Exam Guides · Florida
Florida Contractor License Exams — 2026 Guide
Florida's certified contractor exams are developed by Professional Testing, Inc. and delivered at Pearson VUE test centers. Every exam is open book — you bring the approved references into the room, and the real skill is finding answers fast.
A typical first full attempt at a certified construction license runs about $295 in exam fees ($135 registration plus per-part fees). Fail a part and you wait 21 days to retake it — and by most prep-industry estimates (no official statistic is published), roughly half of first-time candidates fail at least one part.
Pick your trade
Each guide covers the exam format, fees, approved books, retake rules, and how to register — plus a free practice test for the parts we cover.
Business & Finance
Required once for every certified contractor category
The universal Florida exam: 120 open-book questions in 6.5 hours covering accounting, lien law, insurance, and employment rules. Every certified category — GC, building, roofing, plumbing, and more — must pass it once.
Read the Business & Finance guide →General Contractor
Certified General Contractor (CGC)
Florida’s unlimited license: three open-book parts (Contract Administration, Project Management, Business & Finance) at 70% each. The exam is a book-navigation race, not a memory test.
Read the General Contractor guide →Building Contractor
Certified Building Contractor (CBC)
For commercial work up to three stories plus residential: the same three open-book parts as the GC exam, scoped to building-contractor work. 70% to pass each part.
Read the Building Contractor guide →Residential Contractor
Certified Residential Contractor (CRC)
The license for one- and two-family homes and townhouses: Contract Administration, Project Management, and Business & Finance — all open book, all passed at 70%.
Read the Residential Contractor guide →Electrical Contractor
Certified Electrical Contractor (EC)
Florida’s electrical contractor exam follows the same open-book, 70%-to-pass, Pearson VUE pattern as the construction trades, but part structure and fees differ — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for your exact part structure and fees.
Read the Electrical Contractor guide →Plumbing Contractor
Certified Plumbing Contractor (CFC)
Open book, 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam. The trade portion’s exact part structure and fees vary — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet before you register.
Read the Plumbing Contractor guide →HVAC Contractor
Certified Air Conditioning Contractor (Class A / Class B)
Class A (unlimited) and Class B (limited tonnage/BTU) air conditioning exams are open book with a 70% passing score, plus Business & Finance. Part structure and fees vary by class — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet.
Read the HVAC Contractor guide →Roofing Contractor
Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC)
Florida’s roofing exam is open book with a 70% passing score, plus the universal Business & Finance exam. Exact trade-part structure and fees vary — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet before registering.
Read the Roofing Contractor guide →Building a multi-state business?
The NASCLA Accredited exam is accepted by 18 jurisdictions — including Florida — in place of the state trade exam. Take one exam, carry it across state lines.
See the NASCLA guide →Not sure where you stand?
Take a free, timed practice test. You'll get a score against the 70% passing line and see exactly which content areas need work — before you spend a dime on exam fees.
Start the free practice test →