Arkansas Concrete - Residential Exam

Arkansas Concrete - Residential Exam Prep Checklist

Everything for the Arkansas Concrete - Residential exam in one place: the bulletin's key facts, the topics and how many questions each carries, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a prep checklist. PSI gives the exam.

Arkansas Concrete - Residential Exam Facts

From the official bulletin:

On exam day

• Candidates must supply their own references, may use later editions except for Code books, may not bring additional papers with them, and may bring downloaded references only if bound.
• References may be highlighted, underlined and annotated before the exam but not written in during it, and only permanent tabs are allowed.
• Candidates have access to an online calculator and may not bring their own.
• No additional papers, loose or attached, may be brought in with the approved references.

References you may bring

• Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA), with latest available amendments
• Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 Selections by PSI, with latest available amendments
• International Residential Code (2015)
• ACI 318-11 or ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary (2011 or 2014)
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (16th Ed, 2016)
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting (2011)
• The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction (4th edition, 2018)
• Placing Reinforcing Bars, Recommended Practices (9th Edition, 2011)

Source: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board – Concrete Residential, 10/17/2220. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.

Arkansas Concrete - Residential Exam Topics

The official content outline has 6 topics:

Arkansas Concrete - Residential Exam Prep Checklist

• Get the reference books the bulletin lists, in the editions it names.
• Learn each book's table of contents and index first.
• Highlight the sections you use most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.
• Start with the biggest topics: General Concrete and Layout and Excavation (50% of the exam).
• Take our timed practice exams until you pass several in a row.
• After each attempt, look up every question you missed in your book.
• Practice at the real exam's pace: about 2 minutes 30 seconds per question.

Arkansas Concrete - Residential Exam Reference Books

The bulletin lists eight reference materials allowed in the examination center, including the OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 regulations (or PSI selections), the 2015 International Residential Code and ACI 318-11 or ACI 318-14.

Where to get them:

• OSHA 29 CFR 1926
• ACI 318 Structural Concrete Building Code
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
• The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction
• Placing Reinforcing Bars, Recommended Practices
• IRC 2015

Test Day Checklist

• First pass: answer every question you know. Bookmark the rest. Every exam lets you return to bookmarked questions.
• Second pass: work through your bookmarks.
• Pace: 75 minutes for 30 questions, which is about 2 minutes 30 seconds per question.
• Last step: answer anything still blank. A blank can't earn a point.

Study Tips

On an open-book exam, the winners aren't the smartest people in the room — they're the fastest at finding answers. Buy the required book, practice with it open, and tab and highlight each section the first time a question sends you there. Learn the index and table of contents until you can land on any topic in seconds. That speed is what separates a pass from a fail.

Know your way around each book's index and table of contents. Open-book exams reward speed: you need to find specific items quickly.

On an open-book exam, work through every question once: answer the ones you know and skip the ones you don't. Then go back to the ones you flagged. You can bookmark questions for later review, just like on our exams — and don't sink too much time into any single question. The clock is still running.

Give yourself at least three to six weeks. Use your exam's candidate bulletin as your roadmap for what's tested, and spend your time on finding-it-fast skills over rote memorization. In practice, aim for three clean passes at 80% or higher — setting your practice bar above the real cut score gives you a comfortable margin on test day.

Practicing against a ticking clock is the best way to beat exam-clock anxiety. Use these timed tests to build your pacing, so you learn to move steadily and never burn too long on a single question. By test day, the format feels routine.

Arkansas Concrete - Residential Sample Questions

From our practice question bank, with answers and references:

Sample 1 — Reinforcing Steel

Question: Concrete is a mixture of cement, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, and water. What is the typical proportion range for coarse aggregate in a standard concrete mix?

• A. 3 to 5 parts
• B. 5 to 7 parts
• C. 2 to 3 parts
• D. 1 to 2 parts

Correct Answer: A

A standard concrete mix uses about 3 to 5 parts coarse aggregate (such as gravel, crushed stone, or blast-furnace slag) per one part cement.

Reference: Placing Reinforcing Bars (10th ed.), Chapter 3 — Concrete and Reinforced Concrete - Definitions

Sample 2 — OSHA Safety

Question: According to OSHA, a ______ person is one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

• A. Authorized
• B. Designated
• C. Qualified
• D. Competent

Correct Answer: D

According to OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.32(f) (Page 31), a competent person means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.

Reference: OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.32(f), Page 31

Sample 3 — Estimating

Question: A contractor is preparing a bid for a pipeline project that will take six months to complete. Labor rates are expected to increase during construction, but the contractor cannot get firm future pricing from suppliers. What cost allowance should the contractor include to address anticipated increases in labor, material, and equipment costs between bid submission and project completion?

• A. Escalation allowance
• B. Contingency allowance
• C. Retainage allowance
• D. Indemnity allowance

Correct Answer: A

Escalation is defined as the increase in costs of labor, materials, and equipment between the time the bid is submitted and the time work is actually done and paid for. The reference specifically notes this is very important during high inflation periods and recommends including a small allowance for escalation when costs are expected to increase before the job is completed.

Reference: Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Page 27

Sample 4 — General Concrete

Question: On a commercial project, concrete test cylinders were left in the hot sun during their first day of jobsite storage. What is the potential impact on 28-day compressive strength results?

• A. Strength is unaffected if lab curing is proper
• B. Strength may increase by up to 5 percent
• C. Strength may be reduced by up to 10 percent
• D. Strength may be reduced by up to 25 percent

Correct Answer: C

According to Chapter 12 of The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, exposing cylinders to the hot sun on the first day can reduce the 28-day strength by 10 percent regardless of how well the cylinders are cured after that. Fresh cylinders must be kept at a temperature between 60 and 80°F during the first 24 or 48 hours of jobsite storage per ASTM C31/C31M.

Reference: Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction (4th ed.), Chapter 12 – Common Field Problems—Cause and Prevention, Reported low cylinder strengths section

Online Practice vs. a PDF

• Timed: you practice finding answers under time pressure, not just reading them.
• Bookmarks: flag questions and come back, the way you will on test day.
• New sets: each attempt draws new questions from our bank.
• Scored by topic: your results show which outline topics need more study.

Next Step

• Take the free Arkansas Concrete - Residential practice exam.
• Study the topics where you scored lowest.
• Read the exam bulletin for the official rules, and see the licensing board's website.