Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference

Arkansas Wood Framing - Commercial Exam

Arkansas · 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

Passing score

70%

Exam time

75 min

Administered by

PSI Services Contractor

Format

Reference materials allowed

Arkansas State Portion 30 questions

Estimating and Plan Reading 5 Q · 17%

Layout 5 Q · 17%

Walls 5 Q · 17%

Floors and Stairs 5 Q · 17%

Roofs 5 Q · 17%

Safety 5 Q · 17%

Key Distinctions

Dead loadvsLive load

A dead load is the total weight of the building including the structural frame and anything permanently attached such as wall coverings, while a live load is weight that is not permanently attached (furniture, people) and is determined by the building's use.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 14.1 Framing Systems & Structural Design, Page 383

International Residential Code scope (IBC 101.2 Exception)vsBuilding code (IBC) scope

Detached one- and two-family dwellings and multiple single-family dwellings (townhouses) not more than three stories above grade plane with a separate means of egress, and their accessory structures not more than three stories, may comply with the IRC instead of the building code.

IBC 2015 Chapter 1 — Section 101.2 Scope

MarkvsLabel

Per 2015 IBC Chapter 2, a mark is an identification applied by the manufacturer showing the manufacturer's name and the function of the product, while a label additionally carries performance characteristics and the identification of an approved agency (a manufacturer's designation indicates compliance with a specified standard or set of rules).

IBC 2015 Chapter 2 — Definitions of 'Mark,' 'Label' and 'Manufacturer's Designation'

Rafter span tables with ceiling attached to rafters (2015 IBC 2308.7.2)vsRafter span tables with ceiling not attached to rafters

Tables 2308.7.2(2), (5) and (6) for a ceiling attached to the rafters are based on L/Δ = 240, while the tables for a ceiling not attached to the rafters are based on L/Δ = 180.

IBC 2015 Chapter 23 — Section 2308.7.2 and Tables 2308.7.2(1) through 2308.7.2(6)

Floor joist span tables (2015 IBC 2308.4.2.1)vsCeiling joist span tables for uninhabitable attics (2015 IBC 2308.7.1)

Floor joist Tables 2308.4.2.1(1) and (2) — covering both the 30 psf sleeping-area and 40 psf living-area live loads — are published at L/Δ = 360, while ceiling joist Tables 2308.7.1(1) and (2) for uninhabitable attics (without storage and with limited storage) are published at L/Δ = 240.

IBC 2015 Chapter 23 — Section 2308.4.2.1 and Tables 2308.4.2.1(1), 2308.4.2.1(2)

Stairway capacity factor 0.3 inch per occupantvsReduced factor 0.2 inch per occupant

Per 2015 IBC 1005.3.1 stairway capacity is 0.3 inch per occupant; the reduced 0.2-inch factor applies only to buildings (other than Groups H and I-2) equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system AND an emergency voice/alarm communication system.

IBC 2015 Chapter 10 — Section 1005.3.1 Stairways

Minimum stairway width (IBC 1011.2, 44 inches)vsRequired capacity based on occupant load (IBC 1005.3.1)

The 44-inch minimum stairway width does not override a larger width required by the occupant-load capacity calculation.

IBC 2015 Chapter 10 — Section 1005.3.1 Stairways

Performance-rated panel stamp — number before the slashvsNumber after the slash

On a stamp such as "32/16," the first number is the maximum spacing of supports in inches for roof sheathing use and the second number is the maximum support spacing for subflooring use.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 19.5, Pages 562-563

Hip and valley raftersvsCommon rafters

Hip and valley rafters should be 2 inches wider in nominal dimension than the common rafters in the same roof (2×8 hips with 2×6 commons) to give full bearing to intersecting jack rafters.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 18, Page 504

Unit run of a hip rafter (16.97 in.)vsUnit run of a common rafter (12 in.)

The hip rafter's unit run is the hypotenuse of a right triangle whose two shorter sides each equal the common rafter's 12-inch unit run, giving 16.97 inches (often rounded up to 17 inches).

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 18.1, Page 506

Holes in the web of cold-formed steel membersvsHoles in the flange of a stud, joist or track

Web holes/punchouts are permitted for utility routing, but a hole must never be punched in the flange because it reduces the member's structural strength.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 29.3, Builder's Tip - Punchouts

Unit-cost estimate unit for wallsvsUnit-cost estimate unit for floors and roofs

Interior partition walls are measured in lineal feet (LF), with the cost per lineal foot covering everything from framing to finish, while floors and roofs are measured in square feet (SF).

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 2.4, Pages 61-62

Room-finish schedulevsWindow and door schedule

A room-finish schedule lists the materials and finishes for floors, walls and ceilings in each room, while window and door schedules are charts giving rough-opening sizes used for layout and estimating.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 2.3, Page 57

Key Terms

Competent person (OSHA §1926.32(f)) 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.

Accident prevention program inspections (OSHA §1926.20(b)(2)) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.20(b)(2), Page 29

Programs shall provide for frequent and regular inspections of job sites, materials and equipment made by competent persons designated by the employer, and it is the employer's responsibility under §1926.20(b)(1) to initiate and maintain such programs.

Emergency action plan (OSHA §1926.35) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.35(b), Page 33

A plan whose minimum elements are emergency escape procedures, procedures for employees remaining for critical operations, procedures to account for all employees after evacuation, rescue and medical duties, preferred means of reporting emergencies, and names/titles of contact persons — a tool and equipment inventory is not required; employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate it orally and need not maintain a written plan.

