North Carolina Builder Exam vs. NASCLA Exam
If you’re thinking about taking the North Carolina Builder
exam, there may be a better option for you. There’s another exam you can take
called the NASCLA exam. NASCLA stands for the National Association of State
Contractor Licensing Agencies. That’s a group that is working to standardize
the contractor exam across the United States.
Currently this exam is accepted in the follow 10 states;
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee,
Louisiana, Arkansas, West Virginia, Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The NASCLA exam is an easier exam in my opinion for the
following reasons.
1. The NC Builder exam requires that you register with the
state first and get approval before taking the exam. The NASCLA exam does not
have any board approval required. You can contact the testing company (PSI
Exams) and schedule the NASCLA exam any time.
2. Since the board requires pre-authorization for the North Carolina Builder exam, they are tracking your results, and they only give you 120 days
to pass the exam. If you failed the exam the first time, you must wait at least
30 days to retake the exam. If you fail the exam a second time, you must wait a
year to try again. With the NASCLA exam, your results are not being tracked,
and there is no limit as to the number of times you can take the exam.
3. The North Carolina Builder exam covers information found
in 17 different construction books. Unfortunately you can only bring 7 of those
books into the exam with you. That means you essentially have to have the other
10 books memorized. With the NASCLA exam, you will be tested on information in
20 books, and you get to bring all 20 of those books into the exam with you for
reference. It’s an OPEN BOOK test.
4. The North Carolina Builder exam has a 3 hour time limit
which works out to 2 minutes per question. The NASCLA exam has a 5 hour time
limit which works out to over 2.6 minutes per question. AND in most cases there
is a neat little trick you can use to stop the clock giving you even more time.
5. When it comes to reciprocity, if you have a NorthCarolina license you can obtain a similar license in Tennessee, South Carolina
and Louisiana. There are some requirements in each state however about how long
you have had the license before they will grant you a license for their state.
With the NASCLA exam however, that is the trades exam for North Carolina, SouthCarolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, WestVirginia, Nevada and the U.S. Virgin Islands. So there is no waiting period in
those states. Simply send in your transcripts showing your test score along with
your application in each of those states.
Each of those states listed above have a link to the specific prep course to help you pass your contractor's exam. An online home study course is essential for these exams.
Each of those states listed above have a link to the specific prep course to help you pass your contractor's exam. An online home study course is essential for these exams.
It’s these reasons that I always recommend taking the NASCLA test instead of the North Carolina Builders exam when you’re trying to get your
general contractor’s license in NC.
http://youtu.be/OYW_bftQ2Qw
http://youtu.be/OYW_bftQ2Qw