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100+ Free VA CEM QI Practice Questions

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Key Facts: VA CEM QI Exam

USD 85

PSI QI Specialty Fee

DPOR Board for Contractors / PSI Specialty CIB

Open Book

Book Policy

PSI Specialty CIB

CEM

Official Specialty Abbreviation

18VAC50-22-30

QI exam required

Technical Examination

DPOR A501-27EXINFO 09/01/2025

Virginia Concrete Contracting QI Examination is the official DPOR/PSI specialty exam for the CEM specialty (18VAC50-22-30). PSI fee is USD 85. Official item count is on the PSI specialty outline.

Sample VA CEM QI Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your VA CEM QI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under 18VAC50-22-30, what work does Virginia Concrete Contracting (CEM) cover?
A.Only decorative stamped patios and colored walkways on residential lots
B.All work in connection with processing, proportioning, batching, mixing, conveying, and placing concrete made of materials common to the concrete industry
C.Only ready-mix plant operation, with placement left to a highway/heavy contractor
D.Brick, block, and stone masonry, including mortarless masonry units
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 defines CEM as all work connected with processing, proportioning, batching, mixing, conveying, and placing concrete composed of materials common to the concrete industry. The definition also reaches finishing, coloring, curing, repair, testing, sawing, grinding, grouting, film barriers, sealing, waterproofing, forms, and rebar. It is a concrete specialty, not a masonry license and not a plant-only ticket.
2Which of the following is expressly included in the Virginia CEM specialty definition?
A.Installation of a new building electrical service and panel
B.Construction and assembling of forms, molds, slipforms, and pans, centering, and the use of rebar
C.Laying structural CMU walls and tuck-pointing brick veneer
D.Installing interior plumbing and sanitary waste piping
Explanation: The CEM definition includes construction and assembling of forms, molds, slipforms, and pans, centering, and the use of rebar. Those items are part of placing structural and flatwork concrete. Electrical service, masonry veneer, and plumbing are other classifications or specialties.
3Besides a CEM specialty contractor, which Virginia Board for Contractors classifications also provide the concrete contracting function?
A.Only Electrical (ELE) and Plumbing (PLB)
B.Only Painting and Wallcovering (PTC)
C.Commercial Building Contractor (CBC), Residential Building Contractor (RBC), and Highway/Heavy (H/H)
D.Only Asbestos (ASB) and Lead Abatement (LAC)
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 states that the CBC, RBC, and H/H classifications also provide the CEM function. Those broader building and heavy classifications may perform concrete work that a CEM specialty contractor performs. Electrical, plumbing, painting, asbestos, and lead specialties do not replace a concrete classification.
4A CEM-only firm is hired to place a warehouse floor slab. Which additional task is outside CEM and requires another classification or specialty?
A.Saw-cutting control joints in the new slab
B.Placing a polyethylene film barrier under the slab
C.Installing the building electrical service and branch circuits
D.Applying a concrete sealer to the finished slab
Explanation: CEM covers concrete placement plus sawing, film barriers, sealing, and waterproofing. Installing building electrical service and branch circuits is electrical work, not concrete contracting. A CEM-only contractor must not take that electrical scope.
5Which group of concrete operations is included in the Virginia CEM specialty?
A.Finishing, coloring, curing, repairing, testing, sawing, grinding, and grouting
B.Only mixing at a central plant, with no field finishing or testing
C.Only demolition of existing masonry chimneys
D.Only installation of ceramic tile over a cured slab
Explanation: The CEM definition expressly includes finishing, coloring, curing, repairing, testing, sawing, grinding, and grouting. Those field operations are part of processing and placing concrete, not extras that automatically require another specialty. Plant-only mixing, masonry demolition, and ceramic tile setting are not the CEM list.
6A specification calls for a polyethylene film vapor retarder under a slab-on-ground. How does that task fit the Virginia CEM specialty?
A.It is outside CEM and requires an insulation (INS) specialty
B.It is outside CEM and requires a roofing (ROC) specialty
C.It is included because CEM covers placing of film barriers, sealing, and waterproofing
D.It is allowed only when a CBC contractor is also on the permit
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 includes placing of film barriers, sealing, and waterproofing in CEM. A slab vapor retarder is a film barrier placed with the concrete work. Insulation and roofing specialties are not required for that under-slab film.
7A customer wants a cast-in-place concrete retaining wall and a separate face of clay brick veneer. Which licensing split is correct under Virginia specialty definitions?
A.CEM covers both the cast concrete wall and the clay brick veneer
B.CEM covers the cast concrete wall; the clay brick veneer is masonry contracting (BRK)
C.BRK covers both the cast concrete wall and the brick veneer
D.Only Highway/Heavy may place any retaining wall concrete
Explanation: CEM is cast concrete: proportioning, placing, forms, and rebar. Masonry contracting (BRK) covers brick, block, stone, and related masonry units. A CEM contractor may build the concrete wall; the clay brick veneer is a masonry function unless the firm also holds BRK or a classification that includes masonry.
8Which statement best describes how CEM relates to steel erection (STL) on a reinforced concrete job?
A.CEM includes the use of rebar as part of concrete work; STL is a separate specialty that also includes placing and tying reinforcing bars and post-tensioning
B.Only STL may touch reinforcing steel on any Virginia project
C.CEM includes structural steel columns and crane-erected beams
D.CEM and STL are identical specialties with the same definition
Explanation: CEM includes the use of rebar with concrete forming and placing. Steel erection separately includes fabricating, placing, and tying reinforcing bars and post-tensioning, as well as structural steel. The specialties overlap on rebar, but CEM is not a structural-steel erection license.
9If two otherwise similar mixes differ only in water-cement ratio, which mix is expected to have higher compressive strength and lower permeability?
A.The mix with the higher water-cement ratio
B.The mix with the lower water-cement ratio
C.The mix with the higher slump, regardless of water-cement ratio
D.The mix with more entrapped air voids
Explanation: Water-cement ratio is the weight of mixing water divided by the weight of cementitious material. Lowering that ratio leaves less leftover water after hydration, so the hardened paste is denser, stronger, and less permeable. Slump and trapped air are not substitutes for a low water-cement ratio.
10What does a slump test primarily measure on fresh concrete?
A.28-day compressive strength
B.Air content as a percent of volume
C.Consistency and workability of the fresh mix
D.The exact water-cement ratio of the batch
Explanation: Slump is a field measure of fresh-concrete consistency and workability. It tells how much the unsupported cone of concrete subsides. It does not measure strength, air content, or water-cement ratio, though a sudden slump change can warn that water or admixtures changed.

