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How to pass the Georgia General Contractor exam

Two open-book exams, board approval before you can test, and a one-year window to pass. Here’s how the Georgia commercial General Contractor license works and how to study for it, checked against the state’s own documents.

At a glance

The exams

Question counts, times and passing scores are from PSI’s Georgia candidate information bulletin (updated April 28, 2025). All questions are multiple choice. The Business & Law exam can include up to ten unscored experimental questions, and those count against your time. PSI’s NASCLA bulletin (updated July 7, 2026) says the NASCLA exam adds 10 unscored pretest questions with the time for them already added, and a blueprint packet is handed out at the test center.

Before you apply

• Age and character: 21 or older, of good character, and qualified as to competency, ability, integrity and financial responsibility.
• Experience, one of three paths: (1) a 4-year degree in engineering, architecture, construction management, building construction or another field the board accepts, plus 1 year working as or for a general contractor; (2) college credit plus practical experience that add up to at least 4 years; or (3) at least 4 years in a construction-related field, with at least 2 of them as or for a general contractor.
• The rule most people miss: On path 3, at least 1 of the 4 years must be in administration, marketing, accounting, estimating or similar office-side work. Field years alone won’t get you there.
• Net worth: affirm a minimum net worth of $150,000 for General Contractor or $25,000 for Limited Tier. A qualifying agent affirms the net worth of the business, not their own.
• Insurance: general liability of at least $500,000 for both tiers, plus workers’ compensation as Georgia law requires. Most employers with three or more employees must carry it.
• Individual or qualifying agent: an individual license is for working in your own name, a trade name or a sole proprietorship. To license a business, apply as its qualifying agent. Every business organization needs at least one.

Step by step

1. Pick the right license typeDecide General Contractor or Limited Tier, and Individual or Qualifying Agent. Check your experience against the three paths and your net worth against the tier.
2. Apply to the boardGet the current application from the Secretary of State’s board page and send it with your experience and net worth proof and your general liability insurance. All licensing questions go to the board.
3. Get your exam approval letterIf the board approves your application, you’re told how to register with PSI. Your eligibility runs for one year from the date of the approval letter.
4. Register and schedule with PSIPay PSI and pick a site and date. PSI’s Georgia bulletin lists $60 for Business & Law and $106 for the NASCLA exam. You can cancel and reschedule without losing your fee if PSI gets your notice 2 days before the exam.
5. Buy and prepare the reference booksGet the editions on the current PSI reference lists. Highlight, underline and add permanent tabs. Don’t write in them, and pull any Post-it notes or loose papers before test day.
6. Pass both exams within the yearYour score shows on screen right away and goes to the board. If you fail one exam, you only retake that one. On your first approval you get 2 tries at each exam. Fail the same exam twice and you must wait at least one year after your last attempt and reapply.

The reference books

The Business & Law exam has one book: the Georgia-NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management (3rd edition). The exam covers licensing requirements, estimating and bidding, business organization and financial management, tax laws, labor laws, project management and lien law, contracts, risk management, and environmental and safety.

The NASCLA exam list is long, about two dozen titles. Key ones include the 2021 or 2024 International Building Code, ACI 318 (2014 or 2019), ICC A117.1-2017, OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction (11th ed.), Construction Jobsite Management, Construction Project Management, and the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management (Basic 14th ed.).

Know where the points are: on the NASCLA exam, Procurement and Contracting Requirements (31 questions) and General Requirements (25) make up almost half the scored questions. Site Construction is next at 15.

What you can bring: the listed books, highlighted, underlined and tabbed with permanent tabs only. No handwriting, no loose or attached papers, and Post-it tabs must come off before the exam starts. The test center does not supply the books. For code books, answers follow only the edition listed.

A 6-week study plan

On test day

• Arrive at least 30 minutes early. If you’re late, you may not be let in and you lose your fee.
• Bring one current, government-issued ID with your name, photo and signature. Temporary IDs aren’t accepted.
• Bring every book you plan to use, with permanent tabs only. Remove Post-it notes, loose papers and any notes ahead of time.
• Watch the clock: roughly 2.4 minutes per question on Business & Law and just under 3 minutes per question on NASCLA.
• Answer everything you know first, then go back and look up the rest. Every question counts the same.
• Calculators must be silent, battery-operated, non-programmable, non-printing and without a letter keypad. Phones, smart watches, bags and notes go in secure storage.

Quick answers