Exam Guides
Plain-English answers to the questions that cost candidates the most money: which books to buy, what the fees really add up to, and how to beat the exam everyone has to take.
How to Get a Florida GC License
The whole path in four stages: qualify, apply to the DBPR, pass the three-part open-book exam ($295 in fees), and finish licensure — with the waits, the fees, and the traps at each step.
Read the guide →Florida Contractor License Requirements
The full checklist: age, the experience/education combinations, the credit report and bond option, insurance at licensure, and the exams — including the Business & Finance part every certified trade takes.
Read the guide →Exam Dates & Registration, Explained
There is no exam calendar — the computer-based exam is scheduled continuously at Pearson VUE centers. The three gates in order, the 21-day retake rule, the 4-year window, and what the room allows.
Read the guide →How to Use a Practice Test (Open-Book Strategy)
On an open-book exam, practice tests train navigation, not memory. The untimed-to-timed progression, per-content-area weak-spot analysis, and the readiness signal: consistent 80%+ under time.
Read the guide →NASCLA vs. the Florida State Exam
Two routes to the same GC license: Florida’s three-part exam, or the NASCLA exam accepted in 18 jurisdictions. What each waives, what each costs, and who should pick which.
Read the guide →2026 Florida GC Book List Changes
Walker’s, Builder’s Guide to Accounting, and three more references are now study-only — banned from the exam room — while many prep companies still sell them in $2,000+ sets. What’s actually allowed at your desk.
Read the guide →What the Florida Contractor Exam Really Costs
$295 in first-attempt exam fees is the cheap part: retakes re-trigger fees, books run $1,400–$2,400 retail, and courses span $350–$4,800. The full breakdown, plus how to do it for less.
Read the guide →The Business & Finance Exam, Explained
Florida’s universal exam: 120 open-book questions in 6.5 hours, required once for every certified trade. The books allowed at your desk and a study strategy built around navigation.
Read the guide →Looking for your trade's exam?
Requirements, fees, and format for every certified Florida trade — GC, building, residential, roofing, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical.
Browse the Florida exam guides →See where you stand first
A free, timed practice test scored against the 70% passing line — with book and section cited on every answer.
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