Free guideHawaiiLast checked October 2026En español

How to pass the Hawaii “B” General Building contractor exam

Two closed-book exams at 75% each, board approval before you can test, and only six months to pass. Here’s how the Hawaii “B” license works and how to study for it, checked against the state’s own documents.

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At a glance

License“B” General Building Contractor, issued by the Contractors License Board in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing Division.

ScopeA general building contractor works on structures that need more than two unrelated building trades or crafts. The B license also includes several specialty classes, such as C-5 cabinet and millwork, C-6 carpentry framing and C-12 drywall.

The examsTwo exams, both closed book: Business and Law (80 questions, 3 hours) and the B General Building trade exam (80 questions, 4 hours). You need 75% on each.

Who runs itPSI has given Hawaii’s contractor exams since January 2023. You can test at a PSI center on Oahu, Maui, Kauai or the Big Island, or by remote proctor.

Time to passOnce the Board approves you, you have six months to pass. If you don’t, you submit a new application.

No reciprocityHawaii has no reciprocity agreements. Every applicant meets the same experience and exam requirements.

The exams

Exam	Questions	Time	To pass	Books allowed
Business and Law Required for every new applicant	80	3 hours	75%	No
B – General Building	80	4 hours	75%	No

Question counts, times and passing scores are from PSI’s Hawaii candidate bulletin dated 1/20/2026. Up to ten unscored experimental questions may be added, and the time for them doesn’t count against you. An online calculator is provided. If you already hold a Hawaii license and add a classification, you take only the trade exam.

Before you apply

Age and character: 18 or older, with a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness, financial integrity and fair dealing.
Experience, 4 years: at least four years of supervisory experience as a foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the classification, within the past 10 years. The Board may count training, but never for more than one year.
Proof of experience: at least three notarized experience certificates and a Chronological History of Projects form listing only on-site supervision of crews.
Financial documents: a CPA-prepared financial statement (compiled, reviewed or audited, not over a year old), a full credit report covering at least five years, and a Hawaii tax clearance.
Liability insurance: bodily injury of $100,000 each person and $300,000 each occurrence, plus $50,000 property damage each occurrence.
Workers’ comp: a certificate of coverage, or the Board’s exclusion form if you’re a sole proprietor with no employees. Letting insurance lapse forfeits the license.

Step by step

Check your supervisory experienceCount only time spent on site supervising crews in B-type work in the last 10 years. Line up three people for notarized certificates.
Apply to the BoardFile the application with the $50 fee, project list, financial statement, credit report and tax clearance before the Board’s monthly filing deadline. The Board doesn’t meet in December.
Wait for Board approvalYour approval letter lists your exams and the date you must pass by. Allow up to 24 hours after the letter before registering with PSI.
Register and pay PSISchedule at a test center or by remote proctor. The B exam fee is $85. You can cancel without losing the fee if PSI hears from you two days ahead.
Pass both exams within six monthsIf you fail, you may be able to retest within two business days, depending on space. Pay the fee again for each try.
Submit license requirementsAfter passing, send the license fees, insurance certificates, workers’ comp proof and any bond the Board requires.

The reference books

Both exams are closed book. PSI lists reference material to study from, but none of it is allowed in the test center.

For Business and Law, the main reference is the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Hawaii edition (1st ed., 2022). The exam covers business organization, contract management, estimating and bidding, financial management, labor law, licensing, lien law, project management, risk management, OSHA safety and tax law.

Watch the March 30, 2026 change: PSI removed the public works law topic from Business and Law and moved those items to financial management (now 9 items) and licensing (now 8 items).

For the B exam, the list includes the 2018 International Building Code, Modern Masonry (9th ed., 2020), Carpentry and Building Construction (2016), ACI’s Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction (4th ed., 2018), SJI Technical Digest No. 9 (3rd ed., 2008) and OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926. Concrete and associated trades carry the most items (16 each), then carpentry (14).

A 6-week study plan

Week 1Get the NASCLA Hawaii edition and read HRS Chapter 444 and HAR Chapter 16-77. Note the Business and Law item counts by topic.

Week 2Business and Law: licensing rules, insurance and bonds, lien law, labor law and tax. Make flash cards, since it’s closed book.

Week 3Business and Law: contracts, estimating, financial management and risk management. Take timed practice, then schedule the exam.

Week 4B exam: plan reading and estimating, sitework and foundations, and concrete (ACI guide and IBC chapters).

Week 5B exam: carpentry, associated trades, roofing (metal and wood shingles), and thermal and moisture protection.

Week 6B exam: OSHA 1926 basics and full timed practice. Fix weak areas and schedule the B exam well before your six-month deadline.

On test day

Arrive at least 30 minutes early with one valid, unexpired government photo ID. The name must match your registration exactly.
Leave books and notes at home. Both exams are closed book, and personal items go into storage.
An online calculator is provided. If you bring your own, it must be silent, battery-powered, non-programmable, non-printing and without a letter keypad.
You get scratch paper and a pencil, and you return them at the end.
You can go back and change answers until time runs out, so flag tough questions and return to them.
Testing remotely? Run PSI’s computer check first, and start within 15 minutes of your booked time or you lose the fee.

Quick answers

Is the Hawaii contractor exam open book?

No. PSI’s bulletin says both the Business and Law exam and the B General Building exam are closed book.

When do I need a Hawaii contractor license?

Generally, to offer or do residential, commercial or public works construction. The Board’s FAQ says no license is needed when the total job price, including labor, materials and taxes, is $1,000 or less and no building permit is required.

Does Hawaii accept my license from another state?

No. Hawaii has no reciprocity agreements. Out-of-state licensees still file experience certificates and a project list and pass both exams.

Do I have to retest if I was licensed before?

Not always. No exam is required if you qualified by exam within four years of applying, or within four years of when you were last licensed, in the same classification.

When does the license expire?

Every Hawaii contractor license expires September 30 of each even-numbered year, no matter when it was issued.

Official sources

Rules, fees and exam details change. Always confirm with the board before you apply. Last checked October 2026.

ContractorDock is not affiliated with the licensing board or the testing company. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Get the printable study plan

The 6-week plan, a book-tabbing checklist and a test-day checklist for the Hawaii “B” General Building exam, all in one free PDF.

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