New Mexico NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor Exam Complete Book Set - Highlighted & Tabbed

Prepare for the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors with a complete set of highlighted and permanently tabbed reference books. This New Mexico NASCLA commercial building package is designed to help contractor candidates organize an extensive open-book examination library and build a more efficient reference-navigation routine.

The complete set includes the listed commercial construction textbooks, standards, codes, manuals, and technical guides associated with the NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor examination. Together, these references address construction project management, jobsite supervision, structural concrete, reinforcing steel, precast erection, post-tensioning, steel decking, steel joists, wood trusses, excavation, masonry, gypsum systems, carpentry, roofing, accessibility, federal safety standards, commercial building codes, stormwater planning, exterior insulation systems, sustainable construction, and mechanical and electrical coordination.

Each book in this package is prepared with highlighting and permanent tabs. Highlighting draws attention to useful definitions, tables, code provisions, construction procedures, safety requirements, and technical concepts. Permanent tabs provide clear navigation points for major chapters and subject areas, helping candidates locate relevant material more efficiently during study sessions and open-book practice.

The NASCLA commercial building examination requires candidates to work across a large reference library. Success depends on more than owning the correct books. Candidates should understand the purpose of each publication, recognize the subject being tested, select the appropriate reference, and locate the relevant information without spending unnecessary time searching unrelated material.

A highlighted and tabbed book set helps reduce the initial reference-preparation workload. Candidates can begin practicing with an organized library and become familiar with the placement of the tabs, the highlighted content, and the overall structure of each publication before examination day.

Please allow an additional 15 business days for highlighted and tabbed book package orders. This additional preparation time allows the complete set to be assembled, reviewed, highlighted, permanently tabbed, and organized before shipment.

Exam Details

The NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors is a standardized technical trade examination designed for candidates seeking commercial general building contractor licensure in participating jurisdictions. New Mexico is among the jurisdictions that accept the NASCLA commercial building examination, subject to the state’s application and licensing requirements.

The examination evaluates knowledge used to plan, supervise, coordinate, and complete commercial construction projects involving multiple trades and building systems. It covers a broad range of subjects rather than concentrating on a single construction specialty.

Major areas represented by this complete book set include project management, jobsite administration, scheduling, estimating, contracts, safety, structural concrete, reinforcing steel, precast concrete, post-tensioning, steel decking, steel joists, wood trusses, excavation, masonry, gypsum construction, carpentry, roofing, accessibility, commercial building codes, environmental controls, exterior systems, and mechanical and electrical systems.

The examination library includes broad construction textbooks as well as specialty references. Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction addresses multiple building systems and construction methods, while publications such as ACI 318, the Steel Deck Institute manual, and the post-tensioning field guide focus on specific technical subjects.

Candidates who pass the NASCLA examination may use the NASCLA National Examination Database to send an official examination transcript to New Mexico or another participating licensing agency. The receiving agency then evaluates the transcript together with the candidate’s contractor license application.

A passing NASCLA result addresses the accepted technical trade-examination component. It does not independently issue a New Mexico contractor license or replace the state’s qualifying-party, Business and Law, application, bonding, business-registration, financial, or supporting-document requirements.

New Mexico contractor licensing is regulated by the Construction Industries Division of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department. PSI provides examination and licensing-processing services for the Construction Industries Division. Candidates must follow the current New Mexico application and approval procedures for the classification they intend to pursue.

Open Book Test

The NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors is an open-book examination. Candidates are responsible for obtaining and bringing permitted references to the testing location. The examination center does not provide the complete reference library.

Open-book testing allows candidates to consult approved publications, but it does not eliminate the need for preparation. The complete examination library contains thousands of pages spread across codes, standards, textbooks, manuals, and specialty construction guides.

A candidate who is unfamiliar with the books may spend too much time searching for a single answer. Effective preparation involves learning which reference applies to each subject and becoming familiar with the indexes, tables of contents, chapter headings, definitions, code sections, illustrations, and technical tables.

Structural concrete questions may require ACI 318-19, while reinforcing-bar placement questions may involve Placing Reinforcing Bars. Concrete field practices involving placement, curing, testing, or quality control may be addressed in The Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction.

