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CSLB trade exam · C-27 – Landscaping
Pass the California Landscaping (C-27) contractor exam.
Original practice questions weighted like the official CSLB outline, each with a plain-language explanation and the code or source behind the answer. In English and Spanish.
25 questions. No sign-up. A score for each of the 6 exam sections.
A first C-27 license takes two exams
The C-27 exam tests your trade; Law & Business is the same exam for every classification. You have 18 months from the day CSLB accepts your application to pass both. Already licensed and adding C-27? You take only the C-27 exam.
C-27 – Landscaping
The trade exam for the C-27 Landscaping license: planning and estimating, construction preparation, hardscape installation, drainage, irrigation, lighting and plant installation, maintenance and repair, and safety.
Law & Business + Landscaping on one pass: $129 instead of $158.
See plans and pricesWhat the C-27 exam covers
CSLB's study guide splits the Landscaping exam into 6 sections. We weight practice the same way, so each section gets the share of your time it has on the exam.
- Closed book: no reference materials in the room
- Multiple choice, four answers, one best answer
- 3½ hours to finish, as for every CSLB exam
- CSLB does not publish the number of questions
- Offered by CSLB in English and Spanish
Planning and Estimating18%Project planning; hardscape, drainage and irrigation design; project estimating.
Construction Preparation12%Site planning; erosion control; trenching and grading.
Hardscape Installation21%Flatwork; masonry; posts, fences and retaining walls; water features.
Drainage, Irrigation, Lighting, and Plant Installation21%Drainage systems and bioswales; irrigation valves and controllers; lighting controllers and transformers; plant, tree and mulch installation.
Maintenance and Repair11%Pruning and tree removal; troubleshooting irrigation systems; repairing hardscapes.
Safety17%Employee and job site safety; tree work safety.
CSLB License Examination Study Guide, Landscaping (C-27), form 13E-27 (03-2026), for examinations scheduled on or after July 1, 2026. CSLB notes that the percentages are approximate.
References CSLB lists for this exam
- 2025 California Building Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24)
- 2025 California Plumbing Code (California Code of Regulations, Title 24)
- Arborists' Certification Study Guide, S.J. Lilly (International Society of Arboriculture)
- Landscape Construction, David Sauter (Cengage Learning)
- The Landscape Lighting Book, Janet Lennox Moyer (Wiley)
- Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (California Department of Water Resources)
- The New Sunset Western Garden Book (Sunset Publishing)
- Principles of Irrigation (Irrigation Association)
- Cal/OSHA General Industry, Construction and Electrical Safety Orders, 2025 (California Code of Regulations, Title 8)
- Trouble Shooting Irrigation Control Systems, Bill Derryberry
Time and format: CSLB Examination FAQ.
How we get you ready for it
1,238 practice questions across the 6 official sections, plus 305 flashcards, in English and Spanish.
Practice one section at a time
All 6 sections, each with its share of the exam next to it. Put your hours where they change your score.
Every answer shows its source
A plain-language explanation and the code section or reference it comes from, so you learn the rule, not just the letter.
Every mistake comes back to you
Questions you got wrong collect in one place and wait to be fixed, and each round starts with what you have not seen yet.
Full-length practice exams and a readiness score
About 115 questions against the official 3½-hour clock, weighted like the outline, and a clear signal for when you are ready to book. CSLB does not publish the exact number of questions.
Study on your phone between jobs, in English or Spanish, and install it on your home screen. Everything a pass includes.
Pay once: Landscaping alone or with Law & Business
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.
Best value
Law & Business + Landscaping
Both exams
Everything a C-27 applicant has to pass
$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
180 days adds, for each exam
- Study plan built from your exam date
- Key numbers sheet: L&B deadlines and fees, Landscaping figures
- Search across the question bank
- 6 months of access, room for a retake
One exam
Landscaping
Passed Law & Business already, or adding C-27 to your license
$79$109 one time
- 1,238 questions, each with its source
- All 6 official sections, weighted like the CSLB outline
- 305 flashcards and timed practice exams
180 days adds
- Study plan built from your exam date
- Key numbers sheet: the figures of the C-27 exam, each with its source
- Search across the question bank
- 6 months of access, room for a retake
Only need Law & Business? It is $79 on its own. 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.
Questions about the C-27 exam
Something else? Email support@cacontractorexam.com and we reply within 2 business days.
Do I also need the Law & Business exam?
For a first license, almost certainly. CSLB requires the Law and Business exam from almost every applicant in addition to the trade exam, and you have 18 months from the day your application is accepted to pass both. Already licensed and adding C-27 to your license? Then you take only the trade exam. How the whole process works.
What does a C-27 – Landscaping license let me do?
A landscape contractor constructs, maintains, repairs, installs, or subcontracts the development of landscape systems and facilities for public and private gardens and other areas which are designed to aesthetically, architecturally, horticulturally, or functionally improve the grounds within or surrounding a structure or a tract or plot of land. In connection therewith, a landscape contractor prepares and grades plots and areas of land for the installation of any architectural, horticultural and decorative treatment or arrangement. Source: 16 CCR §832.27.
What is the format of the C-27 exam?
A closed-book, computer-based, multiple-choice exam at a PSI test center, with four choices per question and one best answer. There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question. CSLB gives 3½ hours for each exam and does not publish how many questions the C-27 exam has.
Can I take the C-27 exam in Spanish?
Yes. C-27 – Landscaping is one of the CSLB exams offered in Spanish. Our practice material is in both languages, and you can switch whenever you like. Taking the exams in Spanish.
What if I fail?
You can retake it after 21 calendar days, as long as you are inside your 18 months. If you studied with us, our pass guarantee extends your access for free until your next attempt. What happens after a fail.
Are these the real exam questions?
No. CSLB does not release its questions, and anyone claiming to sell them should be avoided. Our questions are original, written from the official outline and the codes and references CSLB lists for the exam.
Guides for C-27
How ready are you for the C-27 exam?
25 questions across the 6 sections, about 20 minutes, no sign-up.