Exam format at a glance
The CASp examination is administered in two parts. The closed-book portion is the knowledge exam, and it stands on its own:
- 60 multiple-choice questions drawn from the official examination blueprint content categories.
- 90 minutes total, which works out to roughly 90 seconds per question — there is no time to reason from first principles.
- No reference materials of any kind: no CBC, no ADA Standards, no notes, no digital resources.
- Both parts must be passed. Passing only the closed-book or only the open-book portion earns conditional credit for a limited window before both parts must be retaken.
What the blueprint covers
The closed-book exam follows the official CASp examination blueprint published by the Division of the State Architect. Questions are distributed across content categories spanning both federal and California-specific material:
- Federal accessibility law: ADA Titles II and III, the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, Fair Housing Act accessibility requirements, and Section 504.
- California accessibility law: the Unruh Civil Rights Act, the Disabled Persons Act, SB 1186, and the Construction-Related Accessibility Standards Compliance Act (CRASCA).
- Technical scoping: CBC Chapter 11B requirements, including where California standards are stricter than federal ones — dimensions, thresholds, and scoping triggers that differ between the two.
- Jurisdiction and conflict resolution: which standard applies when federal and state requirements overlap, and how to apply the more stringent provision.
Why candidates underestimate it
Most CASp candidates are practitioners. They know how to apply the codes — with the book open, on a real project, with time to check sections and cross-references. The closed-book exam removes all of that. It tests whether the thresholds, dimensions, legal triggers, and jurisdiction rules are in your head, retrievable in about a minute and a half per question.
That is a different skill from code comprehension, and it is built differently: repeated, timed retrieval practice against questions weighted the way the real exam weights them, followed by targeted review of the categories where recall fails.
How the simulations work
CASp Test Generator's closed-book mode replicates the official format end to end:
- Blueprint-distributed exams: each simulation generates 60 questions matching the official content-category distribution, drawn from a question bank of more than 30,000 blueprint-aligned items.
- Real exam conditions: the full 90-minute clock, no references, one sitting — so pacing and question triage are practiced, not just content.
- Per-category proficiency scoring: after each exam, results are broken down by blueprint category so weak areas are flagged for focused review instead of generic re-reading.
- Full analysis on every question: jurisdiction, scoping, conflict resolution, and code references, so a wrong answer becomes a study asset rather than just a lost point.
Start practicing
Try the format before committing: the free sampler gives you a feel for question style and the analysis depth, and full-length closed-book simulations are available on the platform when you are ready to train under the real clock.
How many questions are on the closed-book exam?
60 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, with no reference materials allowed. Roughly 90 seconds per question.
What happens if I pass only the closed-book portion?
Conditional credit is granted for the passed portion, and you have a limited window to pass the remaining part before both parts must be retaken.
What is the best way to study for a closed-book format?
Timed retrieval practice against blueprint-weighted questions, followed by focused review of flagged weak categories. Reading codes builds comprehension; closed-book exams test recall.