Questions involving steel deck may require the Steel Deck Institute Manual of Construction with Steel Deck. Steel joist and joist girder questions may involve Technical Digest No. 9, while wood-truss handling and bracing questions may require the BCSI guide.

Precast concrete erection questions may be addressed in the Erectors’ Manual, while unbonded post-tensioning questions may require the Level 1 Field Fundamentals publication. Masonry questions may involve Modern Masonry, and excavation or underground utility questions may require Pipe and Excavation Contracting.

Accessibility questions may require ICC A117.1, while broader commercial code questions may involve the International Building Code. Federal construction-safety questions may require 29 CFR Part 1926, and stormwater questions may involve Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.

The highlighting and permanent tabs in this package support navigation, but candidates should study with the prepared references before test day. Repeated practice helps candidates learn what each tab represents and understand how the highlighted information fits within the surrounding chapter, standard, or code provision.

All books brought into the testing room must comply with current examination rules. Candidates should review the applicable NASCLA candidate bulletin before test day and avoid unauthorized loose papers, removable notes, unapproved inserts, or other prohibited materials.

Licensing Steps

1. Select the appropriate New Mexico classification. Review the available contractor classifications and choose the classification that matches the work the business intends to perform.
2. Identify the qualifying party. The contractor business must employ or be owned by a qualifying party who holds the certification required for the requested classification.
3. Document qualifying experience. Complete the experience affidavit and provide the supporting information required for the qualifying-party application.
4. Apply for qualifying-party approval. Submit the applicable New Mexico qualifying-party application through the current PSI licensing process.
5. Receive examination authorization. Candidates must be approved before scheduling a New Mexico contractor examination.
6. Complete Business and Law. New qualifying-party applicants must pass the New Mexico Business and Law examination or complete an approved Business and Law course and obtain the required completion certificate.
7. Prepare for the NASCLA examination. Study the technical construction subjects and practice locating information throughout the highlighted and tabbed book set.
8. Apply for and schedule the NASCLA examination. Complete the current NASCLA examination application and testing-registration procedures.
9. Pass the NASCLA examination. A passing result may be transmitted to New Mexico through the NASCLA National Examination Database.
10. Complete the contractor license application. Submit the business application, qualifying-party records, examination documentation, and other required materials.
11. Provide the required license bond and registrations. Complete the bonding and agency-registration requirements associated with the New Mexico contractor application.
12. Receive the license before contracting. The business must obtain the applicable New Mexico contractor license before performing work that requires licensure.

State Requirements

The New Mexico Construction Industries Division licenses contractors and regulates construction activity within the state. Contractor licenses are issued to qualified business entities that employ or are owned by one or more certified qualifying parties.

Each classification held by a contractor business must be supported by a qualifying party who is certified for that scope of work. The qualifying party demonstrates the experience and examination qualifications associated with the requested classification.

New qualifying-party applicants must satisfy the New Mexico Business and Law requirement in addition to any applicable technical trade requirement. The Business and Law requirement may be completed by passing the PSI examination or completing a course approved for New Mexico contractor licensing.

New Mexico accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors. Acceptance of the examination does not remove the requirement to submit a complete state application or satisfy the remaining requirements for the requested contractor classification.

The contractor application process may require qualifying-party documentation, examination records, business-entity information, a license bond, tax registration, workforce registration, ownership records, and other supporting materials identified in the current application instructions.

The business name used on the application should match the name shown on the bond, registrations, and supporting documents. Incomplete information or inconsistencies between business records may delay the licensing review.

PSI handles New Mexico contractor examination approval and licensing paperwork on behalf of the Construction Industries Division. Candidates should follow the current PSI instructions for qualifying-party certification, examination registration, application submission, and document delivery.

Passing the NASCLA examination and purchasing this book set do not guarantee license approval. The New Mexico Construction Industries Division determines whether the applicant has satisfied the legal and administrative requirements for the requested license and classification.

Reference Books

The following highlighted and permanently tabbed references are included in this New Mexico NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor examination book package.

