- The state portion has 24 scored questions plus possible unscored items, with one hour on the clock.
- Passing means a scaled score of 70 - not 70% of questions correct.
- Study RCW 18.280, RCW 18.235, and WAC 308-408, 308-408A, 308-408B, and 308-408C directly.
- State-only fee is $125; combined national plus state fee is $300; original licensure totals $720.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This is a compressed, one-page-style reference for the Washington Home Inspector Licensing Exam (Washington State Portion) - the WA-HI exam administered through the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) and delivered by PSI Services. It is built for candidates who already understand the broader material and want a fast final check before test day, not a full walkthrough. If you haven't yet built your foundational knowledge, start with the WA-HI Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt and come back here for review.
Everything below reflects the state-portion exam specifically - the piece that applies to initial candidates, DOL-approved reciprocity applicants, and state-only retakes. First-time licensure in Washington also requires passing the separate national portion, but that content is outside the scope of this cheat sheet.
Exam Format Fast Facts
The PSI-authored candidate bulletin (dated December 10, 2024, available as a third-party reproduction) spells out the mechanics candidates need to internalize before scheduling. Keep these numbers pinned to your study wall:
- 24 scored state questions, with additional unscored experimental items possible - you won't know which is which.
- One hour allowed for the state portion.
- Computer-based, multiple-choice format, delivered closed-book.
- Passing score: a scaled score of 70, which is not the same as answering 70% of questions correctly.
- Delivery options include test-center and remote-proctored sessions, though current PSI appointment instructions govern which options are actually available and what materials are permitted at any given time.
For a deeper breakdown of how the scaled score is calculated and what it means for your study targets, see WA-HI Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're still weighing how tough this exam actually is relative to the education requirements, the How Hard Is the WA-HI Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 article covers that in more depth.
Key Takeaway
Twenty-four scored questions in sixty minutes leaves roughly 2.5 minutes per question - budget your pace accordingly and flag uncertain statute questions to revisit rather than stalling on them.
Fees and Cost Snapshot
Cost surprises derail more candidates than content gaps do. Here's the fee structure as it stands for the WA-HI pathway:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| State-only examination fee | $125 |
| National-only examination fee | $250 |
| Combined examination fee (state + national) | $300 |
| Original licensure cost | $720 |
| License renewal (every two years) | $415 |
Notice that the combined exam fee ($300) is cheaper than paying for state ($125) and national ($250) separately ($375 total) - a detail worth planning around if you're a first-time applicant who needs both portions. For the complete line-item breakdown including education and field-training costs, see WA-HI Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Laws and Rules to Memorize
The state portion is fundamentally a legal-knowledge exam. It tests your command of Washington's licensing statutes and administrative rules, not inspection technique. Treat the following as your core citation list:
RCW 18.280 - Home Inspectors
The primary licensing statute governing home inspector practice in Washington. Know the structure of licensure requirements, prohibited acts, and enforcement provisions.
- Understand how this chapter defines licensure eligibility and renewal obligations
RCW 18.235 - Uniform Regulation of Business and Professions Act
This chapter governs disciplinary procedures and administrative processes that apply across multiple DOL-regulated professions, including home inspectors.
- Focus on how complaints, investigations, and sanctions are processed
WAC 308-408 and 308-408A
These administrative code sections implement the statutory framework with specific rules on licensing procedures and standards of practice.
- Pay attention to defined terms - the exam often tests precise definitions
WAC 308-408B and 308-408C
Additional administrative rule sections rounding out the regulatory picture for education, field training, and related requirements.
- Cross-check these against the field-training rules covered in the eligibility section below
For a full map of how these legal topics translate into exam content, review WA-HI Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 0 Content Areas.
Eligibility and Education Checklist
Before you can even sit for the exam, DOL requires you to clear a specific set of prerequisites. Run through this checklist:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Complete 120 approved classroom hours through an approved education provider.
- Complete 40 actual-site field-training hours, including at least five complete inspections.
- Field training must be supervised by an inspector who has held a license for four years.
- Written reports are required for field-training inspections; travel, meal, and report-writing time do not count toward the 40 hours.
- Education and field training must be completed within two years before the examination application.
