Hawaii General Building Contractor Exam Prep

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Business & Law is half off with this classification. Add it only if you want it, for the same term: $49.50 for 30 days, $64.50 for 60 days, $84.50 for 90 days.

Official sitting

Questions80
Time4 hours
Passing score75%
BookClosed book

Confirm question count, time, open-book rules, and passing score on the live board bulletin before you sit. We do not guarantee a passing result. Source: PSI Hawaii contractor CIB, hitrade, dated 1/20/2026.

What’s included

18,000+ word study guide

Worked calculations, code-section breakdowns, exam traps, a key-terms glossary and a 30/60/90-day plan.

4 full-length practice exams

Original questions weighted to match the topic mix of the real exam.

400 practice questions

Every one with a written explanation and the code section behind the answer.

Same study guide and four exams on every term. You are choosing how long you can log in.

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What this prep covers

  1. About the Hawaii General Building (B) Contractor license
  2. How Hawaii licensing works
  3. How the building code and your reference books are organized
  4. Project management, scheduling, and estimating
  5. Sitework, foundations, and concrete
  6. Framing, structure, and the envelope
  7. Means of egress, fire and life safety, and accessibility
  8. Business, law, and safety
  9. Insurance, bonding, and financial management
  10. Worked calculations
  11. Sample exam questions, solved
  12. Common mistakes and exam traps
  13. Key references and tables to master (closed-book — memorize, don't tab)
  14. Glossary of must-know terms
  15. Your 30 / 60 / 90 day study plan
  16. Exam-day strategy

Hawaii General Building Contractor licensing, explained

About the Hawaii General Building (B) Contractor license

Hawaii licenses contractors through the Contractors License Board within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), under HRS Chapter 444. Hawaii uses three license classes: A — General Engineering, B — General Building, and C — Specialty (trade). The General Building (B) Contractor is the contractor whose principal business is in connection with structures requiring in their construction the use of more than two unrelated building trades or crafts — three or more (a Class B may not take a job involving only one or two trades unless that work is incidental to the overall structure). A licensed contractor is required for any construction work where the total cost (labor and materials) is $1,500 or more, or where a building permit is required. A general contractor enters into the prime contract, pulls the building permit, and is responsible for the whole project — scheduling and coordinating the subcontractors and trades, means and methods, jobsite safety, and delivering work that passes inspection and meets the contract.

Your technical exam is built on the International Building Code (IBC) as adopted by Hawaii — currently the 2018 IBC per PSI's Hawaii candidate bulletin, though the adopted edition and reference list can change, so confirm both on the current bulletin before you test. Know these scope facts cold: the license is held by the qualifying individual/entity; most work requires a permit and inspections at defined milestones (footing, foundation, framing, rough trades, insulation, final); you must work within the classification and monetary limits you hold; and unlicensed or out-of-scope contracting is a violation that can void contracts, forfeit the right to collect payment, and carry penalties.

How Hawaii licensing works

  • Experience: documented years running or supervising construction projects, usually verified by references or a qualifying party.
  • Financial responsibility: many states require proof of net worth, a surety bond, and general-liability (and workers' comp) insurance.
  • Application: submit the application, fees, experience verification, financial statements, and entity documents before you are approved to sit.
  • Exam vendor: PSI (administering Hawaii contractor exams since January 2023). Hawaii requires passing both a General Building (B) trade exam and a separate Business and Law exam; both are closed-book and the passing score is 75 percent — confirm the current cut scores, question counts, and time limits on the bulletin.
  • Renewal: licenses renew on a fixed cycle and usually require continuing education and keeping the bond and insurance current.

This is the opening of the full study guide. The complete guide continues into code navigation, worked calculations and solved exam questions.

Other Hawaii exam prep

Hawaii General Building Contractor exam — common questions

Who administers the Hawaii General Building Contractor exam?

The B General Building Contractor examination is administered by Hawaii DCCA / PSI.

How many questions are on the Hawaii General Building Contractor exam?

The exam contains 80 questions. You need 75% to pass. You are allowed 4 hours.

How much practice does this prep include?

It includes 4 full-length practice exams and 400 practice questions in total. Every question has a written explanation naming the code section the answer comes from.

How long is the study guide?

The Hawaii General Building Contractor guide runs to roughly 18,741 words, covering 16 sections from licensing rules through worked calculations and solved exam questions.

How long do I get access?

Choose 30, 60 or 90 days at checkout. Access begins the moment you enrol, works on any device, and you can retake every practice exam as often as you like. Days remaining are shown in your dashboard and you can extend at any time.

Is this an official Hawaii General Building Contractor exam?

No. This is independent preparation material. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any state licensing board or exam vendor, and it does not contain real exam questions. Always confirm current requirements with your licensing board.

About this Hawaii General Building Contractor prep

This prep is built specifically for the Hawaii General Building Contractor examination and includes a 18,000+-word study guide written for this exam, 4 full-length practice exams and 400 practice questions, each with a written explanation.

The B General Building Contractor examination is administered by Hawaii DCCA / PSI. This prep is written to that board’s current scope, not to a generic national syllabus.

The real Hawaii General Building Contractor exam contains 80 questions, with a passing score of 75%. Our practice exams mirror that structure so the format is familiar before you sit it.

Topics covered

  • About the Hawaii General Building (B) Contractor license
  • How Hawaii licensing works
  • How the building code and your reference books are organized
  • Project management, scheduling, and estimating
  • Sitework, foundations, and concrete
  • Framing, structure, and the envelope
  • Means of egress, fire and life safety, and accessibility
  • Business, law, and safety
  • Insurance, bonding, and financial management
  • Worked calculations
  • Sample exam questions, solved
  • Common mistakes and exam traps
  • Key references and tables to master (closed-book — memorize, don't tab)
  • Glossary of must-know terms
  • Your 30 / 60 / 90 day study plan
  • Exam-day strategy

How access works

You are paying for access length (30, 60, or 90 days). The study guide and four timed exams are the same on every term. Access starts when you enrol and works on any device for that term.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by any state licensing board or exam vendor. For exam-preparation purposes only.