Home Inspector Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

NHIE Cheat Sheet — How to Use This Page

Note: This condensed guide intentionally omits specific exam numbers (question count, passing score, time limit, fees, and domain weightings) because they must be confirmed against an official source before you rely on them. Verify every hard number directly with the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI), which administers the NHIE, and with your state's licensing authority.

Confirm These Numbers Before Test Day (do not memorize from unofficial sources)

• Total questions and how many are scored vs. unscored/pretest
• Passing score (scaled score, not a raw percentage)
• Time limit for the session
• Content domains and their weightings (percentage of the exam per area)
• Registration fee and retake fee/policy
• Score validity window and how results transfer to your state license

Core Content Areas to Study

The NHIE is built around the systems a home inspector evaluates. Organize your review around these:

• Structure — foundations, framing, load paths, settlement
• Exterior — wall coverings, flashing, grading, drainage, decks, walkways
• Roofing — coverings, flashing, drainage, penetrations, ventilation
• Plumbing — supply, drain-waste-vent (DWV), water heating, fixtures, cross-connections
• Electrical — service entrance, panels, grounding/bonding, GFCI/AFCI, branch circuits
• Heating & Cooling (HVAC) — heat sources, distribution, combustion safety, condensate
• Interiors — walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, railings, egress
• Insulation & Ventilation — attic, crawlspace, vapor control, exhaust
• Standards of Practice & Ethics — scope, limitations, reporting duties, conflicts of interest

Must-Remember Concepts (verify exact thresholds against a code/standards reference)

• Know the difference between the Standards of Practice and the building code — inspectors report on condition and safety, they do not certify code compliance.
• Understand what is required to be inspected vs. explicitly excluded under the SoP.
• Be able to identify common safety hazards: reversed polarity, missing GFCI/AFCI, improper bonding/grounding, double-tapped breakers, combustion/backdrafting hazards, missing TPR valve or improper discharge, trip/egress hazards.
• Recognize defect vs. deficiency vs. maintenance item and how each is reported.
• Know clearances conceptually (combustibles, panel working space, stair rise/run, guardrail heights) — but confirm the exact figures against a current code source, since they change by edition.

Test-Taking Strategy

• Read the SoP first. Many questions test scope and reporting duties, not trivia.
• Eliminate absolutes. Watch for "always/never" distractors.
• Answer safety-first. When two answers seem valid, the one that protects the client or flags a safety issue is usually correct.
• Flag and return to hard questions; don't leave blanks if there's no wrong-answer penalty — confirm the scoring policy.
• Practice with photos. Visual defect-identification is a common question format.

Where to Get the Authoritative Numbers

• EBPHI (exam administrator) — official candidate handbook and content outline.
• Your state licensing board — for state-specific requirements layered on top of the NHIE.