Law & Business
The same exam whatever your classification: contracts, employment, business finances, safety, licensing, liens and public works.
California contractor license · CSLB exams
Pass the CSLB Law & Business exam and your trade exam.
A California contractor license takes two exams: Law & Business, the same for everyone, and the trade exam for your classification. Practice for Law & Business and the trade exams we cover, with a plain-language explanation and the law or code behind every answer. In English and Spanish.
25 questions. No sign-up. A score for every exam section in about 15 minutes.
Your license = Law & Business + one trade exam
You have 18 months from the day CSLB accepts your application to pass both.
Your trade exam
On the work of the classification on your application: B – General Building, C‑10 Electrical, C‑33 Painting and so on.
- First licenseBoth exams: Law & Business and the trade exam for your classification.
- Adding a classificationOnly the trade exam for the new classification. No Law & Business again.
- C‑61 Limited SpecialtyLaw & Business only: this classification has no trade exam.
Pick my license, see my examsLaw & Business + a trade exam we cover, on one pass: $129 instead of $158.
Exams we cover
Law & Business for every license, and a growing list of trade exams. Each one has its own question bank, weighted like the official outline, and a free practice test.
L&BLaw & Business
BGeneral Building
C-10Electrical
C-33Painting
C-36Plumbing
C-27Landscaping
C-20HVAC
C-8Concrete
9 more trade exams
Nothing matches. Pick your license in the pricing block below and tell us you want it.
Your trade is not here yet? Law & Business is the same exam for you, and it is ready. Pick your license above the prices and tap “I want this prep”: the most-requested trades get built first.
What the Law & Business exam covers
The official outline splits the exam into seven sections with a set share of the questions. We weight practice the same way, so you spend your time where the points are.
- Closed book: no reference materials in the room
- About 115 multiple-choice questions, one best answer each
- 3½ hours to finish; a calculator is provided
- Offered in English and Spanish
Safety14%
Approximate weights from the CSLB Law and Business Study Guide (rev. 03-2026). Each section name opens its page in the free guide.
How it works, and what you get
Three steps from “where do I even start” to exam-ready, on your phone between jobs or at a desk, in English or Spanish.
- Find your weak spots. The free test scores you in every section of your exam, so you know what to study first.
- Practice by section. Every answer comes with a short explanation and the exact law, code or publication it is based on.
- Take full mock exams. Timed practice exams weighted like the real one, plus a readiness score that tells you when to book.
Rounds that skip what you already know
Every round starts with questions you have never seen, then the ones you got wrong, oldest first. Pick one official section and 10, 20 or 50 questions: a lunch break or a quiet evening.
Timed mock exams, built like the real ones
Sections weighted exactly as CSLB weights them, against the same clock as the real exam: for Law & Business, 115 questions in 3½ hours. Close the tab by accident and your answers are still there.
Explanations, not just answers
Learn why an answer is right and what the common trap is. Legal and trade terms are shown in English and Spanish, so you recognize them on exam day.
Math made simple
Markup, payroll and deadlines for Law & Business; areas, volumes and material estimates for the trade exams. Step by step, with a calculator like the one at the test center.
Every mistake comes back to you
Questions you got wrong collect in one place and wait to be fixed. Your weakest sections are named on the dashboard, so you always know what to open next.
On your phone, on every device
Install it on your home screen and keep practicing with no signal on site; answers sync when you are back online. Sign in with your email and a six-digit code, no password.
Three extras with 180-day access
A study plan built from your exam date that checks itself against your real answers. A key numbers sheet: the deadlines, dollar amounts, measurements and percentages to know, each with its source, to read on screen or print. Search the question bank by topic to study one rule in depth. For each exam in your pass.
Simple pricing. Pay once.
Pick your license and see exactly what you need. One payment, no subscription, no auto-renewal. Access opens the moment the payment clears.
Three months of full access: enough for most people to prepare and sit the exam.
Six months of access plus three study extras, listed on each card.
One exam
Law & Business
Required for almost every classification
$79$109 one time
- 1,590 questions across all 7 sections
- 115-question timed mocks, 3½ hours
- 500 flashcards for the numbers and terms
180 days adds
- Study plan built from your exam date
- Key numbers sheet: deadlines, fees and penalties
- Search across the question bank
- 6 months of access, room for a retake
Best value
Law & Business + your trade exam
Both exams
Everything a first license takes
$129$169 one time
$158 separately · save $29$218 separately · save $49
- Both exam courses on one pass
- One payment, one sign-in
- Pass guarantee on each exam
Pick your license above: if we cover its trade exam, this card becomes the pass for it.
