- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- Exam Format and Fees at a Glance
- Eligibility: Two Versions to Reconcile
- The Nine Technical Scope Headings
- Code Books and Reference Standards
- Known Conflicts in ACIA's Published Details
- Scheduling the Nine Topics
- Renewal and Membership Facts
- Frequently Asked Questions
- RCI here means Registered Construction Inspector in Building, issued by the American Construction Inspectors Association (ACIA), Division II Building.
- The technical exam has two parts: Codes & Standards (50 questions, three hours) and Plans & Specs (50 questions, four hours).
- Fees: $600 for the technical exam plus $100 per attempt for the Administration & Fundamentals prerequisite, making $700 first-attempt subtotal.
- Registration renews every three years with 36 ACIA continuing-education units plus the applicable fee.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
This page is a compressed reference for the Registered Construction Inspector in Building credential, offered through the American Construction Inspectors Association. The scope here is specifically Division II Building, not the umbrella program or another division. If you want the long-form version of any topic below, the RCI Study Guide walks through preparation in depth, and the RCI exam domains guide expands every content area.
One honesty note up front: ACIA publishes a technical subject list for Building, but it does not publish weighted domain percentages. The nine headings in this article come from a legacy, explicitly nonexhaustive scope list. Treat them as a map of topics to master, not as nine officially weighted domains. Likewise, the two exam parts each contain 50 questions, but that equal count should not be read as an official 50/50 subject weighting.
Exam Format and Fees at a Glance
The Building technical exam is split into two separately timed parts. The current exam source describes them as follows, and the Exam line totals only these two technical parts:
| Component | Questions | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codes & Standards | 50 | Three hours | $600 combined technical-exam fee |
| Plans & Specs | 50 | Four hours | |
| Administration & Fundamentals (prerequisite) | See conflict note below | See conflict note below | $100 per attempt |
Add the $600 technical fee and one $100 prerequisite attempt and you reach a $700 first-attempt subtotal. That figure is simple arithmetic from the published fees and excludes code books, study materials, or any other charges you may incur. For a fuller budget view, including what a retake can mean for your total, read the RCI certification cost breakdown.
Registration mechanics
ACIA directs candidates to the Everblue Exam Registration Portal for exam registration. Legacy references to open-book rules or older timing instructions do not override the current two-part schedule, so ignore any old forum posts or outdated handouts that describe a different format. For scheduling windows and deadlines, see the RCI exam dates guide.
Eligibility: Two Versions to Reconcile
ACIA's own pages describe eligibility in two ways, and a careful candidate should know both before applying.
- Onboarding description: four years of construction-industry experience, supported by resume and employer verification.
- Rules and regulations page: high-school equivalence, good character, and five years of experience with committee-approved credits, retaining at least one year of relevant inspection experience.
These are not necessarily contradictory in practice, since one is an onboarding summary and the other is the formal rules page, but they are worded differently. Before you invest in exam fees, contact ACIA to confirm which pathway applies to your background and what documentation they want. The RCI requirements guide covers how to document experience, and RCI jobs shows the kinds of roles that build qualifying experience.
The Nine Technical Scope Headings
The Division II Building technical subject list contains nine headings. They read like a walk from the ground up through a building's structure, which makes them easy to organize mentally. These are the exact scope headings, with the high-value inspection angles you should be able to reason about for each.
1. Foundations (piling and caissons)
Deep-foundation inspection is about verifying what cannot be seen once concrete is placed.
- Compare installed pile or caisson locations, depths, and diameters against the plans
- Know what an inspector documents during driving or drilling, and when to stop and escalate
- Understand how plan notes and specifications set acceptance criteria
2. Earthworks (excavation and grading)
Soil and grade control underpin everything built above.
- Excavation limits, subgrade conditions, and bearing verification before foundations are placed
- Fill placement, lift thickness, and compaction expectations from the specifications
- Slope, drainage, and safety considerations around open excavations
3. Sitework (pavements; utilities; fencing)
Exterior improvements are inspected against both plans and specifications.
- Pavement section layers and what each layer is intended to do
- Underground utility bedding, backfill, and coordination with other trades
- Fencing layout, materials, and installation conformance
4. Landscaping and irrigation
Often underestimated because it feels less structural, but it still appears on the scope list.
- Planting, soil preparation, and material conformance to the specifications
- Irrigation layout, components, and installation verification
- How landscaping interacts with grading and drainage
5. Concrete work (including cast-in-place; shotcrete; pre stressed; light-weight; architectural concrete)
This is the broadest heading on the list, with several distinct concrete types.
- Formwork, reinforcement placement, and pre-pour checks
- Placement, consolidation, finishing, and curing observation
- How shotcrete, pre-stressed, light-weight, and architectural concrete each change what you verify
- Strength-related requirements and ACI 318 as a reference point
6. Masonry work (including brick; concrete block; veneer construction)
Masonry inspection blends material checks with workmanship.
- Unit types, mortar, and grout conformance
- Reinforcement, anchorage, and wall tie requirements for veneer
- Joint workmanship, alignment, and protection during construction
7. Structural steel framing systems (including high-rise construction)
Steel questions often hinge on connections and welding.
- Member identification, erection sequence, and connection types
- Bolting and welding observation, with AWS D1.1 as a listed reference
- Considerations specific to high-rise framing
8. Metal joists and decking light-gage steel framing
Lighter steel systems have their own inspection concerns.
