BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

EXAMINATION SCHEME

There will be three papers, Papers 1, 2 and 3 all of which must be taken. Papers 1 and 2 shall be
a composite paper to be taken at one sitting.

PAPER 1: will consist of forty multiple-choice objective questions all of which are to be
answered in 45 minutes for 40 marks.

PAPER 2: will consist of five short-structured essay questions. Candidates will be required
to answer any four in1 hour for 60 marks.

PAPER 3: will be a practical test. It will consist of two sections, Sections A and B. The
paper will take 2½ hours and will carry 100 marks.

Section A: will be for candidates in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia only. It will
be on BUILDING DRAWING and shall consist of four questions including a
compulsory one. Candidates will be required to answer the compulsory
question and any two of the other questions.

Section B: will be for candidates in Ghana only. It will consist of six essay questions
including a compulsory one. Candidates will be required to answer the
compulsory question and any three of the other questions.

DETAILED SYLLABUS

S/NO. CONTENT NOTES

1 Introduction to Building (i) Definition of building
(ii) Classification and types
(iii) Introduction to National Building Codes.
(Building regulations and Byelaw requirements)
2 Building Construction and (i) Definition, purpose and procedures for
Construction Team building construction
(ii) Parties in the construction team. (Client’s
team, contractor’s team and statutory
personnel.
(iii) Function of the team members.
(iv) Relationship of the parties.
3 Safety Practices. (i) Definition of safety, rules and regulation.
(ii) Hazards in the workshop and construction
 site.
(iii) Causes and method of accident prevention.
(iv) Safety equipment and measures at
construction site.
(v) First aid equipment, procedures and safety
wears.
(vi) Safety in working with dangerous equipment
and materials (electricity, scaffolding,
formwork, cement, roof, etc).
4 Basic tools, equipment and (i) Identification and functions of basic.
machines (ii) Tools and equipment.
(iii) Care of tools and equipment.
5 Site clearing and levelling (i) Operations involved in site clearing.
(ii) Tools and equipment for site clearing and
levelling.
(iii) Basic site levelling operations.
6 Site organization and layout (i) Preliminary operations in building
construction.
(ii) Procedure for site layout.
(iii) Location, boundary lines, hoarding,
hutments and access road.
7 Setting out (i) Methods of setting-out. ([Link] method,
Builders’ square method).
(ii) Tools and equipment for setting out.
S/NO. CONTENT NOTES
(iii) Procedures for setting out.
8 Building Drawing (i) Use of drawing tools and simple exercise on
plane geometry in relation to building.
(ii) Building drawing symbols
(iii) Scales used in building and their application
on site.
(iv) Production drawings and interpretations
(Plans, Elevations, sections and details).
(v) Special details (Detailing building elements
including doors and windows schedule).
(vi) Scaling (Enlargement, pictorial and
perspectives.
(vii) Definitions and use of Auto-CADD.
9 Excavation and earth-work. (i) Classifications, types and properties of soil.
(ii) Definition and function of excavation.
 (iii) Methods of excavations.
(iv) Tools, equipment and plant used for
excavation.
(v) Solution to excavation problems (Earthwork
support, timbering battering and
dewatering).
(vi) Safety rules during excavations.
10 Foundation (i) Definition, purpose and functional
requirement of foundation.
(ii) Types of foundation.
(iii) Factors that determine choice of
foundation.
11 Ground Floors (i) Types, functions and functional
requirement of ground floor.
(ii) Methods of construction ground floor.
(iii) Definition of basement.
(iv) Explain differences between building with
basement and without basement.
(v) Problems relating basement in a building.
12 Suspended floors (i) Definition and functions of upper floor
(ii) Methods of construction concrete floors
and timber upper floors.
S/NO. CONTENT NOTES