• Construction Jobsite Management, 5th Edition
  Covers jobsite planning, field supervision, communication, documentation, productivity, quality control, safety, coordination, and daily construction operations.
• Construction Project Management, 5th Edition
  Reviews project organization, estimating, scheduling, contracts, cost control, risk management, communication, quality, and project closeout.
• ACI 318-19: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary
  Provides requirements and commentary involving structural concrete materials, design, reinforcement, durability, construction, and inspection.
• BCSI: Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses, 2025
  Addresses recommended practices for receiving, handling, installing, restraining, and bracing metal plate connected wood trusses.
• NASCLA Contractors’ Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Basic 14th Edition
  Explains contractor business practices, project management, finance, contracts, insurance, employment responsibilities, safety, and risk management.
• Erectors’ Manual – Standards and Guidelines for the Erection of Precast Concrete Products, 2nd Edition, 1999
  Covers precast concrete erection planning, handling, rigging, bracing, alignment, connections, field procedures, and safety.
• Training and Certification of Field Personnel for Unbonded Post-Tensioning – Level 1 Field Fundamentals, 3rd Edition, 2003
  Reviews field procedures for handling, installing, stressing, inspecting, and protecting unbonded post-tensioning systems.
• SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck, 3rd Edition, 2016
  Explains steel-deck receiving, storage, placement, fastening, construction loading, field modifications, and installation safety.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Dave Roberts, 2011
  Covers excavation, grading, trenching, underground utilities, pipe installation, equipment, estimating, productivity, and jobsite safety.
• Gypsum Construction Handbook, 7th Edition, 2014
  Provides information about gypsum products, wall and ceiling systems, fire-resistant assemblies, installation methods, finishing, and construction details.
• Placing Reinforcing Bars: Recommended Practices, 10th Edition
  Covers reinforcing-bar identification, supports, placement, splices, tolerances, detailing, handling, and field installation.
• Technical Digest No. 9 – Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders, 3rd Edition, 2008
  Provides guidance for receiving, storing, handling, placing, bridging, and erecting steel joists and joist girders.
• Modern Masonry – Brick, Block, Stone, Clois E. Kicklighter, 10th Edition
  Reviews masonry materials, mortar, tools, layout, brick, concrete block, stone, estimating, construction methods, and safety.
• Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction, 11th Edition, Cameron K. Andres and Ronald C. Smith
  Provides broad coverage of commercial construction materials, structural systems, building components, sequencing, methods, and field practices.
• Code of Federal Regulations – 29 CFR Part 1926, with Latest Available Amendments
  Contains federal construction-safety requirements involving jobsite operations, fall protection, excavation, scaffolding, equipment, and electrical safety.
• Carpentry and Building Construction, 2016 Student Edition, John L. Feirer and Mark D. Feirer
  Covers carpentry tools, construction materials, layout, foundations, framing, floors, walls, roofs, interiors, and common building procedures.
• ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, 2017
  Provides accessibility criteria for routes, entrances, rooms, fixtures, controls, communication elements, and building features.
• Roofing Construction and Estimating, Daniel Atcheson
  Reviews roofing systems, materials, installation methods, measurements, quantities, flashing, drainage, estimating, and project planning.
• The Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, 4th Edition, 2018
  Explains concrete materials, preparation, placement, consolidation, finishing, curing, testing, quality control, and problem prevention.
• Green Building Fundamentals, Michael Montoya, 2nd Edition, 2011
  Introduces sustainable construction, energy efficiency, water conservation, material selection, building performance, and indoor environmental quality.
• International Building Code, 2021 Edition
  Contains commercial building requirements involving occupancy, construction types, fire protection, means of egress, accessibility, structural provisions, and building systems.
• Developing Your Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan – A Guide for Construction Sites
  Explains stormwater planning, erosion and sediment controls, pollution prevention, inspections, documentation, and construction-site responsibilities.
• ANSI/EIMA 99-A-2017: Standard for Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems and EIFS with Drainage
  Provides requirements involving exterior insulation and finish systems, materials, installation, drainage, flashing, joints, and system performance.
• Mechanical and Electrical Systems for Construction Managers, 4th Edition
  Covers mechanical, plumbing, fire-protection, electrical, lighting, communication, and building-control systems coordinated during commercial construction.

