Florida Business and Finance Exam: Who Takes It and How to Pass

The Florida Business and Finance exam is the first test every state certified contractor under the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) takes, whether the license is a Division I general, building or residential contractor or a Division II trade or specialty contractor, unless an exemption applies. It has 120 scored multiple-choice questions, a 6.5 hour time limit and a 70 percent passing score, and you apply through Professional Testing, Inc. and sit it on computer at a Pearson VUE test center.

At a glance

• 120 scored multiple-choice questions in 6.5 hours, or 60 questions in 3.5 hours for the Service Pool version. Computer based, offered daily (DBPR Examinations at a Glance, updated June 2024).
• The passing score is 70 percent on each required test (Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.001(37)), and the DBPR candidate booklet says construction scores are not rounded.
• You apply to Professional Testing, Inc. at least 30 days before the test date, then schedule with Pearson VUE after approval (Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.009; DBPR construction examinations page).
• A passing grade runs on two four year clocks: from your most recently passed portion (Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.005) and from your first attempt for all tests (61G4-16.009).
• Checked against the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and Florida Administrative Code Chapter 61G4-16 on October 16, 2026.

If you are weighing a contractor license in Florida, this page covers the one exam that nearly every CILB candidate has in common. Other states divide their exams differently, and our business and law exam by state guide lines them up. Everything below comes from DBPR, the Florida Statutes, the Florida Administrative Code and the DBPR candidate booklet.

Who has to take the Business and Finance exam

Florida Statutes 489.113(1) says a person who wants to contract on a statewide basis must pass the appropriate examination approved by the board and certified by the department. Section 489.105(3) splits contractors into two divisions. Division I is the general contractor, building contractor and residential contractor.

Division II covers the rest: sheet metal, roofing, Class A, Class B and Class C air-conditioning, mechanical, commercial and residential pool and spa, pool and spa servicing, plumbing, underground utility and excavation, solar, pollutant storage systems and specialty contractors.

The DBPR booklet states the test rule for each division. Division I contractors pass three examinations: Business and Finance, Contract Administration and Project Management. Division II contractors pass two: Business and Finance and General Trade Knowledge. Rule 61G4-16.001 lists the tests category by category.

If a company is the applicant, the person who sits the exam is the individual who will qualify it, because section 489.119(2) has that applicant apply as the qualifying agent of the business organization. Section 489.111(2) adds the other basics: the applicant must be 18, of good moral character and meet an experience path, such as four years of active experience including at least one year as a foreman. Our Florida qualifying agent guide shows how that fits a company.

Electrical and alarm contractors are not in this group. The Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board publishes its own candidate booklet with its own Business section, and our Florida electrical contractor license page covers that path.

What the exam tests

Rule 61G4-16.001(22) makes Business and Finance Test one for all construction certification categories. It covers the business and financial management of a contracting firm, with these approximate weights.

The DBPR content outline says each percentage can vary by as much as plus or minus three percent, and that you should be ready for any content area on the list. Under government regulations it names Chapter 455, Chapter 713 (liens), Chapter 489 Part I and Rule Chapter 61G4. The outline on the DBPR page is dated October 2009, so read it alongside the current reference list. The booklet adds that every question is multiple choice with four answers and equal weight.

Questions, time and passing score

The content outline describes the shorter version for Service Pool candidates. If you are not sure which version applies to you, confirm with the board before you register.

Rule 61G4-16.001(37) sets the passing score at no less than 70 percent on each of the required tests, and the booklet says construction scores are not rounded. Seventy percent of 120 scored questions works out to 84 correct answers. The exam can also carry unscored pilot questions, which the booklet says are not identified and come with extra time. You receive a photo-bearing result report right after you finish.

How it fits with the trade exams

Business and Finance is only one test. This table shows how the others stack on top of it, with question counts and times from the DBPR Examinations at a Glance chart. In the table, B&F means the Business and Finance exam.

