Residential Framing — a free six-lesson class from Global Sovereign University

Residential Framing field reference: the 3-4-5 square proof, the 4:12 rafter with its 18.4 degree plumb cut and level seat cut, rafter-to-plate connection by toe-nail or hurricane tie, joist hangers and 16-inch on-center floor framing, the 24-inch lap header, and sheathing nail spacing.

A Class · Global Sovereign University · Trades

Residential Framing

How a house frame is actually put together, from the lumber to the load path: floors, walls, openings, layout and roofs. Six lessons, one per chapter of the book. Free, no account, nothing to install.

Step one · Read

The chapter, broken into the separate ideas you will be asked to use. Read it, or have it read to you.

Step two · Work

A bench you can change — crown a wall, size a header, trace a load — and it answers the way the chapter does. Then go look at a real frame.

Step three · Prove

A new situation every attempt. Miss one and you are told why that choice fails, and sent back to the exact idea it was testing.

Your progress is kept on your own device. Nothing is transmitted and nobody is asked who you are. This class teaches how framing works; it is not a license, and structural work on a real house follows your local building code and a qualified professional.

The six lessons

One per chapter, in the book's order. All six are open.

    The Certificate of Comprehension

    Working the lessons is practice, and practice does not earn a certificate. The certificate comes from a separate exam that is graded on our server, so no answer key ever reaches your browser and no score can be reported by the student.

    Thirty questions drawn from all six lessons; you need 80% to pass. A pass prints a serial-numbered certificate with a link anyone can use to verify it. It says plainly that it records comprehension of the book, and that it is not a trade licence, an industry credential, or a qualification issued by any authority.

    Sit the exam

    Residential Framing — cover

    The book behind the class

    Residential Framing was written by our founder, Dr. Gene A Constant, and donated to the Foundation. Published by Global Sovereign University Press. Read the whole book free, or listen to it, on the reader page. The class is free. The book is how the Foundation pays for it.

    Buy a copy — it funds a free seat

    Global Sovereign University is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and book sales are its only income. A purchase is not a tax-deductible donation. As an Amazon Associate, GSU earns from qualifying purchases.

    The School Without Walls, Global Sovereign University. No walls, no language, no borders, no cost will ever be a barrier to those who yearn to learn. People of every age sit in a circle in a field at first light. A practice, meet the unexpected: notice expectation, meet territory, revise your map, choose a response, again. Graduation is impossible. You do not graduate from surprise. You become better company for yourself within it. The world is your school. You are already enrolled.

    Who we are

    The School Without Walls

    Four promises. Each no means that thing will never stand between you and learning.

    No wallsLearn in a field, a kitchen or a library. Every lesson runs on a phone, and the whole library works offline from a thumb drive.
    No languageRead or listen in about 83 languages. GSU speaks to everyone who chooses to visit.
    No bordersNo application, no account, no list of approved countries. If you can reach the page, you are in.
    No costEvery class and every lesson is free. Tuition-free, from a 501(c)(3) funded by books.

    The practice: notice expectation · meet territory · revise your map · choose a response · again.

    Graduation is impossible. You do not graduate from surprise. You become better company for yourself within it.

    The world is your school. You are already enrolled.

    Open the full poster

    Questions people ask

    Residential Framing: frequently asked questions

    Is the Residential Framing class really free?

    Yes. All six lessons are free, with no account and nothing to install. Your progress is kept on your own device.

    How does the Residential Framing class work?

    It has six lessons, taught from the book. In each one you read the ideas, work a bench that answers back, then answer questions that change every attempt. Miss one and you are sent back to the exact idea it was testing.

    How do I earn the Residential Framing certificate?

    Take the separate exam at globalsovereignuniversity.org/residential-framing-exam. It has thirty questions drawn from all six lessons, in a new order every attempt, graded on our server so no answer key ever reaches your browser. 80 percent earns Silver, 90 percent Gold and 97 percent Platinum, and every pass carries a serial number anyone can verify. It is free, and you may retake it.

    Is the Residential Framing certificate a license?

    No. The class teaches how framing works. It is not a license, and structural work on a real house follows your local building code and a qualified professional.

    Do I need the book?

    No. Every lesson is taught on the page. The book it is taught from, Residential Framing, goes deeper, and buying a copy is how the Foundation pays for the free class.

    Do I have to finish the lessons before taking the exam?

    No. The lessons are practice and the exam is the proof. They are separate, so you can sit the exam whenever you are ready.

    Accreditation notice: Global Sovereign University is not an accredited institution and does not grant degrees, academic credit, licenses, or industry credentials. Learners who pass GSU's online exams earn GSU certificates of comprehension.