Test Information and Study Materials

Begin by organizing the references into manageable subject groups. Project management, safety, codes, accessibility, site work, concrete, masonry, structural systems, carpentry, roofing, environmental controls, exterior systems, and building-service systems can each be reviewed separately.

Practice selecting the correct book before searching for the answer. Read a sample question, identify the primary subject, choose the publication most likely to contain the information, and use the permanent tabs, index, or table of contents to locate the applicable section.

Timed reference-navigation exercises help candidates develop a repeatable open-book strategy. The objective is to identify the subject, select the correct publication, locate the supporting material, and evaluate the available answers without spending excessive time in unrelated books.

Review missed questions carefully. An incorrect response may reveal a technical knowledge gap, an incorrect reference choice, a misunderstood term, or inefficient navigation. Identifying the reason makes it easier to focus future study sessions.

Candidates should study the highlighted material in context rather than relying only on isolated sentences. Reading the surrounding chapter or code section helps explain how a rule, table, or construction procedure applies to the question.

How Contractor Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

Contractor Exam Prep helps New Mexico contractor candidates turn an extensive NASCLA reference library into an organized exam-preparation system. The highlighted and permanently tabbed books reduce the initial setup work and provide a consistent structure for study and navigation practice.

Trade-focused review becomes more manageable when the references are divided by subject. Candidates can connect questions involving concrete, masonry, steel, roofing, excavation, accessibility, safety, project management, and building systems with the publications most likely to contain the answers.

Practice-oriented preparation encourages candidates to use the books actively. Students can work through sample questions, identify key terms, select the appropriate reference, and use the prepared tabs to locate applicable construction information.

Reference-navigation practice is especially important for the open-book NASCLA examination. Familiarity with the highlighting, indexes, chapter headings, code provisions, illustrations, and technical tables helps candidates develop a clearer and more efficient examination routine.

The organized book set also helps candidates identify subjects that require additional study. A student who consistently struggles with concrete, structural steel, accessibility, or project-management questions can return to the applicable references for focused review.

Contractor Exam Prep does not guarantee a passing examination score, acceptance of a transcript, licensing approval, or license issuance. The complete highlighted and tabbed package provides organized references, trade-focused study support, navigation practice, and a confidence-building preparation structure.

FAQ Section

What is included in this highlighted and tabbed book set?

The package includes all 24 listed technical references for the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors. Each book is highlighted and permanently tabbed.

How long does preparation of the book set take?

Please allow an additional 15 business days for highlighted and tabbed book package orders.

Is a New Mexico Business and Law book included?

No New Mexico-specific Business and Law book is listed as part of this package. The set contains the NASCLA commercial building technical references identified above.

Does New Mexico accept the NASCLA examination?

Yes. New Mexico is a participating jurisdiction that accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, subject to its current licensing policies and application requirements.

Is New Mexico Business and Law still required?

New qualifying-party applicants must satisfy the New Mexico Business and Law requirement by passing the applicable examination or completing an approved Business and Law course.

Is the NASCLA examination open book?

Yes. Candidates may bring permitted references that comply with the current examination rules. The testing center does not provide the complete book library.

Why are the books highlighted and tabbed?

Highlighting identifies useful content, while permanent tabs help candidates reach important chapters, code sections, definitions, tables, and technical subjects more efficiently.

Should I study with the prepared books before test day?

Yes. Repeated practice helps candidates learn which reference applies to each subject and become familiar with the highlighting and tabbing system.

Are the books provided at the testing center?

No. Candidates are responsible for obtaining and bringing all permitted references to the examination location.

Can I add loose notes or removable materials?

Books must comply with current examination rules. Candidates should avoid loose pages, removable notes, unauthorized inserts, and other prohibited materials.

Does passing the examination automatically issue a New Mexico contractor license?

No. Applicants must complete New Mexico’s qualifying-party and contractor-license application processes and satisfy all applicable state requirements.

Does purchasing the set guarantee a passing score?

No. Examination performance depends on the candidate’s construction knowledge, study preparation, reference familiarity, time management, and ability to apply the information.