Exam day at PSI: what to bring, and what to leave in the truck
One ID, thirty minutes early, empty pockets. The mistakes that cost people an exam fee happen at the front desk, not at the screen.
You have spent weeks on lien deadlines and payroll math. It would be a shame to lose the day because your license expired last Tuesday or because you walked in with a water bottle. PSI runs the California contractor exams for CSLB, and its rules at the door are strict and not open to discussion. Here is all of it in the order you will meet it.
The week before
- Check the name. The name on your ID has to match the name on your CSLB application. If you changed your name with CSLB recently, CSLB suggests calling PSI to confirm they have the right name on file.
- Check the expiry date on your ID. It must be valid and not expired on the day. There is no grace period in the rules.
- Know the cancellation cutoff. You can cancel or move your appointment without losing the fee if PSI receives the notice two days before the exam. CSLB's own example: for a 9:00 a.m. Monday appointment, the notice has to reach PSI before 9:00 a.m. the Saturday before. Do it on the PSI website or by phone at (877) 392-6422, option 2, and speak to a person. A voicemail or an email to CSLB or PSI does not count.
- Accommodations and translators are approved in advance, not on the day. If you need a disability accommodation, CSLB has to approve it before you schedule. If you plan to bring a translator, CSLB has to approve that person in advance too — and for the ten exams offered in Spanish, including Law and Business, you take the Spanish version instead. Details in taking the exam in Spanish.
The ID rule
This is the rule that ends the most exam days before they start. You need one of these, valid and not expired, issued by a government:
- U.S. driver's license (any state)
- U.S. state-issued ID card (any state)
- Government-issued passport (book or card)
- Permanent resident card (green card)
- U.S. military ID
- U.S.-issued Employment Authorization Card
The photo has to look like you, and the name has to match your application. Show up without acceptable ID and CSLB treats it as a missed appointment: you do not test, you lose the exam fee, and rescheduling costs $100.
Source: CSLB Examinations FAQ, "What identification is accepted on the day of my exam(s)?"
What stays outside the testing room
CSLB's FAQ quotes PSI's list of items that are not allowed in the testing room, and says the list is not complete. Plan on bringing your ID and nothing else into the room.
| Not allowed in the room | Worth knowing |
|---|---|
| Phones, smart watches and any electronic or recording device, headphones and earbuds | Includes anything "smart". Leave it in the vehicle if you can |
| Calculators | One is provided. Practice the math without your own |
| Notes, textbooks, reading material | Closed book, no exceptions |
| Food, candy, gum, drinks — including water | Eat before you go in |
| Purses, briefcases, backpacks, luggage | Stored outside, at your own risk |
| Your own pens or pencils | Pencils and scratch paper are provided on request |
| Hats, caps, visors, sunglasses, fashion scarves | Religious headwear is allowed but subject to inspection |
| Sweaters and sweatshirts with pockets | If you want a layer, pick one without pockets |
| Bulky, large or noisy jewelry | Jewelry you are allowed to keep on is inspected |
| Over-the-counter medication, good-luck items, therapeutic items, cameras, weapons |
Prescription medication is the one exception, and only if you medically need it during the exam: bring it in a container with a proper prescription label showing your name and the drug. The proctor can inspect it at check-in. Glasses are allowed but inspected, and you cannot wear them for the photo.
Anything you bring goes into a shared storage area, at your own risk. CSLB's advice is to leave valuables locked in your vehicle, because test center staff do not watch that area.
Sources: CSLB Examinations FAQ ("What items are prohibited at the PSI test center?"); CSLB, "Step 5: My Original Exam Application was Accepted".
Getting there
Arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled time. CSLB is blunt about lateness: if you arrive late you may not be admitted, and arriving after the start time is on the list of ways to forfeit your fee. Check-in takes time, and your appointment time is when the exam starts, not when you walk through the door.
You lose the exam fee if you:
- do not cancel at least 48 hours (two days) before the exam,
- do not show up,
- arrive after the exam start time, or
- do not present proper identification.
