C-6 Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry exam questions, with answers
10 practice questions for the CSLB Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry trade exam, each with the answer, a plain explanation and the source it rests on.
These are not real exam questions. CSLB does not release its test questions or answer keys, and nobody else has them. We write our own questions from the C-6 outline and the codes, standards and references CSLB lists for the exam. Each answer names its source so you can check it.
The C-6 exam has 5 sections. The questions below are grouped by section, with the share of the exam each one carries. Read the question, pick an answer, then open “Show the answer”. The other questions of the free test, scored section by section, are in the free 25-question C-6 test.
Planning and Estimating · 20% of the exam
Planning cabinetry and millwork projects; estimating cabinetry and millwork projects.
1. Your cut list for a run of face frames calls for 18 rails, each cut from 6/4 rough cherry at a rough size of 3-1/2 in wide x 30 in long. Using AHEC's formula BF = width (in) x length (ft) x thickness (in) / 12, and adding 20% of the net board feet for waste, how many board feet should you buy? Round to the nearest 0.1 BF.
- 15.8 BF
- 19.7 BF
- 23.6 BF
- 24.6 BF
Show the answer
Answer: C. Each rail is 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 / 12 = 1.09375 BF, so 18 rails are 19.6875 BF; adding 20% gives 23.625, or 23.6 BF. 19.7 BF leaves out the waste, 15.8 BF reads 6/4 as 1 in thick, and 24.6 BF divides by 0.80 instead of adding 20%.
Source: AHEC Measurement: Board Foot formula W x L x D / 12 = BF; rough thickness in quarters
2. At her kitchen table, a 68-year-old homeowner signs your contract for new kitchen cabinets. Per CSLB's consumer guide to home improvement contracts, how long does she have to cancel the contract?
- 3 business days
- 5 business days
- 7 calendar days
- 10 calendar days
Show the answer
Answer: B. The Contractors State License Law gives a buyer three business days to cancel, or five business days when the buyer is 65 or older. The contract was signed in her home, not at your place of business, so the right applies. Ten days is how long the contractor has to return her money after she cancels, not the cancellation period.
Source: CSLB Consumer Guide to Home Improvement Contracts, Canceling the Contract - Right to Cancel
Cabinetry and Millwork Fabrication · 24% of the exam
Milling cabinetry and millwork; assembling; storing; transporting.
3. A helper wants to mount a 10-in carbide blade on a shop saw whose arbor turns faster than the top speed printed on the blade. Per Cal/OSHA Title 8 section 4322, what is the rule?
- Blades may run up to 10% over the marked speed if guarded
- Blades may not run above the speed the maker recommends
- The marked speed limit applies only to blades over 12 in
- Carbide-tipped blades may run faster than the marked speed
Show the answer
Answer: B. Section 4322 says circular saw blades or knives must not be operated at speeds above those recommended by the manufacturer. The rule gives no percentage allowance and no exception for carbide or blade size, so use a blade rated for the saw's arbor speed.
4. Your supplier's driver is about to move a load of loose plywood panels off the truck with a forklift. Per APA's builder tips on handling panels in transit, how should the panels be handled?
- Moved no more than ten panels at a time on the forks
- Lifted right on the forks, using the bottom panel as a pallet
- Set on pallets or bunks before the forklift moves them
- Strapped with steel bands, then lifted right on the forks
Show the answer
Answer: C. APA's handling-in-transit advice is to place panels on pallets or bunks before moving them with a forklift, and to protect panel ends and edges during shipment. Forks pushed straight under a stack can damage the bottom panels, and the guide gives no ten-panel rule.
Cabinet Installation · 25% of the exam
Demolishing old cabinets; identifying possible hazardous materials; job site preparation; installing cabinets; finishing cabinets.
5. While tearing out an old kitchen, your crew removes a rotted section of subfloor along with the base cabinets, leaving the floor joists exposed. A helper wants to step across the joists to carry out debris. Per Cal/OSHA Title 8 section 1735, what applies?
- It is allowed if the worker wears slip-resistant work boots
- It is allowed if the joists are spaced 16 in on center or closer
- It is allowed for short trips as long as the joist tops are dry
- Walking on exposed joists is prohibited; use planks or walkways
Show the answer
Answer: D. Section 1735(i) prohibits walking across exposed floor joists, steel beams or girders. Section 1735 instead calls for walkways where needed for access and for planks laid across sound beams over open or weakened areas. Joist spacing, footwear and dry conditions do not change the rule.