Each Division II specialty category pairs Business and Finance with one trade test, and the chart lists every one. The plumbing exam is paper and pencil and has its own candidate booklet, which DBPR links from the construction page. For category pages, see our general contractor license in Florida, roofing contractor license in Florida, plumbing license in Florida and Florida specialty contractor categories.

Open book rules and the reference list

The DBPR construction FAQ says the examination is open book, and the DBPR examinations page says the same. Open book here means the approved reference list only. The candidate booklet says only materials and books on the approved list may be brought to the test center, and personal items go in a locker.

The Business and Finance reference list is short, and DBPR republishes it by year. DBPR posts separate versions for even and odd years, so check the version that applies to your test date. Its rules are plain.

• Only one copy of each listed reference is allowed in the room.
• Originals only, except for items the list marks as available as a PDF, and everything must stay bound for the whole exam.
• Underlining and highlighting in a reference are allowed. Handwritten and typewritten notes are not, and movable tabs such as sticky flags are not.
• You may not make marks in your references during the exam.
• Editions earlier or later than those listed can be brought at your own risk, because the answers are based on the listed editions.

We do not list the titles here. The reference list is the source of record, so read the current list and the booklet first.

The booklet also covers test day. Bring two forms of valid signature identification, one government issued, with a name and address that match your application, and report 30 minutes early. A silent, hand-held, nonprinting calculator without an alphabetic keypad is allowed.

Exemptions from the Business and Finance test

Rule 61G4-16.0015 lets some current licensees skip the test. In every case the licensee must not be under investigation or prosecution in any jurisdiction for an action that would violate Chapter 489, Part I, and must not have been disciplined other than by a notice of noncompliance, a letter of guidance or a citation.

• A current active certified residential contractor who applies for the building or general contractor exam.
• A current active certified building contractor who applies for the general contractor exam.
• A current active certified Division I licensee, excluding the Traditional Thatched Structure category, who applies for a Division II exam.
• A current active certified Division II licensee who applies for another Division II or Division I exam. The rule excludes pool service, internal pollutant storage tank lining applicator, precision tank tester and Class C air-conditioning.

Section 489.113(1) adds one more. An applicant with a baccalaureate degree in building construction from an accredited 4-year college, or a related degree the board approves by rule, and a grade point average of 3.0 or higher is only required to take and pass the business and finance portion.

Confirm any exemption with the board before you skip a test, because eligibility depends on the status of your own license file.

How to register, step by step

1. Decide your category and confirm the tests it requires on the DBPR construction examinations page and in rule 61G4-16.001. Read the content outline and the current reference list for the Business and Finance exam.
2. Apply directly with Professional Testing, Inc. online at its Florida exam site. DBPR says the company registers candidates, develops and scores the exams. Rule 61G4-16.009 and the DBPR page require the application and fees to reach the vendor at least 30 days before the exam date you want.
3. Pay the fee. Rule 61G4-12.009(1) sets a $135 payment to the Department or its examination development vendor, plus an examination administration fee paid to the assigned vendor when you schedule. Fees are nonrefundable under rule 61G4-16.009(3). The booklet notes that DBPR computer based exam fees changed on January 3, 2023, so confirm the current administration amount with Pearson VUE when you book.
4. Wait for approval, then schedule with Pearson VUE. The DBPR page says you can schedule within 72 hours of approval, and the booklet advises booking at least five business days before the date you want. Our guide to scheduling the exam with PSI, Prov or Pearson VUE compares Florida with other states.
5. Cancel or reschedule at least two days before your appointment, because the booklet says cancelling later or missing the exam may forfeit your fees.
6. Test, then follow the instructions on your result report for the next step in licensure.

