Tips for Passing the NC Building Contractor Licensing Exam

You’ve been working hard on project after project, and now you’re ready to level up and get your building contractor license in North Carolina. Contractor licenses are required in North Carolina for any project over $30,000. To get your license, you first must apply and get pre-approval from the State Licensing Board to take the exam. Once your exam date is scheduled, you will have time to prepare to ace the exam. Here are some tips for passing the North Carolina Building Contractor licensing exam.

Get To Know the Material

You’ve been working hard on job sites and know your stuff when it comes to being out in the field. But when it comes time to take the exam, there may be other material on there you might not be expecting. In North Carolina, the Board accepts the National Accredited Building Examination for building contractor’s license. This exam is offered by the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies – or NASCLA for short. The material on this exam tests your knowledge of many aspects of a job. Some topics the Board requires include:

Knowledge of North Carolina State Building Code
Knowledge of estimating costs
Construction
Ethics
Responsibilities pertaining to contracting business

There are many reference books and resources across our site to help you learn about topics like OSHA and building codes for this exam.

Exam Prep

The best way to get ready for an exam is to prepare for it. Don’t go into your licensing exam blind. It already takes some time to get the application for the exam through, so you don’t want to delay it even further by not taking the time to prepare. AtHomePrep offers a comprehensive overview of the exam and adequate prep material through our North Carolina Building Contractors Licensing course. This course includes highlighting guides to take you through multiple reference books. It also offers licensing information and study tips in case you need more information or aid along the way. When you’re ready, you can take online practice tests. To pass the exam, you must get a score of 70% or higher. This exam is open book, so you may bring approved reference books with you in case you need them. Check out our list of approved reference books.

Take the Exam

The North Carolina Building Contractors Licensing exam is a computer-based exam offered through PSI Examination Services. You can find more information on taking the exam through their services here. Once you have aced your exam, it can take 2 to 3 weeks before you receive your license. Keep in mind that you must renew your building contractor’s license every year in North Carolina. The state requires 8 hours of continuing education requirements. These include a mandatory 2-hour course provided by the Board to go over general information, rules, and changes to in law that applies to general contracting. The other 6 hours can be filled by elective courses approved by the board. AtHomePrep offers many courses that will satisfy your continuing education requirements, and keep you learning and growing on the job site.