CSLB exam · In Spanish

Can you take the California contractor exam in Spanish?

Checked 19 October 2026 against CSLB’s exam FAQ, forms and reports and PSI’s test data · Written by the License Ladder team · Reviewed by AJ Sokol, Co-Founder

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Yes. CSLB offers 10 of its exams in Spanish, including Law and Business and General Building (B). To take one in Spanish, you answer “Spanish” on Question 15 of the application, the translator question, and when your Notice to Schedule arrives, you pick the “Spanish” version at PSI. Each exam costs $51.43 and runs 3½ hours, the same as in English, and the Spanish version has a button that shows each question in English. Checked October 19, 2026.

Get Law & Business · $99$99 Try License Ladder for Free Try License Ladder for Free How to request it
10CSLB exams offered in Spanish
12,011Spanish-version exams given, August 2025 to July 2026
3½ hoursPer exam, the same as in English
$51.43PSI fee per exam, the same as in English

Jump to

The 10 exams How to request it English on screen How many take it No Spanish version Studying in Spanish Questions Sources
The official list

Which 10 exams are offered in Spanish, and how does PSI list them?

They are Law and Business, General Building (B) and eight other trade exams: C-8, C-9, C-15, C-27, C-33, C-36, C-39 and C-54. At PSI, each Spanish version is its own test whose name ends in “Spanish,” such as “CA Law and Business - Spanish.” That is how CSLB’s Examination FAQ and PSI’s test list showed them on October 19, 2026.

The 10 CSLB exams offered in Spanish
Exam (CSLB’s Spanish name)How PSI lists itExams given, 2025 to 2026 (August to July)
Law and Business (Leyes y negocios)CA Law and Business - Spanish7,026
B, General Building (Construcción general)B General Building - Spanish2,244
C-8, Concrete (Concreto)C-08 Concrete - Spanish340
C-9, Drywall (Paneles de yeso)C-09 Drywall - Spanish250
C-15, Flooring and Floor Covering (Pisos y revestimientos de pisos)C-15 Flooring and Floor Covering - Spanish194
C-27, Landscaping (Paisajismo)C-27 Landscaping - Spanish397
C-33, Painting and Decorating (Pintura y decoración)C-33 Painting and Decorating - Spanish451
C-36, Plumbing (Plomería)C-36 Plumbing - Spanish462
C-39, Roofing (Techos)C-39 Roofing - Spanish462
C-54, Ceramic and Mosaic Tile (Baldosas de cerámica y mosaico)C-54 Tile Ceramic and Mosaic - Spanish185
Total, all 10All 10 “Spanish” versions12,011

Why these 10? CSLB’s 2024 report says Spanish has always been the most requested language, so CSLB looked for the 10 exams most often requested in Spanish over the last 20 years and translated them. Residential Remodeling (B-2) and Electrical (C-10) are not on the list: for those exams, the option is an approved translator, as explained further down.

Sources: CSLB, Examinations Frequently Asked Questions; CSLB, Preparación para el examen, its Spanish exam handout (April 2026); PSI, CSLB test list; CSLB, September 2026 Board meeting packet (figures for August 2025 to July 2026); CSLB, 2024 Accomplishments and Activities Report. Checked October 19, 2026.

Step by step

How do you request the CSLB exam in Spanish?

You ask twice: on your application and again when you schedule with PSI. On Question 15 of form 13A-1, you answer that you want the exam in Spanish; if your exam has a Spanish version, CSLB schedules you for it. Then, with your Notice to Schedule an Examination, you pick the PSI test whose name ends in “Spanish.”

  1. 1

    Answer Question 15 on the application

    Question 15 of form 13A-1 says the exams are given in English and asks whether you will need a CSLB-approved translator, and in what language. Check “Yes” and write “Spanish.” CSLB’s instructions say that if you choose Spanish and your exam has a Spanish version, you are scheduled for that exam.

  2. 2

    Wait for your Notice to Schedule

    When CSLB accepts your application, it mails you a Notice to Schedule an Examination. You cannot schedule before that: PSI lets you register only after CSLB has referred you for testing.

  3. 3

    Pick the “Spanish” version at PSI

    At test-takers.psiexams.com/cacon or by phone at (877) 392-6422, choose the test whose name ends in “- Spanish,” such as “CA Law and Business - Spanish” or “B General Building - Spanish.” That is what CSLB told applicants when it launched Law and Business in Spanish in August 2023.

  4. 4

    Pay the same as in English

    You pay PSI separately for each exam: $51.43 per registration, the same in Spanish as in English, and another $51.43 each time you retake it (PSI’s data as of October 19, 2026). You can take the two exams on the same day or on different days.

