An Arizona contractor license takes two examinations: the Statutes and Rules Exam plus your trade paper. Both are required and they test completely different things.
Figures below are compiled from state board and exam-provider sources. Where a board does not publish a count we say so rather than estimate. Always confirm against the current candidate bulletin for your specific exam before you register.
The Statutes and Rules Exam applies to everyone
The SRE is 80 questions in 180 minutes at 70 percent, open book. It covers the Registrar of Contractors statutes and rules rather than any trade content, so no amount of technical skill prepares you for it.
The trade exams
| Examination | Questions | Time | Pass | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statutes and Rules (SRE) | 80 | 180 minutes | 70% | Open book |
| B-1 General Commercial Contractor | 100 | 240 minutes | 70% | Open book |
| C-11 Electrical | 110 | 240 minutes | 70% | Open book |
| C-37 Plumbing | 100 | 240 minutes | 70% | Open book |
| C-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration | 80 | 3h 30m | 70% | Semi-open book |
C-39 is semi-open book
The air conditioning and refrigeration exam permits some references and not others, which is a format you will not meet in most states. Read the reference list for that specific paper rather than assuming the same rules as the C-11 or C-37, because bringing a prohibited book is how candidates lose material at the door.
The electrical code edition is old
Arizona’s C-11 exam is referenced to the 2017 NEC. Several neighbouring states run 2020 or 2023. Buying the current NEC because it is current is a reliable way to spend the exam hunting for sections that have moved. C-37 plumbing runs on the 2018 IPC, IFGC and IMC with NFPA 13 fire sprinkler content.
Arizona exam prep
- Arizona B-1 General Commercial Contractor Exam Prep
- Arizona C-11 Electrical Contractor Exam Prep
- Arizona C-37 Plumbing Contractor Exam Prep
- Arizona C-39 Air Conditioning Contractor Exam Prep
- Arizona Statutes and Rules (SRE) Exam Prep
Before you register
- Confirm the question count and time limit on the current bulletin.
- Confirm the code edition named; it is pinned and a newer edition is not a substitute.
- Confirm whether a separate business and law paper is required.