NASCLA — General Building & Business/Law • Syllabus Studio
Multi-state acceptance. One curriculum, many jurisdictions. Blueprint-weighted study plan, assignments, and reference map.
ConstructIQ • S.F. Johnson Consulting & Construction Services, LLC
Course Overview
Format: 12 weeks • 36–48 study hours • Self-paced with weekly milestones. Includes Business/Law foundations and General Building technical coverage aligned to the NASCLA exam blueprint.
Outcomes:
- Master contractor business & law fundamentals: estimating, contracts, liens, insurance/bonding, labor & employment, safety, and project admin.
- Demonstrate ability to locate answers quickly in open-book references (tabbed & indexed).
- Apply building- and field-operations knowledge to scenario questions with PSI-style timing.
Passing Goal: 70–75%+
Weekly Time: 3–4 hrs
Mode: Open-Book Strategy
Exam Blueprint (Weights)
Business & Law (sample weighting)
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Business Org & Licensing | 10–15% |
| Estimating & Bidding | 8–12% |
| Contracts & Risk | 12–16% |
| Project Management | 10–14% |
| Accounting & Taxes | 10–14% |
| Insurance & Bonding | 10–12% |
| Labor, Employment & Safety | 12–16% |
| Liens & Dispute | 8–12% |
Use your current Candidate Bulletin to verify state-specific weights.
General Building (sample weighting)
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Sitework, Concrete, Masonry | 14–18% |
| Carpentry, Doors/Windows, Finishes | 14–18% |
| Metals, Thermal/Moisture, Roofing | 12–16% |
| Plan Reading, Estimating & Layout | 12–16% |
| General Code & Safety (OSHA) | 10–14% |
| Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing Basics | 10–14% |
| Equipment & Temporary Facilities | 8–12% |
Required/Open-Book References
- NASCLA Business & Law Guide (latest ed.)
- International Building Code excerpts (state-adopted)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926 (Construction)
- Concrete/Masonry & Carpentry references
- Construction Math & Estimating handbook
- Project Management & Scheduling guide (CPM/WBS)
- Cost Accounting basics for contractors
- Roofing/Thermal & Moisture guides
- Rigging/Equipment safety mini-manual
- State addenda (licensing, liens, taxes)
Later, swap these chips for your live PDF links or bookstore URLs.
12-Week Syllabus & Milestones
| Week | Focus & Readings | Deliverables | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orientation + Open-Book Strategy. Business org/licensing. Tabs, flags, and index drills in NASCLA B&L.
Read: B&L Ch.1–2; State addenda (licensing basics). |
Set up tabs & index (photo your tab map). 10-Q Index Drill (open-book timing). |
3–4 |
| 2 | Estimating & Bidding. Quantities, labor, overhead, profit; bid day flow.
Read: B&L Estimating/Bidding; Estimating handbook basics. |
MCQ Drill (15Q) — estimate ethics & math. Essay 1 (short): Bid review risk notes (300–500 words). |
3–4 |
| 3 | Contracts & Risk. Scope, changes, delays, indemnity, warranties.
Read: B&L Contracts; sample AIA/consensus clauses. |
Clause lookup drill (10 items, cite page/tab). MCQ Drill (20Q) — contract scenarios. |
3–4 |
| 4 | Insurance & Bonding. GL/WC, builders risk, bid/performance/payment, bond claims.
Read: B&L Insurance/Bonding. |
Open-book map: insurance vs bonding quick-sheet. MCQ Drill (15Q) — surety workflow. |
3 |
| 5 | Accounting & Taxes. Job cost, percent complete, payroll, sales/use tax basics.
Read: B&L Accounting/Taxes chapters. |
MCQ Drill (20Q) — job cost & retention. Worksheet: Overhead/burden scenario. |
3–4 |
| 6 | Labor, Employment & Safety. Hiring, classification, OSHA 1926 highlights.
Read: B&L Labor/Safety + OSHA quick guide. |
MCQ Drill (20Q) — OSHA scenarios. Essay 2: Safety plan summary (400–600 words). |
3–4 |
| 7 | Liens & Dispute. Notice, timelines, claims, ADR.
Read: B&L Liens & Dispute + state addenda. |
Timeline lookup drill (state-specific prompts). MCQ Drill (15Q) — lien timing pitfalls. |
3 |
| 8 | Plan Reading & Codes (General Building). Interpreting plans/specs, IBC basics, means & methods.
Read: Plan reading primer; IBC excerpts. |
Plan symbols & section callouts quiz (10Q). MCQ Drill (15Q) — code identification. |
3–4 |
| 9 | Sitework, Concrete, Masonry. Soil, forms, rebar basics, masonry units.
Read: Concrete/Masonry refs; soils & compaction basics. |
MCQ Drill (20Q) — placement & curing, CMU details. |
3–4 |
| 10 | Carpentry, Metals, Thermal/Moisture. Framing, steel basics, roofing, waterproofing.
Read: Carpentry & T/M references. |
MCQ Drill (20Q) — roofing & envelope scenarios. |
3–4 |
| 11 | MEP Basics & Equipment. Coordination with trades, temporary facilities, safety.
Read: MEP overview; equipment/rigging safety mini-manual. |
MCQ Drill (20Q) — coordination & temp power. |
3–4 |
| 12 | Final Review & Simulators. Tab map check; timing strategies; mixed exam.
Read: B&L “weak” chapters; notes consolidation. |
Mixed Simulator (80–100Q) — target ≥75%. Final Essay (optional): Risk register by phase. |
3–4 |
Assignment Types & Grading Bands
Assignments
- MCQ Drills (PSI-style): Time-boxed; immediate review with rationales (in Exam Studio pages).
- Open-Book Lookups: 10-item index hunts; record book/tab/page used.
- Essays (300–600 words): Contract risk, safety plan, or lien strategy — score with rubric.
- Simulators: Mixed 80–100Q with target score ≥75% before exam week.
Grading Bands (self-scored)
| Band | Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ready | 80–100% | Strong open-book performance. |
| Close | 70–79% | Meets threshold; review weak tabs. |
| Needs Work | <70% | Rebuild tab map; repeat drills. |
Keep screenshots or exported text files for your records.
Policies & Exam Tips
- Open-Book Rules: Verify allowed materials and tabbing rules for your testing center/state.
- Timing: Aim ~45–60 seconds per question on first pass; flag and return.
- Index First: If unsure, go to the index/table of contents; scan keywords rapidly.
- Safety First: For OSHA scenarios, choose the most conservative control that meets the standard.
- State Addenda: Laws on liens, taxes, and licensing vary — keep your state pages tabbed.
Next Steps
When you’re ready for drills and simulators, open your Exam Studio pages (Business/Law and General Building) and use the week-by-week plan here to guide your work.
Goal: 2–3 simulators scoring ≥75% before test day