  • If you ask for a translator. For any of these 10 exams, CSLB does not allow a translator: it requires you to take the Spanish version.
  • The application is in English. CSLB publishes only the instructions in Spanish; form 13A-1 itself is in English. Note that CSLB’s Spanish guide, Obtenga una Licencia para Construir, still refers to “field 16,” but on the current form (rev. 01/2026) it is Question 15.
  • If you already sent it without asking for Spanish. CSLB does not publish what to do in that case; before you schedule, ask at exams@cslb.ca.gov, CSLB’s exam email address.
  • If you live outside California. In June 2026, CSLB said that offering its Spanish exams at PSI centers outside California and Oregon was still pending.
  • No Social Security number? Every application asks for a Social Security number or, if you don’t have one, an ITIN. We explain it in getting a contractor license with an ITIN.

Sources: CSLB, form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026) and its Spanish instructions; CSLB, bulletin on the Spanish Law and Business exam (August 2023); CSLB, Examinations Frequently Asked Questions; CSLB, Obtenga una Licencia para Construir, its Spanish licensing guide; CSLB, September 2026 Board meeting packet; PSI, CSLB test list and test data. Checked October 19, 2026.

Inside the exam

How does the English button on the Spanish exam work?

You click a button on the right side of the screen, and the question appears in English. You can do this while you read any question and its answer choices in Spanish. That is how CSLB’s Spanish handout Preparación para el examen (April 2026) describes it. CSLB created the option on November 1, 2024. By March 1, 2025, all 10 of its Spanish exams had it.

Why CSLB added it

In CSLB’s September 2024 candidate survey, 70% of Spanish-speaking candidates said they had trouble understanding exam terms, compared with 35% of English-speaking candidates. CSLB then began providing the English questions with each Spanish exam, so you can see the names of tools, materials and other terms in both languages.

It is the same exam

CSLB says the content, format and exam plan are the same in Spanish and in English. At PSI, the Spanish version runs the same 210 minutes (3½ hours) and costs the same $51.43. CSLB also keeps its Spanish versions current: between May 1 and July 31, 2026, it released new Spanish Concrete and Landscaping exams.

Sources: CSLB, Preparación para el examen, its Spanish exam handout (April 2026); CSLB, 2025 Accomplishments and Activities Report; CSLB, 2024 report; CSLB, September 2026 Board meeting packet; PSI, CSLB test data. Checked October 19, 2026.

CSLB data

How many CSLB exams are taken in Spanish, and how many pass?

From August 2025 to July 2026, PSI gave 12,011 CSLB exams in Spanish, about 1 in 5 of the 60,100 CSLB exams it gave in all. CSLB’s most recent Spanish pass rates compare before and after the English button. In its 2025 report, the Spanish Law and Business pass rate went from 26% to 28%. The Spanish General Building (B) pass rate went from 16% to 26%.

Candidates who took each Spanish exam, by calendar year (CSLB annual reports)
Spanish exam20242025
Law and Business5,9586,853
B, General Building1,3121,869
C-8, Concrete333321
C-9, Drywall178223
C-15, Flooring and Floor Covering192211
C-27, Landscaping455447
C-33, Painting and Decorating625556
C-36, Plumbing255355
C-39, Roofing370536
C-54, Ceramic and Mosaic Tile171200

In the trades. CSLB says pass rates rose on all 10 Spanish exams after it added the English button; for example, Painting and Decorating (C-33) went from 32% to 61% and Landscaping (C-27) from 16% to 45%. But CSLB does not say which periods it compares or whether it counts first attempts only, and as of October 19, 2026, it had not published newer figures.

Sources: CSLB, September 2026 Board meeting packet (exams given August 2025 to July 2026); CSLB, 2025 Accomplishments and Activities Report; CSLB, 2024 report. Checked October 19, 2026.

With a translator

What if your exam isn’t offered in Spanish, like C-10 or B-2?

You take it in English, and a translator you choose can read the exam to you. CSLB has to approve the translator first, and it says that review can take four to six weeks. As of October 19, 2026, CSLB did not offer the C-10 (Electrical) or B-2 (Residential Remodeling) exam in Spanish, per its Examination FAQ and PSI’s test list.

How to request a translator

Email your name, application number and phone number to exams@cslb.ca.gov and ask for a Translator Form, or call (800) 321-2752, option 4. Your translator can be a friend, a family member or someone you hire, but cannot work in construction, real estate, finance, architecture, engineering or law. Once the translator is approved, PSI contacts you to schedule, or you can call PSI at (800) 367-1565, ext. 6750. All the rules are on our exam day page.

