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How to get licensed and how to study for contractor exams in 45 states.

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Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

Virginia Contractor License Exams (2026): Pass Marks Given as Raw Numbers

Virginia licenses tradespeople through DPOR with PSI administering the exams, and it expresses pass marks as raw correct-answer counts rather than percentages. That is more...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

Michigan Contractor License Exams (2026): Everything Needs 75 Percent

Michigan sets its trade pass mark at 75 percent, five points above the standard most states use. If you have been benchmarking practice scores against...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

Minnesota Contractor License Exams (2026): Electrical, Plumbing and Residential

An electrician from Duluth shows up for the Class A journeyworker exam with a code book full of color-coded tabs. They have practiced flipping to...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

North Carolina Contractor License Exams (2026): The Electrical Exam Is Half Closed Book

North Carolina splits contractor licensing across two boards, and its electrical examination does something unusual enough to change how you prepare. Figures below are compiled...

Law and Business Aug 28, 2026

Mississippi Contractor License Exams (2026): Law and Business Plus NASCLA

Mississippi keeps its contractor examination structure simple: a Law and Business Management paper, plus the NASCLA accredited examination for commercial general building work. Law and...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

South Dakota Contractor License Exams (2026): Electrical Published, Plumbing Not

South Dakota’s electrical examinations are documented in detail. Its plumbing examinations are not, and we would rather be straightforward about that than fill the gap...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

South Carolina Contractor License Exams (2026): Business Management and the Trade Papers

A commercial HVAC installer in Greenville decides to get his own South Carolina license. He orders the mechanical code and starts studying ductwork. Two weeks...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

Maryland Contractor License Exams (2026): Plumbing, Gas Fitting, and Electrical

Maryland licenses plumbing and gas fitting together, which changes the scope of what you sit. Plumbing and gas fitting are one exam The Journeyman Plumber...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

Texas Electrician and Trade Exams (2026): Presented Questions vs Scored Questions

The Texas master electrician examination presents more questions than it scores, and the split matters for how you prepare. 108 presented, 100 scored, in two...

Exam Guides Aug 28, 2026

Wisconsin Contractor License Exams (2026): The Master Exam Is Shorter Than the Journeyman

Wisconsin has a structural quirk that catches people out: the master electrician examination is shorter than the journeyman one. 100 questions for journeyman, 50 for...