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These 10 free MA-CSL questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Massachusetts Unrestricted Construction Supervisor License (CSL) Exam blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A retaining wall is 9 feet 6 inches high from the bottom of its footing to the top of the wall, and the top is 5 feet 2 inches above finished grade. The work otherwise requires a building permit. What is the correct licensing and supervision determination?
Correct answer: A - It is within the Unrestricted CSL scope, and the wall is a required on-site supervision checkpoint
A renovation estimate includes $28,000 for labor, $32,000 for materials, $20,000 for subcontractors, and $4,000 for project overhead. Add a 5% contingency to the estimated cost, then set the price for a 20% gross margin, defined as gross profit divided by selling price. What bid is required?
Correct answer: D - $110,250
A second-floor sleeping room has an emergency escape window with a 30-inch clear width, 27-inch clear height, and sill 42 inches above the floor. Net clear opening is measured through the fully open sash. How should the window be classified?
Correct answer: A - Noncompliant: the 5.625-square-foot opening is below the 5.7-square-foot minimum
A new Massachusetts dwelling is designed as all-electric and uses the HERS compliance path. Its final HERS Index is 44. A reviewer rejects it by applying the mixed-fuel new-construction maximum of 42. How should the reviewer apply the HERS limit?
Correct answer: B - Use the all-electric maximum of 45; HERS 44 complies because lower scores are better
After heavy rain, water appears along a basement wall-floor joint. Downspouts discharge beside the foundation, exterior grade falls toward the house, and the below-grade walls have dampproofing but no exterior waterproofing. No cracking or wall movement is visible. Which corrective sequence addresses the most likely mechanism?
Correct answer: B - Correct runoff and grading first; if hydrostatic pressure persists, add exterior waterproofing and footing drainage
An anchored brick veneer has a 1.5-inch clear airspace. Ties are spaced 24 inches horizontally and 12 inches vertically. Additional ties are 8 inches from opening edges at 30 inches on center. Flashing is continuous, but weeps are 40 inches on center. Which correction is necessary?
Correct answer: D - Reduce weep spacing to 33 inches on center or less
During rough framing, a plumber cuts a 3-inch-long notch through the bottom flange of an engineered wood I-joist. The manufacturer's hole chart permits specified web holes but shows no flange cuts. What is the appropriate field decision?
Correct answer: B - Prevent loading or concealment and obtain a written manufacturer or engineer repair
Construction documents call for asphalt shingles on a 3:12 roof slope. The roofing detail shows only the ordinary single-layer underlayment used on steeper roofs. What revision is needed?
Correct answer: A - Use the low-slope double-coverage underlayment required at 3:12
A fixed glass pane has 11 square feet of exposed area. Its bottom edge is 16 inches above the floor, its top edge is 68 inches above the floor, and a walking surface is 24 inches horizontally from the glass. The pane is not adjacent to a door. What glazing is required?
Correct answer: C - Safety glazing because all four large-pane triggers are present
A competent person inspected a 6-foot-deep trench in Type C soil yesterday afternoon. The trench is sloped 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical, spoil is 2 feet back, and a ladder is within 25 feet of the crew. Heavy rain fell overnight, and no inspection has occurred this morning. Which instruction is required before anyone reenters?
Correct answer: C - Keep employees out until a competent person reinspects the trench after the rain
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