If you do not pass

Under rule 61G4-16.009(1)(b), a candidate who fails or misses a scheduled test pays the reexamination fee and retakes only the tests he or she failed or did not appear for. Rule 61G4-12.009(1)(b) sets the fee for the next test at $135, paid to the Department or its examination development vendor when you schedule, with an administration fee to the assigned vendor on top. A retake application must reach the vendor no less than 30 days before the administration you want, and the booklet says you reapply directly with Professional Testing, Inc.

A candidate who fails can review the questions answered incorrectly. The booklet says you may review only your most recent examination and only the incorrect questions, and the request must be made within 21 days of the exam date. Our failed contractor exam page covers what to do next in any state.

How long a passing score stays valid

Rule 61G4-16.005 says that for the purpose of certification, a passing grade is valid for four years from the date of the most recently passed portion of the exam. Rule 61G4-16.009(1)(b) says a candidate must pass all tests within four years of the first attempt, and after that all past test scores are invalid and every part of the test is retaken. DBPR's construction FAQ also says you must apply for initial licensure within four years of passing the exams.

If you plan to pass Business and Finance first and finish the trade tests later, keep both rules in mind. Confirm with the board how the four years will run on your own file.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Florida Business and Finance exam open book? Yes. The DBPR construction FAQ says the examination is open book. Only the references on the approved list can come into the room, and they must stay bound and unmarked.

How many questions are on it and how long do I get? The standard version has 120 scored questions and 6.5 hours. The Service Pool version has 60 scored questions and 3.5 hours.

What score do I need to pass? At least 70 percent on each required test. The booklet says construction exam scores are not rounded.

Do I have to take it again if I already hold a Florida license? Possibly not. Rule 61G4-16.0015 exempts certain current active CILB licensees who apply for another category and meet the discipline conditions in the rule. Confirm with the board.

When a company cannot wait for the exam

Some owners cannot sit the exam in time or do not yet meet an experience path. A company can still be licensed in Florida through a qualifying agent who already holds the certificate and who qualifies the company as an owner or as a full time W-2 employee who supervises the work. Section 489.119(3)(a) requires the qualifying agent to be certified or registered in the category the company will operate in, and if the departing qualifying agent was the only certified or registered contractor with the business, it gives the business 60 days to employ another one. During that gap the business may not take on new contracts unless the board grants a temporary certificate for unfinished work, so confirm the details with the board.

Our contractor qualifier services put a qualifying agent in that role, and the pages on hiring a qualifying agent and what a qualifying agent is explain how it works. For the owner question in general, see does the owner have to take the contractor exam. If you plan to sit the exam yourself, our live exam classes are coming soon, and the exam prep tour page has the latest.

Talk it through with us

Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski are industry authorities on contractor licensing, and both hold licenses as general contractors, master electricians, master plumbers and master mechanical contractors. If you want help deciding whether to sit the exam or qualify your company another way, call 615-219-2110 or start at Hire a qualifying agent.

Sources

All sources read on October 16, 2026.

• DBPR Candidate Information Booklet, Construction Licensure Examinations (Excluding Plumbing), effective July 2024
• DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board Examinations at a Glance, updated June 2024
• DBPR Construction Examinations page
• DBPR Business and Finance Examination Content Information
• DBPR Construction Examinations Reference Lists
• DBPR Business and Finance CBT Reference List (even year version)
• DBPR Construction Industry FAQs
• DBPR Candidate Information Booklets page
• DBPR Candidate Information Booklet, Electrical Contractors' Licensure Examinations, effective February 2026
• Professional Testing, Inc., Florida construction examinations
• Pearson VUE, Florida DBPR Construction
• Florida Statutes 489.105, Definitions
• Florida Statutes 489.111, Licensure by examination
• Florida Statutes 489.113, Qualifications for practice
• Florida Statutes 489.119, Business organizations; qualifying agents
• Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.001, Written Certification Examination Requirements
• Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.0015, Exemption from Business and Finance Test
• Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.005, Duration of Validity
• Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-16.009, Examination and Reexamination
• Fla. Admin. Code 61G4-12.009, Fees