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Passing my state exam


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Come to think of it...a lousy exam that frustrates HI hopefuls might work in favor of the existing practitioners by dropping the pass rate and reducing the incoming competition that they have to reckon with.

I wonder if some of that figures into what's happening in NC.

Marc

No, that is really not possible if you know how the board and most HI boards work in the various licensed states. In NC it boils down to jurisdictional pride over the exam by the person that is in charge of it. They feel their exam has no problems, yet they will not invest the dollars required to update it. I don't think it has had a major update in around 7-10 years.

NC looked at using the NHIE but after a couple of years of thinking about it the Director that is over that board decided that they were happy with what they had in place. NC and for that matter any licensed State can use the NHIE at no cost to that State. They can even have a State specific module of around 25 questions designed at no cost to that state. It makes no sense that a state would want to spend the money to maintain or not maintain an exam when they can use the best exam for the profession that is updated every year for free.

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Does anyone else but me wonder why it's the guys wife who is communicating with us on this board. I mean if the guy really wants to learn HE needs to be the one asking questions. Maybe his heart is really not into this gig and his wife is pushing him. On the other hand, if his writing/interacting/communicating skills are not that good, then he will have an uphill battle making it as a home inspector.

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NC looked at using the NHIE but after a couple of years of thinking about it the Director that is over that board decided that they were happy with what they had in place. NC and for that matter any licensed State can use the NHIE at no cost to that State. They can even have a State specific module of around 25 questions designed at no cost to that state. It makes no sense that a state would want to spend the money to maintain or not maintain an exam when they can use the best exam for the profession that is updated every year for free.

The NC board makes money on testing. Offers it every 2 months. They get money regardless whether you pass or fail. If you fail, you pay again. NHIE may be free but it does not generate income for the board. NC board has been running in the red for couple of years. Any source of income is not going to be tossed aside just for the sake of offering a better test. They gotta find enough money to pay 4 salaries for the full time office staff. Board is supposed to be self-supporting.

Who knows why they need two office staff, an executive director and a paid investigator. Dues are paid once a year in Sept. Test is offered 6 times a year. Otherwise they haven't got much to do except answer questions from people who want to take the test.

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Come to think of it...a lousy exam that frustrates HI hopefuls might work in favor of the existing practitioners by dropping the pass rate and reducing the incoming competition that they have to reckon with.

I wonder if some of that figures into what's happening in NC.

Marc

No, that is really not possible if you know how the board and most HI boards work in the various licensed states. In NC it boils down to jurisdictional pride over the exam by the person that is in charge of it. They feel their exam has no problems, yet they will not invest the dollars required to update it. I don't think it has had a major update in around 7-10 years.

NC looked at using the NHIE but after a couple of years of thinking about it the Director that is over that board decided that they were happy with what they had in place. NC and for that matter any licensed State can use the NHIE at no cost to that State. They can even have a State specific module of around 25 questions designed at no cost to that state. It makes no sense that a state would want to spend the money to maintain or not maintain an exam when they can use the best exam for the profession that is updated every year for free.

Case in point ... Texas has had "their own" test since TREC licensing started. They have been considering the NHIE and it has been lobbied for by several folks for years.

TREC finally took the step and as of January - 2013 the NHIE is the exam for the TREC licensing of inspectors in Texas and it also has a "Texas Module".

Of course fees to sit for the exam went up significantly.

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  • 2 months later...

Does anyone else but me wonder why it's the guys wife who is communicating with us on this board. I mean if the guy really wants to learn HE needs to be the one asking questions. Maybe his heart is really not into this gig and his wife is pushing him. On the other hand, if his writing/interacting/communicating skills are not that good, then he will have an uphill battle making it as a home inspector.

Mark, I am his partner, and he is reaching out face to face with people, I am simply the computer guru here. :)

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  • 10 months later...

Any updates on this? I am currently going through the AHIT course. I've got nearly 10 years experience in general construction so I feel very confident in the field. My problem is testing. My problems are:

1: AHIT is nationwide. Not specific to SC.

2: A lot of the information I know from working the field.

3: AHIT is designed for people that know nothing about homes.

So, with this, there is a lot of information I already know, a lot of information I need to know to pass the AHIT exam, and a lot of information that I will never need to know.

I also read on a website that the state exam is open book. Can someone confirm this?

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Remember this part well, Mat.

t's a 'basic" exam. You'll flunk it if you don't "know" the basics that you don't think about much anymore.

i.e. what size of drain pipe under a lavatory: 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" or 2".

