INTRODUCTION

Congratulations! If you are reading this book, it is likely that you are pursuing new opportunity. Whether you are preparing to take an exam in order to start your own contracting business, to enhance the qualifications of an existing company, or to qualify the company for which you now work, you are taking deliberate measures to improve an existing situation. So sit back, relax, and rest assured that the time you spend with this book will significantly improve your chances of passing the exam that you are about to take.

TIME FOR TEST MODE!

Preparing for and taking an exam requires a specific mind-set. It requires planning for the upcoming event and making a conscious effort to control anxiety. For most, the thought of taking an exam will cause a feeling of butterflies churning in the stomach. For some, it will lead to more severe symptoms such as headaches and nausea. Don't fear; controlled test anxiety is good. It creates a sense of urgency to succeed. Identify your level of anxiety, and control it.

How do you rate your level of anxiety? For some, perhaps the last test-taking ordeal was a high school final exam twenty years or so ago. The memory of this experience, coupled with the pressure of living up to the expectations of family, a boss, or coworkers can be overwhelming. When children are aware that a parent will soon be taking an exam, they are likely to reciprocate the pressure applied to do well in school. Bosses often assume that the exam will be a breeze for such a competent employee, and many times, a spouse's support is mistaken for unrealistic expectation. Peer pressure is not necessary. Do what you can to minimize it.

Keep the fact that you are taking the exam a secret! Maybe everyone notices your study efforts, but there is no need to announce the test date. Make your plans by scheduling the exam, and if you must explain, say that you have an appointment. The pressures felt from the need to please and live up to the expectations of everyone around you can lead to undue stress and is not necessary. If no one knows your plans, the only pressure you will feel to succeed is your own. This pressure is healthy and probably necessary. Rather than dealing with the pressure of others, imagine the feeling when you announce your accomplishment after the fact. Work toward this goal, and visualize success. Think positive.

Another way to eliminate stress may be to think of your first test date as a practice run. In the worst-case scenario, passing the exam will take two attempts. It is not the end of the world if you do not pass on the first attempt. Most states and municipalities allow you to take the exam as many times as necessary without penalty. Before using this suggestion, make sure that your exam does not limit the number of times it can be taken during a certain amount of time. (We will explain later how to check this.)

Next, avoid becoming irritated that the exam is required. Forget the fact that you know your trade and feel that you should not be required to pass an exam to prove yourself. Look at the experience as an opportunity. The knowledge gained from preparing for the exam will far outweigh the effort. Without a doubt, you will gain information that will improve your efficiency and trade expertise, and could even save you money.

Remember the old carpenter's advice to measure twice and cut once? Similarly, when it comes to test-taking, it is critical to be precise, careful, and methodical as you prepare for exam day. Apply this philosophy as you take the practice exams in this book-read the questions twice and choose the answers carefully. The exams are typically administered in a multiple-choice format, and it is not uncommon for at least two of the choices to appear to be correct, depending on how the question is read. Remember, there is only one correct answer, and one word in the question can change its entire meaning. Be careful.

After you have switched to test mode, it is time to prepare for the exam.

PREPARING FOR THE EXAM

The first step of preparation is to identify the exam required to accomplish your goal. If you are taking a state-required exam to become a licensed contractor, you can begin by visiting www.becomealicensedcontractor.com. Select your state, choose General Contracting under the listing of test types, and the test requirements will be found. The site will likely lead you to the candidate information bulletin provided by the approved testing company.

The candidate information bulletin is the test-taker's rule book. It provides specific information, including the addresses of testing centers, identification requirements, security procedures, and anything else necessary for taking the exam. In preparing for the exam, it is important to identify the answers to the following questions when using the candidate information bulletin.

1. What are the approved references? This is, by far, the most important piece of information to know prior to your exam preparation mission. Most general contracting exams are based on either the International Residential Code or the International Building Code and several additional references. After identifying the approved reference materials, eliminate the study exams in this book that are not included in your exam. Do not spend valuable time studying information that is not included on your exam.

2. Are the approved references allowed in the examination center? In most cases, books are allowed in the examination room for use throughout the exam. While this would seem to make the exam extremely easy, if you are not familiar with how to use the books, it might as well be a closed-book exam.

3. Is tabbing and highlighting of the books allowed? Typically, if the approved references are allowed to be taken into the exam room, they are allowed to be highlighted and tabbed prior to test day. Many rules allow you to underline but prohibit you from making notes in the reference materials. The candidate information bulletin will specifically call for permanent tabs. Permanent tabs are those that cannot be easily removed. Post-it tabs are generally not allowed. If any of the rules are broken, your reference materials may be banned from the test site.

4. What is the time frame for taking the exam? The time frame is important because you will want to simulate the time allowed as you work through the study exams throughout this book. Simply take the allotted time in minutes and divide by the number of questions on the exam to determine the time allotment per question. You can now easily multiply the number of questions in a particular section of this book by the average time allowed per question to set the time frame for working through the practice exams. In the beginning, you will want to allot additional time until you become familiar with the reference materials.

5. What is the content outline of the exam? It is important to pay attention to the breakdown of the exam in order to allot your study time. If only five out of 80 questions pertain to OSHA, you should spend less time studying this subject and concentrate more on the areas representing the largest portion of the exam.

USING THIS EXAM GUIDE

Before using this guide, make sure that you have highlighters and tabs readily available. Begin with identifying the table of contents, the index, and the glossary of each reference book. Place a tab on each of these sections for easy access. The table of contents divides the book into chapters or subjects and will be used frequently. The index is an alphabetical listing of key words found throughout the book and should be your starting point for finding an answer to a specific question. If the answer is not found using the index, identify the chapter according to the subject of the question by using the table of contents. The glossary is an alphabetized listing of terms that serves as a useful source for answering questions quickly. A glossary mayor may not be found in the approved references.

