South Carolina (Limited) Building Contractor 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.
- 80 questions (same as real exam)
- 300 minute time limit
- 10 topic areas covered
- 859 questions in pool
- Detailed explanations
Texts preferred · 9am–9pm Central
South Carolina (Limited) Building Contractor Practice Exam Guide
What's on the exam
Questions per topic, out of 80This trade exam covers the work a limited building contractor actually does: laying out a site and protecting buried utilities, placing concrete and formwork, brick and block, steel joists and cold-formed framing, wood framing from sill to ridge, insulation and roofing, doors and windows, interior finishes, jobsite safety, and the code, plan-reading and estimating work that ties it all together. It is an open book exam, so the skill being tested is finding a rule fast and applying it, not reciting it.
You have two ways to train here. 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 80 questions on a 5 hours clock, drawn fresh from our question bank every time you start, so repeat attempts do not turn into memorizing answer letters.
Sitework 7 items
Site layout comes up in the verified practice questions. You are asked to use an existing street or property line as a reference line to stake a building without an instrument (Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Basic Techniques / Measuring From a Reference Line), identify a theodolite by its electronic angle readout and LCD screen (Chapter 9 — Types of Instruments), and walk the steps of leveling a transit head, including rotating the telescope 90° over the second set of screws (Chapter 9 — Setting Up a Transit or Level / Leveling a Transit Head). Once the instrument is set up over the point, right-angle layout starts with sighting a reference point along a base line and zeroing the 360° scale (Chapter 9 — Laying Out a Right Angle). Batter board stakes go at least 4 feet beyond the foundation lines (Chapter 9 — Setting Up Batter Boards).
Concrete 10 items
The verified practice questions here mix code minimums with textbook practice. Know the 3½-inch minimum for slabs on ground (2021 International Building Code, Section 1907.1) and the 6-inch plain concrete footing allowance for Group R-3 and other light-frame buildings under two stories, when the footing extends no more than 4 inches on either side of the supported wall (2021 International Building Code, Section 1906.1). From the textbook: five-bag mix as the minimum for most work (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 8.2, Page 226), 3 inches of cover over rebar in footings (Section 8.2, Page 230), consolidation as the process that drives out air pockets (Section 8.2, Page 227), thickened slab sections trenched into the subgrade (Section 11.1, Page 295), keyways (Section 10.1, Page 258) and cold joints (Section 10.2, Page 266).
Masonry 10 items
The verified practice questions here cover fireplace and chimney dimensions. Expect the 20-inch minimum firebox depth, chimney termination 3 feet above the highest point where it passes through the roof and 2 feet above any portion of the building within 10 feet, four No. 4 continuous vertical bars anchored in the foundation for chimneys up to 40 inches wide in Seismic Design Category C, and a hearth extension of 20 inches in front and 12 inches beyond each side when the opening is 6 square feet or larger. Rectangular flues with an aspect ratio of 2 to 1 or more need at least 1/8 the fireplace opening area. Adobe shows up too: 300 psi average unit strength and 30 psi allowable compressive stress.
Metals 10 items
The verified questions here focus on cold-formed steel framing. Box headers use a track section cut 2 inches longer than the header with flanges snipped back 1 inch (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 29.3, Box Header Assembly). Never punch the flange of a stud, joist or track (Section 29.3, Builder's Tip - Punchouts). Allow 1½ inches each side of a door opening in a nonload-bearing wall for wood studs, and 12 inches of extra width on a window rough opening in a panelized wall for two trimmer (jack) studs, one each side of the header, plus a wood stud on each side of the opening. Also know the 1/8-inch joist-to-track gap (Section 29.3, Page 848), ¾-inch T&G subfloor at 24 inches on center (Section 29.3, Page 849), sheathing run parallel to studs (Section 29.3, Page 852), and the three framing types (Section 29.1, Page 833-835).