6. At the end of a day removing painted cabinets in a 1965 house under the RRP rule, a worker wants to walk to the truck in his dusty clothes and take the tools straight to tomorrow's job. Per EPA's RRP guidance, what must happen first?
- Dusty work clothes are bagged and washed at home that evening
- Only respirators and gloves are cleaned before leaving the area
- Workers and tools are cleaned of dust before leaving the work area
- Tools are cleaned of dust at the next jobsite before they are used
Show the answer
Answer: C. The RRP rule requires the firm to make sure all personnel, tools and other items are free of dust and debris before leaving the work area. EPA explains why: dusty clothing can carry lead home to workers' children, and dusty tools can create a lead hazard at the next jobsite. Tacky mats, shoe covers, wet-wiping and HEPA vacuuming are ways to do it.
Source: EPA RRP Frequent Question 23002-24833 (40 CFR 745.85 work practices)
Millwork Installation · 16% of the exam
Installing millwork; installing stairs and mantels; refacing cabinets and millwork; installing windows and doors.
7. Masonite interior door slabs arrive at a house where the drywall was just finished and is still drying. Per Masonite's instructions for hanging a door on an existing frame, what should you do?
- Hold off storing or hanging them until the building dries
- Store them flat next to a heating register to keep them dry
- Store them upright against a wall next to a heat register
- Hang them now and seal them after the drywall has dried
Show the answer
Answer: A. Masonite says not to store or install its doors in a damp or freshly drywalled building, to store them flat on a level surface in a clean, dry, well-ventilated area, and to keep them at least 10 ft from heating registers. Hanging them in a damp house or stacking them by a register goes against all three rules.
Source: Masonite interior door instructions, steps 1-2 (storage and conditions)
8. Your SureWood-LNL post-to-post balustrade continues along a 16-ft level balcony at the top of the stair. Per the maker's staircase guide, how should the level-run newels be placed?
- One every 5 or 6 ft, with none needed at corners
- One every 5 or 6 ft, plus one at every corner
- One every 8 or 10 ft, plus one at every corner
- One at each end only, since the run is level
Show the answer
Answer: B. SureWood-LNL says that if the balcony is 10 ft or longer, use a level-run newel every 5 or 6 ft, and place a newel at every corner. A 16-ft run therefore needs newels between its ends; wider spacing or skipping the corners does not follow the guide.
Source: SureWood-LNL staircase guide, parts selection: Level Run Newel
Worker and Job Site Safety · 15% of the exam
Personnel safety; job site safety; recycling and disposing of materials.
9. A new stationary planer in your shop creeps across the concrete floor from vibration during long runs. Per Cal/OSHA Title 8 section 3328(d), what is required?
- Restrain it so it cannot walk or move from its location
- Set rubber pads under its feet and check its spot weekly
- Mark its footprint on the floor and push it back as needed
- Run it at a slower feed rate so that it vibrates less
Show the answer
Answer: A. Section 3328(d) requires machinery designed for a fixed location to be restrained so it cannot walk or move from its location. Pads, slower feeds or pushing it back into place do not restrain the machine, so they do not meet the rule.
Source: 8 CCR §3328(d), Cal/OSHA Title 8, General Industry Safety Orders, §3328 Machinery and Equipment
10. A worker drops a foam earplug on a dusty shop floor and wants to put it back in. Per Cal/OSHA's Noise in Construction publication, what should he do?
- Rinse the plug under a tap, dry it and push it back in
- Wash his hands, then insert a new plug instead of the dirty one
- Blow the dust off the plug with air, then push it back in
- Wipe the plug clean on his shirt, then push it back in
Show the answer
Answer: B. The publication says not to reinsert earplugs that are dirty: wash your hands and insert new ones. Wiping, rinsing or blowing off the plug still puts a used, dusty plug back in the ear.
Source: Cal/OSHA Noise in Construction: Hearing Protection (ear plugs)
Where to go from here
How the license works, from experience to fees: how to get a C-6 license. Everything about the course: the C-6 exam page.
Questions from our free C-6 test, written from CSLB License Examination Study Guide, Cabinet, Millwork and Finish Carpentry (C-6), form 13E-6 (03-2026), for examinations scheduled on or after July 1, 2022. CSLB notes that the percentages are approximate. Reviewed 14 October 2026. Study guidance only; we are not affiliated with CSLB or PSI.