NWSA Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the NWSA exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
NWSA exam key facts
- NWSA exams are criterion-referenced, so candidates must reach a predetermined passing score set by NWSA content experts, and results are reported as pass or fail. Source
- Each NWSA exam (TTT-1, TTT-2, Antenna & Line, Advanced Rigging Concepts and Foreman) costs $274. Source
- Candidates who fail an NWSA exam must wait at least 30 days before retesting, and they must reapply and pay the re-examination fee again. Source
- NWSA TTT-1 and TTT-2 certifications are valid for five years. Source
📋 NWSA Exam Format at a Glance
📚 NWSA Topics to Study (24)
✍️ Sample NWSA Questions & Answers
1. What is a critical lift and what additional precautions does it require?
Critical lifts involve higher-than-normal risk factors that require additional planning and supervisory oversight.
2. According to FCC OET Bulletin 65, the human body most efficiently absorbs RF energy, and thus the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limits are most restrictive, within which frequency range?
FCC OET Bulletin 65 specifies that whole-body absorption of RF energy by humans is most efficient in the 30-300 MHz frequency range. Because of this higher absorption rate, the MPE limits are at their most restrictive in this range to provide adequate protection.
3. What is the recommended minimum distance to keep from power lines when working?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends maintaining a minimum distance of 10 feet from power lines to ensure safety.
4. In the event of a chemical spill, what is the first action you should take?
The first action should be to evacuate the area to ensure personal safety and then notify the appropriate personnel to handle the spill.
5. When operating a capstan hoist to lift materials, what is the primary reason for maintaining a specific number of wraps on the drum and applying tension to the fall line?
A capstan hoist does not store the rope on the drum like a winch. It works by using the friction between the rope and the rotating drum (capstan head). The operator must maintain the correct number of wraps and apply tension to the non-load-bearing end of the rope (the fall line) to create enough friction for the drum to grip the rope and move the load.
6. A gin pole is being used to lift a new tower section. Which component of the gin pole assembly is primarily responsible for attaching the entire apparatus to the existing tower structure?
A gin pole consists of three basic parts: a pole (mast), a pulley assembly (rooster head/load block), and the clamp assembly. The clamp assembly is what physically secures the gin pole to the leg or a structural member of the tower, providing the foundation for the lift.
🎯 Free NWSA Practice Tests
📖 NWSA Guides & Articles
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for NWSA
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length NWSA mock exam — 85 questions in 90 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed NWSA question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable NWSA cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- NWSA flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free NWSA practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.
How this page was made: written with AI tools and published by Nathan Beja, founder of Practice Test Geeks, who is responsible for its content. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy
Sources & references
Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy
- nws-a.org — Test dates, renewal, score validity, eligibility, exam format, passing score, registration deadline, retake policy, score release, time limit · verified Oct 2026