Every pass includes everything described above, in English and Spanish. Refunds: full refund within 14 days if you have used no more than 50 questions and not started a timed mock exam. See our Refund Policy.
Pass guarantee on every exam: if you study with us and don't pass, we extend your access for free until your next attempt. The first 30 days take one click in your dashboard — no paperwork. How it works.
Why preparing properly pays off
The exams are closed book, so you have to know the rules, not look them up. And every failed attempt costs you time and money.
21 days
Wait after a fail
Fail an exam and you can retake it only after 21 calendar days, paying the re-examination fee again.
What happens after a fail →18 months
Deadline to pass
Your application is valid for 18 months from the day it is accepted. Miss it and you start over with a new application.
The whole licensing process →0 books
Closed-book exams
No reference materials are allowed. Multiple choice, four answers, one best answer. A calculator is provided.
What is on Law & Business →Sources: CSLB Examination FAQ and CSLB Law and Business Study Guide (rev. 03-2026).
Read the whole thing free, first
We wrote the guide we wanted when we started: every rule checked against CSLB's own publications, with the date it was last verified. No sign-up, no email, nothing to buy.
How to get a contractor license in CaliforniaThe seven steps in order, the four-year experience rule, and where people lose months.
What is on the Law & Business examSeven sections with their official weights, the real format, and the truth about the pass mark.
What the license actually costsEvery fee from the $450 application to renewal, including the ones nobody budgets for.
Failed the exam? What happens nextThe 21-day wait, the 18-month trap, and a plan for those three weeks.
Taking the exams in SpanishThe ten exams offered in Spanish and the translator rule most people get backwards.
Exam day at PSIThe ID rule, what stays outside the room, and how your result is handed over.
See the full guide
Study plans, pass rates, sample questions and a page for every section of Law & Business and General Building. Updated 29 September 2026 against the CSLB Law Book, study guides and fee schedule.
Questions
Need help? Email support@cacontractorexam.com and we reply within 2 business days. Found a mistake, or something that would make studying easier? Tell us — we read every message and fix things fast.
Which exams do I have to pass for my license?
For a first license you take two exams: Law and Business, plus one trade exam, the one for the classification on your application (one classification per application). Law and Business is the same exam whatever your trade; the trade exam is different for every classification, so a course for one trade is no use for another. C‑61 Limited Specialty has no trade exam: Law and Business is the only one. Already licensed and adding a classification? You take only its trade exam. The two exams are booked separately at PSI, on the same day or on different days, and a passed exam stays valid for 5 years. You have 18 months from the day CSLB accepts your application to pass them. Pick your license above the prices and the page shows only what applies to you. The whole process, step by step.
Is this the official CSLB exam?
No. CA Contractor Exam is an independent study tool. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Contractors State License Board or PSI. To apply for a license and book the exam, use the official CSLB website.
Are these the real exam questions?
No, and anyone claiming to sell real exam questions should be avoided. Our questions are original. We write them from the official exam outlines and public sources such as the Contractors State License Law, the California Labor Code, the California building codes, IRS Publication 15 and Cal/OSHA regulations.
Can I take the exams in Spanish?
CSLB offers Law and Business and nine trade exams in Spanish, B – General Building among them; the other trade exams are given in English only. Our practice material is in English and Spanish for every exam we cover, and each trade's page says whether CSLB offers that exam in Spanish. Taking the exams in Spanish.
Do you cover my trade exam?
We cover Law and Business and the trade exams listed under Exams we cover, and we add trades in the order visitors ask for them. Pick your license above the prices: if we have your trade exam, you see the pass for Law and Business plus that exam; if we do not yet, Law and Business is the exam we can help you with today, and one tap tells us you want your trade.
Are the questions up to date with current law?
Yes. Every question is written from the current statute, code, regulation or official publication, and each answer shows which one. We review the affected questions whenever the rules change and whenever CSLB updates an exam outline. The material is written for the exams themselves, so for a real job on site always check the official source.
How ready are you right now?
25 questions, about 15 minutes, a score for every section. No sign-up.