The 25 NASCLA general requirements questions

What the bulletin gives you

PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7 Jul 2026) lists the area and its 25 questions, with no topic list below it. The parts below are our reading of the area name and the reference list, not NASCLA's. Share check: 25 / 115 = 0.217, about 22%. With procurement's 31, the two areas are 56 questions, and 56 / 115 = 0.487, just under half.

Jobsite safety under 29 CFR 1926

29 CFR 1926, OSHA's construction standards, is on the reference list (the bulletin allows a recent edition with amendments or PSI's OSHA Excerpts). It is organized by subpart, and knowing which subpart governs a situation is most of the battle. A few you should be able to find in seconds:

Two examples of how the rules read, in our words:

• Fall protection. Section 1926.501 sets the duty to protect workers on a surface with an unprotected side or edge 6 feet or more above a lower level, using guardrails, safety nets or personal fall arrest.
• Excavations. Section 1926.651 requires a competent person to inspect an excavation, the area around it and its protective systems daily, before work starts, as needed through the shift and after rain or another event that raises the hazard.

OSHA publishes the standards free online, so you can read them before your printed copy arrives. Tab the subparts you do not meet at work. A superintendent who runs steel jobs may never have opened the excavation subpart.

Scheduling and the critical path

Expect to work a small network by hand: early and late dates, the critical path and float.

Worked example (invented). Four activities:

Forward pass. A runs 0 to 3. B runs 3 to 8. C runs 3 to 5. D starts when both B and C finish, at 8, and ends at 12. The project takes 12 days.

Backward pass. D must finish by 12, so it starts by 8. B and C must both finish by 8, so B starts by 3 and C by 6. A must finish before the earlier of those starts, so by 3.

Float. C can start as late as 6 but can start at 3, so it has 6 - 3 = 3 days of total float. Check: late finish 8 minus early finish 5 = 3. A, B and D have zero float, so the critical path is A, B, D. Check its length: 3 + 5 + 4 = 12, the same as the forward pass.

A one-day slip on C changes nothing. A one-day slip on B moves the finish to day 13.

Submittals, RFIs, records and closeout

• Submittals (shop drawings, product data, samples) show how the contractor plans to meet the documents. Know the review sequence and who approves what under the contract.
• RFIs ask the design team to clear up the documents. Know when an RFI answer becomes a change.
• Records: daily reports, meeting minutes, logs and photos. These are what a dispute is decided on.
• Closeout: punch lists, substantial and final completion, warranties, operation and maintenance manuals and record drawings.

Green building, accessibility and the code

Green Building Fundamentals, ICC A117.1 and the International Building Code are all on the list. Learn the concepts and where to look. For code questions the exam uses only the listed editions (IBC 2021 or 2024), so bring one of those.

Which listed books to open

Our pairings from the titles, not NASCLA's mapping:

• 29 CFR 1926 (or PSI's OSHA Excerpts) for safety.
• Construction Project Management for scheduling and the critical path.
• Construction Jobsite Management for submittals, records, meetings and closeout.
• NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management for project management basics.
• Green Building Fundamentals, ICC A117.1 and the International Building Code for those topics.

Edition details are in the reference books guide.

How to study it

1. Build a subpart map. Know which OSHA subpart covers each hazard without opening the book, then open it to confirm the number.
2. Work three networks by hand each week. Forward pass, backward pass, float. They take minutes once the method is habit.
3. Know the document flow. Submittal, RFI, change order, closeout. Many questions ask who does what next.
4. Label your misses. Did not know it, could not find it, or misread it.

Check this area

Take the free 10-question check and compare your General Requirements score with its 22% share. It needs no signup and explains every answer. For a full lesson on the area and timed practice exams on the 330-minute clock, see the plans.

Work a network with the free CPM float calculator. For the jobsite side of this area, read construction delay types explained, safety records and winning bids, stormwater on a commercial site and the construction closeout checklist.

Sources

• PSI Candidate Information Bulletin 1458, content outline and reference list, updated 7 Jul 2026. Retrieved 5 Nov 2026.
• 29 CFR 1926, Safety and Health Regulations for Construction, OSHA; checked against the eCFR text current to 4 Nov 2026: Subparts L, M, P and X, sections 1926.501 and 1926.651. Paraphrased, not quoted.

FAQ

How many NASCLA questions are general requirements?

25 of the 115 scored questions, the second largest of the twelve subject areas.

Can I use PSI's OSHA Excerpts instead of the full 29 CFR 1926?

The bulletin lists either a recent edition of 29 CFR 1926 with amendments or PSI's OSHA Excerpts 2025. Check the bulletin for the exact wording before you buy.

Will I have to calculate float?

The bulletin does not list topics. Critical path and float are standard scheduling arithmetic in the listed project management references, so practice them.