Studying to take the NHIE in TN.

Hello! I’ve completed my InterNACHI pre-licensing courses and taken the InterNACHI online
exam a few times. I’ve been working various construction trades for the last 15 years and have a good understanding of residential construction practices. But I’m definitely not a GC or building code reference guy. My question is to anyone who has experience with this. How much does the EBPHI NHIE differ from the Study Questions and Online Exam offered to InterNACHI members? Should I be trying to memorize building codes, etc. Thank you!
I’ve been a member since November 2017!

Ron Jenkins

I have no idea why I have the red note on my post. I AM and have been a member since November.

Wow. No advice at all. Awesome!

You do not have to memorize anything. You must understand theory as to why things are as they are. There is all kinds of things asked on the test, many of which you will have never heard of before. It is not just about TN Regional standards.

No one can tell you what is on the test because no one in the room takes the same test.

As you should have learned in school, read the question carefully. Eliminate the wrong answers and choose the best guess from what is left. Never go back and change an answer unless you know you are wrong. At the same time, don’t over think the questions.

Being a HI is about being able to think on your feet.
You can’t know everything, but you can think through problems and be right most of the time. This test is more about how you think than what you memorized and remembered.

Read the TN HI rules backward and forward.
Know ethics backward and forward.
Read the building code and understand why there is a code, not what the code is…
Don’t study right up to the time of taking the test. Take a break to clear the mechanism.
Don’t rely on what you think you know from your past experience. It has nothing to do with the test and you’ll get it wrong. Sometimes you have to answer wrong to get it right.
If you don’t know the answer, go on with the test and come back. You will get questions from the opposite perspective and it may jog your memory and a correct answer.

If you fail to pass; don’t waste time on why. When you finish the test remember your weakest areas and study more.

I am in full agreement with this statement “Being a HI is about being able to think on your feet. You can’t know everything, but you can think through problems and be right most of the time. This test is more about how you think than what you memorized and remembered.”

If you don’t have a copy of Code Check, get one and read / re-read it.