# Contractor License Exam: What Is Actually on It Canonical URL: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-license-exam-guide/ Plain text: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-license-exam-guide/llms.txt Publisher: SimplyWise, Inc. (https://www.simplywise.com) Published: September 4, 2026 Updated: October 5, 2026 Category: Contractor Licenses by State Summary: What a contractor license exam covers, board by board: question counts, time limits, and the content outlines for California, South Carolina, Alabama. --- ## Contractor License Exam: What Is Actually on It Boards publish their content outlines. Read them side by side and one thing jumps out: they test your paperwork harder than your trade. At a glance 1. Most states split the test in two: a business and law exam, plus a trade exam for your classification. 2. The business half carries the most items. Contracts, payroll, liens, and licensing outrank any single trade block. 3. The NASCLA national exam runs 115 questions in 330 minutes and is open book. You need 81 correct. 4. On that outline, procurement and contracting is 31 items, larger than concrete, masonry, metals, and wood combined. 5. California publishes percentages but no question count and no numeric passing score. 6. Texas still runs a hands-on practical for plumbers, scheduled only at Austin and Waco. ## What a contractor license exam actually tests A contractor license exam is rarely a single exam. Almost every licensing state runs two. A business and law exam covers the rules of operating: contracts, payroll, liens, insurance, licensing, and safety records. A trade exam covers the classification you applied under. Pass one and fail the other and you are not licensed. Boards publish content outlines for both, and those outlines are the single most useful study document nobody reads. They tell you exactly how many questions come from each subject area. Every figure below is pulled from the board’s own outline or its testing vendor’s candidate bulletin, checked August 22, 2026. ## What is on the exam, board by board | Exam | Questions | Time and format | Largest single block | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | NASCLA Commercial General Building | 115, need 81 | 330 min, open book | Procurement and contracting, 31 items | | California (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/california-contractor-license/) Law and Business | Not published | 3.5 hours, closed book | Contract requirements and execution, 21% | | South Carolina (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/south-carolina-contractor-license/) Business Management and Law | 50, need 35 | 125 min | Contracts and agreements, 12 items | | Alabama (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/alabama-contractor-license/) general contractor Business and Law | 50, need 70% | 120 min | Licensing, 8 items | | Texas (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/texas-contractor-license/) journeyman electrician | 80 scored, need 70% | 240 min | Wiring methods and materials, 18 items | | Texas journeyman plumber | 90 written, plus shop work | Written and hands on | Scaled drain and vent build (2018 course) | | Illinois (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/illinois-contractor-license/) roofing qualifying party | Not published | Not published | Not published | | Pennsylvania (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/pennsylvania-home-improvement-contractor-license/) home improvement | None | None | Registration, not examination | Two boards deserve a note. Illinois hands its outlines to Continental Testing, which does not publish them. Arizona publishes its outlines per exam through PSI rather than in the bulletin. Neither board states a question count up front. Arizona does publish its fees: $61 for the Statutes and Rules exam, which runs online only, and $66 for one trade exam. TSBPE’s review course, dated November 2018, is what describes that scaled two story build. It exempts one group: a current Tradesman Plumber-Limited licensee tests in writing only. ## Paperwork outweighs the trade on most outlines Line the outlines up and the pattern is hard to miss. On the NASCLA exam, procurement and contracting requirements carry 31 of 115 items. Concrete, masonry, metals, and wood together carry 21. California’s Law and Business exam splits into seven sections. The two largest are contract requirements and execution at 21% and employment requirements at 20%. That is 41% of an exam that exists alongside a separate trade exam. South Carolina puts contracts and agreements at 12 of 50 items and estimating and bidding at 10. Alabama leads with licensing at 8 of 50, then payroll and taxes and contracts at 6 apiece. So fifteen years of running crews will not carry you through the half that decides the result. The trade portion rewards what you already do. The business portion tests the part of the job most contractors delegate or improvise. ## Estimating and bidding is on the test and on the calendar Estimating shows up in every business outline for a reason: it is where money leaks. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a photo into an itemized, branded estimate in about 6 seconds, with a unit, quantity, and price on every line. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial. ## How to study for the exam you are actually sitting 1. Download the outline before any prep course Find the candidate bulletin for your exact contractor license exam and classification. It names the subject areas, the item count per area, and the reference list behind the questions. 