About the VA CEM QI Exam

The Virginia Concrete Contracting Qualified Individual Examination is the official PSI technical examination for the CEM specialty. 18VAC50-22-30 defines concrete contracting as all work in connection with processing, proportioning, batching, mixing, conveying, and placing concrete, including formwork and reinforcing steel. The PSI specialty examination fee is USD 85. The examination is open book. Official scored item count, time, and passing score appear on the PSI specialty content outline. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation. It does not replace required trade experience, pre-license education, board approval, or the official examination.

Assessment

Computer-based open-book multiple-choice Qualified Individual examination for the CEM specialty. Official 18VAC50-22-30 scope: processing, proportioning, batching, mixing, conveying, and placing concrete, including finishing, coloring, curing, repairing, testing, sawing, grinding, grouting, film barriers, sealing, waterproofing, formwork, and reinforcing steel.

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

70% (35 of 50 correct)

Exam Fee

USD 85 (PSI Services (for the Virginia Board for Contractors / DPOR))

VA CEM QI Exam Content Outline

study

CEM Scope

Official concrete specialty limits including formwork and rebar

study

Mix and Placement

Proportioning, slump, admixtures, and placing

study

Formwork and Reinforcement

Forms, centering, and reinforcing steel

study

Finishing and Curing

Finishing, joints, curing, and testing

study

Repair and Waterproofing

Repair, sealing, and film barriers

study

Jobsite Safety

OSHA 29 CFR 1926 concrete and formwork practices

How to Pass the VA CEM QI Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70% (35 of 50 correct)
  • Assessment: Computer-based open-book multiple-choice Qualified Individual examination for the CEM specialty. Official 18VAC50-22-30 scope: processing, proportioning, batching, mixing, conveying, and placing concrete, including finishing, coloring, curing, repairing, testing, sawing, grinding, grouting, film barriers, sealing, waterproofing, formwork, and reinforcing steel.
  • Time limit: 120 minutes
  • Exam fee: USD 85

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

VA CEM QI Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study the official 18VAC50-22-30 CEM specialty definition
2Use the PSI specialty content outline and listed references
3Permanent tabs are allowed in listed code books; study guides are not permitted in the PSI center
4This bank is an English-language MCQ study aid, not an official PSI form

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Virginia CEM Qualified Individual exam?

The DPOR-approved PSI specialty content outline lists 50 scored questions, 120 minutes, and a minimum passing score of 70% (35 of 50 correct). PSI may also administer 5 to 10 unscored experimental items. Those numbers are published on the individual specialty content outline linked from the Contractor Specialty Examination CIB, not in the main bulletin.

How much does the Virginia CEM QI exam cost?

PSI charges USD 85 for a Qualified Individual specialty examination (DPOR Board for Contractors page and PSI Specialty CIB).

What work does a Virginia CEM specialty cover?

18VAC50-22-30 defines concrete contracting as processing, proportioning, batching, mixing, conveying, and placing concrete, including finishing, curing, testing, formwork, and reinforcing steel. CBC, RBC, and H/H also provide this function.

Is this practice bank the official PSI exam?

No. This is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation. It is not an official translation, format simulation, or substitute for the PSI examination or required field experience.