What testing with a translator is like

You test in a private room at the PSI center, with a proctor just for you, and CSLB pays for that room and proctor. The translator may only translate the words in the questions: if they can’t translate a word, they can say it in English, but they cannot define or explain it, or bring a dictionary. CSLB acknowledges that waiting for a room and proctor often delays the exam date.

Are more Spanish exams coming?

CSLB has not given a date. In June 2026, it said more trades are ready for translation, but the work depends on a single bilingual exam specialist. About the C-10, CSLB said in December 2025 that its translation is in progress but delayed by limited resources.

If you’re going for the B-2

If your experience qualifies you for the General Building (B) license, that exam is offered in Spanish; compare the two licenses in B vs. B-2. If you go for the B-2, the exam is given only in English, and you can ask CSLB to approve a translator. License Ladder’s B-2 deck is coming soon, and since every trade also takes Law and Business, License Ladder for Law & Business is available now for $99.

Sources: CSLB, Examinations Frequently Asked Questions (Translator Testing section); PSI, Law and Business candidate bulletin; CSLB, 2024 report; CSLB, September 2026 Board meeting packet (minutes of the June 2026 meeting); CSLB, March 2026 Board meeting packet (minutes of the December 2025 meeting). Checked October 19, 2026.

How to prepare

How do you prepare for the CSLB exam in Spanish?

With License Ladder, used as directed: study the printed cards and digital study guides, and work the app’s practice questions and timed mock exams until your readiness score turns green; then take the exam. The site and the app run in Spanish, the cards are printed in Spanish, and the Exam Coach in the online system answers in Spanish.

  1. 1

    Get License Ladder

    Law & Business is $99: the printed 142-card deck, digital study guides and one year of app access. Going for General Building (B)? Add it for $50 more ($149 total) and you also get the printed 177-card General Building deck: 319 cards in all. One payment, no subscription.

  2. 2

    Study 20 minutes a day

    Go through the cards, which come printed in Spanish, and the digital study guides for 20 minutes a day.

  3. 3

    Practice in the app

    Work the app’s practice questions and timed mock exams. When a topic isn’t clear, ask the Exam Coach in the online system: it answers in Spanish.

  4. 4

    Take the exam when you’re green

    The app gives you a readiness score; when it turns green, you’re ready to pass. Reaching green is also the first condition of our pass guarantee: take the exam within 12 months of purchase, and if you don’t pass, send the official result within 60 days and we refund the purchase.

Want to see it before you buy? The free demo has 15 cards. Enter your name and email to access the free demo. No credit card. You can also look at sample cards and how License Ladder works, or take the free CSLB practice test, with no login.

Sources: how License Ladder works, sample cards and the guarantee terms. Prices as of October 19, 2026.

FAQ

Questions people ask about taking the CSLB exam in Spanish

You request Spanish on Question 15 of CSLB’s application form 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026), the translator question. That question says the exams are given in English and asks whether you will need an approved translator, and in what language: check “Yes” and write “Spanish.” According to the instructions for form 13A-1, if you choose Spanish and your exam has a Spanish version, CSLB schedules you for that version.

On PSI’s website, you choose the test whose name ends in “- Spanish,” such as “CA Law and Business - Spanish” or “B General Building - Spanish.” Each Spanish version is a separate test on PSI’s list of CSLB exams, checked October 19, 2026. You schedule it once you have your Notice to Schedule an Examination, online or by phone at (877) 392-6422. CSLB gave the same directions when it launched Law and Business in Spanish in August 2023.

Not entirely: CSLB publishes the application instructions in Spanish (rev. 01/2026), but form 13A-1, the CSLB application you fill out and send in, is in English. On that form, you request the Spanish exam at Question 15. Note that CSLB’s Spanish guide “Obtenga una Licencia para Construir” still refers to “field 16”; on the current form it is Question 15 (checked October 19, 2026).

CSLB uses several Spanish names for the Law and Business exam. Its August 2023 bulletin says “Leyes y Negocios.” Its Spanish application instructions say “Ley y Negocios,” and its guide Obtenga una Licencia para Construir says “Derecho y Negocios.” PSI’s test list uses English: “CA Law and Business - Spanish.” They are all the same exam (checked October 19, 2026).

Yes. The CSLB General Building (B) exam is one of the 10 exams CSLB offers in Spanish, according to its Examination FAQ, and PSI lists it as a separate test: “B General Building - Spanish.” From August 2025 to July 2026, 2,244 General Building (B) exams were taken in Spanish, according to CSLB’s September 2026 Board meeting packet. Our exam guide also lists all 10 (checked October 19, 2026).

