United States · Licensing exam
Start with your state board’s free study guide or candidate bulletin. It tells you what’s tested and, for open book exams, which books to bring. In Florida and North Carolina, those books are the heart of your prep, so buy the right editions and practice finding answers fast. In California the exam is closed book, so you need to know the material cold. The apps and schools below are the ones people use. We checked each one’s price and what’s free in October 2026.
Each guide lists the exam sections and how much each one counts, with sample questions and the books the questions come from. The Law and Business guide shows the biggest sections are contracts (21%) and employment (20%). Spanish versions are available for many exams.
Checked October 2026
Get Licensed to Build walks through experience, the application, the exams and what happens after you pass. CSLB also gives free online access to the California Contractors License Law & Reference Book, the main source for the Law and Business exam. Printed copies are sold by LexisNexis.
Checked October 2026
This is the document to study from if you’re testing in North Carolina. It shows that the Business and Law exam has 40 questions in 90 minutes, lists exactly which references you may bring, and explains the tab rules. It also has an order form for the books.
Checked October 2026
Licensing questions make up more than half of the NC Business and Law exam (21 of 40), and this is where the answers live. It covers license limits, fees and the board’s rules.
Checked October 2026
Florida’s booklets list each construction exam and the books allowed in the room. Florida is open book, so the reference list is your shopping list. The DBPR site sometimes blocks automated visitors; open it in a normal browser.
Checked October 2026
This is the business and law reference many state exams are built on. NASCLA sells 18 state editions, including Florida and North Carolina. North Carolina’s exam uses the NC General Contractors edition, and CSLB lists the 14th edition as a study resource. Buy the exact edition your bulletin names.
Checked October 2026
A California school’s app, with practice exams, video and audio lessons and help with the application. It’s for enrolled students, so it won’t work on its own. 4.8 stars from 786 ratings on the App Store, the most of any contractor exam app we found.
Checked October 2026
Practice tests for California’s B (General Building) and Law and Business exams. The listing shows several overlapping subscription prices, so check what you’re buying. 4.5 stars from 15 ratings on the App Store.
Checked October 2026
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Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.