Employee safety instruction (OSHA §1926.21(b)) 29 CFR 1926, Page 30, §1926.21(b)(2)

The employer shall instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and applicable regulations; employees handling poisons, caustics and other harmful substances must be instructed in safe handling and use, potential hazards, personal hygiene and required protective measures, and those handling flammable liquids, gases or toxic materials must be instructed in their safe handling and use.

Personal protective equipment responsibility (OSHA §1926.28(a)) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.28, Page 31

The employer is responsible for requiring the wearing of appropriate personal protective equipment in all operations where there is exposure to hazardous conditions or where the part indicates its need to reduce hazards to employees.

Waste container covers (OSHA §1926.25(c)) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.25(c)

Containers used for garbage and other oily, flammable or hazardous wastes such as caustics, acids and harmful dusts shall be equipped with covers.

Shear wall Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 14.1, Page 14-11 (Book Page 378)

A wall designed to resist lateral (sideways) forces, commonly used to strengthen houses in seismic zones and created in part by a specific sheathing nail spacing.

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.

Span table Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 13.2, Page 355

A list of distances that a particular structural product can span between structural supports such as walls or columns, provided by each manufacturer along with recommended installation details.

Collar tie Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 17.1, Page 468

A horizontal tie that connects opposite pairs of rafters to help stiffen the roof.

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 otherwise fall, providing a nailing surface for sheathing outside and wall covering inside, and maintaining the same 16-inch or 24-inch on-center layout as the full-length studs.

Skirtboard Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 723

A finish trim piece running along the wall on the closed side of a stairway that covers the joint where the ends of treads and risers meet the wall, serving a decorative and protective function.

Porosity Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — The Excavation

The measurement of the ability of water to flow through soil; poorly draining soil may have to be excavated and replaced with better soil.

Differential leveling Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Measuring a Difference in Elevation

The process of determining differences in elevation between points remote from each other, requiring one or more additional intermediate instrument setups.

Reference line Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Basic Techniques / Measuring From a Reference Line

An existing line such as a street or marked property line that a building is planned parallel to, allowing the site to be staked out by measuring from it without a surveying instrument.

Theodolite Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Types of Instruments

A transit that reads horizontal and vertical angles electronically, needs no vernier scale, displays measurements on an LCD screen, and is used when extremely accurate measurements are required.

Balloon-frame construction Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 14.1 Framing Systems & Structural Design, Page 370-371

Framing in which studs run continuously from the sill plate to the second-floor top plate, with second-floor joists bearing on 1×4 ribbons (ribands) cut into the inside edges of the studs.

Batter boards Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Setting Up Batter Boards

Corner layout boards supported by three 2×4 stakes driven at each building corner at least 4 feet beyond the foundation lines to clear excavation work.

Formulas to Know

Board feet in a piece of lumber (one board foot = 1" × 12" × 12")

Board feet per piece = (nominal thickness × nominal width × length in feet) ÷ 12; example: 2×10×22' = (2 × 10 × 22) ÷ 12 = 36.67 BF per piece, × 24 pieces ≈ 880 board feet

Excavation volume in cubic yards (conversion method)

Volume (cu ft) = length × width × depth, then ÷ 27 cu ft per cu yd; example: (40+2+2) × (26+2+2) × 7 = 9,240 cu ft ÷ 27 = 342.2 ≈ 342 cu yd

Excavation volume using the depth factor (7-foot depth)

Area of excavation (sq ft) × 0.259 cu yd per sq ft for a 7-foot depth; example: 44' × 30' = 1,320 sq ft × 0.259 = 341.88 ≈ 342 cu yd (excavation adds 2 ft clearance on each side)

Stairway capacity (width) by occupant load, non-sprinklered

Required width = occupant load × 0.3 inch per occupant; example: 300 occupants × 0.3 = 90 inches (the 0.2-inch factor applies only to buildings other than Groups H and I-2 with both an automatic sprinkler system and an emergency voice/alarm communication system)

Roof sheathing panel count with waste allowance

Panels = roof area ÷ 32 sq ft per panel, then add 5 percent for trim and waste; example: 72.19 × 0.05 = 3.6; 72.19 + 3.6 = 75.79, rounded up to 76 sheets

Roof framing lumber by board-feet table (rafters, ridge board, collar ties, hips and valleys)

(Roof surface area ÷ 100) × board feet per 100 sq ft from the table; example: 2,100 ÷ 100 = 21, × 102 BF per 100 sq ft for 2×6 rafters at 16" OC = 2,142 board feet

Rough material-cost estimate (unit-cost approach) — first step

Step 1: Area of floor = length × width for each level (example: 20' × 40' = 800 sq ft); then apply the board-feet-per-100-sq-ft factor from Table 15-4 and the cost per board foot

3-4-5 rule for squaring wall layout

Measure 3 feet along one leg and 4 feet along the other; the diagonal must read exactly 5 feet — if not (e.g., 5'-1"), adjust one layout line until it does before marking remaining exterior walls

Unit run of a hip rafter√(12² + 12²) = √(144 + 144) = 16.97 inches (often rounded up to 17 inches)

Reading a floor joist span table

(1) Determine live load category (e.g., 40 psf); (2) locate species/group column; (3) identify grade column; (4) follow the row right to the required span; (5) follow that column up to the on-center spacing; (6) read lumber dimensions in the row above

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