- Joist and deck bearing, bridging, and attachment requirements
- Light-gage framing member placement, fastening, and bracing
- Verifying installation against shop drawings and plans
9. Wood construction (including rough and finish carpentry; millwork; wood preservatives; diaphragm structures)
Wood spans structure and finish work on this list.
- Framing members, connections, and fastening
- Preservative-treated wood and where it is required
- Diaphragm structures and how they carry lateral loads
- Finish carpentry and millwork quality and conformance
Key Takeaway
Because the scope list is legacy and nonexhaustive, do not limit your study to these nine headings alone. Use them as the backbone, then read the code books and reference standards for adjacent topics an inspector would reasonably be expected to know.
Code Books and Reference Standards
The Codes & Standards part is where reference-book fluency pays off, while Plans & Specs tests whether you can read project documents and catch conformance issues. ACIA's current references list the following:
- 2018 International Building Code (IBC)
- 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC)
- 2018 International Fire Code (IFC)
- An issuer entry reading "2018 NEC, International Fuel & Gas Code, AWS D1.1 and ACI 318"
How the two parts differ in practice
- Codes & Standards (50 questions, three hours): Rewards fast, accurate navigation of the code books. Practice finding provisions quickly by chapter and section.
- Plans & Specs (50 questions, four hours): Rewards careful reading of drawings and specification language. The longer time window reflects the document-reading load.
If you want to calibrate how demanding this format is relative to other credentials, the difficulty guide discusses what makes it challenging without inventing numbers. Interested in realistic practice? Try the RCI practice tests to rehearse the question style.
Known Conflicts in ACIA's Published Details
A good cheat sheet should flag where official sources disagree rather than paper over it. Here are the discrepancies we found, and how to handle each.
| Item | Source A | Source B | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration & Fundamentals length and passing mark | Shared prerequisite page: one hour, 45/59 to pass | Exam Overview PDF: 60 questions | Confirm current question count and passing mark with ACIA before test day |
| Experience requirement | Onboarding: four construction-industry years with verification | Rules page: five years with committee-approved credits, one relevant inspection year retained | Ask ACIA which pathway applies to you |
| Reference list | Named 2018 IBC, IMC, IPC, IFC | Issuer entry listing NEC, fuel gas code, AWS D1.1, ACI 318 with unclear editions | Verify the exact documents and editions before buying |
| Exam timing and open-book rules | Legacy instructions describe older timing and open-book handling | Current schedule lists two timed parts | Follow the current two-part schedule |
The pass-rate question comes up constantly, but no official figure is published in the sources used here, so we do not quote one. The RCI pass rate article explains what can and cannot be said honestly about results.
Scheduling the Nine Topics
This is the only generic-method section in the article, and it is tied directly to the nine headings. The logic is to study in the order a building goes up, then spend the final stretch on the document-reading skills Plans & Specs rewards.
Below grade
- Foundations (piling and caissons), Earthworks, and Sitework
- Start code-book tabbing for IBC chapters on foundations and site conditions
Concrete and masonry
- Concrete work in all its forms, then Masonry work
- Use ACI 318 as your anchor reference for concrete topics
Steel and wood
- Structural steel framing, Metal joists and decking with light-gage framing, then Wood construction
- Review AWS D1.1 provisions relevant to welding observation
Landscaping and integration
- Landscaping and irrigation, then mixed review across all nine headings
- Timed drills mirroring 50 questions in three hours and 50 in four hours
Why this order? Below-grade work is where inspection decisions become irreversible, so it earns early attention, and wood closes the structural run because diaphragm concepts tie back to lateral-load ideas seen earlier. Adjust the pacing to your own experience, and see the RCI training overview for ways to structure preparation around your background.
Renewal and Membership Facts
- Renewal cycle: every three years.
- Continuing education: 36 ACIA continuing-education units plus the applicable renewal fee.
- Membership: initial successful registration includes three years of ACIA membership, which lines up with the first renewal cycle.
Because renewal requires ACIA-specific units, plan continuing education early rather than cramming near the deadline. Details on renewal live at ACIA's renewal page, and the worth-it analysis and salary guide help you weigh the ongoing commitment against career benefits. For a plain-language introduction to the credential itself, start with What Is RCI Certification?.
Key Takeaway
Keep a one-page checklist: confirm eligibility pathway, confirm code editions, register through the Everblue portal, pass the Administration & Fundamentals prerequisite, then sit both technical parts. Verifying conflicting details with ACIA first prevents costly mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two parts: Codes & Standards with 50 questions in three hours, and Plans & Specs with 50 questions in four hours. The Exam line totals only these two technical parts, and the equal question counts are not official subject-domain weights.
The technical exam fee is $600 and the Administration & Fundamentals prerequisite is $100 per attempt, giving a $700 first-attempt subtotal. That is arithmetic only and excludes code books, study materials, or other charges.
No. They come from an explicitly nonexhaustive legacy technical scope list and are unweighted. Use them as a topic map, and do not assume equal or specific percentage weights.
Current references list the 2018 IBC, IMC, IPC and IFC, plus an issuer entry naming the NEC, International Fuel & Gas Code, AWS D1.1 and ACI 318. The NEC entry and some editions are unclear, so confirm with ACIA before purchasing.
Registration renews every three years and requires 36 ACIA continuing-education units plus the applicable fee. Initial successful registration includes three years of ACIA membership.