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How to pass the Louisiana Building Construction exam

One open-book trade exam at PSI, a Business and Law test you take online, and a $50,000 net worth rule. Here’s how the Louisiana commercial license works and how to study for it, checked against the state’s own documents.

At a glance

The exams

Building Construction figures are from PSI’s Louisiana content outline and the PSI bulletin dated March 2026. Business and Law figures are from the LSLBC’s “What Happens After I Apply” page. PSI may add 1 to 10 unscored experimental questions, and the time for them doesn’t count against you.

Before you apply

• Apply first: you can’t schedule a trade exam until the LSLBC approves you. Applications stay active for one year, and PSI eligibility is valid for one year.
• Qualifying party: you name a qualifying party for each classification and for the Business and Law requirement. It must be a principal or a full-time employee working at least 32 hours a week.
• If your qualifier leaves: tell the Board in writing within 30 days, and qualify a replacement within 60 days.
• Net worth: commercial licenses need a net worth of $50,000 or more on the Board’s financial statement form, current within 12 months and prepared by an accountant, bookkeeper or CPA. An irrevocable letter of credit can make up a shortfall.
• Background check: the applicant, each principal and each qualifying party pass a background investigation covering bankruptcies, judgments, liens and criminal convictions.
• Business name: a business entity must use the exact name registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State. The Board doesn’t issue licenses in DBA or trade names.

Step by step

1. Apply online with the LSLBCChoose Commercial and the Building Construction classification, upload your financial statement and entity documents, and answer the legal questions.
2. Complete qualifying party verificationEach qualifying party gets a portal login by email and must finish the online verification before anything moves.
3. Take Business and Law in the portalOnce approved, you get an Examination Approval Notice and take Business and Law online in your LSLBC Contractor Portal.
4. Schedule Building Construction with PSIPSI emails you once you’re approved. Book online or by phone and pay the $175 fee. Cancel at least 2 days ahead or you lose the fee.
5. Pass, or wait 30 days to retakeIf you fail, you can’t retake that exam for 30 days. After two failures within 10 points of passing, you can request a review.
6. Get your licenseWhen every requirement is met, the Board approves the license. You can choose a one-, two- or three-year renewal term.

The reference books

The Building Construction exam covers general code, plan reading and estimating (15 questions), concrete (13), metals (10), safety (8), and sitework, masonry, carpentry and thermal and moisture protection (7 each), plus doors and windows and finishes (3 each).

PSI’s reference list includes the 2018 International Building Code, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, SJI Technical Digest No. 9, Carpentry and Building Construction, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Roofing Construction & Estimating, the PTI Level 1 post-tensioning manual, Modern Masonry and Placing Reinforcing Bars.

Watch the code edition: code questions are based only on the code edition listed. For the other books, later editions are fine.

What you can bring: your own books, highlighted, underlined, annotated and tabbed ahead of time. Use permanent tabs only. No Post-it notes, no loose papers, and you can’t write in the books during the exam. Printed web material must be bound or in a binder.

A 6-week study plan

On test day

• Arrive 15 minutes early with one valid, unexpired photo ID that matches the name you registered under.
• Bring your own books. Permanent tabs only, no loose papers, and no writing in them during the exam.
• Calculators must be silent, battery-operated and non-programmable, with no paper tape and no alphabet keys. Scientific calculators aren’t allowed.
• You get about 2 minutes 15 seconds per question. Answer what you know first, then look up the rest.
• You can go back and change any answer until time runs out, so flag the ones you want to revisit.
• Your score shows on screen when you finish. If you fail, the emailed report shows your weak areas.

Quick answers