PracticeVideosBlogFlashcardsEspañol
All Practice Exams

100+ Free SC Water and Sewer Plants Practice Questions

Prepare for the South Carolina Water and Sewer Plants Contractor Examination exam with instant access — no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately
100+ Questions
100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More South Carolina CLB Commercial Contractor Examinations

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

South Carolina Air Conditioning Contractor Examination

Practice Questions

South Carolina Alarm Code of Laws Examination

Practice Questions

South Carolina Asphalt Paving Contractor Examination

Practice Questions

South Carolina Boiler Installation Contractor Examination

Practice Questions

South Carolina Bridges Contractor Examination

Practice Questions

South Carolina Burglar Alarm Contractor Examination

Practice Questions
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: SC Water and Sewer Plants Exam

50 Q

Official Exam Questions

PSI SC Commercial Contractor CIB updated 5/15/2025

70%

Passing Score

PSI SC Commercial Contractor CIB updated 5/15/2025

3 hours

Time Allowed

PSI SC Commercial Contractor CIB updated 5/15/2025

USD 75

PSI Exam Fee

PSI SC Commercial Contractor CIB updated 5/15/2025

Open Book

Book Policy

PSI SC Commercial Contractor CIB updated 5/15/2025

South Carolina Water and Sewer Plants Contractor Examination is the official CLB/PSI open-book exam: 50 questions, 70% (35 of 50), 3 hours, USD 75 (bulletin updated 5/15/2025). Official delivery is English.

Sample SC Water and Sewer Plants Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your SC Water and Sewer Plants exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA, which three conditions must all be present for a space to be a confined space?
A.It is below grade, contains a liquid, and requires a permit
B.It is large enough to enter and work, has limited or restricted entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous occupancy
C.It has a hazardous atmosphere, an engulfment hazard, and inward-sloping walls
D.It is a tank or wet well, is deeper than 4 feet, and requires forced-air ventilation
Explanation: OSHA 1926.1202 defines a confined space as a space that is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter it, has limited or restricted means for entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. Plant wet wells, clearwells, manholes, and process tanks commonly meet all three. Hazardous atmosphere, engulfment, or converging walls make a confined space a permit-required confined space, which is a separate classification.
2Per OSHA 1926.651, excavated material and other equipment that could fall or roll into an excavation must be kept at least how far from the edge unless a retaining device is used?
A.12 inches (1 foot)
B.2 feet
C.4 feet
D.6 feet
Explanation: OSHA 1926.651(j)(2) requires spoil, materials, and equipment to be kept at least 2 feet (0.61 m) from the edge of excavations, or to be retained so they cannot fall or roll in. The 2-foot setback reduces surcharge on the excavation face and keeps loose material from striking workers. A designed retaining device may substitute when the 2-foot clearance cannot be provided.
3OSHA 1926.651 requires a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress in trench excavations that are 4 feet or more in depth so that employees travel no more than how far laterally to reach it?
A.15 feet
B.25 feet
C.50 feet
D.100 feet
Explanation: OSHA 1926.651(c)(2) requires a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress in trenches 4 feet (1.22 m) or more deep, located so no employee has more than 25 feet (7.62 m) of lateral travel. The ladder or ramp must land inside the protective system. Structural ramps used only for employee access must be designed by a competent person.
4Under OSHA 1926.652, employees in an excavation generally must be protected from cave-ins by a protective system when the excavation is how deep, unless it is entirely in stable rock?
A.2 feet or greater
B.4 feet or greater
C.5 feet or greater
D.6 feet or greater
Explanation: OSHA 1926.652(a) requires a protective system (sloping, benching, shoring, or shielding) in excavations 5 feet or deeper, except those made entirely in stable rock. In excavations less than 5 feet, a competent person may determine that a protective system is not required if there is no cave-in potential. Four feet is the egress and atmospheric-testing depth, not the automatic protective-system trigger.
5When testing the atmosphere of a permit-required confined space under OSHA 1926 Subpart AA, what is the required order of tests with a calibrated direct-reading instrument?
A.Toxic gases, then oxygen, then flammable gases and vapors
B.Flammable gases and vapors, then toxic gases, then oxygen
C.Oxygen first, then flammable gases and vapors, then toxic gases and vapors
D.Oxygen and toxics simultaneously, with flammables tested only if the space is classified
Explanation: OSHA 1926.1204 requires atmospheric testing first for oxygen, then for combustible gases and vapors, then for toxic gases and vapors. Oxygen is tested first because many combustible-gas sensors are oxygen-dependent and will give false readings in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. Plant wet wells and tanks must be tested before entry; any authorized entrant or representative must be allowed to observe the pre-entry tests.
6For excavations less than 20 feet deep, what is the maximum allowable simple slope in Type C soil under OSHA 1926 Subpart P Appendix B?
A.Vertical (90 degrees)
B.3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical (53 degrees)
C.1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45 degrees)
D.1-1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees)
Explanation: Appendix B Table B-1 sets Type C simple slopes at 1-1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees from horizontal) for excavations less than 20 feet deep. Type C is the least stable OSHA class and includes granular soils, submerged soils, and soils with freely seeping water, all common around water and sewer plant sites. If soil is not classified, the employer may use the Type C slope of 1-1/2:1 as the default option under 1926.652(b)(1).
7A plant wet well is large enough to enter, has a ladder as the only access, and is not designed for occupancy. Which additional condition makes it a permit-required confined space under OSHA 1926.1202?
A.The wet well is deeper than 4 feet
B.The work will last more than 15 minutes
C.It contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere, an engulfment hazard, inward-converging walls, or another serious safety or health hazard
D.The wet well is below the groundwater table
Explanation: A permit-required confined space is a confined space that has one or more of the following: a hazardous atmosphere or the potential for one, material that could engulf an entrant, an internal configuration that could trap or asphyxiate (inwardly converging walls or a sloped floor that tapers to a smaller cross-section), or any other recognized serious safety or health hazard. Plant wet wells routinely have atmospheric and engulfment hazards, so they are treated as permit spaces unless formally reclassified after hazards are eliminated or isolated.
8Which statement about OSHA excavation protective systems is correct?
A.Previously disturbed soil may still be classified Type A if it looks cohesive
B.A protective system for an excavation 20 feet or deeper must be designed by a registered professional engineer or based on tabulated data approved by a registered professional engineer
C.Type A soil may always be sloped at 1/2:1 regardless of depth and duration
D.A competent person may waive a protective system in any excavation if no water is visible
Explanation: OSHA 1926.652 requires excavations 20 feet or deeper to use a protective system designed by a registered professional engineer, or sloping/shoring/shielding based on tabulated data prepared or approved by a registered professional engineer. Previously disturbed soil cannot be Type A. The 1/2:1 Type A slope is only a short-term option for excavations 12 feet or less. A competent person may omit a protective system only in excavations less than 5 feet after examining the soil, and only if there is no cave-in potential.
9Who is required to notify South Carolina 811 before beginning excavation on a water or sewer plant site?
A.Only the licensed general contractor, and only if the excavation is deeper than 5 feet
B.Anyone who intends to excavate, unless a statutory exemption applies
C.Only the owner of public utilities on the site
D.Only excavators working in a public right-of-way
Explanation: The South Carolina Underground Facility Damage Prevention Act requires anyone who intends to excavate to notify SC811 unless a listed exemption in S.C. Code Section 58-36-110 applies. The duty is tied to the excavation activity, not to license class, trench depth, or whether the work is in a right-of-way. Plant sites contain water, sewer, electric, gas, and communications lines that must be marked before ground is broken.
10Under the APWA Uniform Color Code used by SC811 locators, which colors mark potable water and sanitary sewer?
A.Blue for potable water and green for sewer
B.Green for potable water and blue for sewer
C.Yellow for potable water and orange for sewer
D.Purple for potable water and pink for sewer
Explanation: APWA color code, which SC811 members use, marks potable water with blue and sewers and drain lines with green. Yellow is gas/oil/steam, orange is communications, purple is reclaimed water, pink is temporary survey, white is proposed excavation, and red is electric. Reading the colors correctly keeps plant crews from cutting the wrong utility.

