Florida Residential Contractor Exam: Format, Outline and Study Plan

The residential contractor exam is the shortest of the three Division I trade exams: 45 questions each for Contract Administration and Project Management. Short is not the same as easy. In 2025, RC Project Management had the lowest first-time pass rate of the six Division I trade exams, and RC Contract Administration tied for second lowest, according to Pearson VUE exam performance reports. With 45 questions, every miss costs more than 2 points, and the pass line falls at an awkward place.

Format

Why 32, not 31.5

70% of 45 is 31.5. DBPR's CILB FAQ addresses this exact case: 31 correct is 68.89%, which fails even if rounded to 69%. You must answer 32 of 45 correctly, which is 71.1%. In practice, you can miss 13 questions on each part.

You also take the 120-question Business and Finance exam, where 84 correct passes.

Content outline

From the January 2020 RC ECIs. Weights may vary by plus or minus 3%.

Contract Administration

Project Management

What the RC outline leaves out

Comparing the RC and GC ECIs line by line, the RC outlines drop a few GC items:

• CA: estimating software, the time allowed for architect and engineer approval of submittals, and sustainability programs (LEED, Green Globe).
• PM: the whole heavy-equipment item (cranes, hoisting equipment, lift plans).

Everything else carries over, including several topics residential builders may not use daily: steel and metal framing, pre-engineered buildings, tilt-up, slip forming, soils reports and proctor tests, dewatering, and OSHA rules on asbestos, lead paint and mold. Construction methods is 64% of PM, so these are not optional.

Topics with a residential focus

Within the shared outline, residential candidates should expect weight on:

• wood framing, truss erection and bracing, rafters, joists, studs and span tables
• wind loads and fasteners
• foundations, slabs and masonry walls
• moisture control, flashing and stucco
• energy code requirements, insulation types and blower door testing
• contract types, change orders, payment draws, releases of lien and the Residential Recovery Fund

References

The RC exams use the same GC/BC/RC reference list (2026 editions): AIA A201, A401 and A701; OSHA 29 CFR 1926; the Contractors Manual; Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction; Energy Efficient Building Construction in Florida; the BCSI truss guide; and the Florida Building Code volumes for Building, Accessibility, Residential, Existing Building and Energy Conservation. The 2027 list moves to the 2026 FBC beginning August 1, 2027.

For residential candidates, the Florida Building Code, Residential volume and the BCSI guide deserve the most tab work, along with OSHA 1926 for the safety area.

Tabbing and lookup strategy

DBPR rules: original editions only (listed PDFs bound, not stapled); highlighting allowed; no handwritten or typed notes; only permanently attached tabs with normal chapter or page headings; nothing removable; no marking during the exam.

• FBC Residential: tab each chapter (foundations, floors, walls, roof-ceiling construction, energy). Span tables and fastener schedules are the most common lookups.
• AIA A201: tab by article so you can jump to payments, changes, time, completion and termination.
• OSHA 1926: tab subparts for scaffolds, fall protection, excavations, concrete and masonry, and stairways and ladders.
• Contractors Manual: tab the lien law and licensing chapters.

Time is generous: 4.5 hours for 45 questions is 6 minutes each. Use it to double-check lookups, since one wrong answer moves you 2.2 points.

Common trouble areas

From the outline and the scoring math, not from candidate data:

• Commercial-flavored PM topics that residential builders rarely touch (metal framing, tilt-up, soils testing, dewatering).
• Contract and lien procedure in CA Area B (40%).
• The pass line. At 32 of 45, there is little room for careless misreads. Watch for NOT and EXCEPT in the stem.

Scheduling and retakes

• Register with Professional Testing, Inc. ($135). Schedule with Pearson VUE once approved.
• Cancel or reschedule at least two full calendar days ahead.
• Results are on site at the end of the exam.
• After a fail, request a review of missed questions within 21 days ($35). Reapply with PTI and wait 21 days to retake.
• Pass all parts within four years of your first scheduled exam.

Exam volume

Pearson VUE exam performance reports for the Florida DBPR construction exams:

FAQ

How many questions are on the Florida residential contractor exam?

45 on Contract Administration and 45 on Project Management, plus 120 on Business and Finance.

What score do I need?

32 correct out of 45 on each RC exam and 84 of 120 on Business and Finance.

Is the RC exam easier than the GC exam?

It is shorter, but in 2025 its first-time pass rates (51% CA, 47% PM) were lower than the GC rates (63% CA, 51% PM).

Does the RC exam cover commercial construction?

The PM outline still includes metal framing, tilt-up and other commercial methods. It drops the heavy equipment and lift plan item.

Can I use the RC license to move up to building or general contractor?

Yes. With 3 years as an active certified RC you can qualify for BC by passing the BC exams, and with 4 years you can qualify for GC by passing the GC exams (F.S. 489.111(2)(c)4).

Related

See the residential contractor license requirements. RC exam prep is in development; join the waitlist on this page. Business and Finance prep is available now: Florida Business and Finance Exam Prep, 90 days of original practice for $99.