2. Weight your hours to the item counts If contracts carry 12 of 50 items, contracts get a quarter of your study time. Most candidates over study the trade because it is the comfortable half. 3. Find out whether your exam is open book The NASCLA exam is open book and hands out a physical blueprint packet at the testing center. California’s Law and Business exam is closed book, with no reference material allowed. 4. Buy the exact reference editions listed Bulletins name the edition. South Carolina writes its business questions from the NASCLA Contractors Guide, South Carolina Commercial 9th Edition. Code books in particular must match. ## Keep reading - Contractor License Reciprocity (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-license-reciprocity/) - Contractor License Cost by State (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-license-cost-by-state/) - How to Get a General Contractor License (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/how-to-get-general-contractor-license/) ## Sources - NASCLA Accredited Examination candidate bulletin, PSI (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1458) (115 items, 81 to pass, 330 minutes, open book, content outline; verified 2026-08-22). - CSLB, Law and Business examination study guide (https://cslb.ca.gov/Resources/StudyGuides/LawStudyGuide.pdf) (the seven sections and their percentages, closed book; verified 2026-08-22). - CSLB, Examinations FAQ (https://www.cslb.ca.gov/About_us/Examination_FAQ.aspx) (3.5 hours per exam, computer based, no overall score on a passing report; verified 2026-08-22). - South Carolina Contractor’s Licensing Board bulletin, PSI (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/432) (50 items, 35 to pass, 125 minutes, outline, reference edition; verified 2026-08-22). - Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors bulletin, PSI (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/76) (50 items, 70%, 120 minutes, outline; verified 2026-08-22). - TDLR, electrician candidate information bulletin (https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/pdf/Candidate-Information-Bulletin.pdf) (80 scored items, 240 minutes, 70%, outline; verified 2026-08-22). - TSBPE, journeyman plumber review course (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Journeyman-Review-Course.pdf) (dated November 2018; 90 written questions, shop work, the scaled build, the Tradesman carve-out; verified 2026-08-22). - TSBPE, practical exam self-scheduling (https://tsbpe.texas.gov/selfservescheduling/) (the hands-on practical still runs, Austin and Waco only; verified 2026-08-22). - Arizona ROC candidate bulletin, PSI (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/2477) (Statutes and Rules exam $61, trade exam $66, attempt limits; verified 2026-08-22). - IDFPR, roofing qualifying party application (https://idfpr.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idfpr/renewals/apply/forms/rf-qp.pdf) (exam required, three exam types, $226; verified 2026-08-22). - Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, HICPA registration FAQ (https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/businesses-and-organizations/home-improvement-contractor-registration/frequently-asked-questions/) (the registration requirements; no competency examination among them; verified 2026-08-22). ## Contractor license exam: common questions **How many exams do I have to pass?** Usually two. A business and law exam covering contracts, payroll, liens, and licensing, plus a trade exam for your classification. Both are required in California, South Carolina, and Alabama. **What is the hardest part of the exam?** The business half, by the numbers. Contracts and procurement carry the largest item counts on the NASCLA, California, and South Carolina outlines. **Are contractor exams open book?** It depends on the exam. The NASCLA Commercial General Building exam is open book and supplies a blueprint packet onsite. California’s Law and Business exam is closed book. **How long is the NASCLA exam?** 330 minutes for 115 scored questions, plus 10 unscored pretest items with time added for them. You need 81 correct to pass. **Does any state skip the exam entirely?** Pennsylvania does for home improvement work. Registration with the Office of Attorney General is administrative, with no competency examination. **Can SimplyWise handle the estimating side?** Yes. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a photo into an itemized, branded estimate in about 6 seconds. Free to try, at $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr. --- ## About SimplyWise SimplyWise, Inc. (New York, NY) builds mobile apps for contractors, tradespeople, and small business owners. The SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job site photo into an itemized estimate with labor and material costs in about 6 seconds, and the client signs the branded quote to approve it. It is rated 4.8 on the App Store. It is free to try with a 7-day free trial, then $29.99 per month or $239.99 per year (about $20 per month on the annual plan), and one subscription includes every app in the SimplyWise suite. - Download: https://www.simplywise.com/download - App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplywise-cost-estimator/id6670619664 - Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplywise.costestimator - Every SimplyWise page as plain text: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/llms.txt