About the SC Water and Sewer Plants Exam

The South Carolina Water and Sewer Plants Contractor Examination is the official CLB classification examination administered by PSI. The official exam has 50 scored questions. Passing is 70% (35 of 50) in 3 hours. The examination is open book. PSI lists USD 75 (Candidate Information Bulletin updated 5/15/2025). Candidates must also pass Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractor. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation. It does not replace required trade experience, board approval, or the official examination.

Assessment

Open-book computer-based multiple-choice. Allowed references include OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (17th), Placing Reinforcing Bars (10th), Excavation and Grading Handbook (2006), DIPRA Installation Guide for Ductile Iron Pipe (2007, revised 2021), and the South Carolina 811 Excavator Manual.

Time Limit

3 hours

Passing Score

70% (35 of 50)

Exam Fee

USD 75 (PSI Services LLC (for the South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board))

SC Water and Sewer Plants Exam Content Outline

8%

Safety

Safety - Code of Federal Regulations (4 items)

40%

General Plant Construction

General Plant Construction (20 items)

12%

Concrete

Concrete (6 items)

12%

Reinforcing Steel

Concrete - Reinforcing Steel (6 items)

16%

Excavating and Grading

Excavating and Grading (8 items)

12%

Design Elevations

Miscellaneous Engineering - Design Elevations (6 items)

How to Pass the SC Water and Sewer Plants Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70% (35 of 50)
  • Assessment: Open-book computer-based multiple-choice. Allowed references include OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (17th), Placing Reinforcing Bars (10th), Excavation and Grading Handbook (2006), DIPRA Installation Guide for Ductile Iron Pipe (2007, revised 2021), and the South Carolina 811 Excavator Manual.
  • Time limit: 3 hours
  • Exam fee: USD 75

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

SC Water and Sewer Plants Study Tips from Top Performers

1Distribute study time to the official PSI content outline (bulletin updated 5/15/2025)
2Use only the PSI-listed references; temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are prohibited
3Pass Business Management and Law for Commercial Contractor in addition to this technical examination
4This bank is an English-language MCQ study aid, not an official PSI form

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the South Carolina Water and Sewer Plants Contractor Examination?

The official PSI examination has 50 scored questions. Passing is 70% (35 of 50) within 3 hours (Commercial Contractor Candidate Information Bulletin updated 5/15/2025).

How much does this PSI examination cost?

PSI lists USD 75 for this examination. The South Carolina Contractor's Licensing Board charges a separate USD 350 license application fee for general and mechanical contractor licenses.

Is this examination open book?

Yes. PSI lists the South Carolina commercial contractor examinations as open book. Listed references include OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (17th).

What is the largest topic on the SC Water and Sewer Plants exam?

The official PSI outline assigns 20 of 50 items to General Plant Construction.