Home › NWSA practice tests › ARC
Free NWSA ARC Practice Test
15 questions · instant scoring · explanations cite the standard · Candidate Handbook REV 10/25
The real NWSA Advanced Rigging Concepts Specialty exam is 95 questions · 150 minutes · requires an active TTT-2. These 15 questions are weighted the same way the handbook weights the exam — pre-job planning & drafting the rigging plan 15%, verifying onsite conditions 27%, condition assessments 15%, executing the rigging plan 43% — so your score tells you which domain to study, not just whether you would pass. Every explanation names the OSHA, ANSI or ASME source so you can check it yourself.
How to use this test
Answer every question before you check. Treat it like the real thing: closed book, no notes. When you score it you get a breakdown by domain — that is the list of what to study. Open "Show answer and explanation" on anything you missed; the explanation is written to teach the rule, not just confirm the letter.
Email me these results and a study plan
The full ARC Specialty Pro course has the complete timed timed practice exam, a real-exam mode matching the 95 questions format, flashcards, and a weak-area report that updates as you study — in English, Spanish and Russian.
Get ARC Specialty Pro — $69 What's inside →15 practice questions for the NWSA ARC exam
ANSI/ASSP A10.48 rigging plan classes are assigned based on:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Classification scales the required planning, personnel and engineering with the load and complexity.
Gross load for a lift is:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Everything below the hook counts. A 900-lb antenna with 40 lb of slings, 70 lb of blocks and a 55-lb ball is a 1,065-lb lift.
ANSI/TIA-322 provides:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. TIA-322 is the companion to TIA-222 for temporary construction loads — gin poles, hoists, rigging on the structure.
A member you planned to rig from shows heavy corrosion with section loss. You:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. The plan credited capacity that no longer exists. Re-rating a member is an engineering decision, not a field one.
Before the lift, the rigging plan's assumed anchor points must be:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Drawings lag reality — members get replaced, mounts get added. The plan is verified against the steel in front of you.
The D/d ratio in rigging is:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Small D/d ratios sharply reduce a wire rope or synthetic sling's capacity. Manufacturers publish derating tables.
A synthetic sling has been shortened with a knot. This:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. B30.9 prohibits it outright. Use the correct length or a rated adjuster.
ASME B30.26 covers:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. B30.9 is slings; B30.26 is rigging hardware. Both require manufacturer identification and WLL marking.
A shackle pin that does not seat fully should be:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. A pin that will not seat indicates thread damage or deformation. The shackle is retired.
A 2,000-lb load on a two-leg bridle with legs at 30° from horizontal puts how much tension on each leg?
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Tension per leg = (2,000 ÷ 2) ÷ sin 30° = 1,000 ÷ 0.5 = 2,000 lb. At 30° each leg carries the full load — the reason low sling angles are dangerous.
A load line under 1,800 lb tension turns 90° through a block. The force on the block is about:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Resultant = T × √2 at 90° = 1,800 × 1.414 ≈ 2,546 lb. At a 180° turn the block sees 2T.
A 12-ft beam weighs 480 lb uniformly, with a 240-lb unit mounted 2 ft from end A. The center of gravity measured from A is about:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Moments about A: 480 × 6 + 240 × 2 = 3,360 lb·ft; total weight 720 lb; CG = 3,360 ÷ 720 = 4.67 ft.
Two slings each rated 2,400 lb are used at 60° from horizontal. The maximum load they can lift together is:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Capacity = 2 × 2,400 × sin 60° = 4,800 × 0.866 = 4,157 lb.
With 8 ft of headroom and a minimum 45° sling angle, the maximum horizontal distance from hook to each lift point is:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. tan 45° = 1, so horizontal reach equals height: 8 ft. Wider spacing would force a shallower, higher-tension angle.
A 700-lb load is held off the structure by a tag line pulling horizontally with 175 lb. The load line's angle from vertical is about:
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. tan θ = 175 ÷ 700 = 0.25; θ ≈ 14°.
What the ARC exam actually covers
NWSA publishes the content outline in the Candidate Handbook. For ARC the domains and weightings are: pre-job planning & drafting the rigging plan 15%, verifying onsite conditions 27%, condition assessments 15%, executing the rigging plan 43%. The exam is 95 questions · 150 minutes · requires an active TTT-2, multiple choice, delivered by online remote proctoring with a live proctor. There is no practical exam — that was discontinued in January 2024. The fee is $274, retakes are $274, and NWSA does not publish a passing score. Certification is valid for five years.
If you want the full picture of the exam, the NWSA exam guide covers registration, the zero-tolerance proctoring policy in force since September 2026, and what happens on test day. The ARC study guide page shows exactly what the paid course contains.
Other free NWSA practice tests
- Free NWSA TTT-1 practice test — 85 questions on the real exam
- Free NWSA TTT-2 practice test — 100 questions on the real exam
- Free NWSA A&L practice test — 70 questions on the real exam
- Free NWSA Foreman practice test — 70 questions on the real exam
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the NWSA ARC exam?
The ARC exam is 95 questions · 150 minutes · requires an active TTT-2, per the NWSA Candidate Handbook (REV 10/25). It is multiple choice, written only, delivered by online remote proctoring.
Is the NWSA exam computer-based?
Yes. Since January 2024 every NWSA certification exam is delivered by Online Remote Proctoring (ORP) — you take it on your own computer with a live proctor. The practical exam component was discontinued at the same time.
What score do I need to pass the NWSA exam?
NWSA does not publish a passing score. Exams are criterion-referenced and the cut score is set by a panel of subject-matter experts; results are reported as pass/fail with a domain-by-domain breakdown. Any site quoting a specific percentage is guessing.
How much does the NWSA exam cost?
$274 for every NWSA certification — TTT-1, TTT-2, A&L, Foreman and ARC. Retakes are the same $274, with a 30-day wait between attempts. Fees are set by NWSA and can change; nws-a.org is the authority.
Does this free practice test count toward certification?
No. Only NWSA issues certification, and only by passing the official exam at nws-a.org. This test is independent practice material to find weak areas before you pay the exam fee.
Exam facts on this page are from the NWSA Candidate Handbook, CH REV 10/25. Fees, formats and rules change — the handbook is the authority. NWSA Study Guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or recognized by the National Wireless Safety Alliance.