NSSCO Building Studies 6186 study plan
NSSCO Building Studies 6186 · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Health, Safety and Site Practice & Materials, Tools and Equipment
List and explain the purpose of at least ten items of personal protective equipment used on a construction site, matching each to the hazard it controls
Identify five classes of fire and select the correct extinguisher for each, stating one reason the wrong choice is dangerous
Describe the safe method for erecting, inspecting and dismantling a light scaffold, including the role of sole plates, ties and guardrails
Name the hand tools and small plant used for excavation, mixing and masonry, and state one safety check to perform before each use
Draft a one-page site induction checklist covering access control, welfare facilities, first aid and emergency assembly
Your checkpoint
A hand-written or typed site safety handbook of 4 pages containing a PPE-to-hazard table, a fire extinguisher selection chart, a scaffold inspection checklist and a tool pre-use check list
Walls, Masonry and Concrete Construction & Materials, Tools and Equipment
Sketch and label the standard bonds used in half-brick walls (stretcher, header, English and Flemish) and state where each is preferred
Compute the number of bricks and volume of mortar required for a given wall area, allowing for a 10 mm joint and 5 percent wastage
Describe the correct procedure for mixing, placing, compacting, curing and striking concrete, and state the effect of each step on final strength
Explain the water-cement ratio and calculate mix proportions by volume for a C20 grade concrete using a nominal 1:2:4 mix
Identify causes of common masonry defects such as efflorescence, cracking and poor bonding, and propose one remedy for each
Your checkpoint
A worked calculation sheet showing brick and mortar quantities for three different wall areas plus a labelled diagram of two wall bonds and a concrete placing sequence
Building Drawing, Plans and Specifications & Setting Out and Site Preparation
Read a simple floor plan and list the information carried by dimension lines, grid lines, hatching and abbreviations
Produce a scaled sketch plan of a single-room building showing walls, openings, and one section marker, using correct line weights
Explain the difference between a plan, elevation, section and detail drawing, and state what each is used for on site
Describe the setting-out procedure for a rectangular building using pegs, profiles, builder's lines and the 3-4-5 method, and check a diagonal for squareness
Interpret a simple specification clause and explain why specifications and drawings must agree before work starts
Your checkpoint
A set of three drawings (sketch plan, front elevation, cross-section) of the same small building drawn to a stated scale, plus a written setting-out procedure of 10 numbered steps
Foundations and Groundwork & Setting Out and Site Preparation
Classify foundations as strip, pad, raft and pile, and state one ground condition that suits each
Explain the purpose of a site investigation and list the information a trial pit reveals
Describe the steps in excavating a trench foundation, including depth to subsoil, protection from collapse and dewatering
Explain what a damp-proof course and damp-proof membrane do and where each is positioned
Describe how termite and moisture protection is applied to foundations in a typical local context
Your checkpoint
A foundation design brief of one page for a single-storey house: chosen foundation type with justification, trench dimensions, concrete specification, DPC/DPC placement and a labelled section sketch
Floors, Roofs and Carpentry & Walls, Masonry and Concrete Construction
Distinguish between solid, suspended timber and suspended concrete floors, and state one advantage and one limitation of each
Describe the layout of floor joists, bearers, strutting and wall plates, and explain why ventilation under a suspended floor matters
Identify roof types (flat, mono-pitch, gable, hipped) and label ridge, rafters, purlins, tie beams and eaves on a sketch
Compute the number and length of rafters needed for a simple gable roof given span, pitch and overhang
Explain the purpose of a wall plate, hanger and trimmer in carpentry, and describe one joint used at each
Your checkpoint
A carpentry take-off sheet listing timber members with sizes and quantities for a small gable-roofed building, accompanied by a labelled roof and floor framing sketch
Building Services (Plumbing, Electrical, Drainage) & Foundations and Groundwork
Trace the path of water from supply main to tap and identify the function of stop valve, cistern, float valve and trap
Sketch a single-stack drainage system and label the soil pipe, waste pipe, vent pipe, inspection chamber and gully
Explain the purpose of a trap seal and describe how a loss of seal (siphonage) occurs and how it is prevented
Describe the basic final circuit arrangement for sockets and lighting, and state the role of earthing, fuse or breaker and RCD
Calculate the fall required for a drain given a stated gradient and length, and explain why self-cleansing velocity matters
Your checkpoint
A building services diagram pack: one labelled plumbing layout, one drainage layout with gradients calculated, and one simple electrical circuit diagram with a written explanation of each safety device
Finishing, Maintenance and Repair & Entrepreneurship, Costing and Project Management
Describe the preparation and application of plaster, render and paint, and state two defects caused by poor preparation
Explain the causes of cracks in plaster and masonry and propose a repair method for each
Prepare a simple cost estimate for a small job by breaking it into labour, materials, plant and overheads
Distinguish between a quotation and an estimate, and list the items a small contractor must include in a written quotation
Describe how to plan a small project using a simple bar chart, sequencing at least six activities
Your checkpoint
A complete tender pack for a small single-room extension: measured quantities, cost estimate with labour and materials, a written quotation, and a bar chart schedule
Health, Safety and Site Practice & Building Drawing, Plans and Specifications & Walls, Masonry and Concrete Construction & Building Services (Plumbing, Electrical, Drainage)
Answer a full set of timed practice questions across all ten domains and record the score for each domain
Re-teach the two weakest domains by writing a one-page summary of each from memory, then checking against notes
Redo every calculation type (brick quantities, concrete mix, rafter length, drain fall, cost estimate) without notes
Review the safety handbook and drawing pack for errors and correct at least five inaccuracies
Build a one-page formula and definition sheet covering all domains for final revision
Your checkpoint
A completed mock exam with marked scores per domain, a corrected error log, and a one-page final revision sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Score at least 70 percent on a self-set 20-question test on safety, tools and masonry, and correctly complete two brick-and-mortar quantity calculations unaided
Week 4: Produce a setting-out procedure and foundation brief that a peer can follow without asking questions; all five foundation types correctly matched to a ground condition
Week 6: Draw a drainage layout with correct falls and label ten plumbing and electrical components from memory with at least 80 percent accuracy
Week 8: Achieve at least 60 percent overall on the timed mock exam with no domain below 50 percent, and show the error log with corrections