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100+ Free NV C-4A Painting Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: NV C-4A Painting Exam

30 Q

Official Exam Questions

PSI Nevada Contractor CIB updated 3/25/2026

70%

Passing Score

PSI Nevada Contractor CIB updated 3/25/2026

1 hour

Time Allowed

PSI Nevada Contractor CIB updated 3/25/2026

USD 95

PSI Exam Fee (one portion)

PSI Nevada Contractor CIB updated 3/25/2026

Closed Book

Book Policy

PSI Nevada Contractor CIB updated 3/25/2026

Nevada C-4A Painting Contractor Examination is the official NSCB/PSI closed book exam: 30 questions, 70% (21 of 30 points), 1 hour, USD 95 (bulletin 270, updated 3/25/2026). Official delivery: English and Spanish.

Sample NV C-4A Painting Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your NV C-4A Painting exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under NAC 624.220, what work does a Nevada C-4A Painting license authorize?
A.Application of paints, varnishes, protective coatings, shellacs, stains and other pigment by brush, spray or roller, including polyurethane coatings
B.Hanging commercial wallcovering and vinyl fabrics only
C.Installing gypsum wallboard, metal studs and acoustical tile
D.Taping and finishing wallboard to create a permanent surface
Explanation: NAC 624.220(2)(a) defines C-4A as application of paints, varnishes, protective coatings, shellacs, stains and other pigment by brush, spray or roller, including polyurethane or similar products. Wallcovering (C-4B), taping (C-4C), drywall (C-4E) and metal studs (C-4F) are separate subclassifications of full C-4.
2What are the four basic components of architectural paint?
A.Sand, cement, lime and water
B.Pigment, binder (vehicle), solvent (thinner) and additives
C.Resin, catalyst, hardener and glass flake only
D.Oil, wax, bleach and grit
Explanation: Paint is a mixture of pigment (color and hiding), binder or vehicle (the film-forming resin), solvent or thinner (water or organic solvent that carries the binder), and additives (driers, thickeners, mildewcides, coalescents). PDCA craftsman practice treats those four parts as the starting point for selecting and thinning a coating.
3What does percent solids by volume tell a painter?
A.The fraction of the wet film that remains as dry film after solvents leave
B.The weight of pigment divided by the weight of the can
C.The VOC content in grams per liter
D.The flash point of the solvent
Explanation: Volume solids is the percentage of the liquid coating that stays behind as dry film. Coverage and wet-to-dry film conversion both use volume solids, not solids by weight. A 50 percent volume-solids paint applied at 8 wet mils dries at about 4 mils.
4How are leftover latex (waterborne acrylic) tools and wet paint normally cleaned?
A.With lacquer thinner only
B.With denatured alcohol only
C.With soap and water before the paint dries
D.With muriatic acid
Explanation: Latex and other waterborne acrylics use water as the carrier. Wash brushes, rollers and wet spills with soap and water while the paint is still wet. Once the film has coalesced, water will not redissolve it.
5Which thinner is the usual field solvent for conventional alkyd (oil-based) enamel?
A.Mineral spirits (paint thinner)
B.Water
C.Denatured alcohol
D.Muriatic acid
Explanation: Alkyd and other oil-modified coatings are reduced and cleaned up with mineral spirits (or the manufacturer’s listed aliphatic solvent). Water will not thin an alkyd; alcohol is for shellac; acid is not a paint thinner.
6What is the correct solvent for thinning and cleaning shellac?
A.Denatured alcohol
B.Water
C.Mineral spirits
D.Xylene only
Explanation: Shellac is an alcohol-soluble resin. Denatured alcohol (or the manufacturer’s listed alcohol blend) is used to thin it and to clean tools. That is why shellac primers dry so fast and why they seal knots and smoke stains that waterborne primers cannot.
7One U.S. gallon of a 100 percent solids coating, applied at 1 mil dry-film thickness with no loss, covers about how many square feet?
A.800 square feet
B.1,000 square feet
C.1,604 square feet
D.2,000 square feet
Explanation: One U.S. gallon is 231 cubic inches. Spread 0.001 inch (1 mil) thick, that volume covers 1,604 square feet. That constant is the starting point for every theoretical coverage calculation: coverage = 1,604 × volume solids / DFT in mils.
8A coating is 50 percent solids by volume and the specification requires 4.0 mils DFT. What is the theoretical coverage per gallon with no loss?
A.100 square feet per gallon
B.201 square feet per gallon
C.401 square feet per gallon
D.802 square feet per gallon
Explanation: Theoretical coverage = 1,604 × volume solids / DFT. 1,604 × 0.50 / 4.0 = 200.5, about 201 square feet per gallon. That is the no-loss rate; job waste still has to be subtracted.
9A specification calls for 3.0 mils DFT. The coating is 60 percent solids by volume and is not thinned. What wet-film thickness must be applied?
A.1.8 mils WFT
B.3.0 mils WFT
C.5.0 mils WFT
D.8.0 mils WFT
Explanation: WFT = DFT / volume solids. 3.0 / 0.60 = 5.0 wet mils. Checking WFT with a comb gauge during application is how the painter hits the specified dry film before the solvent leaves.
10Why must coverage be calculated from solids by volume rather than solids by weight?
A.Weight solids ignore the different densities of pigment and binder, so they do not predict dry-film thickness
B.Weight solids are always higher and therefore safer
C.PSI requires weight-solids math on closed-book exams
D.Volume solids apply only to powder coatings
Explanation: A gallon is a volume. Dry mils are a thickness, which is also a volume measure. Pigment is denser than resin, so a high weight-solids number can still be a low volume-solids coating. Using weight solids in the 1,604 formula understates the wet film needed and overstates coverage.

