10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The NC-HI exam has 200 questions and runs 4 hours.
These 10 free NC-HI questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the North Carolina Home Inspector Examination blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
Following a prepurchase inspection of the home's structural, electrical, and plumbing systems, an inspector prepares the required summary page. Which finding must appear there rather than solely in the report body?
Correct answer: A - A hall bathroom sink that backs up during normal faucet use.
A buyer and seller each offer to pay half the fee for a single home inspection. Neither payment depends on the inspection findings or on the sale closing. Before accepting compensation from both parties, the inspector must:
Correct answer: C - Obtain written consent from all interested parties before accepting the shared compensation.
Water staining and soft trim are concentrated just below the lower end of a roof-to-wall junction. The step flashing is intact farther upslope, but runoff from its lowest piece follows the wall instead of entering the gutter. Which correction addresses this water path?
Correct answer: B - Add kick-out flashing that directs the runoff into the gutter.
A rear deck has straight joists and intact decking, but its ledger is pulling away from the house. Withdrawn nails are visible along the separating connection; no bolts or structural screws are visible at the accessible attachment. The seller says the deck supported a large party last month. What advice is appropriate now?
Correct answer: D - Avoid using the deck until its structural attachment is evaluated and repaired.
Measured from finished walking surfaces, the risers in a straight stair flight are 7-1/4, 7-1/2, 7-3/4, 7-3/4, 7-1/2, and 7-1/4 inches, in order. The applicable criteria permit a maximum individual height of 8-1/4 inches and no more than 3/8 inch between the tallest and shortest risers. Which assessment uses the required comparison?
Correct answer: A - The 1/2-inch overall variation exceeds the limit and presents a misstep hazard.
A condensing-unit nameplate lists a minimum circuit ampacity of 24 A and a maximum circuit-breaker rating of 40 A. The installed 35-A breaker is an allowed type. The supply conductors have an allowable ampacity of 30 A after all applicable adjustments, and the unit starts and runs normally. How should these ratings be interpreted?
Correct answer: D - The conductor ampacity and breaker rating satisfy the nameplate limits.
In a vented attic, droplets are concentrated on roof sheathing above a bathroom exhaust duct that ends in the attic. The soffit and ridge openings are clear. The sheathing surface is 38°F, and the attic-air dew point is 46°F. What correction addresses the directly observed moisture source?
Correct answer: C - Extend the bathroom exhaust duct to a proper outdoor termination.
On a damp 36°F morning, a heat pump is heating the house. Frost has accumulated on the outdoor coil. The outdoor fan stops briefly, a white plume rises, the frost clears, and the fan restarts. Indoor heat delivery then returns to its earlier level. The inspector should:
Correct answer: C - Continue the inspection; the sequence is consistent with a normal defrost cycle.
A guest-bath lavatory drains promptly, but flushing the nearby toilet produces gurgling and a sewer-gas odor at the lavatory drain. Running water briefly at the lavatory stops the odor until the toilet is flushed again. No water leaks are visible beneath the sink. What most directly explains this pattern?
Correct answer: B - Inadequate venting allowing the toilet discharge to siphon the trap seal.
At the entrance to a utility room, an inspector detects a strong fuel-gas odor and hears hissing near a gas connector. The nearby carbon monoxide alarm is silent. What should happen first?
Correct answer: A - Move everyone outside without operating switches, then call emergency services or the gas utility from a safe location.
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