I really need some guidance. I recently took the South Carolina Home Inspector Exam, and honestly, it was nothing like what I had been studying. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of solid information or direction out there, and I’m feeling stuck.
If anyone has recently passed or knows what materials actually match the exam content, I’d really appreciate any advice or tips. What did you use to prepare, and what topics should I focus on?
Thank you in advance for any help or insight — I just want to make sure I’m studying the right material this time around.
Most exams of this type spit out different sets of questions each time the exam is given and often to each person taking the exam on that day.
It is best to know the subject matter generally well enough to cover the large array of questions that may be asked whether it pertains to your area or not (ie, boilers in NC or air conditioners in AK.)
There isn’t any study material that will exactly match the exam. The exam is based on experience. For me it was very easy because I’ve been in the industry for almost 40 years.
The business and law exam was very difficult. Get familiar with the three strike rule because if you take each exam separately and fail, that’s strike two. You only have one more chance to pass both exams. If I recall you need to wait one year before you retake the exam.
This makes passing the exam very difficult for most new inspectors. I haven’t seen a lot of new home inspection business pop up in the last five years after the new exams were implemented in 2020.
I’ve met a number of folks from the upper north coast that came down and tried to take our exam and failed miserably. Two of them became handyman without a license. Now they’re competing with the cheapest bid.
Can’t help with specifics on the SC exam but most all require at least a good understanding of construction (we’ll leave out the business/law aspect). If you do not have a prior construction/trades background or any direct experiencing with the building industry it can be difficult to understand and do well with the exam and afterwards during the inspections. However difficult does not mean impossible it just means you will need to work harder than others.
This profession is not a “Get in fast” and “Do well fast” profession. To get in will take time and work. What I would recommend are the following actions.
First is to become familiar with the actual building codes and standards required to be used for building a home. Also realize that the building codes and standards do not dictate good building practices and instead it is good building practices that dictate the contents of these codes/standards. Take your HI training material, your State required SOP and inspection requirements, and your practice tests and look in the codes/standards and you may well be surprised that you will find many if not most/all direct correlations/answers in those documents. You will hear many HI’s claim that we are not “Code Inspectors” and in general that may be true but in reality they are and just don’t reference those documents in their reports. I would suspect those HI’s vehemently against the codes/standards have never really even read them or compared them to what they were told is right/wrong through their training, etc.
Just as a note if you can lay your hands on an electronic version of the codes that can be loaded on your smart phone and computer that would help tremendously also. None of it is cheap and they are available for free viewing but those code/standard sites that offer free views do not make them easy to use that way.
Second, after becoming familiar (not necessarily expert) with the codes/standards is to go to construction sites at various stages as practice and inspect them to the requirements of the codes/standards. If you can get an experienced person, who is knowledgeable of the codes, to go with you all the better. You can make it a fun thing to do. You will also get a hell of a lot better ides what is behind that brick, siding, gypsum board (drywall), etc., and how those materials are properly used to build with. Not only will this help you understand building but also answer your test questions especially those “Pick the best answer” questions.
Third action/point is not everything you are going to inspect are covered in the major codes/standards. Also these codes/standards often require the material/system manufacturer installation requirements be followed. If you understand the major codes/standards you will know, from your HI training materials, what is not covered in the codes/standards. Learn where to find these answers and do read those documents. Do keep in mind that different manufacturers may have unique differences for their material/system use/installation. However you will get a good idea of “Industry standards” by viewing/comparing various manufacturer requirements. By the way when you read those manufacturer requirements you will be surprised how many specify using the codes/standards for their installations.
Again when you do go to the construction sites, or other locations, for practicing what you learn also use these manufacturer requirements to inspect by.
Taking this route above will do multiple things for you besides helping you with the test. First and most importantly it will build your confidence that when you call out an issue in your report that it is not just your opinion or that of the HI School training materials even though you may not be quoting the codes/standards/manufacturer references in your report. Owners of homes selling and Builders don’t give a crap about your opinions! Be prepared for that because you will have confrontations about “Your opinions” and a lack of confidence will cause you to cave like a mud hut in a flood!
Another advantage is you can use these codes/standards/manufacturer requirements/etc. to construct your narratives without ever referencing those materials in the report.
Another huge advantage of having a good understanding of the codes/standards/manufacturer requirements/etc. it will help you branch out to new construction phase inspections which is very good for business.
INACHI has courses to help with understanding the Codes and it is worth taking them as a starting point for this endeavor. Good luck with your studying and starting your business!
First, there’s a bit of science to taking multiple choice tests. South Carolina uses the NHIE which has long been a joke. The NHIE is supposed to be psychometrically prepared, but the questions make that claim suspect.
Secondly, nothing replaces having a good general understanding of the topics. Not to mention, you’ll need that general knowledge in the business.
And third, lots of folks flunk the first test, even if they have a good knowledge base. It has been many years since I took the NHIE. Many questions were ridiculous. Some questions had two answers. I know it costs to take the practice NHIE, and many folks don’t want to spend that money, but it gives you the “flavor” of the test without flunking the expensive test.
Now, you know what it looks like and can better prepare for it. There are study guides for the NHIE and I found them helpful.