Arkansas Drywall - Commercial Exam

Arkansas Drywall - Commercial Exam Study Guide

This guide covers what you need for the Arkansas Drywall - Commercial exam: the key facts from the official bulletin, the topics it tests, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a plan to prepare. PSI gives the exam.

Arkansas Drywall - Commercial Exam at a Glance

Here are the exam's key facts from the official bulletin:

On exam day

• Candidates must bring their own bound references, may not bring additional loose or attached papers with them, and Code questions are based only on the listed edition.
• References may be highlighted, underlined, annotated and indexed beforehand and tabbed with permanent tabs only, but may not be written in during the exam.
• Candidates have access to an online calculator and may not bring their own.
• No personal calculator and no additional loose or attached papers may be brought in; an online calculator is provided.

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
• Gypsum Construction Handbook (2014 Edition)
• International Building Code (2015)

Source: Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board - Drywall - Commercial, 3/17/2020. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.

What the Arkansas Drywall - Commercial Exam Covers

The official content outline has 5 topics:

How to Prepare for the Arkansas Drywall - Commercial Exam

Start with the books. This is an open-book exam, so the references on the bulletin's list are your main study tool. Get the editions the bulletin names.

Learn where things are. Read the table of contents and the index of each book until you know where every major subject lives. On test day, finding an answer fast matters more than memorizing it.

Highlight the sections you use most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.

Spend most of your time on the biggest topics. Drywall Materials and Installation and Ceilings, Acoustical Systems Materials and Installation make up 67% of the exam.

Take timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 2 minutes 30 seconds per question.

Aim to pass more than once. One passing score can be luck. Several in a row means you're ready.

Reference Books for the Arkansas Drywall - Commercial Exam

The references allowed in the examination center are 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA) or the PSI Selections version, the Gypsum Construction Handbook (2014), and the International Building Code (2015).

Where to get them:

• OSHA 29 CFR 1926
• Gypsum Construction Handbook
• IBC 2015

On Test Day

• Go through the whole exam first. Answer every question you know and bookmark the ones you don't. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions.
• Then go back to your bookmarks and work them out.
• Don't let one question eat your time. You have 75 minutes for 30 questions, which is about 2 minutes 30 seconds per question.
• Before you finish, answer anything you skipped. 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.

Sample Arkansas Drywall - Commercial Practice Questions

These questions come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.

Sample 1 — Special Applications Including Veneer Plaster

Question: Cold weather is forecast during a commercial stucco application. The code requires cement plaster to be applied when the ambient temperature is higher than 40°F, unless provisions are made to keep the work above 40°F during application and for what period afterward?

• A. 24 hours
• B. 72 hours
• C. 48 hours
• D. 7 days

Correct Answer: C

IBC 2512.4 requires cement plaster to be applied when the ambient temperature is higher than 40°F unless provisions are made to keep the work above 40°F during application and for 48 hours thereafter. The same section requires plaster coats to be protected from freezing for not less than 24 hours after set has occurred.

Reference: IBC 2015 Chapter 25 — Section 2512.4 Cement Plaster

Sample 2 — OSHA Safety

Question: You are managing a construction crew and need to provide toilet facilities. According to OSHA, what is the minimum number of toilet facilities required for a job site with 20 or fewer employees?

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 1 per 10 workers
• D. 1 toilet seat and 1 urinal

Correct Answer: A

According to the OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.51(c)(1), Table D-1, for 20 or less employees the minimum number of facilities required is 1.

Reference: OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.51(c)(1), Table D-1

Sample 3 — Drywall Materials and Installation

Question: What is the typical lateral load design value used for interior non-load-bearing partitions?

• A. 15 psf
• B. 3 psf
• C. 5 psf
• D. 10 psf

Correct Answer: C

Interior partitions are typically designed for 5 psf lateral loads. Manufacturers of structural components provide maximum allowable loads starting at 5 psf and increasing in 5- or 10-psf increments to about 40 psf.

Reference: Gypsum Construction Handbook (7th ed.), Chapter 10 — Structural Criteria

Sample 4 — Ceilings, Acoustical Systems Materials and Installation

Question: Hangers and assembly members of dropped ceilings located below fire-resistance-rated floor or roof assemblies must be noncombustible, except that fire-retardant-treated wood is permitted in which construction types?

• A. Types III and V
• B. Types I and II
• C. Types II and III
• D. Type IV only

Correct Answer: A

IBC Section 803.13.2.1 requires hangers and assembly members of such dropped ceilings to be noncombustible, with an exception permitting fire-retardant-treated wood in Type III and V construction.

Reference: IBC 2015 Chapter 8 — Section 803.13.2.1 Hangers and Assembly Members

Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF

A PDF shows you questions. It doesn't show you the clock. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers under time pressure, not just reading them. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break the score down by outline topic so you know what to study next.

Start Practicing

Take the free Arkansas Drywall - Commercial practice exam to see where you stand, then work through the topics that need attention. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.