Each section of this exam guide is based on a particular subject. As you answer each of the questions from the study exam, highlight the answers. This will help you to become familiar with the book and will strengthen your ability to quickly reference important code items. Remember, the purpose of each practice exam is not to test your trade knowledge; it is to provide an exercise of how to navigate and use the approved reference(s). If you feel that you know the answer to a question, you should verify the answer using the applicable book. Pay close attention to the tables that are referenced as well as the subject matter of each chapter.

When it comes to tabbing your reference materials, be careful not to overdo it. Placing too many tabs will be more of a hindrance than a useful tool. Remember, when using tabs, the more tabs you use, the longer it will take to read through each one. Using the index will likely save you time in your search for specific information. It is highly recommended that you tab the chapters, table of contents, index, and useful tables.

Going into the exam, make sure that you are familiar with the subject matter of each book. It is imperative that you understand the layout and format of each of the references. This is accomplished through the process of answering the questions in this guide.

Prior to exam day, remove the index from approved reference books that are bound with a three-ring binder, staple it together, and place it in the front pocket of the binder. This will allow easy access to the index by being able to place it on the testing table beside the reference book rather than requiring you to flip back and forth between the index and the body of the book.

On average, exams allow about 3 minutes per question. When you begin using the study exams in this book, allow yourself 8 to 10 minutes per question. As you become more familiar with the reference materials, decrease this time allotment to about 5 minutes. By the time you complete the final exams, only allow yourself the time allotted on your exam.

It is important to devise a time management strategy that works for you immediately. By test day, your goal is to have a plan of action of how to work through the exam. As you are preparing for the exam, keep in mind that the clock will be working against you. Decide the maximum amount of time that you will spend on one question before moving on to the next. You do not want to run out of time.

WHAT TO BRING TO THE EXAM

Prior to test day, make sure you get a good night's rest and arrive armed with the following items:

Candidate information bulletin. Many times, the proctor of the exam is inexperienced. If you are told that tabs are not allowed, you need to be able to defend yourself by referring to the bulletin (the rule book).

Bottle of water. The clock does not stop during the exam. There are no "hold" buttons. If you need a sip of water and have to run to the water fountain or bathroom, the timer will continue to count down. Although you have little choice when it comes to a bathroom break, at least be prepared for the dry mouth syndrome.

Magnifying glass. Many of the documents and diagrams used throughout the exam are difficult to read. Save the frustration and headache-causing eyestrain, and use a magnifying glass.

Two pencils and a pencil sharpener. Arrive with at least two pencils and a pencil sharpener, especially if you are taking the exam using the old-fashioned pencil-and-paper format. Tests are still administered this way in several states and municipalities.

Two calculators. Remember Murphy's law-if it can go wrong it probably will on test day. Have a contingency plan for everything. If you insist on using your favorite calculator, and it happens to be one that you are not sure is allowed, such as a construction master, make sure that you have a backup.

A great attitude. Make every attempt to remain calm, cool, and collected. This is easier to maintain if you have had adequate rest the night before the exam. Do not cram and stay up until midnight. This will work against your tolerance level for aggravation. Remember, frustration will only create tension and make everything more difficult.

Make sure that you also understand the requirements for identification, payment methods, and proper exam registration documentation.

LET THE TEST BEGIN

The moment you sit in the "hot seat" to begin the exam, let the strategy unravel. Have a plan and stick with it. A few recommendations:

1. Switch to test mode. Many times, the rules of thumb and assumptions you make in the field will not work in the test world. While your background and experience can be an attribute, do not allow it to get in the way on test day. Make no assumptions. If you are not 100% sure of an answer, try to verify it at some point. Be deliberate to focus and concentrate on each question.

2. Arrange your work area neatly. Stack your books to one side and, if possible, stand them upright so that they are easily accessible. Decide for yourself that at least for this day, you will be the most organized and careful person in the world.

3. Download the memory. That's right, download the information you are having trouble remembering. Transfer the formulas and anything else you have been repeating since you walked into the test site from your brain to the scratch sheet of paper provided by the proctor.

4. Become familiar with the construction drawings and/or diagram booklet before you start the clock. If your test is being administered by computer, you are in control of when the countdown begins. Take advantage of the control, but be careful not to push it. The proctor is only a few steps away and may prod you to begin the test if you wait too long.

5. Answer the easy questions first. Nothing will boost your confidence more than to run through a good portion of the exam answering questions based on information you recall from your studies. In contrast, your confidence level can diminish rapidly if you become distracted by a difficult question.

6. "Mark" any questions answered that you doubt. If the test is computer based, you have the option to mark questions to review later. If you run out of time, the computer accepts the selected answer and does not penalize you for marking the question. By marking questions, if you have additional time after answering all questions, you can verify the answers you selected.

7. Leave the difficult questions unanswered, and come back to these last. As you skip questions, make a note on the scratch paper, associating the question number with a specific book. This will allow you to categorize each of the unanswered questions by book, saving valuable time and unnecessary frustration. After reading the last question, you will be allowed to revisit unanswered questions or marked questions. You can choose to go to the first of these in the group or to a specific question number.

8. Do not run out of time. Pay attention to the clock. Do not leave any question unanswered. Before you run out of time, select a choice for each question. Questions left unanswered will be counted against you. If you have to guess on a number of questions, improve your odds by selecting the same choice on each question. For example, select all "a's" or all "c's," but your goal is to manage your time and not have to guess on any of the questions.