Carpentry 12 items
The heaviest wood-framing block, and the verified practice questions here lean hard on conventional light-frame code. Truss questions cover required design loads including top chord live and dead load (2021 International Building Code, Section 2303.4.1.1), what ships with the trusses (Sections 2303.4.1.1 and 2303.4.2), added loads such as hung HVAC requiring verification (Section 2303.4.5), and TPI 1 for metal-plate-connected trusses (Section 2303.4.6). Framing numbers: 1½ inches of joist bearing on wood or metal (Section 2308.4.2.2), 3-inch lap over a beam or partition (Section 2308.4.2.3), bored holes no more than one-third the joist depth (Section 2308.4.2.4), three studs at exterior corners (Section 2308.5.2), and a 25 percent notch limit in exterior walls and bearing partitions (Section 2308.5.9).
Thermal and Moisture Protection 9 items
Expect a squares calculation (100 square feet per square) and a crawl-space vent calculation at 1 square foot of net venting per 150 square feet of area (Carpentry And Building Construction, Section 31.1 — Crawl-Space Ventilation). Radiant barriers draped over rafters need at least 1 inch of air space under the sheathing (Section 31.1 — Radiant-Heat Barriers). XPS is the rigid board with the compressive strength for below-grade foundation use at R-5 per inch (Section 31.1 — Rigid Insulation Materials and R-Value). Siding shows up as double coursing of wood shingles (Chapter 23 — Shingle Siding section), the dime-thickness 1/32-inch nail gap on vinyl (Chapter 23 — Vinyl Siding section), and 0.035-inch minimum vinyl thickness (IBC 2021, Table 1404.2).
Doors and Windows 2 items
Only two scored items, so study the basics and move on. Casement windows open their entire area for ventilation, unlike a double-hung (Windows & Skylights chapter, Types of Windows section). A muntin holds individual panes; a mullion separates combined units (Windows & Skylights chapter, Double-Hung Windows section). Egress windows above the grade floor need 5.7 square feet of unblocked open area, with 5.0 square feet at the grade floor (Windows & Skylights chapter, Design Requirements section). A lower U-value means less heat loss and better insulating performance (Windows & Skylights chapter, Energy Efficiency - Ratings section).
Finishes 2 items
Small topic, quick wins. Finger-jointed trim stock is paint-grade only, never stain-grade (Carpentry & Building Construction, Chapter 26 (Molding & Trim)). Cabinet layout starts by finding the highest point of the floor with a straightedge and level, then measuring up the wall to the base cabinet height (Chapter 27 (Cabinets & Countertops)). Type-X fire-code drywall is 5/8 inch thick with glass fibers; Type-C adds vermiculite (Chapter 32, Fire-Code Drywall section). Type-S screws are for steel framing with narrow threads; Type-W are for wood (Chapter 32, Drywall Fasteners section).
Safety 5 items
OSHA penalty scale appears: a repeat serious violation can run over $150,000. Anchorage is tested through wood sill plates on masonry foundation walls, which take anchor bolts at least ½ inch in diameter extending not less than 7 inches into concrete or grouted cells of concrete masonry units (IRC R403.1.6). Two material questions also land here: the S-DRY grade stamp meaning 19 percent maximum moisture content at surfacing (Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 324), and the definition of dead load as the total weight of the structure and anything permanently attached (Page 383).
General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating 13 items
The biggest topic. Estimating math covers paint coverage, labor burden, and board-feet tables such as 2×6 ceiling plank at 16 inches on center (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 1.2, Table 1-2). Plan reading covers the room-finish schedule (Section 2.3, Page 57). Code items cover documents dimensioned to floor levels, column centers and offsets (2021 International Building Code, Section 1603.1), wind speed and exposure for conventional light-frame buildings (Section 1603.1 Exception), rain load R = 5.2(ds + dh) (Section 1611.1), ponding evaluation (Section 1611.2), controlled-drainage roofs (Section 1611.3), 40 psf live load for one- and two-family dwelling areas other than sleeping areas, attics and canopies (Table 1607.1), and the 42-inch attic storage threshold (Section 1607.22.2).
Sample 1 — General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating
Question: 2,400 sq ft wall, 350 sq ft/gal, 2 coats. How many gallons?
- A. 14
- B. 20
- C. 12
- D. 16
Correct Answer: A
Two coats doubles the area before you divide: 2,400 × 2 = 4,800 square feet. Divide by the coverage rate, 4,800 ÷ 350 = 13.7 gallons. You cannot buy seven-tenths of a gallon, so round up to 14. Two steps get skipped on this kind of item: multiplying by the number of coats, and rounding up instead of down. Do both every time and material takeoff questions become free points.
