost-plus priced on the same 40-cubic-yard pad.
Lump sum, GMP, unit price and cost-plus priced on the same 40-cubic-yard pad.
Cost 100,000 + 25% markup = 125,000 price, which is only a 20% margin.
Cost 100,000 + 25% markup = 125,000 price, which is only a 20% margin.
6 in is 0.5 ft, cubic feet ÷ 27, markup isn't margin, and count the +1.
6 in is 0.5 ft, cubic feet ÷ 27, markup isn't margin, and count the +1.

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These are real pages from the book. The table of contents is the full one: 8 parts and 70 topics.

Your Memory Isn't the Problem. Nobody Ever Put This in Order.

You've read about bank, loose, and compacted yards three times. You close the book...

...and you no longer know which number goes up, which goes down, and how many trucks you need. It was just one line after another.

100 bank cu yd + 25% swell = 125 loose cu yd = 13 loads in a 10-yard truck.

Here, that same dirt is one drawn page: 100 bank cubic yards plus 25% swell become 125 loose cubic yards, and that's 13 loads in a 10-yard truck.

And on the pages around it, each topic has its own: cut and fill, compaction, cubic yards in a slab, rebar sizes, and counting bars in a mat.

First you understand why it works that way. Then the order stays with you on its own.

SEE THE DIFFERENCE

Stop Rereading Rules and Formulas You Can't Picture:

THIS
  • Page after page of tightly packed text
  • Formulas without a single drawing
  • On the exam, you don't know where to start
The scale of a drawing expresses the ratio between a dimension as represented on the sheet and the corresponding actual dimension of the work. Architectural scales are customarily stated as a fractional value in inches equated to one foot, whereas engineering scales are expressed as a number of feet per inch. Accordingly, at a scale of one-quarter inch to one foot, each measured increment on the sheet shall be multiplied by the applicable factor in order to determine the true field dimension required for the quantity takeoff.
FOR THIS
  • Every concept drawn
  • One topic per page, with the rules in boxes
  • You remember it because you've seen it
At 1/4 in = 1 ft, 3 inches on the plan equals 12 feet on site.
CONTENTS

Take a Look at the 8 Parts and 70 Topics

Your exam and your books, plans and core math, site work and concrete, masonry, steel, wood and finishes, OSHA safety, running the project, the business numbers, and final review: 75 pages, all drawn

IYour Exam, Your Books · pp. 6-11
  1. What This Book Covers, and What It Doesn't
  2. Start with Your Candidate Bulletin
  3. The 4-Step Lookup Routine
  4. Tab by Topic, Not by Book Order
  5. Work the Clock in Two Passes
  6. Read the Question Before the Numbers
IIPlans and Core Math · pp. 12-18
  1. Reading a Scale
  2. The Spec Division Map
  3. When Plans and Specs Disagree
  4. Area in Three Shapes
  5. The Conversions You Keep Using
  6. Squaring a Corner with 3-4-5
  7. Slope and Grade
IIISite Work and Concrete · pp. 19-28
  1. Bank, Loose, Compacted
  2. Cut and Fill by Average End Area
  3. What 95% Compaction Means
  4. The 1-Acre Stormwater Trigger
  5. Cubic Yards in a Slab
  6. The Water-Cement Ratio
  7. Slump First, Cylinders Later
  8. Rebar Sizes and Weights
  9. Counting Bars in a Mat
  10. Concrete Cover
IVMasonry, Steel, Wood, Finishes · pp. 29-41
  1. Counting Concrete Block
  2. Mortar Types: M, S, N, O
  3. Reading a W14×90
  4. Steel Erection: 15 Feet and 2 Bolts
  5. Board Feet
  6. Nominal vs. Actual Lumber
  7. Counting Studs
  8. Counting Sheathing Sheets
  9. Roofing Squares and Pitch
  10. R-Value Adds Up
  11. A Fire Door Is an Assembly
  12. Drywall Takeoff
  13. Paint in Gallons
VOSHA Safety · pp. 42-51
  1. Fall Protection Starts at 6 Feet
  2. Guardrail Numbers
  3. The 4-to-1 Ladder
  4. Scaffolds: 10 Feet and 4 Times the Load
  5. Trenches: The 5-Foot Rule
  6. Soil Types and Slopes
  7. Trench Access and Spoil
  8. The Competent Person
  9. Report and Record: 8, 24, 5
  10. Hazard Communication at a Glance
VIRunning the Project · pp. 52-60
  1. Four Contract Types
  2. The 3 Parties in a Bond
  3. Insurance: Who Covers What
  4. Pricing a Change Order
  5. Liquidated Damages
  6. Retainage on a Pay Application
  7. Finding the Critical Path
  8. Float: Days You Can Lose
  9. Crew Days and Labor Cost
VIIThe Business Numbers · pp. 61-71
  1. Markup Is Not Margin
  2. Pricing to a Target Margin
  3. Labor Burden
  4. Payroll Taxes: 7.65%
  5. Overtime Math
  6. Hiring Paperwork
  7. The Balance Sheet Equation
  8. Current and Quick Ratios
  9. Percentage of Completion
  10. Overbilled or Underbilled?
  11. Break-Even Volume
VIIIFinal Review · pp. 72-75
  1. Frequent Math Errors
  2. Frequent Lookup Errors
  3. All the Formulas on One Page
  4. Your Pre-Exam Checklist

