NHIE Exam Categories

The three NHIE domains

Every question on the National Home Inspector Examination belongs to one of three content domains, and they are not weighted equally. Understanding the split is the single most useful thing you can know before you start studying — it tells you where your hours belong.

Property Inspection — 70%

Seven of every ten questions come from this domain, which is why it deserves the bulk of your study time. It spans 13 areas of the home:

• Site — grading, drainage, walkways, driveways, retaining walls, vegetation
• Exterior — cladding, trim, flashing, windows, doors, decks, balconies
• Roof — coverings, flashings, drainage, penetrations, skylights, chimneys
• Structure — foundations, framing, floors, walls, roof structure, crawl spaces
• Electrical — service entrance, panels, branch circuits, GFCI/AFCI, fixtures
• Heating — furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, distribution, venting, combustion air
• Cooling — central air, split systems, evaporative coolers, distribution
• Plumbing — supply, drain-waste-vent, fixtures, water heaters, fuel systems
• Interior — walls, ceilings, floors, stairs, railings, doors, windows
• Insulation & Ventilation — attic and crawl space insulation, vapor retarders, exhaust
• Fireplaces & Solid Fuel — fireboxes, hearths, dampers, chimneys, vents
• Built-in Appliances — permanently installed cooking, dishwashing, and disposal units
• Life Safety — smoke and CO alarms, egress, garage separation, guards and handrails

Candidates most often report electrical, HVAC, and plumbing as the toughest areas — they carry the most technical detail and the most safety-critical content.

Analysis & Reporting — 20%

This domain covers what you do with what you find: interpreting conditions, distinguishing a deficiency from a defect, describing findings accurately, noting limitations, and recommending further evaluation when something exceeds your expertise. Expect questions on report language and on what an inspection is and is not — a visual, point-in-time assessment, not a warranty or code inspection.

Professional Responsibilities — 10%

The smallest domain but often the easiest points. It covers ethics, standards of practice, pre-inspection agreements, conflicts of interest, scope of competence, errors & omissions insurance, confidentiality, and the inspector’s duty to the client. Because the material is finite and rule-based, a focused review here reliably pays off.

Why weighting should shape your study plan

Most candidates who fail split their time evenly across the three domains, then get surprised by how heavily the exam leans on property systems. Flip that. Put roughly 70% of your effort into Property Inspection, 20% into Analysis & Reporting, and 10% into Professional Responsibilities — the same proportions the exam itself uses.