What to Expect of the Exam for a Contractor’s License
Nowadays, more and more homeowners are looking for licensed contractors for home improvement works above their unlicensed counterparts.
For construction workers who wish to make a good living, it is of fundamental importance to take the exam that will help you become a licensed contractor, or if you want to do something specialised it can also help you become a drywall contractor for example. It is crucial to maintaining an edge in a crowded market.
If you are under construction and looking to sit the exam to gain your license, or an unlicensed worker curious about the process, here is what you must expect.
Different Regional Requirements
It’s important, first and foremost, to check what the regional requirements of the exam in the state where you operate are. Some states only require a contractor’s license if you work as an electrician or if you are a plumber. However, not all states are so lenient.
If you are in California and engaging in a construction project with costs over $500, you will need a contractor’s license. If you are in West Virginia and executing any project with costs of above $2,500 in materials and labor, you will need a contractor’s license. As states have different laws about who needs a license, so do they have different requirements for the exam.
If you work across multiple jurisdictions, the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agency Accredited Examination may be the best programme to choose.  In certain state’s agencies, this examination is the sole one administered to those wishing to acquire a license. Other state agencies do not administer the NASCLA exam, but they accept the license in their state. However, this license is operational in less than twenty states, so you should check if it is used in the areas you most frequently operate.
If the NASCLA exam is not available in your state, you will have to take a specific regional exam, so the first step to prepare is to know exactly which exam you’re going to be sitting.
What is the exam?
As different states have different exams to sit, so does the content of the exams differ from state to state. However, most states require that to get your license, you must sit two exams: a business and law exam, and an exam specific to construction. Â
The business and law exam will test you on your knowledge of things like labor and tax laws, business organization and financial management and how to ensure your site is safe for both your crew members and members of the public.
For the exam that is specific to construction, you will be tested on areas such as planning and estimations, and financial and project management. Other areas of the exam will focus on more specific aspects of construction which you will already be familiar with from the job, such as masonry, concrete work, and metal work.
Some states, like Arizona, allow you to take a textbook or other reference materials into the exam, whereas other states, like California, have a strict closed book policy, so be aware of that too.
The fee
Every state charges a fee which you must pay before sitting the exam, and this varies hugely from region to region. It can be as little as $56 and as much as $300.
When you’ve passed your exam (and you will!) there’s an additional fee to get your contractor’s license. Some states include the cost of the license within the cost of the exam (so they have faith in you too), but in other states, this is separated, and the cost of the license can be as high as $900.
How to Pass
Most states require a 70% pass rate in order to gain your license. Each specific licensing agency will inform you of the relevant textbooks and documents which can help you gain the qualification.
Furthermore, there are agencies that offer courses to help you learn, prepare and revise to help you through the requirements needed to pass your contractor license exam. This is a good option if you feel intimidated by the scale of the exam and are not motivated enough for independent learning.
It may seem very difficult, but to pass the exam and go onto a successful construction career is more than possible.
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