South Carolina - Wood Frame Structures Practice Exam
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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
- 360 questions in pool
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South Carolina - Wood Frame Structures Practice Exam Guide
What's on the exam
Questions per topic, out of 50This practice exam is built around the official content outline for the South Carolina - Wood Frame Structures exam: Safety, Concrete - Earthwork, Concrete, Carpentry - Rough, Carpentry - Manufactured Trusses, Roofing.
There are two ways to practice. The free practice exam gives you 10 questions per attempt, and you can take it as many times as you like. The full practice exam gives you 50 questions on a 3 hours clock, with a new draw from our question bank each time.
Safety 5 items
Our study plan for this topic: OSHA employer and employee safety responsibilities on construction sites; Fall protection systems and requirements (guardrail, personal fall arrest, safety nets); Personal protective equipment (PPE) selection, use, and employer obligations; Fire protection and prevention on construction sites; Ladder and scaffold safety requirements; Excavation safety and underground utility location (SC 811 call-before-you-dig procedures); Hazardous and toxic substance exposure controls (asbestos, silica, noise, airborne contaminants); Confined space entry requirements in construction.
Concrete - Earthwork 7 items
Our study plan for this topic: SC 811 locate request requirements and notification procedures; Excavation protective systems: sloping, benching, shoring, and shielding; OSHA soil classification (Type A, B, C) for excavation safety; Site grading, backfill placement, and compaction requirements; Geotechnical investigations and soil bearing capacity; Footing design, dimensions, and depth requirements; Dampproofing, waterproofing, and foundation drainage systems; Emergency excavation procedures and damage reporting under SC 811.
Concrete 9 items
Our study plan for this topic: Concrete ingredients and hydration process; Portland cement types and admixtures; Concrete mixing methods and slump testing; Steel reinforcement (rebar and welded-wire fabric) placement and sizing; Formwork design, shoring, and removal requirements; Foundation slab types (monolithic vs. independent) and subgrade preparation; Concrete flatwork finishing steps (screeding, bullfloating, edging, jointing, troweling); OSHA safety requirements for concrete and masonry construction.
Carpentry - Rough 16 items
Our study plan for this topic: Platform framing vs. balloon framing systems; Floor framing components: sill plates, joists, girders, and posts; Wall framing members: studs, plates, headers, trimmer studs, cripple studs, and rough sills; Wall sheathing materials, installation, and shear wall requirements; Roof styles and basic roof framing terminology: span, run, rise, slope, and pitch; Common rafter layout and cutting methods: Pythagorean theorem, unit-length, step-off, and calculator; Hip, valley, and jack rafter layout and installation; Roof truss handling, installation, and temporary restraint and diagonal bracing.
Carpentry - Manufactured Trusses 6 items
Our study plan for this topic: Temporary installation restraint and diagonal bracing procedures (eight-step process); Ground bracing methods for the first truss (exterior and interior); Top chord temporary lateral restraint (TCTLR) spacing requirements by truss span; Permanent restraint and bracing of top chord, bottom chord, and web member planes; Truss handling, hoisting, and storage (crane use, spreader bars, bundle lifting); Truss damage, jobsite modifications, and prohibited alterations; Multi-ply girder truss assembly and ply-to-ply fastening requirements; Fall protection requirements during truss installation.
Roofing 7 items
Our study plan for this topic: Roof framing terminology and basic concepts (span, run, rise, slope, pitch, ridge board vs. ridge beam); Common rafter layout and cutting methods (Pythagorean theorem, unit-length, step-off, calculator); Hip, valley, and jack rafter layout and shortening allowances; Roof sheathing installation requirements and panel nailing; Roofing materials and their minimum slope requirements (asphalt shingles, wood shingles/shakes, tile, metal, roll roofing); Underlayment types, application methods, and ice barrier requirements (SC Building Code Chapter 15); Flashing installation (drip edge, step flashing, valley flashing, stack flashing, crickets/saddles); Fall protection requirements for roofing work (OSHA Subpart M — low-slope vs. steep roof, guardrail, personal fall arrest, warning line, safety monitoring systems).
Sample 1 — Carpentry - Rough
Question: When reading a span table for floor joists, what are the correct steps to determine the appropriate joist size for a given span?
- A. Measure the building width, select the largest available lumber size, then verify the dead load does not exceed 100 psf
- B. Determine the live load category, locate the species and grade, follow the row to find the required span, then read upward to find the spacing and lumber dimensions
- C. Identify the roof pitch, determine the rafter spacing, then cross-reference with the joist span table to find the matching size
- D. Calculate the total building weight, divide by the number of joists, then select the joist size based on the resulting load per joist
Correct Answer: B
According to the step-by-step instructions for reading a span table, the process involves: (1) Determine the live load category (e.g., 40 psf), (2) Locate the species or group column and identify the wood species, (3) Refer to the grade column and identify the wood grade, (4) Follow the row to the right to find the required span, (5) Follow the column upward to find the on-center spacing, and (6) Read the lumber dimensions in the row above.
Reference: Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 14.1, Page 383
Sample 2 — Concrete
Question: In detailed plain concrete structural walls, what is the maximum spacing permitted for continuous horizontal reinforcement?
- A. 144 inches
- B. 96 inches
- C. 120 inches
- D. 48 inches
Correct Answer: C
Per Section 1905.1.6 (ACI 318 Section 14.6.2.2) as modified by the South Carolina Building Code, horizontal reinforcement of at least 0.20 square inch in cross-sectional area shall be provided at a maximum spacing of 120 inches (3048 mm).
Reference: SC Building Code 2021, Section 1905.1.6
Sample 3 — Concrete - Earthwork
Question: The registered design professional has assigned a freeze-thaw exposure Class F2 to the nonstructural concrete on your project. What minimum specified compressive strength must that concrete have?
- A. 3,000 psi
- B. 4,000 psi
- C. 3,500 psi
- D. 2,500 psi
Correct Answer: C
Per SC Building Code 2021 Section 1904.2, nonstructural concrete requires a minimum specified compressive strength of 2,500 psi for Class F0, 3,000 psi for Class F1, and 3,500 psi for Classes F2 and F3.
Reference: SC Building Code 2021, Section 1904.2
Your first score is just a starting point. After every attempt, the results page shows how you did on each outline topic, so you can see what to work on next. Compare your score with the real exam's passing score, 35 correct answers out of 50 scored questions, and keep at it until you pass consistently.
- Start with the questions you know. Go through the whole exam once and bookmark anything you're unsure about. Our practice exams let you bookmark and come back.
- Circle back to your bookmarks on the second pass.
- Keep an eye on your pace. The real exam works out to about 3 minutes 36 seconds per question.
- Turn every miss into a lesson. After each attempt, look up 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 | $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.