Domains 2 and 3 · 30% of the exam
The 30% of the NHIE that is not about houses
Twenty per cent is Analysis of Findings and Reporting. Ten per cent is Professional Responsibilities. Between them that is nearly a third of the paper, and none of it rewards knowing more about buildings. It rewards knowing what an inspector is allowed to say.
| Task | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Describe what was inspected and how | 4% | Name the systems by their distinguishing characteristics — purpose, type, size, location — and state the methodology used. |
| Describe the limitations | 4% | What was not inspected, and the reason it was not inspected. |
| Describe defective components | 6% | Systems and components that are not functioning properly, in reporting language rather than diagnosis. |
| Describe what needs further evaluation | 6% | Which findings get referred on, and to whom. |
| The pre-inspection agreement | 5% | Scope, limitations and terms; exclusions, limits of liability, dispute resolution, privacy and timing. |
| Quality, integrity and objectivity | 5% | Contractual responsibility, negligence, applicable regulations and conflicts of interest. |
The reporting register
There is a house style to inspection writing and the exam tests it hard. You describe what you observed. You say what could not be inspected and why. You say what is not working. You say what needs somebody else to look at it. You do not say what caused it, and you do not say what to do about it.
Staying inside scope
Half the Domain 2 questions are really asking whether you know where the standard visual inspection stops.
| Action | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Flue camera scan | Level 2 inspection — beyond a standard visual one |
| Pin moisture meter | Invasive. Out of scope |
| Short-term radon test | A screening tool. Never a definitive result |
| Missing smoke or CO alarms in an older house | An upgrade recommendation. Not a code violation — inspectors do not enforce code |
| Unpermitted DIY work | Note the permit risk, recommend verification with the local authority. Do not declare it illegal and do not report the owner |
Professional responsibilities
Ten per cent, split evenly between the pre-inspection agreement and objectivity. The agreement questions are about what the document has to establish before the inspection starts — scope, limitations, terms, exclusions, limits of liability, dispute resolution, privacy, timing. The objectivity questions are about conflicts of interest, and the answer is almost always the one where you decline the work or disclose the relationship.
If two answers are both technically defensible, pick the one that keeps you inside your contract.
What to hold on to
- Describe, refer, and stop. Never diagnose a cause or prescribe a repair.
- “Appears to” is not weasel wording — it is the correct register.
- A bounded symptom points at a bounded cause: valley, ledger, one room.
- Flue camera is Level 2, pin meters are invasive, short-term radon is screening only.
- Missing modern safety devices are an upgrade recommendation, not a violation.
- On a conflict-of-interest question, disclose or decline.
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