These requirements exist independently of the exam content itself, but they shape when you're even eligible to schedule the state portion. For the full eligibility narrative - including documentation and application sequencing - see WA-HI Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Key Takeaway
Because field-training hours exclude travel, meals, and report-writing, budget more calendar time than the 40-hour minimum suggests - the clock only runs during on-site inspection work.
Reciprocity Quick Reference
If you're already licensed in another state and hoping to skip Washington's full education track, reciprocity has its own narrow lane:
- You must have been licensed and actively practicing in good standing for two of the previous four years in another jurisdiction.
- That jurisdiction's requirements must meet or exceed Washington's requirements.
- You still need to be DOL-approved as a reciprocity candidate before scheduling.
- Reciprocity applicants still sit for the state portion of the exam covered in this cheat sheet.
Reciprocity doesn't waive the state-law exam - it waives the Washington-specific education and field-training path, assuming your home-state credential holds up to scrutiny.
Exam Day Logistics
Format details from the PSI bulletin matter as much as content knowledge, because a missed logistics rule can cost you a testing appointment entirely:
- The exam is closed-book at both test centers and in remote-proctored sessions.
- You need matching photo and signature identification to check in.
- Physical calculators are permitted at test centers but are not allowed in remote sessions.
- Scratch paper and breaks are prohibited in remote-proctored sessions.
- Exam-application approval is valid for six months - schedule within that window.
- Passing results remain valid for one year once you've cleared the exam.
Always confirm current PSI appointment instructions before your scheduled date, since delivery availability and permitted materials are governed by whatever PSI has in effect at the time you test. For scheduling windows and deadline planning, see WA-HI Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Licensing and Renewal Cycle
Passing the exam is a milestone, not the finish line. Washington licenses run on a two-year birthday cycle, with the license initially expiring on the second birthday after issuance. Renewal requires:
- $415 renewal fee
- 24 approved continuing education hours per cycle
Understanding this cycle early helps you plan continuing-education costs into your career budget from day one, not just the upfront licensure cost of $720.
Final-Week Review Plan
Because the state portion is compact - only 24 scored questions on a one-hour clock - your final review should be short, targeted, and law-focused rather than broad. Here's a lean structure for the week before your appointment:
Statute Pass
- Re-read RCW 18.280 and RCW 18.235 in full, noting definitions and disciplinary provisions
- Write out any section numbers you keep forgetting
Administrative Code Pass
- Work through WAC 308-408, 308-408A, 308-408B, and 308-408C side by side
- Compare field-training and education rules against your own completed hours
Practice and Timing
- Run timed practice sets to build a sense of your 2.5-minutes-per-question pace
- Flag and revisit any statute-based questions you answer with hesitation
Logistics Check
- Confirm ID requirements, delivery mode, and permitted materials for your appointment
- Do a light review only - no new material
Run a few timed practice sessions on our practice test platform during days five and six above so the pacing feels automatic before you sit for the real thing.
Putting the Cheat Sheet to Work
Use this page as a pre-exam checklist, not a substitute for full preparation. If any section above felt unfamiliar rather than like a refresher, that's a signal to go back to the source material - particularly the domain-by-domain breakdown in the WA-HI Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 0 Content Areas guide - before locking in an exam date. And if you're still deciding whether this credential fits your career plans, the Is the WA-HI Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 article and WA-HI Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are worth reading before you commit the $720 in original licensure costs.
Once you've passed, keep practicing with realistic timed questions on our practice test site so the statute and rule citations stay sharp for renewal cycles and continuing education.
Frequently Asked Questions
The PSI candidate bulletin lists 24 scored state questions with one hour allowed. Additional unscored experimental items may also appear without being identified as such.
No. Passing requires a scaled score of 70, which is not the same as answering 70% of questions correctly. Scaled scoring accounts for question difficulty across the item pool.
Focus on RCW 18.280, RCW 18.235, and WAC 308-408, 308-408A, 308-408B, and 308-408C. These form the legal backbone of the state-portion exam.
Exam-application approval lasts six months, so you need to schedule and test within that window. Once you pass, results remain valid for one year.
Physical calculators are permitted at test centers but not in remote-proctored sessions. Remote scratch paper and breaks are prohibited entirely, so confirm current PSI appointment instructions before choosing a delivery method.