Sample 2 — Carpentry
Question: What are the three basic types of cornices used in residential roof construction?
- A. Flush, extended, and cantilevered
- B. Open, box, and closed
- C. Simple, compound, and complex
- D. Flat, pitched, and curved
Correct Answer: B
The three basic types are open, box, and closed. An open cornice has frieze blocks, molding, and a fascia with the rafters left exposed. A box cornice fully encloses the rafter tails. A closed cornice is found on houses with no rafter overhang. The other option sets use words that sound plausible but are not the textbook terms, which is why you want the page under your thumb (Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 552).
Sample 3 — Concrete
Question: You are a carpenter installing footing drains around a full-height basement foundation. After placing the 4-inch perforated plastic drainpipe alongside the base of the footing, your helper asks which direction the drain holes should face. What is the correct orientation for the drainpipe holes?
- A. Facing upward so water falls into the pipe from above
- B. Facing sideways toward the foundation wall to catch seepage
- C. Alternating up and down along the length of the pipe
- D. Facing down so water is carried away from the house as soon as it rises into the pipes
Correct Answer: D
The small holes along the bottom edge of the plastic drainpipe face down. In that position, water is carried away from the house as soon as it rises into the pipe, which relieves hydrostatic pressure against the foundation wall. Holes up is the common jobsite guess, and it is the distractor the item is built around (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 10.1, Pages 262-263).
The real bar is 56 correct answers out of 80 scored questions. Score your practice attempts against that number and nothing else.
Treat your first full attempt as a diagnostic, not a verdict. Take it cold, on the clock, with your books exactly the way you plan to carry them to the test center. What you learn from that attempt is less about the total and more about where the total came from.
Use the topic breakdown next. A missed item in Doors and Windows costs you the same one point as a missed item in Carpentry, but the outline decides how many chances each topic gets. Carpentry carries 12 items and General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating carries 13. Concrete, Masonry and Metals carry 10 each. Together those five account for the bulk of the scored items, so a weak spot there moves your score far more than a weak spot in Finishes or Doors and Windows, which carry 2 items apiece.
Practical plan: rank your topics worst to best, weight that ranking by item count, and spend your study hours in that order. Retake until you clear the pass mark with room to spare on consecutive attempts, not once by a point.
Reading the code as a general rule instead of a conditional one. The plain concrete footing question allows 6 inches only for Group R-3 and other occupancies under two stories above grade plane of light-frame construction, and only when the footing does not project more than 4 inches past the supported wall (2021 International Building Code, Section 1906.1). Skip the conditions and one of the thicker-sounding options looks right.
Mixing up two numbers in the same paragraph. Carpentry framing rules pair limits constantly: 1½ inches of bearing on wood or metal versus 3 inches on masonry (Section 2308.4.2.2), 25 percent notching in exterior walls and bearing partitions versus 40 percent in nonbearing partitions (Section 2308.5.9). Read carefully to be sure which of the paired limits the question asks about.
Answering from habit instead of the book. Footing drain holes face down (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 10.1, Pages 262-263). Flanges never get punched in cold-formed steel (Section 29.3, Builder's Tip - Punchouts). If a question describes something you have done a hundred times, that is your cue to open the reference, not to answer fast.
Dropping a step in estimating math. Coats, waste, squares, burden percentage, board-feet per 100 square feet at a given spacing (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 1.2, Table 1-2) — each is one multiplication that decides the answer. Write the steps down on your scratch work so you can check them.
Letting slow lookups eat the clock. You get 5 hours for 80 questions, which works out to about 3 minutes 45 seconds per question. Know your references well enough that a code section takes seconds to find, so one slow lookup does not eat the time the other items need.
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Time limit | 5 hours |
| Passing score | 56 correct answers out of 80 scored questions |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $78 |
- Your score is given immediately after the examination on screen and on a printed official report, with a diagnostic report of strengths and weaknesses if you do not pass.
- Except for Burglar and Fire Alarm, an examination may be taken only 2 times in a 12-month period and thereafter only once in six months, and a candidate who passes an exam may not take it again.
Source: Commercial Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin, Updated 8/27/2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.