About the NV C-4A Painting Exam

The Nevada C-4A Painting Contractor Examination is the official Nevada State Contractors Board trade examination administered by PSI Services LLC. The official exam has 30 scored questions. Passing is 70% (21 of 30 points) in 1 hour. The examination is closed book. Closed book. PSI lists Painting & Decorating Craftsman's Manual as a study-only reference.. PSI lists USD 95 for one examination portion and USD 140 if taken with CMS; otherwise USD 95 per trade exam (Candidate Information Bulletin 270, updated 3/25/2026). NSCB requires a separate CMS examination for most new applicants, plus a USD 300 application fee and a USD 600 biennial license fee. PSI also offers this examination in Spanish; this bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official translation. It does not replace required trade experience, board approval, fingerprints, bonding, or the official examination.

Assessment

Closed Book computer-based multiple-choice. Closed book. PSI lists Painting & Decorating Craftsman's Manual as a study-only reference.

Time Limit

1 hour

Passing Score

70% (21 of 30 points)

Exam Fee

USD 95 (PSI Services LLC (for the Nevada State Contractors Board))

NV C-4A Painting Exam Content Outline

20%

Materials

Materials (6 items)

20%

Surface Preparation

Surface Preparation (6 items)

20%

Application

Application (6 items)

13%

Tools

Tools (4 items)

7%

Problems and Prevention

Problems and Prevention (2 items)

13%

Safety

Safety (4 items)

7%

Color

Color (2 items)

How to Pass the NV C-4A Painting Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70% (21 of 30 points)
  • Assessment: Closed Book computer-based multiple-choice. Closed book. PSI lists Painting & Decorating Craftsman's Manual as a study-only reference.
  • Time limit: 1 hour
  • Exam fee: USD 95

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

NV C-4A Painting Study Tips from Top Performers

1Distribute study time to the official bulletin 270 content outline (updated 3/25/2026)
2Use only the PSI-listed references; temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are prohibited
3Confirm NSCB experience documentation before scheduling with PSI
4This bank is an English-language MCQ study aid, not an official PSI form

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Nevada C-4A Painting Contractor Examination?

The official PSI examination has 30 scored questions. Passing is 70% (21 of 30 points) within 1 hour (Candidate Information Bulletin 270, updated 3/25/2026).

How much does the NV C-4A exam cost?

PSI lists USD 95 for one examination portion. Two portions cost USD 140 only if the second portion is CMS. NSCB charges a separate USD 300 application fee and USD 600 biennial license fee.

Is the NV C-4A exam open book?

No. PSI lists this examination as closed book. Closed book. PSI lists Painting & Decorating Craftsman's Manual as a study-only reference.

Do I still need the CMS examination?

CMS is the required Nevada business-and-law examination. Most new applicants must pass CMS and a trade examination for the requested classification. In most cases you will not retake an exam if you have actively served as a qualified employee in the same classification within the last four years.