13 Concrete (i) Definition and types of concrete.

(ii) Materials for concrete.
(iii) Definitions types, components and
manufacture of cement. Properties and
uses of cement including other alternatives
to cement product e.g. Pozzolana,
Pulverize fuel Ash (P.F.A.), Rice husk ash
(R.H.A), etc
(iv) Types and uses of aggregates (other
aggregates such as palm kernel shell) and
periwinkle, etc.
(v) Types and uses of reinforcements.
(vi) Properties and characteristic of concrete
(vii) Process of concrete production.
(viii) Types of concrete tests.
14 Walls (i) Definition, types and functions of walls
 (ii) Definition, types and properties of walling
materials. (including locally sourced
materials).
(iii) Manufacturing processes of walling
materials (clay, brick, blocks and concrete
blocks).
(iv) Sizes of blocks and bricks.
(v) Mortar mixes for brick.
(vi) Methods of wall construction
(vii) Timber wall construction.
(viii) Definition and function of wall openings.
(ix) Methods of constructing wall opening.
(x) Functions of lintels and arches.
15 Doors and windows (i) Definition, functions and types of doors and
windows.
(ii) Methods of mixing doors and window
frames.
16 Staircases (i) Definition, classification, types and uses of
stairs.
(ii) Materials used for construction of stairs.
(iii) Materials used for finishing staircases.
S/NO. CONTENT NOTES
17 Plumbing installations and (i) Types of fitting in plumbing and sanitary
drainage system. works.
(ii) Materials for plumbing works and fittings.
(iii) Types of sanitary appliances.
(iv) Soil and waste appliances.
(v) Installation of sanitary appliances.
(vi) Terms used in drainage works.
(vii) Principles and functional requirement of
drainage system.
(viii) Types of drainage system.
(ix) Types of drainage materials (pipes and
fittings).
(x) Methods of laying and testing drain lines.
(xi) Description of septic and soakaway
(inspection chamber, manhole, etc).
18 Electrical installation and (i) Electrical symbols, installation terms and
solar energy system. materials.
 (ii) Identification and uses of electrical wiring
materials.
(iii) Types of electrical wiring.
(iv) Definition, functions and components of
solar energy systems.
19 Roofs (i) Definition, purpose and types of roof.
(ii) Functional requirements of roof.
(iii) Materials used for roofs.
(iv) Roof covering materials.
(v) Protection of roof from wind, rain,
lightening, etc.
20 Finishes (A) Floors:
(i) Types and characteristics of floor finishes.
(ii) Methods of laying floor finishes.
(iii) Uses of floor finishes.
(iv) Care and maintenance of floor finishes.
(B) Walls

(i) Types and characteristics of wall finishes

S/NO. CONTENT NOTES
(ii) Plastering and rendering
(iii) Types of rendering
(iv) Methods of applying plastering and
rendering mix.
(C) Ceiling:

(i) Types and function of ceiling finishes.

(ii) Ceiling finishing materials.
21 External Work. (i) Types of fence, materials for fencing and
construction of fence.
(ii) Types of gate, fixing of gates and
production of gate.
(iii) Types and materials for construction of
access roads.
(iv) Construction of access road.
(v) Needs and materials for landscaping.
(vi) Procedures for landscaping.
22 Types of Business (i) Principles and Management of Business
 Organization and Ways of Organization in the building industry.
Raising Capital. (ii) Types of Business Organization in the
Building Industry.
(iii) Types and sources of Capital.
23. Book Keeping Book Keeping:
(i) Book Keeping in small scale businesses.
(ii) Books of original entries.
24 Contract Work Contract Work:

(i) Definition and types of contract.

(ii) Contract documents.
(iii) Parties to a contract.

SUGGESTED READING LIST

S/NO. AUTHOR TITLE OF BOOKS PUBLISHER

1 Stephen Emmitt and Christopher Barry’s Introduction to Construction in Blackwell Publishing
A. Gorse. Buildings
2 M. O. Obande Blocklaying and Concreting Longman Publishing
Company
3 R. Barry The Construction of Buildings VolsI– V Granada
4 Ivor H. Seeley Building Technology Palgrave
5 S. C. O. A. Ezeji Building Construction
6 Nash Brickwork Vols 1 – 3
7 R. Chudley Building Construction Handbook Billing & Sons Ltd.
8 W. B. Mckay Building Construction Vols 1 – 4
9 Roger Greeno Principles of Construction
10 Adesokan and M. O. Adeniyi Building Construction for Senior
Secondary Schools Vols 1 – 3
(Ilesanmi)
11 R. Chuelley Construction Technology Vols 1 – 4 Longman
12 C. M. H. Barritt Advanced Building Construction Vols 1 Longman
&2