What If Every Topic Fit on a Single Page?

What if each topic fit on a single page?

Instead of rereading half a page on markup and margin without being able to see the difference...

...you open the page and find the same job worked out in numbers: 100,000 of cost plus 25% markup is a 125,000 price, and that's only a 20% margin.

6 ft and above: guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest (29 CFR 1926.501).

And plan scales, concrete block, fall protection, bonds, and critical path become drawings and tables you can read at a glance.

You stop memorizing and start understanding.

That's exactly what The Contractor Exam Sketchbook does. It's not “another study guide.” It's 8 parts and 70 drawn topics, and at the end, all the formulas on one page and your pre-exam checklist.

Because what your brain sees organized, it remembers.

Here Is What You Get with The Contractor Exam Sketchbook:

Ipp. 6-11

Your Exam, Your Books

Know what to bring and how to search your books: what this book covers and what it doesn't, your candidate bulletin, the 4-step lookup routine, tabbing by topic, managing your time in two passes, and reading the question before the numbers.

IIpp. 12-18

Plans and Core Math

Go from the sheet to the number: reading a scale, the spec division map, when plans and specs disagree, area in three shapes, conversions, squaring a corner with 3-4-5, and slope and grade.

IIIpp. 19-28

Site Work and Concrete

See the dirt and concrete numbers worked out: bank, loose, and compacted soil, cut and fill, 95% compaction, the 1-acre stormwater trigger, cubic yards in a slab, water-cement ratio, slump and cylinders, rebar, and concrete cover.

IVpp. 29-41

Masonry, Steel, Wood, Finishes

Count and read materials trade by trade: counting block, mortar types, reading a W14×90, steel erection, board feet, lumber sizes, studs, sheathing, roofing squares, R-value, fire doors, drywall, and paint.

Vpp. 42-51

OSHA Safety

Keep the OSHA numbers at a glance: fall protection, guardrails, ladders, scaffolds, trenches, soil types, trench access and spoil, the competent person, injury reporting and recordkeeping, and hazard communication.

VIpp. 52-60

Running the Project

See how the contract and the schedule fit together: four contract types, bonds, insurance, change orders, liquidated damages, retainage, critical path, float, and crew days and labor cost.

VIIpp. 61-71

The Business Numbers

Tell markup from margin and read the numbers: markup vs. margin, pricing to a target margin, labor burden, payroll taxes, overtime, hiring paperwork, the balance sheet, ratios, percentage of completion, over- and underbilling, and break-even volume.

VIIIpp. 72-75

Final Review

Have your final review in one place: common math mistakes, common lookup mistakes, all the formulas on one page, and your pre-exam checklist.

At the end of the book: All the formulas on one page, common math and lookup mistakes, and a pre-exam checklist.

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And That Is Not All: 2 More Books, Free

Construction Math Workbook

BONUS 1: «Construction Math Workbook»

Value on its own: US$ 17.90

Practice concrete volume, area, takeoffs, markup vs margin, payroll burden and critical path float with extra exam-style problems, each worked in the same steps as the book.

300 Exam Terms on Cards

BONUS 2: «300 Exam Terms on Cards»

Value on its own: US$ 14.90

Review the terms at a glance on printable cards, with the term on the front and a one-line definition plus a tiny sketch on the back.

