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NWSA ARC Specialty Study Guide
ARC is the newest and longest NWSA written exam — 95 questions in 150 minutes — and 43% of it is executing the rigging plan. This guide works the math longhand: load angle factors, centre of gravity, block forces, gin pole loads, so the numbers on the exam are numbers you have already produced yourself.
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Take the free 15-question ARC practice test — weighted like the real exam, scored instantly, every answer explained with its standard. No sign-up.
ARC Specialty Pro — 60-day access
What is on the ARC written exam
From the NWSA Candidate Handbook (CH REV 10/25): 95 questions, 150 minutes, online remote proctoring, $274 per sitting. Prerequisite: An active TTT-2 certification. NWSA sets the passing score through a standard-setting process and does not publish it.
| Domain | Share of exam |
|---|---|
| Pre-job planning and drafting the rigging plan | ~15% |
| Verifying onsite conditions | ~27% |
| Condition assessments | ~15% |
| Executing the rigging plan | ~43% |
Nearly three-quarters of the exam — verifying onsite conditions (27%) plus executing the plan (43%) — is about the job in front of you, not the paperwork. The guide has a module for each of the four domains plus a Rigging Math Lab that works the load-angle, centre-of-gravity and block-force problems longhand.
What it looks like in the field
Photos of gear and hardware this course covers. Tap a photo to see it full size.
What is in the guide
- 7 modules, 22 lessons — sized to each domain’s share of the exam, written by tower technicians in plain language and cited to the standards the questions are drawn from: ARC strategy; Pre-job planning (15%); Verify onsite conditions (27%); Condition assessments (15%); Execute the plan (43%); Rigging math lab; Final exam prep.
- Module quizzes after every module, with an explanation for every wrong answer — not just the right one.
- 81 flashcards — the definitions, numbers and thresholds the exam actually asks for, in a format that works on a phone.
- 60-question timed practice exam covering every domain of the real exam, so a score here tells you something about a score there.
- Weak-area report that names the domain to go back to, and a completion record you can show an employer (a training milestone — not a credential).
- 305-question exam bank — enough for three full NWSA-length real exams without seeing a question twice; the draw serves the questions you have not answered first, and every answer is explained.
- Real exam mode — NWSA’s 95 questions in 150 minutes, no feedback until you submit, with flag-for-review, a question map and a review screen. Every miss is explained at the end.
- Readiness by domain — every answer feeds a gauge weighted to the handbook domain percentages, and the dashboard names the domain to drill next.
- Mistake bank and spaced flashcards — missed questions come back on a schedule until you have them down; flashcards you know move further out, and the ones you don’t come back the same day.
- Install it like an app — add the course to your phone’s home screen (no app store); it keeps working without signal once opened, and your progress follows your key to any device.
- Search and print — search every lesson, flashcard and practice question in your language, and print the flashcards or your own mistake list for the truck or the night before the exam.
- English, Spanish and Russian — every lesson, quiz, flashcard and exam question.
Who it is for
Riggers and crew leads with an active TTT-2 who run or supervise Class III and IV rigging. Tower owners and carriers increasingly ask for ARC on lifts above a certain class; if your crew does gin pole or heavy-lift work, this is the one.
How it works
- Pay by card at checkout. Your licence key appears on screen and in your email immediately.
- Open the course, enter the key and your email once. Access runs 60 days from that moment, on any device.
- Work the modules in order, drill the flashcards, then sit the timed practice exam. Book the real exam with NWSA when the weak-area report comes back clean.
Sample ARC Specialty exam questions
Three questions from the guide's own bank, worked the way every question in the guide is — the answer, then the reason. The guide's timed practice exam and weak-area report tell you which domain to go back to.
1. A load's weight cannot be found on any cut sheet or drawing. What is the correct approach?
- Estimate it from experience and add a margin
- Weigh it or conservatively calculate it, and document the basis
- Use the weight of a similar component
- Proceed and monitor the hoist's load indicator
Answer: B. An estimate is not a load weight. Weigh the load or calculate it from material and dimensions, and record the basis in the plan so the next person can see the assumption.
2. A basket hitch with both legs vertical can carry up to:
- The same as a vertical hitch
- 1.5 times the vertical rating
- 2 times the vertical rating
- 3 times the vertical rating
Answer: C. A basket hitch can carry up to 2x the vertical rating — but only with the legs truly vertical. As soon as the legs spread, the angle reduction applies.
3. Which condition would NOT by itself trigger involving a Qualified Engineer?
- Attaching a gin pole to the tower
- Substituting a sling of the same type with a higher rating in the same geometry
- Applying rigging force at a point the structure was not analyzed for
- Temporarily removing a load-carrying member
Answer: B. A like-for-like substitution with a higher rating in the same geometry does not change the forces or where they land. The other three all change the structure's loading and require engineering.
All of them, timed: get the ARC Specialty guide · free 8-question practice test · build a study plan. Independent prep; not affiliated with or endorsed by NWSA.
Questions people ask
Is this the official NWSA ARC exam or study material?
No. NWSA Study Guide is an independent preparation course built from the domains and weightings NWSA publishes in its Candidate Handbook. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by NWSA, and finishing it does not grant a credential — you still register for and pass the official ARC exam through NWSA’s remote proctoring.
How many questions are on the NWSA ARC exam and how long is it?
95 multiple-choice questions in 150 minutes, delivered by online remote proctoring. The fee is $274 per sitting, including retests (Candidate Handbook, REV 10/25).
What do I get for the price?
7 modules (22 lessons) covering every domain above, module quizzes, 81 flashcards, a 60-question timed practice exam, a weak-area report and a completion record. Plus real exam mode — NWSA’s 95 questions in 150 minutes, no feedback until you submit — and enough questions for three full real exams without seeing a question twice. 60-day access from the day you activate, on any device. English, Spanish and Russian — every lesson, quiz, flashcard and exam question.
How fast can I start?
Immediately. Pay by card, your licence key is on screen and in your email within seconds, and the course opens in the browser — nothing to download.
What if it isn’t what I need?
Every course carries a 7-day money-back guarantee. Email support@nwsastudyguide.com and it is refunded.
Related
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.