Where: PSI has California test centers in Agoura Hills, Atascadero, Bakersfield, Carson, Diamond Bar, El Monte/Santa Fe Springs, Fresno, Irvine, Lawndale, Redding, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, Union City, Ventura, Visalia and Walnut Creek, plus Wilsonville, Oregon. The Law and Business exam — not the trade exam — is also offered at PSI centers in a number of other states. If you have never been to your center, drive the route once before the day, at the same time of day.
Inside: the exam itself
| Delivery | On a computer. The system walks you through a short on-screen tutorial before the exam starts |
|---|---|
| Questions | Multiple choice, four choices, one BEST answer. Some need calculation |
| Time | 3½ hours for each exam |
| Both exams in one day? | Allowed. Each exam is scheduled and paid separately and gets its own 3½ hours |
| Guessing | No penalty. A blank is always wrong; a guess is sometimes right |
| A question you think is wrong | You can type a comment on it during the exam, before it is scored |
Sources: CSLB Law and Business Examination Study Guide; Get Licensed to Build, Licensing Examinations Q15–Q20; CSLB Examinations FAQ.
CSLB's study guide says there is plenty of time to answer every question, and for most prepared people that is true. Two habits make it true for you. First, read all four choices before picking one: the exam is written so that one answer is the best, and the first plausible one is often the trap. Second, do not get stuck. If a calculation is going nowhere, pick your best answer and move on, then come back if time allows. You want every question answered before the clock gets tight.
Do not take anything out of the room, and do not repeat the questions afterward. Removing exam material, copying questions or passing them to a school or anyone else violates exam security. CSLB lists the penalties: automatic failure, loss of fees paid, a misdemeanor charge with a $500 fine, damages of up to $10,000 plus litigation costs, possible county jail, and no CSLB license application for one year from the exam date.
Your result, before you leave
You get a printed report before you leave the test center.
- If you passed, it says so, and nothing else. The passing report does not show your score.
- If you failed, it shows your overall score, the number of questions you answered correctly and a breakdown by section. Those sections match the seven in the official content outline, so the report tells you exactly where to spend the next three weeks.
Results are confidential, released only to you and CSLB, and never given over the phone. You cannot see the questions or the answer key afterward.
A pass report is not a license. Once you have passed everything you need, CSLB mails a Bond and Fee letter to your business mailing address listing what is still required before the license is issued. The full sequence is here.
If it did not go your way
- You can retake after 21 calendar days.
- Each reschedule is a non-refundable $100, paid to PSI through your PSI account or by phone.
- You have 18 months from the day CSLB accepted your application to pass. If you tested within three weeks of that void date, that was your last attempt on this application.
- CSLB may extend the void date by up to 90 days if you document that you could not reschedule because of a medical emergency or another circumstance beyond your control.
- A passed exam stays good for five years, so pass one and fail the other and you only retake the one you failed.
More on reading the failing report and using the 21 days in failed the exam? here is what happens next.
The night-before list. ID checked: right name, not expired. Confirmation of time and address. Route planned for arrival 30 minutes early. Prescription medication in its labeled bottle, if you need it. A layer without pockets. Phone, watch and bag stay in the vehicle. Then stop studying and sleep.
Common questions
Can I bring water?
No. Drinks, including water, are on the list of items not allowed in the testing room.
Can I use my own calculator?
No. Personal calculators are prohibited, and one is provided for the math questions. Practice the way you will actually work on the day.
My driver's license expired. Can I use it with my passport card?
An expired ID does not count. You need one ID that is valid and unexpired on its own — a valid passport card on its own is fine.
Can I take Law and Business and my trade exam on the same day?
Yes. They are separate appointments with separate fees, and each gets its own 3½ hours. Whether that is wise depends on you: seven hours of testing is a long day.
Can I take the exam online from home?
No. CSLB exams are taken in person at a PSI test center.
What score do I need to pass?
CSLB does not publish a fixed pass mark; its licensing booklet says the percentage varies for each exam. More on scoring.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026 against the CSLB Examinations FAQ, CSLB's "Step 5: My Original Exam Application was Accepted" page, the Law and Business Examination Study Guide and Get Licensed to Build. PSI can change its procedures; check your scheduling notice and cslb.ca.gov. Not legal advice, and we are not affiliated with CSLB or PSI.