The NASCLA diagram and blueprint packet

What the bulletin says

PSI's Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 7 Jul 2026) lists the reference materials allowed in the examination center. The first item on that list is a physical diagram/blueprint packet to be handed out onsite at the testing center.

That is the whole of it. From that one line we know:

• It is physical, on paper, not on the screen.
• It is handed out at the test center. You do not buy it, bring it or prepare it.
• It sits on the list of reference materials allowed for this open-book exam, next to the books you bring.

What the bulletin does not say

The bulletin does not say:

• what drawings, diagrams or sheets the packet contains, or how many;
• how many questions refer to it, or which subject areas they fall under;
• whether you may write on it or keep it;
• whether scratch paper is provided.

We have not seen the packet, and we do not describe its contents. Anyone who claims to know exactly what is in it is guessing or repeating something candidates are not meant to share. Follow the proctor's instructions on the day.

What it means for your study

This part is our suggestion, not something the bulletin says. Because the exam hands you drawings, it makes sense to be comfortable reading commercial construction drawings in general and working numbers off them. Practice with any real set of plans you can get, such as a past bid set from your own work:

• Find your way around a set. Sheet index, sheet numbering by discipline, title blocks, revision clouds and dates.
• Read scales. Know architectural scales such as 1/8 in. = 1 ft and 1/4 in. = 1 ft, and engineering scales such as 1 in. = 20 ft.
• Follow references. Section cuts, detail callouts and elevation markers that point from one sheet to another.
• Read schedules and notes. Door, window and finish schedules, general notes and keynotes.
• Do a quick takeoff. Lengths, areas and volumes from dimensions on the drawing.

Worked example: scale and area

An invented plan drawn at 1/8 in. = 1 ft shows a room 5 1/4 in. long and 3 1/2 in. wide on the paper.

• Length: 5.25 x 8 = 42 ft. Width: 3.5 x 8 = 28 ft.
• Floor area: 42 x 28 = 1,176 square feet.
• Check: 1/8 in. per foot means 1 in. on paper is 8 ft. 40 x 28 = 1,120 and 2 x 28 = 56, total 1,176.

Where a drawing gives a written dimension, use it rather than measuring the paper. Prints can be reduced or enlarged, which throws off anything you measure with a scale.

How it fits with the rest of your prep

Plan reading touches several subject areas: quantities in Site Construction and Concrete, layout in General Requirements, and estimating in Procurement and Contracting. Fit a little drawing practice into each week of the NASCLA study guide plan, and the reference books guide covers the books you do bring. For timing, see how to pace 125 questions in 330 minutes. To practice reading a floor plan, a wall section and a site plan, try the free plan-reading drill: three sheets we drew for study, with 30 questions. The second plan-reading drill adds a foundation plan, a roof framing plan and a reflected ceiling plan, with 30 more questions that include finding where the sheets disagree. The third plan-reading drill adds a building section, a site utility plan with pipe inverts and an electrical and fire protection plan, with 30 more.

Take the free 10-question check and see your score by subject area in minutes. It needs no signup and explains every answer.

The NASCLA Commercial course has a lesson for each of the 12 subject areas that shows which listed reference to open and how to apply it, original practice questions with every answer worked, and four timed practice exams of 115 questions on a 330-minute clock. Your scores come back by subject area, so you know where the next study hour goes. See the course.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by NASCLA or PSI. NASCLA and PSI are named only to identify the exam and its test vendor.

FAQ

Do I bring the NASCLA blueprint packet?

No. A physical diagram and blueprint packet is handed out at the test center. You bring only your own reference books and calculator.

How do I practice for the NASCLA blueprint packet?

Practice reading drawings and answering from them. The free plan-reading drill has drawn floor plan, wall section and site plan sheets to answer from.

Is the NASCLA exam open book?

Yes. You bring your own copies of the 24 listed references, and the packet is the one reference handed to you.

Sources

Show the list

• PSI Candidate Information Bulletin 1458, reference list section, updated 7 Jul 2026. Retrieved 5 Nov 2026.