Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference

South Carolina Non-Structural Renovation

South Carolina  ·  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
150 min
Administered by
PSI Services Contractor
Format
Reference materials allowed

South Carolina State Portion 60 questions

Plan Reading and Estimating 4 Q · 7%
Reading and interpreting architectural plan views (site, foundation, floor, framing, electrical, mechanical plans)Reading elevations, section views, and detail drawingsArchitectural drawing elements: lines, dimensions, symbols, notes, and abbreviationsScale drawings and use of the architect's scaleSchedules and specifications (door, window, room-finish schedules; written specifications)Types of cost estimates (pre-design, quantity takeoff, unit-cost)Calculating material quantities (board feet, square footage, lineal feet) and using estimating abbreviationsBid preparation: direct costs, overhead, profit margin, and change orders
Windows and Doors 8 Q · 13%
Door types and construction (solid-core, hollow-core, raised-panel, flush)Exterior door installation and framing requirementsInterior door installation (pre-hung, hinged, pocket, bifold, bypass, folding)Door hardware (hinges, locksets, strike plates, weatherstripping)Window types and components (double-hung, casement, awning, hopper, sliding, stationary)Window energy efficiency (glazing types, U-values, low-e coatings, weatherstripping)Safety glazing requirements and hazardous locations (SC Building Code Chapter 24)Door and window trim and casing installation
Associated Trades (including insulation, moisture control, flooring, and general finishing) 9 Q · 15%
Thermal insulation types, R-values, and installation (batts, loose-fill, rigid board, spray foam)Vapor retarders and moisture control in walls, floors, and crawl spacesAttic and crawl space ventilation requirementsWood flooring types, grading, acclimation, and moisture contentHardwood strip and plank flooring installation techniquesResilient flooring (vinyl sheet and tile) and ceramic tile installationFloor finishing: sanding, filling, staining, and finish coatings (penetrating oils, shellac, polyurethane, waterborne urethane)Interior and exterior paint types, surface preparation, application techniques, and common paint failures
Rough Carpentry 8 Q · 13%
Wall framing components (studs, plates, headers, cripple studs, trimmer studs, rough sills)Floor framing components (sill plates, joists, girders, posts, rim joists, bridging)Roof framing types and components (common, hip, valley, and jack rafters; ridge board vs. ridge beam)Sheathing installation for walls, floors, and roofs (plywood and OSB panels, nailing schedules)Framing systems (platform framing, balloon framing, in-line framing, post-and-beam framing)Wood materials and lumber grading (species, grades, moisture content, preservative treatment requirements per SC Building Code Chapter 23)Roof styles and framing plans (gable, hip, shed, gambrel, mansard; slope and pitch calculations)Engineered wood products (LVL, I-joists, glulam, OSB) and their application in framing
Finish Carpentry 6 Q · 10%
Door installation and hanging (prehung, passage, bifold, pocket, and exterior doors)Door and window trim (casing styles, reveal layout, mitered and butted frames, stool and apron)Molding installation (crown/cornice, base, chair rail, picture rail, coped and mitered joints)Wood flooring installation (strip, plank, and parquet; subfloor prep; moisture management; layout and nailing)Stair trim-out (skirt boards, treads, risers, balustrade components, newel posts, balusters, handrail systems)Cabinet and closet installation (layout reference lines, base and wall cabinets, countertops, closet shelving and poles)Wall treatments and paneling (tongue-and-groove wainscot, frame-and-panel wainscot, sheet paneling, chair and picture rail)Finish carpentry tools, sequencing, and site preparation (hand tools, power tools, job sequencing top-down, rough frame prep, blocking and backing)
Siding 4 Q · 7%
Types of siding materials (wood, vinyl, fiber cement, plywood, stucco, brick veneer)Moisture protection and weather-resistive barriers (building paper, housewrap, flashing, drainage plane)Wood bevel siding installation (layout, story pole, exposure, coursing, nailing)Wood shingle siding installation (coursing styles, grades, spacing, nailing)Vinyl siding installation and fastening requirementsCode requirements for exterior wall coverings (SC Building Code Chapter 14, minimum thickness, material standards)Estimating siding materials (area calculation, waste factors, nail quantities)Safety practices for siding installation (fiber cement dust, working at height)
Drywall 8 Q · 13%
Gypsum panel types and product selection (standard, Type X, Type C, moisture-resistant, abuse-resistant, flexible)Panel installation methods (single-layer, double-layer, perpendicular vs. parallel application, fastener types and spacing)Framing requirements for drywall (wood and steel framing, maximum frame spacing, deflection limits, limiting heights)Levels of drywall finish (Level 0 through Level 5 definitions and applications)Joint treatment and taping (embedding tape, compound types, prefilling, setting-type vs. drying-type compounds)Trim accessories and control joints (corner bead types, metal trim, control joint placement and spacing limits)Fire-resistance-rated gypsum assemblies (Type X/C requirements, UL-listed assemblies, SC Building Code Chapter 25 and Chapter 7 requirements)Common drywall problems, causes, and remedies (nail pops, joint cracking, board sag, blistered tape, fastener defects)
Metal Stud Framing 8 Q · 13%
Cold-formed steel member types and designation system (STUFL acronym: stud, track, U-channel, furring, L-header)Steel stud gauges, mil thickness, and load-bearing vs. non-load-bearing applicationsPerformance method vs. prescriptive method of steel framing designStick-built, panelized, and pre-engineered construction typesFastening methods: screws, welding, clinching, and drive pins (pullout capacity and screw selection)In-line framing and axial load transfer through walls, floors, and roofFraming tools for steel construction (screw guns, shears, chop saws, plasma cutters, aviation snips)Stud spacing, deflection limits, and limiting height tables for non-load-bearing partitions (per SSMA/ASTM C754)
OSHA Safety 5 Q · 8%
Fall protection systems and guardrail requirements (Subpart M)Personal protective equipment selection and employer payment obligationsHazardous substances and permissible exposure limits (Subpart Z/Subpart D)Asbestos identification, classification, and abatement proceduresFire protection, prevention, and flammable liquid storageElectrical safety and ground-fault protection on construction sitesLadder and stairway safety requirementsConfined space entry procedures and permit requirements

