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How to pass the North Carolina general contractor exam

One open-book trade exam, a money test instead of an experience test, and strict rules on how you tab your books. Here’s how the North Carolina Building license works and how to study for it, checked against the board’s own documents.

At a glance

The exams

Question counts, times and passing scores are from PSI’s candidate information bulletin (updated 11/19/2025). All questions are multiple choice. You may also get 5 to 10 unscored “experimental” questions, and the time you spend on them doesn’t count against you. The Building exam’s 90 questions cover site work, concrete, masonry, metals, carpentry, roofing, safety, estimating and plan reading, code requirements and sports fields, plus a handful of business, law, licensing, lien, One Call and erosion control items.

Before you apply

• Age and character: 18 or older and of good moral character.
• Background check: you must consent to a criminal background check. You pay the vendor directly.
• Financial responsibility, Limited: working capital (current assets minus current liabilities) of at least $17,000, or net worth of at least $80,000.
• Financial responsibility, Intermediate and Unlimited: working capital of at least $75,000 (Intermediate) or $150,000 (Unlimited), shown on an audited financial statement or an agreed-upon procedures report from a CPA or independent accountant.
• Surety bond instead: you can post a bond in place of the working capital or net worth test: $175,000 for Limited, $500,000 for Intermediate, $1,000,000 for Unlimited.
• A qualifier who passes the exam: the person who takes the exam must be an owner, officer or responsible managing employee working at least 20 hours a week (or most of the hours the business runs, if less). A non-owner must be a W-2 employee. One person can qualify up to two licenses.

Step by step

1. Pick your limitationMatch it to your biggest single project and to the working capital (or bond) you can show. You can raise it later without taking another exam.
2. Apply online with the boardApplications are online only, through the board’s portal (NCCLiC). The fee is $75 for Limited, $100 for Intermediate and $125 for Unlimited, and it isn’t refundable.
3. Get your eligibility letterOnce the board approves your application, you get an eligibility letter with your ID number. It’s good for 120 days and one exam. A no-show counts as an attempt.
4. Schedule and pay PSIBook online or by phone with PSI. The exam fee is $79 per exam, each attempt, and isn’t refundable. To cancel or move it without losing the fee, do it at least 2 days ahead.
5. Prepare your reference booksGet the books PSI allows in the room. Highlight and underline, add permanent tabs, and keep them free of handwritten notes.
6. Pass, then wait for board approvalScore 70% or better. The board sends approval lists about twice a month, and it usually takes 2 to 3 weeks after you pass for the license to be granted.

The reference books

PSI’s bulletin lists the books the Building exam was written from and splits them into two groups: books you may bring into the exam room, and books you should study from but may not bring in.

Allowed in the room for Building: the 2018 North Carolina State Building Code (Building Code and the Administrative Code and Policies), ACI 318, ACI 530/530.1, ANSI A117.1-2017, the NC OSHA construction standards, NASCLA’s Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management (North Carolina GC Edition, 10th ed.), and Sports Fields: Design, Construction and Maintenance (2nd ed.).

Watch the code edition: code questions are based only on the code edition listed, which is the 2018 NC code on the current bulletin. For non-code books, answers can come from later editions. If two sources disagree, the law or code wins, and a North Carolina rule beats a national one.

What you can bring: complete references only, no partial books. Only building code references can be printed and bound (spiral or 3-ring). Highlighting, underlining and permanent tabs are fine. Removable tabs, notes on tabs, writing in your books and loose papers are not. Always download the current bulletin from PSI before you buy.

A 6-week study plan

On test day

• Get there at least 30 minutes early. Bring one valid, unexpired photo ID with the same first and last name you registered under. Late arrivals can be turned away and lose the fee.
• Bring only the allowed books: complete, bound, permanent tabs only, no notes. Everything else goes in storage.
• Do a first pass answering everything you know cold, then go back and look up the rest. You can change answers until time runs out.
• Watch the clock: a little over 2 minutes per question on Building (200 minutes for 90 questions).
• Calculators must be silent, battery-operated, non-printing, non-programmable and without a letter keyboard. You can ask for a magnifying glass.
• You get your score on screen right away. If you fail, you get 30 minutes to review the questions you missed and a report showing your weak areas.

Quick answers