Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference
Alabama Remodeling, Alteration, and Maintenance Contractor
Alabama · PSI Services Contractor
Verified, not estimated. Every figure below is drawn from the official exam structure we maintain — question counts, passing standard and topic weighting. Practice questions are grounded in the source law with statute citations. We omit any figure we can't verify rather than guess at it.
Total questions
60
Passing score
70%
Exam time
120 min
Administered by
PSI Services Contractor
Format
Reference materials allowed
Alabama State Portion 60 questions
Safety
6 Q · 10%
Fall protection systems (guardrail, safety net, personal fall arrest)Ladder and stairway safety requirementsPersonal protective equipment (PPE) selection and useFire protection, prevention, and flammable liquid storageHand and power tool safety and guardingOccupational health controls (noise, hazardous substances, ventilation)Medical services, first aid, and emergency action plansJobsite housekeeping, sanitation, and materials storage
Windows and Doors
3 Q · 5%
Window types and operating styles (double-hung, casement, awning, hopper, sliding, stationary)Door types for exterior and interior applications (entry, sliding glass, French, bifold, pocket, louvered, garage)Door and window rough opening sizing and framing requirementsInstallation of pre-hung and site-hung doors including plumbing, shimming, and hinge placementWeatherstripping and energy efficiency of windows and doorsSafety glazing requirements and hazardous location identification (IBC Chapter 24)Door hardware installation (locksets, hinges, strike plates, hinge gains)Window and door trim and casing installation (mitered, butted, stool-and-apron frames)
Rough Carpentry
16 Q · 27%
Wall framing components and layout (studs, plates, headers, rough openings, cripple and trimmer studs)Floor framing systems (sill plates, girders, posts, joists, bridging, and subfloor installation)Roof framing types and rafter layout (gable, hip, valley, shed, and common rafter calculations)Hip, valley, and jack rafter layout and installationRoof assembly and ridge board installation (structural vs. non-structural ridge, collar ties, purlins, and braces)Wall and roof sheathing (plywood and OSB panel installation, nailing schedules, and shear wall requirements)Engineered wood products in rough framing (LVL, I-joists, glulam, OSB, and structural composite lumber)IBC wood framing requirements (lumber grading, preservative treatment, fastening schedules, and conventional light-frame construction provisions)
Finish Carpentry
16 Q · 27%
Door and window installation and casing (jamb preparation, reveals, mitered and butted joints, stool and apron)Molding and trim types, profiles, and joinery (coped, mitered, scarfed, and butt joints for base, crown, cornice, chair rail, and picture rail)Wall and ceiling surface installation (drywall types, fastening, taping, suspended and acoustical ceilings)Finish flooring installation (hardwood strip, plank, parquet, engineered wood, vinyl, tile; subfloor preparation and moisture control)Cabinet and countertop installation (base and wall cabinets, leveling, reference lines, countertop materials and application)Stair trim-out (skirt boards, treads, risers, balustrade components including newel posts, balusters, and handrails)Wall paneling and wainscoting (sheet paneling, board paneling, tongue-and-groove and frame-and-panel wainscot installation)Finish carpentry tools, sequencing, and site preparation (hand and power tools, job sequencing top-down, rough frame prep, blocking, and material selection)
Siding
3 Q · 5%
Types of siding materials (wood, vinyl, plywood, fiber cement, stucco, brick veneer)Moisture protection and weather-resistive barriers (building paper, housewrap, flashing, drainage plane)Wood bevel siding installation (layout, story pole, exposure, coursing, corner boards)Wood shingle siding grades, coursing methods, and installationVinyl siding installation, fastening techniques, and accessoriesFiber cement and plywood panel siding installation and safety precautionsIBC code requirements for exterior wall coverings (minimum thickness, material standards, water-resistive barrier)Estimating siding materials and quantities
Drywall
2 Q · 3%
Types of drywall (standard, fire-code Type X and Type C, moisture-resistant, specialty)Drywall fasteners (nails and screws, types, spacing, penetration requirements)Joint compound types and application (setting-type, drying-type, taping and finishing process)Estimating drywall materials (panel count, fastener quantity, joint tape and compound quantities)Drywall installation methods (vertical vs. horizontal application, single-ply vs. double-layer, wood vs. steel framing)Trim accessories (corner bead, J-trim, bullnose bead)Common drywall problems and repairs (nail pops, blistered tape, cracked joints, damaged face paper, large holes)IBC 2015 code requirements for gypsum board (wet area limitations, fire-resistance assemblies, shear wall construction, backerboard standards for tile)
Concrete
7 Q · 12%
Concrete mix components and proportioning (cement, aggregate, water, admixtures)Water-cement ratio and its effect on strength and durabilityTypes of Portland cement and their applicationsFormwork design, materials, and safety requirements (OSHA 1926 Subpart Q)Subgrade and subbase preparation for slabs and flatworkPlacing, consolidating, and vibrating concreteFinishing operations (screeding, floating, troweling, brooming, edging, jointing)Curing methods and materials
Masonry
7 Q · 12%
Brick types, classifications, and properties (building, facing, hollow, glazed, paving, firebrick)Concrete masonry unit (CMU) types, sizes, and classificationsMortar types, proportions, mixing, and application (Types M, S, N, O, K)Laying brick techniques (spreading mortar, forming head joints, leveling, plumbing, and using mason's line)Laying concrete block techniques (face shell bedding, buttering ears, cutting block)Masonry wall systems (solid, cavity, composite, veneer, reinforced, grouted)Anchors, ties, joint reinforcement, and reinforcing bars in masonry constructionOSHA masonry safety requirements (limited access zones, masonry saw guarding, PPE, reinforcing steel hazards)
Key Distinctions
Balloon framingvsPlatform framing
In balloon framing the wall studs run continuously from the sill plate to the top plate of the second floor (second-floor joists bearing on 1×4 ribbons let into the studs), while in platform framing each level is built separately with studs only one story high.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 14 – Structural Systems, Section 14.1Coped jointvsInside miter
Inside corners of crown and other profiled moldings are best joined with coped joints (profile of one piece cut to fit the face of the adjoining piece, cut with a coping saw) rather than inside miters, because coped joints stay tight even when walls are not perfectly square.
Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Page 84Strip flooring attachmentvsParquet flooring attachment
Solid tongue-and-groove strip flooring is blind-nailed at an angle through the tongue edge, while parquet flooring is set in mastic (thick adhesive paste) applied to the subfloor with a notched trowel.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 982Mortar stiffened by evaporationvsMortar stiffened by hydration
Mortar that stiffens from evaporation may be retempered with water, but mortar that has stiffened due to hydration (chemical setting) must be discarded and never retempered.
Modern Masonry (9th ed.), Chapter 10, Page 190Type M mortarvsType N mortar
Type M is intended for masonry below grade and in contact with earth (foundations, retaining walls, manholes), while Type N is a general-purpose above-grade mortar.
Modern Masonry (9th ed.), Chapter 10, Pages 191-192Shellac floor finishvsPolyurethane floor finish
Shellac is the most color-stable finish and repairs easily because new coats melt and feather into the old, whereas polyurethanes are hard to repair because new coats do not self-feather into the old.
Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Chapter 17 (Flooring)Penetrating oil finishvsShellac
Penetrating oils are the easiest to apply and raise the grain little, but are not color stable (darken in low-light areas) and resist stains poorly, unlike shellac, which does not darken appreciably with age.
Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Chapter 17 (Flooring)Glue-nailed subfloor fasteningvsNailed-only subfloor fastening
Glue-nailed subfloor panels (span rating 24 or greater) take nails 6 inches on center at supported panel edges and 12 inches at intermediate supports, compared with 6 inches at both locations for the nailed-only method.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 15, Table 15-5Common raftervsHip/valley rafter
Hip and valley rafters are the same thickness as common rafters but 2 inches wider nominally (2×8 for 2×6 commons) to give full bearing to jack rafter ends, and their unit run is 16.97 inches versus 12 inches for a common rafter.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 18 – Hip, Valley, & Jack Rafters, Section 18.1Impulsive/impact noise limitvsContinuous noise limit
Exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 dB peak sound pressure level, a separate limit from the 90 dBA 8-hour TWA for continuous noise in Table D-2.
29 CFR 1926, §1926.52(e)Interior walls under full-span roof trussesvsLoad-bearing interior walls
When roof trusses span the entire width of the house, exterior walls carry both roof and ceiling loads and interior walls serve mainly as room dividers rather than as load-bearing members.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 16 – Wall Framing & Sheathing, Section 16.1Right-hand doorvsLeft-hand door
Under the butt-to-butt rule (standing in the frame with your back against the hinged side), a door that swings away from the right hand is a right-hand door and one that swings away from the left hand is a left-hand door.
Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Page 39Corner pole (story pole)vsLine block / gauge stick
A corner pole is the tool designed to measure and mark mortar joint heights for each course plus window, door, and sill heights over a full wall, while a line block only holds mason's line at course height and a gauge stick measures uniform bed joint spacing over shorter distances.
Carpentry & Masonry Reference, Chapter 12 Section 12.2.4Key Terms
Competent person OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.32(f), Page 31
One who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Limited access zone 29 CFR 1926, §1926.700(b)(4)
An area alongside a masonry wall under construction that is clearly demarcated to limit access by employees.
Shear wall Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 14.1, Page 14-11 (Book Page 378)
A wall designed to resist lateral (sideways) forces, often created by a specific sheathing nail spacing and commonly used to strengthen houses in seismic zones.
