South Carolina - Asphalt Paving Practice Exam
Free Practice Exam
Test your knowledge with 10 questions from our pool of 20 free questions.
- 10 questions per attempt
- 30 minute time limit
- Unlimited attempts
- A new mix each time
- Instant results
Full Practice Exam
Complete exam simulation matching the real PSI test format.
- 50 questions (same as real exam)
- 180 minute time limit
- 6 topic areas covered
- 249 questions in pool
- Detailed explanations
Texts preferred · 9am–9pm Central
South Carolina - Asphalt Paving Practice Exam Guide
What's on the exam
Questions per topic, out of 50This practice exam follows the official content outline for the South Carolina - Asphalt Paving exam: Paving - Compaction and Stabilization, Paving - Asphalt Paving Procedures, Paving - Asphalt Properties and General Uses, Paving - Asphalt Emulsions - Uses and Application, Paving - Asphalt Maintenance Applications, Concrete.
You have two ways to practice. The free practice exam gives you 10 questions per attempt, and you can retake it as often as you like. The full practice exam gives you 50 questions on a 3 hours clock, with a new draw from our question bank every attempt.
Paving - Compaction and Stabilization 9 items
Our study plan for this topic: Compaction equipment selection based on soil and material type; Compaction testing methods and density standards (Proctor, nuclear, sand cone); Optimum moisture content and moisture-density relationships; Lift thickness, number of passes, and roller speed requirements; Subgrade preparation and compaction requirements (SCDOT Section 208); Cement and lime stabilization methods for subgrade and base courses; Aggregate base placement, rolling, and compaction procedures; Proof rolling procedures for embankment and subgrade verification.
Paving - Asphalt Paving Procedures 9 items
Our study plan for this topic: Prime coat and tack coat application procedures and rates; Asphalt paver operation, screed control, and grade/slope sensing systems; Compaction equipment types, roller patterns, and breakdown/intermediate/finish rolling sequence; Weather and temperature restrictions for HMA placement; Pavement course types: base, intermediate, surface, cold mix, and open-graded friction course; Asphalt surface treatments: single, double, and triple treatment application sequences; Milling, planing, and surface preparation of existing asphalt pavement; Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) use, categories, and maximum allowable percentages.
Paving - Asphalt Properties and General Uses 10 items
Our study plan for this topic: Types of asphalt pavement courses and their applications (base, intermediate, surface, friction course); Performance grade (PG) binder classification and selection criteria; Aggregate properties and gradation requirements for HMA; Hot mix versus cold mix asphalt characteristics and uses; Asphalt surface treatments (single, double, and triple treatment) construction and materials; Open-graded friction course (OGFC) composition and uses; Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) types, limits, and incorporation into mixes; Liquid asphalt types (cutbacks, emulsions) and their applications including prime and tack coats.
Paving - Asphalt Emulsions - Uses and Application 6 items
Our study plan for this topic: Types and grades of asphalt emulsions (anionic, cationic, CRS-2P, SS-1, RS-1, etc.); Prime coat application: purpose, rates, and approved emulsion grades; Tack coat application: purpose, rates, and approved emulsion grades; Surface treatment (chip seal) emulsion application rates and temperature requirements; Weather and seasonal limitations for emulsion application; Distributor truck calibration and uniform application requirements; Aggregate spreading sequence and timing relative to emulsion application; Single, double, and triple treatment emulsion application sequences.
Paving - Asphalt Maintenance Applications 8 items
Our study plan for this topic: Milling and surface planing of existing asphalt pavement; Full-depth asphalt pavement patching procedures; Prime coat and tack coat application requirements; Asphalt surface treatment types (single, double, and triple treatment); Open-graded friction course (OGFC) materials and placement; Cold mix asphalt surface and intermediate course construction; Chip seal application rates, rolling, and sweeping procedures; Milled-in rumble strip installation requirements.
Concrete 8 items
Our study plan for this topic: Concrete mixture proportioning and water-cementitious materials ratio; Portland cement types and supplementary cementitious materials (fly ash, slag, silica fume); Aggregate requirements, gradation, and quality standards; Admixtures: air-entraining, water-reducing, accelerating, and retarding; Fresh concrete field testing: slump, air content, compressive strength cylinders, and yield; Concrete placement methods: chute, pump, bucket, conveyor, and buggy; Formwork design, loading, types, and form removal; Reinforcing steel types, grades, placement, splicing, and corrosion protection.
Sample 1 — Paving - Asphalt Properties and General Uses
Question: Before laying HMA on an existing pavement, a tack coat applied uniformly by distributor spray bars must be applied at what rate, in gallons per square yard?
- A. 0.02 to 0.04
- B. 0.05 to 0.15
- C. 0.25 to 0.28
- D. 0.15 to 0.25
Correct Answer: B
SCDOT Subsection 401.4.18 requires a uniform tack coat applied at 0.05 to 0.15 gallons per square yard as measured by SC-T-86, with lesser amounts on new pavements and greater amounts on older pavements.
Reference: SCDOT Standard Specifications for Highway Construction, Subsection 401.4.18, Page 209
Sample 2 — Paving - Compaction and Stabilization
Question: A temporary MSE shoring wall with welded wire form facing and geosynthetic wrap is being designed for your project. The facing must be designed so that bulging caused by compaction stresses or backfill self weight does not exceed what maximum displacement from the theoretical wall face?
- A. 3 inches
- B. 1½ inches
- C. 2 inches
- D. 1 inch
Correct Answer: C
Per SCDOT Subsection 204.4.5.2(H), temporary MSE wall facing with welded wire form and geosynthetic wrap must be designed to prevent bulging in excess of 2 inches, measured as the maximum displacement from the theoretical vertical or sloped face over a section of 1 foot or more along the theoretical wall face.
Reference: SCDOT Standard Specifications for Highway Construction, Subsection 204.4.5.2 (Page 113)
Sample 3 — Paving - Asphalt Paving Procedures
Question: A contractor is producing HMA Surface Course Type E, for which a job mix formula is not required. What allowable variation from the binder content approved by the MRE must be maintained?
- A. ± 0.3%
- B. ± 0.2%
- C. ± 0.4%
- D. ± 0.1%
Correct Answer: C
SCDOT Standard Specifications, Subsection 403.2.2, states that a job mix formula is not required for HMA Surface Course Type E; however, the binder content must be maintained within an allowable variation of ±0.4% of the content approved by the MRE.
Reference: SCDOT Standard Specifications for Highway Construction, Subsection 403.2.2, Page 220
Treat your first attempt as a checkup, not a verdict. After every attempt, the results page breaks your score down by outline topic, so you can see which topics need work. Compare your score with the real exam's passing score, 35 correct answers out of 50 scored questions, and keep practicing until you pass consistently.
- Answer what you know first. Go through every question once, answer the ones you know, and bookmark the rest. Our practice exams let you bookmark and come back.
- Come back to your bookmarks. Work them out on your second pass.
- Watch your pace. The real exam works out to about 3 minutes 36 seconds per question.
- Look up every miss. After each attempt, find each missed question's reference in your book and read the section.
| Questions | 50 questions |
| Time limit | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 35 correct answers out of 50 scored questions |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $60 |
- Results are reported immediately on screen and on an official result report printed at the site, with a diagnostic report of strengths and weaknesses for candidates who do not pass.
- Most examinations may be taken only twice in a 12-month period and once every six months thereafter, while Burglar/Fire Alarm and Business Management and Law may be retaken without that limit, and a passed exam may not be retaken.
Source: South Carolina Commercial Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin, Updated 1/17/2025. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.