You're at this stage where you look under there and just "know" it's the right size but don't really "think" about the number. When that question comes up on the exam (not looking at the pipe) you start doubting which is the right number.

Memorize that basic chart crap again. You'll find it handy.

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Any updates on this? I am currently going through the AHIT course. I've got nearly 10 years experience in general construction so I feel very confident in the field. My problem is testing. My problems are:

1: AHIT is nationwide. Not specific to SC.

2: A lot of the information I know from working the field.

3: AHIT is designed for people that know nothing about homes.

So, with this, there is a lot of information I already know, a lot of information I need to know to pass the AHIT exam, and a lot of information that I will never need to know.

I also read on a website that the state exam is open book. Can someone confirm this?

The SC exam is not a difficult exam in the grand scheme of things. One thing you can be assured of is that many things you learned while working in a trade were not always the correct way. Exams like this test for the "Correct" way and not the way that folks may have learned. Consequently those that tend to have difficulty on exams like this are those that worked and learned in the trades and builders.

Do you know what a Hartford loop is?

Do you know what an Edison fuse is?

Do you know what a split bus panel is?

Do you know what an expansion tank is and when one is required at a water heater?

Do you know what a squash block is for and when it is needed?

Do you know how to tell if a home has a heat pump?

Do you know if shingles are nailed above, below on into the glue strip?

Do you know what a rake edge is?

D you know the difference between an AAV and a mechanical vent?

Which can you use in a stick built residential structure, an AAV or a mechanical vent?

All of the above are basic questions that a home inspector should know as you will come across them on a daily basis. You will most likely have questions like this on the exam. If you can answer them without difficulty you might do fairly well on the exam.

Study your material from AHIT and then study the IRC. This will help.

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MatBishop, every home inspection course in the country, with the exception of perhaps one or two, is designed to do but one thing...meet the schooling requirement of as many state regulatory HI bodies as possible so they can sell the dang thing.

An HI curriculum that can prepare an individual for a career as a home inspector has yet to be written.

Your ten years in general construction is a good springboard from which to launch a career as HI. I had over 20 years before I got started in HI 12 years ago yet I'm still learning.

At least three of the four guys who have responded to your post know more about houses than I do.

Marc

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MatBishop, every home inspection course in the country, with the exception of perhaps one or two, is designed to do but one thing...meet the schooling requirement of as many state regulatory HI bodies as possible so they can sell the dang thing.

An HI curriculum that can prepare an individual for a career as a home inspector has yet to be written.

Your ten years in general construction is a good springboard from which to launch a career as HI. I had over 20 years before I got started in HI 12 years ago yet I'm still learning.

At least three of the four guys who have responded to your post know more about houses than I do.

Marc

Oh yeah. I'm not, by any means, saying I know everything....at ALL! I just wish I had some clarity about what is on the South Carolina exam. I'm not great at testing when I don't know what to expect.

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age before beauty!

Marc, it had better be me!

Funny.

I wish, but there aren't enough years left in me. Besides, I like being on the student side of the classroom. I'm built for a life in academia.

Hope I haven't missed the drift again.

Marc

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

I took the South Carolina Home Inspection test today and failed also the questions were structured in a confusing manner to me

One Question Stated

If the pitch of the roof increases from 2:12 to 4:12 what will happen to the shingles

A) they will become weak

b) they will become strong

c) they will add to the dead weight

d) they will detioriate

Another one stated If a water heater has a 1/2 pipe in a four bedroom four bathroom house what will happen to the water heater

a) It will be over work

b) decrease in water flow

c) inadequate flow

d) forgot the last option

Another question stated where is a beam the weakest if it is cut

a)top

b)bottom

c)center

d)ends

I failed with a 63% I contacted my school that is approved by south carolina and told them that none of the course material is on the test. I just really need some ideas where I can get good study material. The first time I made a 44% just basically guessing because I was under the impression that it was a open book test but the resources they allow you to use are helpless so if anyone has some information about where we can get the assistance we need it would be greatly welcomed.

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You will not learn everything you need to know from a school. The school will scratch the surface and then you need to still study own your own, they just cannot teach a person to pass the exam.

So if you increase the pitch of the roof what would be the result?

What would be the result of a 1/2 pipe in the home?

Both are pretty basic knowledge questions?...

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I took the SC test about 13 years ago and the NC test right after so it has been some time. I would recommend taking one of the pass the test seminars that are offered around the Carolinas to help pass the test. The one thing i do remember is there were questions that had nothing to do with building science and you need to carefully read the SC statute and SC administrative code for these. They account for about 10-20% of the test so if you miss them it does not leave much leeway...

You are welcome to call or email me directly

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