License path
Florida Contractor License Exam Prep
Florida contractors are licensed by the Florida DBPR — Construction Industry Licensing Board. Most classifications sit a trade paper plus Business & Finance. Need only the business paper? It is sold standalone. If you buy a Florida classification that sits that exam, that paper is 75% off where we offer it.
Confirm question count, time, open-book rules, and passing score on the live board bulletin before you sit. We do not publish a single Q-count for every classification on this page, and we do not guarantee a passing result.
Preparing for the Florida contractor license exam? Contractor Pathway gives you an original, exam-focused study guide and four full-length practice exams for the Certified General Contractor (CGC) credential and the shared Business & Finance exam — matched to the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) blueprint. Choose your classification below to start studying today.
How the Florida CGC exam is structured
The Certified General Contractor credential is the broadest Division 1 classification, issued by the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Division 1 candidates take three separate open-book, computer-based exams, each requiring a 70% passing score (scores are not rounded). Exams are developed by Professional Testing, Inc. and delivered by Pearson VUE.
| Exam Part | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Finance (shared across CILB classes) | 120 | 6.5 hrs |
| GC — Contract Administration | 60 | 4.5 hrs |
| GC — Project Management | 60 | 4.5 hrs |
Because the exams are open-book, the decisive skill is fast reference navigation — knowing exactly where each answer lives in the adopted reference texts. Our study guides are built around the CILB reference list so you practice locating and applying information under time pressure. Always confirm current reference editions and Candidate Information Booklets on the DBPR website before your test date.
What we cover for Florida
- Certified General Contractor (CGC) — the unlimited Division 1 classification (Contract Administration + Project Management).
- Business & Finance — the exam shared across all Florida construction classifications.
- Each course includes a topic-by-topic study guide and four full-length practice exams with detailed answer explanations, matched to the CILB blueprint.
How to get licensed in Florida
Florida licenses construction contractors through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A certified licence works statewide; a registered licence works only where you hold local competency. The figures below come from the Board’s published FAQs.
- Four years of field experience, one of them supervisory. You need four years in the category you are applying for, and one of those four must be supervisory. Up to three years can be substituted with military service or with college credit hours — but not all four.
- Expect more than one exam. Certified contractors sit a trade knowledge exam plus Business and Finance, Project Management and Contract Administration. There is one shortcut: a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year college in building construction with a GPA of 3.0 or higher exempts you from the trade knowledge portion.
- Show financial responsibility. A 14-hour financial responsibility course is required where the applicant’s FICO credit score is below 660. Separately, a Financially Responsible Officer must obtain a bond of $100,000 — the two are different requirements and one does not replace the other.
- Get licensed within four years of testing. Board rules give you four years from receiving your examination score to obtain the licence, after which the score lapses.
- Renew with 14 hours of continuing education. Every certified contractor takes 14 hours, and the subject mix is prescribed: at least one hour each in Workplace Safety, Workers’ Compensation, Business Practices, Advanced Module Building Code, and Laws and Rules. General, Building and Residential contractors must also complete one hour of Wind Mitigation Methodology.
Source: Florida DBPR, Construction Industry FAQs. Fee schedules are set by rule and change — confirm current amounts with DBPR. Contractor Pathway is an independent exam-preparation provider and is not affiliated with the CILB or DBPR.
How to pass
- Pick your classification and study the topic-area guide built on the board’s adopted references.
- Tab and index your approved reference books so you can find any table or article in seconds.
- Take all four timed practice exams and review every explanation until you consistently score above 70%.
- Confirm your exam date, references, and application steps on the DBPR / CILB site, then schedule with Pearson VUE.
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Florida contractor exam — FAQ
Who licenses general contractors in Florida?
The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
What score do I need to pass?
70% on each exam part; scores are not rounded, so a 69.4% is a fail.
How many exams does a CGC candidate take?
Three — Business & Finance, GC Contract Administration, and GC Project Management — taken and passed separately.
Are the Florida exams open book?
Yes. They are open-book, computer-based exams delivered by Pearson VUE, so fast reference navigation is the key skill.
How hard is the Florida CGC exam?
The challenge is less about memorization and more about endurance and speed: three separate parts totaling more than 15 hours of testing, all open-book, each requiring 70% with no rounding. Candidates who fail often run out of time because they have not tabbed and indexed their reference books well enough to locate answers quickly. Practicing under a timer with the adopted references is the difference-maker.
What is the difference between a Certified and a Registered contractor in Florida?
A Certified contractor passes the state exams and can work anywhere in Florida. A Registered contractor is licensed only in the specific local jurisdiction that issued a competency card. The Certified General Contractor (CGC) credential our course targets is the statewide path. Confirm which path fits your plans on the DBPR website.
How much experience do I need for a Florida CGC license?
Florida generally requires four years of proven construction experience, or an accepted combination of college education and experience, in the role you are applying for. Confirm the exact experience and education criteria for your classification with DBPR before applying.
What happens if I fail one part of the Florida exam?
You retake only the part you failed, not all three. Parts you have already passed remain valid for a limited period, so plan to clear all three within that window. Confirm the current validity period and rescheduling fees with DBPR / Pearson VUE.