Free Practice Questions for NICET HCI

Level I: Plans and Specifications

Construction terminology, the purpose of project documents, finding information on drawings, standards and specifications, job mix formulas, and placing work zone traffic controls.

Level I: Measurement and Surveys

Units of measurement, calculations and conversions, and reading cut, fill, offset and survey stakes, markers and notations.

Level I: Tools and Equipment

Tools and equipment inspectors use for inspection, testing and reporting, and basic construction equipment.

Level I: Personal Safety

Choosing PPE for the site, identifying and reporting hazards, and knowing where safety requirements are published.

Level I: Site Operations

Work zone traffic control components, construction activities, utility markings, fresh concrete sampling and tests (slump, air content, unit weight, yield, specimens), and soil and aggregate types.

Level II: Earthwork

Soil and aggregate properties, limits of disturbance, rights-of-way and easements, temporary erosion and sediment controls, compaction testing, embankment, subgrade and base placement, and excavation and embankment quantities.

Level II: Asphalt Pavement Construction

Surface preparation, tack coats, pre-placement checks and paving plans, delivery, placement, compaction and finishing of asphalt, and yield.

Level II: Concrete Structure Construction

Precast items, basic driven piles, forms and reinforcing steel with pay weight, delivery, placement and testing of structural concrete, cast-in-place components, and concrete volumes.

Level II: Drainage

Drainage system components, excavation and backfill quantities, and installation of drainage components.

Level II: Utilities and Incidental Construction

Utilities affected by construction, guardrail, safety systems and fencing, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, curb ramps, medians and driveways, and permanent seeding and mulching.

Level II: Site Layout and Controls

Survey checks of elevations and horizontal control, surface tolerance checks, and environmental control techniques.

Level II: Responsibilities

Project roles and the inspector's authority, and verifying work zone traffic control including lane shifts, closures, detours and access routes.

Level III: Soil and Slope Stabilization

Roadway soil stabilization, steep slopes and support of excavation, water retention and channeling features, mechanically stabilized earth walls and embankments, and field conditions compared with core borings.

Level III: Roadway Construction

Pavement preservation, grade tie-ins, drainage and transitions, sanitary sewer and water lines, work zone improvements, basic geometric layout, and asphalt placement.

Level III: Structure Construction

Drilled shafts, caissons and micropiles, structural steel, mass concrete weather plans, pre- and post-tensioning, bridge decks, falsework, and structure preservation treatments.

Level III: Project Administration

Coordinating inspection staff, checking work against basic OSHA requirements, and making independent field adjustments.

Level III: Concrete Pavement Construction

Surface preparation, forms, reinforcing steel and load-transfer assemblies, concrete testing and certification, delivery, placement and consolidation, and joint sawing, sealing and surface tolerances.

Level IV: Complex or Critical Construction

Overseeing critical inspections, setting operation-specific hold points, and diagnosing problems in materials or procedures and recommending remedies.

Level IV: Maintain Schedules and Budgets

Reviewing baseline and progress schedules, verifying work eligible for payment, and comparing inspection and testing costs with construction engineering and inspection budgets.

Level IV: Project Administration

Constructability reviews, contract modifications and change orders, price adjustments in performance-based contracts, Davis-Bacon wage compliance, final inspection, acceptance and closeout, and project delivery methods.