Hold-down anchor Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 14.1, Page 14-12 (Book Page 379)
A steel bracket that prevents walls from tipping over during seismic events, attached to the foundation with anchor bolts and to the framing with lag screws or machine bolts, installed at each corner of the house or as required by local codes.
Cripple stud Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 16.1 (Book Page 434)
A stud installed above headers and below rough sills where a full-length precut stud would fall, providing a nailing surface for sheathing outside and wall covering inside, and maintaining the 16-inch or 24-inch on-center layout.
Nail pop Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 914-915
A drywall defect in which a fastener pushes back through the finished surface over time, creating a visible blemish.
Blind nailing Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 972
Driving fasteners at an angle through the tongue edge of each board so that each fastener is concealed by the next board; the standard method for solid-wood tongue-and-groove strip flooring.
Sleeper Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 982
A preservative-treated length of lumber used to support wood flooring installed over a concrete slab, creating a nailing surface and elevating the flooring above the concrete.
Skirtboard Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 723
A finish trim board running along the wall on the closed side of a stairway that covers the joint where tread and riser ends meet the wall, serving both decorative and protective functions.
Stringer Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 747
The long piece of 2× lumber that supports the stair treads and risers; a housed stringer has side recesses into which treads and risers fit and are held with wood wedges.
Strongback Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Chapter 6 – Preparing the Rough Frame, Page 32
A 2×8 on edge joined to a flat 2×4 and screwed to ceiling joists to pull badly misaligned joists into alignment and level the ceiling; usable only from unfinished attic space.
Plyform Modern Masonry (9th ed.), Chapter 19, Page 402
An exterior-type plywood specially manufactured for concrete forming from special wood species and veneer grades, available in Class I and Class II grades.
Moisture-resistant (MR) drywall Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 32, Section 32.1 (Types of Drywall)
Drywall (often called green board) with a water-resistant gypsum core and chemically treated face and back paper, designed for high-humidity areas such as bathrooms.
Structural composite lumber (SCL) IBC 2015 Sections 2302.1 and 2303.1.10
Per IBC 2015 §2302.1, a category of wood products comprising laminated strand lumber (LSL), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), oriented strand lumber (OSL), and parallel strand lumber (PSL), with structural capacities established and monitored per ASTM D5456.
Running molding Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Modern Finish Carpentry, Chapter 5 — Estimating Running and Standing Moldings section
In estimating, any molding item that can be ordered by the linear foot in random lengths (rather than specific lengths for a specific application); traditionally it meant horizontal finish such as base, crown, and chair rail.
Keyway Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 10, Page 258
A recess pressed into the top of a footing before the concrete stiffens, usually 3½ inches wide and 1½ inches deep because a 2×4 is typically used to form it, located directly below the foundation wall.
Dutchman repair Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Chapter 19 (Troubleshooting)
A patch for stain-grade molding in which a diamond-shaped inlay of the same wood species, large enough to cover the damage and cut with a 2-degree underbevel, is set into a matching recess.
Bonding grout Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th ed., Chapter 15 - Placing and Finishing Concrete, Page 321 (16th ed.: Chapter 17, Page 419)
A 1:1 cement-sand mixture with a w/c not greater than 0.45 applied to hardened concrete before an overlay; it must not be allowed to dry, because dry grout acts as a poor bonding surface.
Formulas to Know
Unit run of a hip rafter
Hip unit run = √(common unit run² + common unit run²) = √(12² + 12²) = √288 = 16.97 in.Nominal size of hip/valley rafter stock
Hip/valley rafter = same thickness as common rafter, nominal width + 2 in. (2×6 commons → 2×8 hips), to give full bearing to jack rafter endsMinimum toilet facilities on a jobsite (OSHA Table D-1)
20 or fewer employees = 1 toilet facility; 20 or more employees = 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 workers (150 ÷ 40 = 3.75 → round up to 4 seats and 4 urinals)Rough opening height for an interior door
R.O. height = door height + 2 in. + finish floor thickness (80 + 2 + 3/4 = 82¾ in. for a standard 80-in. door over ¾-in. hardwood)Rough material cost estimate for floor joists
Step 1: floor area = length × width per level (20' × 40' = 800 sq. ft.); then apply the board-feet-per-100-sq.-ft. factor (Table 15-4) and multiply by cost per board footApproximate number of stair risers
Number of risers ≈ total rise ÷ 7 in. (7 in. is the ideal unit rise used as the starting point)Required cripple wall bracing length
Cripple wall bracing length = bracing length required for the wall above × 1.15Floor joist layout so sheathing edges land on joist centerlines
Set the first joist edge 15¼ in. from the outside edge of the sill plate, then verify a joist is centered every 4 ft.Squaring building lines (3-4-5 method)
Use legs of 3 and 4 with a 5 hypotenuse, or multiples such as 6-8-10 and 9-12-15 for larger, more accurate layoutsStepped footing on sloping grade
Maximum 8 in. of height change per step (certain codes); common practice uses standard block dimensions of 8 in. height × 16 in. length for each step