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100+ Free VA INS QI Practice Questions

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Key Facts: VA INS QI Exam

USD 85

PSI QI Specialty Fee

DPOR Board for Contractors / PSI Specialty CIB

Open Book

Book Policy

PSI Specialty CIB

INS

Official Specialty Abbreviation

18VAC50-22-30

QI exam required

Technical Examination

DPOR A501-27EXINFO 09/01/2025

Virginia Insulation and Weather Stripping Qualified Individual Examination is the official DPOR/PSI specialty exam for the INS specialty (18VAC50-22-30). PSI fee is USD 85. Official item count is on the PSI specialty outline.

Sample VA INS QI Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your VA INS 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, Insulation and Weather Stripping Contracting (INS) authorizes which scope of work?
A.Installation, repair, improvement, or removal of insulating media used solely for temperature control or sound control of residential and commercial buildings
B.Insulation of boilers, chillers, and ancillary piping only
C.Installation of roof insulation panels above the roof deck as part of a roofing system
D.Any electrical, plumbing, or HVAC trade work incidental to a weatherization project
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 defines INS as the installation, repair, improvement, or removal of materials classified as insulating media used for the sole purpose of temperature control or sound control of residential and commercial buildings. The definition is limited to building thermal and acoustic insulation, not mechanical systems or other trades.
2Which work is expressly excluded from the Virginia INS specialty?
A.Blowing cellulose into a residential attic
B.Installing mineral-wool batts for party-wall sound control
C.Insulating mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping
D.Weather-stripping an exterior door
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 states that INS does not include the insulation of mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping. Building attic, wall, floor, and acoustic insulation and weather stripping remain inside the specialty.
3Which classification or specialty may also perform insulation and weather-stripping work in Virginia?
A.Only the HVA (HVAC) classification
B.CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties
C.Only the ROC (roofing) specialty
D.Only a Class A contractor holding ELE
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 states that the CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties also provide for the INS function. Those broader building and improvement licenses already cover building thermal and acoustic insulation.
4Is sound-control insulation of a commercial office partition within the INS specialty?
A.No, INS covers temperature control only
B.No, acoustic work requires a separate ASC license
C.Yes, INS includes insulating media used for sound control of residential and commercial buildings
D.Yes, but only if the partition also contains HVAC duct wrap
Explanation: The INS definition covers insulating media used for the sole purpose of temperature control or sound control of residential and commercial buildings. Acoustic batts in a commercial partition are sound-control insulating media and are inside INS.
5A contractor proposes to wrap supply ducts in an unconditioned crawl space with fiberglass duct wrap and to blow cellulose on the living-space floor above. Which statement is correct for an INS-only specialty contractor?
A.Both tasks are INS work because both control temperature
B.Only the cellulose on the building floor is INS work; the duct wrap is mechanical insulation and is excluded
C.Only the duct wrap is INS work
D.Neither task is INS work because crawl spaces are not buildings
Explanation: INS covers insulating media for temperature or sound control of the building, such as floor or attic insulation. Insulation of mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping — including duct wrap — is excluded. The crawl-space floor insulation is building work; the duct wrap is not.
6Which project is within INS scope?
A.Installing closed-cell spray foam against the underside of a roof deck to insulate and air-seal an unvented attic
B.Applying elastomeric insulation to chilled-water piping in a mechanical room
C.Jacketing a commercial boiler with removable insulation blankets
D.Wrapping a rooftop air-handler cabinet with rigid board and lagging
Explanation: Spray foam used as building insulating media for temperature control of the attic/roof assembly is INS work. The other three options insulate mechanical equipment or ancillary piping, which 18VAC50-22-30 excludes.
7Installing polyisocyanurate insulation boards above the roof deck as part of a low-slope roofing system is primarily which Virginia specialty?
A.INS, because the boards are insulating media
B.ROC (roofing), which includes roof insulation systems above the roof deck
C.HVA, because roofs affect HVAC loads
D.CIC only; ROC cannot install insulation
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 defines Roofing (ROC) to include installation of roof insulation panels and other roof insulation systems above the roof deck. INS addresses insulating media for temperature or sound control of the building, not the above-deck roofing-system component reserved to ROC.
8Removal of existing blown attic insulation so that a new, thicker layer can be installed is:
A.Outside INS because removal is demolition
B.Inside INS because the definition includes removal of insulating media
C.Allowed only under the ASB (asbestos) specialty
D.Allowed only if the material is fiberglass, not cellulose
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 includes installation, repair, improvement, or removal of insulating media. Taking out old attic insulation to improve the thermal assembly is INS work. Hazardous-material rules may still apply, but the specialty definition itself covers removal.
9An INS contractor is asked to insulate a water heater and the first five feet of hot-water piping, then weather-strip the mechanical-room door. What may the INS contractor perform?
A.The water-heater jacket, the pipe insulation, and the door weather stripping
B.Only the door weather stripping
C.Only the pipe insulation
D.The water-heater jacket and pipe insulation, but not the door
Explanation: Weather stripping a building door is INS work. Jacketing a water heater and insulating hot-water piping are insulation of mechanical equipment and ancillary lines, which 18VAC50-22-30 excludes from INS.
10The INS specialty applies to which building types?
A.Residential dwellings only
B.Commercial buildings only
C.Residential and commercial buildings
D.Industrial process plants only
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 expressly covers residential and commercial buildings. The specialty is not limited to houses, and it is not a process-plant mechanical-insulation license.

About the VA INS QI Exam

The Virginia Insulation and Weather Stripping Qualified Individual Examination is the official PSI technical examination for the INS specialty. 18VAC50-22-30 defines the specialty as installation, repair, improvement, or removal of insulating media used solely for temperature or sound control of residential and commercial buildings. INS does not include insulation of mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping. 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 INS specialty. Official 18VAC50-22-30 scope: installation, repair, improvement, or removal of insulating media used solely for temperature or sound control of residential and commercial buildings. INS does not include insulation of mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping.

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

70% (28 of 40 correct)

Exam Fee

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

VA INS QI Exam Content Outline

study

INS Scope

INS Scope within the official INS specialty definition

study

Batt and Blown Insulation

Batt and Blown Insulation within the official INS specialty definition

study

Air Sealing

Air Sealing within the official INS specialty definition

study

Vapor and Acoustic Control

Vapor and Acoustic Control within the official INS specialty definition

study

Jobsite Safety

Jobsite Safety within the official INS specialty definition

How to Pass the VA INS QI Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70% (28 of 40 correct)
  • Assessment: Computer-based open-book multiple-choice Qualified Individual examination for the INS specialty. Official 18VAC50-22-30 scope: installation, repair, improvement, or removal of insulating media used solely for temperature or sound control of residential and commercial buildings. INS does not include insulation of mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping.
  • Time limit: 90 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 INS QI Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study the official 18VAC50-22-30 INS 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 INS Qualified Individual exam?

The DPOR-approved PSI specialty content outline lists 40 scored questions, 90 minutes, and a minimum passing score of 70% (28 of 40 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 INS 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 INS specialty cover?

18VAC50-22-30 defines this specialty as installation, repair, improvement, or removal of insulating media used solely for temperature or sound control of residential and commercial buildings. INS does not include insulation of mechanical equipment and ancillary lines and piping.

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.