Construction Math & Estimating Practice Test: free practice test
Takeoff and estimating questions show up on every contractor exam, open or closed book. Master volumes, areas, board feet, slopes, markup and payroll math once and you'll use it on every test.
Watch the free 3:48 video lesson: the key Math & Estimating concepts →
- Lesson 2: Volumes and Cubic YardsThis topic covers the volume of slabs, footings, trenches and round piers, and converting cubic feet to cubic yards.
- Lesson 3: Concrete TakeoffsThis topic applies volume math to real concrete work: slabs, continuous footings, walls and piers, with a waste factor added.
- Lesson 4: Block and Brick TakeoffsThis topic covers counting concrete masonry units (CMU) and brick for walls, using wall area and standard units per square foot.
- Lesson 5: Lumber and Board FeetThis topic covers measuring lumber in board feet, pricing lumber, and counting framing members such as studs and plates.
- Lesson 6: Roof Pitch and SlopeThis topic covers slope, pitch, rafter length and converting plan area to actual roof area for ordering shingles.
- Lesson 7: Markup, Margin and OverheadThis topic covers pricing a job: adding overhead and profit to cost, and the difference between markup on cost and margin on selling price.
- Lesson 8: Payroll and Labor CostThis topic covers figuring gross pay with overtime, the employer's payroll taxes, and labor cost from crew production rates.
Keep going after the free lesson. Every topic gets its own lesson, plus the full question bank, timed simulations and study tools.
About the Math & Estimating exam
Takeoff and estimating questions show up on every contractor exam, open or closed book. Master volumes, areas, board feet, slopes, markup and payroll math once and you'll use it on every test.
What's on the exam
Each branch is a topic in the official outline. Members see every key fact on the full mind map. Read the free study guide →
How to pass the Math & Estimating exam
- Write the units next to every number. Most wrong answers come from forgetting ÷27 or ÷9.
- Convert inches to feet before multiplying.
- Markup is on cost, margin is on price. Exams love to swap them.
Save your results and get your Readiness Score
Create a free account after the test: your score by topic, a mistakes bank, the first study-notes topic, flashcards and the Construction Math Formula Sheet.
What's in the full Math & Estimating prep
Full question bank
6,100+ exam-style questions written to each official outline. Every answer explained, with the rule it comes from.
Timed exam simulator
Real question counts and time limits, so test day feels like practice day.
Exam Readiness Score
One 0 to 100 number that tells you when you're ready to book. Reach 80 and you're covered by our Pass Guarantee.
Flashcards + spaced repetition
530+ cards that come back right before you'd forget them. Five minutes a day keeps every number fresh.
Key study notes
Each topic boiled down to the 5 to 7 facts that get tested, with the statute or code section.
Mind maps
See the whole exam on one screen: every topic and the facts under it.
Sample questions with answers
These are the questions in the free test above, with answers. Try the test first. You'll learn more by getting some wrong.
1. How many cubic yards of concrete are in a slab 20 ft × 27 ft × 6 inches thick?
2. A room is 15 ft × 21 ft. How many square yards of flooring is that?
3. How many board feet are in 20 pieces of 2 × 6 × 12 ft?
4. A roof rises 6 inches for every 12 inches of horizontal run. Its pitch is written as:
5. A gable roof has two planes, each 40 ft long and 18 ft from eave to ridge. How many squares of shingles are needed (no waste)?
6. Cost is $50,000. A 25% markup gives a selling price of:
7. A job sells for $120,000 and costs $90,000. The gross margin is:
8. A crew of 4 workers at $28/hour works 6 days of 8 hours. What is the labor cost before burden?
9. Labor burden (taxes, insurance, benefits) is 35% of wages. What is the burdened cost of $10,000 in wages?
10. Using 1.125 blocks per square foot, how many 8 × 16 CMUs are needed for a wall 48 ft long and 10 ft high, adding 5% waste?
11. A trench 3 ft wide, 4 ft deep and 90 ft long is excavated. How many bank cubic yards are removed?
12. 8 inches expressed in decimal feet is:
13. What is the area of a circular slab with a 20-foot diameter?
14. A wall 40 ft long has studs at 16 inches on center. Using the common rule of one stud per foot of wall, about how many studs should you order?
15. Annual overhead is $180,000 and the company expects $1,200,000 in direct job costs. What overhead percentage should be added to each job's direct cost?
Get the full Math & Estimating prep
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- All 12 exams, including state Business & Law
- Full question banks + timed simulations
- Study notes, flashcards & mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- New exams added during your access
- 5 bonuses: formula sheet, tabbing guide, study planner and more
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All-Access Yearly
- All 12 exams, including state Business & Law
- Full question banks + timed simulations
- Study notes, flashcards & mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- New exams added during your access
- 5 bonuses: formula sheet, tabbing guide, study planner and more
- Pass Guarantee: complete the prep, pass or 100% back
Renews once a year until you cancel. We email you before each renewal. Cancel any time from your account; you keep access until the end of the year you've paid for.
Licensing guide
How to Pass an Open-Book Contractor Exam: A Step-by-Step Study Plan: You pass an open-book contractor exam by finding answers fast, not by memorizing the books. Get the exact approved references, tab and highlight them within the rules, learn where every major table lives, and practice under a timer until you can answer most questions in two to three minutes. Then use a two-pass method on test day so the long lookups never cost you the easy points.
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Exam details are summarized from the official candidate information available in October 2026. Boards change formats and fees, so confirm with Skill tested by all state exams and NASCLA before you book. ContractorConquer is not affiliated with any licensing board or testing company.