Key Distinctions

Penetrating floor finishvsSurface-coating floor finish

A penetrating finish soaks into and becomes part of the wood fibers, wears only as the wood wears, does not chip or scratch and can be retouched without a patched appearance, while surface finishes form a coating and give a shinier surface.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 34 - Types of Finishes
Standard chop sawvsBlade-sliding compound miter saw

The sliding compound miter saw's only noted disadvantage is slower cutting action, so the standard chop saw is still preferred for quick, repetitive cuts in small molding stock.

Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Chapter 3 - The Power Tools
Overhead costsvsDirect job costs

Bookkeeping charges and legal expenses are overhead, while rental equipment, labor, and job-specific supplies such as fasteners, glue, and sandpaper are direct costs of the job.

Finish Carpenter's Manual (1993), Modern Finish Carpentry, Chapter 20 — Bids and Contracts section
Sound Transmission Class (STC)vsImpact Insulation Class (IIC)

STC rates a partition's ability to attenuate airborne sound passing through it (higher is better), while IIC numerically evaluates a floor-ceiling assembly's effectiveness in retarding impact sound (ASTM E492 testing, ASTM E989 rating); CAC applies to ceilings between adjacent spaces and NRC measures sound absorption.

Gypsum Construction Handbook (7th ed.), Chapter 10 — Fire and Sound Tests
Step flashing (skylight)vsPan flashing (skylight)

Step flashing is small pieces of L-shaped metal interwoven with the roof shingles, whereas pan flashing is a one-piece metal assembly.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 20 — Skylight Flashing
Standard corner beadvsSegmented corner bead

Standard corner bead is vinyl or metal that protects a straight outside corner and gives a smooth finishing edge; segmented bead is designed to flex and finish the edges of arches and similar curved surfaces.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 32, Trim Accessories section
Crawl space vented over bare soilvsCrawl space with Class I vapor retarder over ground

Uncovered crawl-space ground requires 1 sq ft of net ventilation per 150 sq ft of crawl-space area, but covering the ground with a Class I vapor retarder reduces the requirement to 1 sq ft per 1,500 sq ft.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 31.1 — Crawl-Space Ventilation
Expanded polystyrene (EPS)vsExtruded expanded polystyrene (XPS/XEPS)

XPS is similar to EPS but has greater compressive strength, making it suitable for below-grade foundation insulation, and is rated R-5 per inch.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 31.1 — Rigid Insulation Materials and R-Value
Low-density fiberglass battsvsHigh-density fiberglass batts

Low-density batts for 2×4 walls are rated R-11 (R-19 for 2×6 walls), while high-density batts for 2×4 walls are rated R-15.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 31.1 — Fiberglass Insulation R-Value
Initial construction costvsLife-cycle cost analysis

Material selection should be based on total performance including maintenance, using benefit-cost or life-cycle cost analysis that considers an assembly's total cost over its useful life, rather than initial construction cost or a budgeted figure alone.

Gypsum Construction Handbook (7th ed.), Chapter 10 — Selection of Materials
Punchouts in the web of steel framingvsHoles in the flange of a stud, joist, or track

Web holes 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 measurement for wallsvsUnit-cost measurement for floors and roofs

In a unit-cost estimate interior partition walls are measured in lineal feet (cost per LF including framing through finish work), while floors and roofs are measured in square feet.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 2.4, Pages 61-62
Single-coursed shingle sidingvsDouble-coursed shingle siding

Double coursing lays high-grade shingles over fourth-grade (utility-grade) undercourse shingles, making it less expensive than single coursing.

Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 23 — Shingle Siding, Grades and Sizes section

Key Terms

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 with recommended installation details by each manufacturer.
Schedules (window and door) Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 16.2, Page 440
Charts included in building plans that provide rough-opening sizes and related information such as window types and door sizes for layout and estimating.
Room-finish schedule Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 2.3, Page 57
A schedule on the plans identifying the materials and finishes for floors, walls, and ceilings in each room and hallway.
Baluster Carpentry & Building Construction, Chapter 25 (Stairways)
A vertical member that supports the handrail on open stairs; balusters, handrails, and related support pieces together form a balustrade, while newel posts support each end of the handrail and stringers support treads and risers.
Reveal Carpentry & Building Construction, Chapter 26 (Molding & Trim)
A small offset between a piece of trim and the surface it is applied to; door casings are nailed to the jamb leaving about a 3/16" reveal on the jamb face.
Gain Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 21 — Hinge Gains
A mortise (notch) cut into the door edge and hinge jamb with a depth equal to the thickness of a single hinge leaf.
Drainage plane Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 23 — Stucco section (drainage plane definition)
A gap or series of gaps behind siding that allows water to drain freely; without it stucco would stick to the sheathing paper and block drainage.
Story pole Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 23 — Making a Story Pole section
A site-made measuring device of straight 1×2 stock marked with course spacing to transfer a uniform siding course layout all around the house.
Shear wall Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 378
A wall designed to resist lateral (sideways) forces, often created by a specific sheathing nail spacing and fastened to the framing above and to the sill plate and foundation below; shear strength at house corners is crucial.
Consolidation Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 233
The process that removes air pockets and forces concrete into all parts of the forms for a dense, uniform placement.
Porosity Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — The Excavation
The measurement of the ability of water to flow through soil; poor drainage may require excavating and replacing soil.
Differential leveling Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Measuring a Difference in Elevation
Determining differences in elevation between points remote from each other, requiring one or more additional intermediate instrument setups.
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.
Housed stringer Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 726
A stringer with recesses cut in its sides into which treads and risers fit and are held with wood wedges; common in prefabricated stair systems.
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.

Formulas to Know

Board feet of a piece of lumberBoard feet per piece = (nominal thickness in. × nominal width in. × length ft) ÷ 12; multiply by number of pieces. Ex: 2×10×22' = (2×10×22)÷12 = 36.67 bf; ×24 pieces ≈ 880 bf. (One board foot = 1" × 12" × 12"; a 2×6×12' = 12 bf, ×50 = 600 bf.)
Volume in cubic yards (concrete, excavation, fill)Volume (cu ft) = length × width × depth (all in feet); cubic yards = cu ft ÷ 27 (27 cu ft = 1 cu yd). Ex: 200' × 2' × 1' = 400 cf ÷ 27 = 14.8 → order 15 cy; 6,000 sf × 1.00' fill = 6,000 cf ÷ 27 = 222.2 cy; slab 720 sf × (4"/12 = 0.333') = 240 cf ÷ 27 = 8.89 → 9 cy.
Excavation volume with working clearanceExcavation length = house length + 2' + 2'; width = house width + 2' + 2'; Volume = L × W × depth ÷ 27. Ex: 44' × 30' × 7' = 9,240 cf ÷ 27 ≈ 342 cy. Alternate factor method: plan area × 0.259 cy per sq ft (7-ft depth) = 1,320 × 0.259 ≈ 342 cy.
Crawl-space net ventilation areaUncovered/standard: 1 sq ft of net vent per 150 sq ft of crawl-space area (1,200 ÷ 150 = 8 sq ft). With Class I vapor retarder over the ground: not less than 1 sq ft per 1,500 sq ft of crawl-space area.
Drywall sheet count, walls and ceiling (figured solid)Wall area = perimeter × ceiling height; add ceiling area (L × W); divide total by 32 sq ft per 4'×8' sheet; do not deduct door/window openings (allows for waste). Ex: (60 × 8) + (14 × 16) = 704 ÷ 32 = 22 sheets.
Gypsum board takeoff for two-sided partitionsTotal board = partition wall area × 2 faces (single layer each side). Ex: 12,000 sf × 2 = 24,000 sf.
Joint tape quantity370 lineal feet of joint tape per 1,000 sq ft of drywall. Ex: 2,000 ÷ 1,000 = 2.0; 370 × 2.0 = 740 lf.
Roof sheathing panels with waste allowancePanels = total roof area (plan area × slope factor) ÷ 32 sq ft per panel; then add 5% trim and waste. Ex: 72.19 × 0.05 = 3.6; 72.19 + 3.6 = 75.79 → 76 sheets.
Formwork contact areaContact area = length × form height × number of faces. Ex: 200 ft × 1.0 ft × 2 faces = 400 sf.
Labor price with burden and overhead & profitBase labor = quantity × unit labor rate; × 1.25 for 25% labor burden (taxes/insurance); then × 1.15 for 15% O&P. Ex: 400 sf × $1.25 = $500 → $625 → $718.75.
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