The Contractor Exam Sketchbook + 2 Free Books

  • The Contractor Exam Sketchbook: 75 drawn pagesUS$ 63
  • BONUS 1: Construction Math WorkbookUS$ 17.90
  • BONUS 2: 300 Exam Terms on CardsUS$ 14.90
  • High-resolution PDF to printIncluded
Total value US$ 95.80
YOUR PRICE:
US$ 27
You save US$ 68.80
YES, I WANT THE CONTRACTOR EXAM SKETCHBOOK FOR US$ 27

📄 This is a digital PDF book sent to your email: nothing is printed or shipped.

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PDF by email: The Contractor Exam Sketchbook reaches your inbox as a PDF, and the two free books come by email too. One-time payment, no installments or hidden costs.

Is This Book for You?

You're Working Toward Your License

You're Working Toward Your License

Scales, takeoffs, OSHA numbers, and the business math, one topic per page, to review after work.

Your Exam Is Close, or You're Retaking It

Your Exam Is Close, or You're Retaking It

The 4-step lookup routine for the books your bulletin allows, plus all the formulas on one page for your final review.

You Already Run Jobs

You Already Run Jobs

A drawn review of what you don't use every day: critical path by hand, markup vs. margin, bonds, and percentage of completion.

To Sum Up: Here Is What You Get

US$ 95.80US$ 27
YES, I WANT THE CONTRACTOR EXAM SKETCHBOOK FOR US$ 27

📄 This is a digital PDF book sent to your email: nothing is printed or shipped.

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30-Day Guarantee

30-day guarantee: tell us what didn't work and we'll refund 100%.

You have 30 days to try The Contractor Exam Sketchbook and the two free books. Tell us what didn't work, whether it's the content, a file, or anything else, and we'll refund 100% of what you paid. One-time payment, no subscriptions and no surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get the material?

The Contractor Exam Sketchbook comes as a PDF by email, sent to the address you enter at checkout, to read on your phone or print. The two free books, Construction Math Workbook and 300 Exam Terms on Cards, also come as PDFs by email.

Is it a monthly or one-time payment?

A one-time payment, the price shown above. No installments and no subscription. Any extras offered when you pay are optional: you only pay for them if you add them.

Who is it for, and does it work for my state?

For people going for a commercial general contractor license and studying the common content of the NASCLA exam: tradespeople moving into running jobs, project managers, superintendents, small builders, and anyone retaking it. It assumes you know the trade, not that you remember the math: the math is worked step by step. Not every state uses this exam, so check your state board's candidate bulletin before you buy. Your state's separate law, rules, and business exams are not included: key pages carry a “Check your state” box that sends you to that bulletin.

What sources is it based on?

The candidate bulletin for the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors and its content outline, plus OSHA regulations 29 CFR Parts 1926 and 1904. The drawings and worked examples are our own: no text, tables, or figures are copied from the reference books.

Is this official material?

No. It's independent study material, not affiliated with or endorsed by NASCLA, PSI, OSHA, or any state licensing board. It gives you no certificate and no course credit toward a license. For the number of questions, time, passing score, and allowed books, go by your candidate bulletin.

The exam is open book. Why would I want another book?

Because the allowed books are made for looking things up, not for learning what to look for. This one teaches the principles with drawings and gives you a 4-step routine for finding answers in those books. It doesn't copy them, and it doesn't replace them or a licensing course.

Are the practice problems the ones on the exam?

No. They're written for this book and aren't official questions from any exam. They're there to help you practice.

Can I print it?

Yes. It's a PDF, so you can print all of it or just the pages you want. Whether printed notes can go into the exam room is up to your bulletin, so check it first.

What if I don't like it?

30-day guarantee: tell us what didn't work and we'll refund 100%.

One Last Thing Before You Decide...

You don't have to reread the same page hoping it sticks this time.

You don't have to memorize formulas you can't picture.

And you definitely don't have to walk into the exam not knowing where to start.

You've seen the real pages. If that's how you want to study, the book and the 2 free ones come as PDFs by email, and you have 30 days to tell us what didn't work and get 100% back.

One-time payment: US$ 27 · Guarantee: 30 days · PDF by email

YES, I WANT THE CONTRACTOR EXAM SKETCHBOOK FOR US$ 27

📄 This is a digital PDF book sent to your email: nothing is printed or shipped.