Yes. Painting and Decorating (C-33), Roofing (C-39), Plumbing (C-36), Landscaping (C-27) and Concrete (C-8) are among the 10 exams CSLB offers in Spanish, according to its Examination FAQ. Our exam guide has the full list. At PSI, each is a separate test, such as “C-33 Painting and Decorating - Spanish.” From August 2025 to July 2026, PSI gave 451 painting, 462 roofing, 462 plumbing, 397 landscaping and 340 concrete exams in Spanish. That count is in CSLB’s September 2026 Board meeting packet.

Yes. According to CSLB’s Spanish handout Preparación para el examen (April 2026), CSLB’s Spanish and English exams have the same content, format and exam plan. Both give you 3½ hours per exam, multiple choice, on a computer; in PSI’s data, all 10 Spanish versions run 210 minutes, the same as in English (checked October 19, 2026). The Spanish exam also has a button on the right of the screen that shows each question in English.

Since August 2023, when CSLB began offering the Law and Business exam in Spanish. The Spanish trade exams followed, and in 2024 candidates took all 10 Spanish exams, according to CSLB’s 2024 report. So if you read that the California contractor exam is given only in English, that information is out of date.

In CSLB’s most recent figures, the Spanish Law and Business pass rate rose from 26% to 28% after CSLB added the English button, and the Spanish General Building (B) pass rate rose from 16% to 26%. Those figures come from CSLB’s 2025 report. CSLB says pass rates rose on all 10 Spanish exams. But it does not say which periods it compares, or whether it counts only first attempts.

You can take the Residential Remodeling (B-2) exam in English with a CSLB-approved translator, or, if your experience qualifies, go for the General Building (B) license, whose exam is offered in Spanish; compare the two in B vs. B-2. That is how CSLB’s Examination FAQ and PSI’s test list stood on October 19, 2026. License Ladder’s B-2 deck is coming soon, and License Ladder for Law & Business, the exam every trade also takes, is available now for $99.

No. Spanish is the only language with translated CSLB exams, and only for 10 exams. For any other language, CSLB’s Examination FAQ says an approved translator may accompany you during the exam. In June 2026, CSLB confirmed that interpreters are available for all languages and that candidates who need Farsi, Vietnamese or Mandarin must apply for approval of a translator (checked October 19, 2026).

You see it in your application status on CSLB’s website, using your application number and PIN: it shows “Screening Received,” “Screening Approved,” “Screening Denied” or “Screening Rejected,” and CSLB mails you a letter either way. The review can take four to six weeks. Once your translator is approved, PSI contacts you to schedule, or you call PSI at (800) 367-1565, ext. 6750, according to CSLB’s Examination FAQ (checked October 19, 2026).

Yes. CSLB’s Examination FAQ says there is no age requirement for translators, and a minor without a government ID can show a school photo ID for the current school year. CSLB must approve the minor in advance, like any translator, and the translator agrees not to translate again for one year. This applies only if your exam is not offered in Spanish (checked October 19, 2026).

No. On CSLB’s Translator Form, your translator initials an agreement not to translate again for one year from the date they translated, so a retake needs a new translator, and CSLB must approve that person, which can take four to six weeks. That is what CSLB’s Examination FAQ says. You can retake the exam after 21 days, within your 18 months (checked October 19, 2026).

According to CSLB’s Examination FAQ, if your translator helps you, CSLB denies your application (Business and Professions Code section 496). You also cannot take any CSLB exam for one year from the test date (section 489). You and the translator may be prosecuted under sections 123 and 123.5. PSI monitors every conversation between the translator and the candidate (checked October 19, 2026).

Not for the exams. CSLB offers 10 of its exams in Spanish, including Law and Business and General Building (B), and for an exam with no Spanish version, CSLB can approve a translator you choose to read the exam to you, per CSLB’s Examination FAQ. The paperwork is in English: CSLB publishes the application instructions in Spanish, but form 13A-1 itself is in English (checked October 19, 2026).

With License Ladder, used as directed. The site and the app run in Spanish, the cards are printed in Spanish, and the Exam Coach in the online system answers in Spanish. Study the cards and the digital study guides 20 minutes a day, and work the app’s practice questions and timed mock exams until your readiness score turns green; then take the exam. How License Ladder works.

Prepare for Law and Business in Spanish

License Ladder for Law & Business is $99: the printed 142-card deck, digital study guides and one year of app access. The site and the app run in Spanish, the cards are printed in Spanish, and the Exam Coach in the online system answers in Spanish.

Get Law & Business · $99$99 Try License Ladder for Free Try License Ladder for Free

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Sources

Where every fact on this page comes from

We fetched and read each source below on 19 October 2026. CSLB revises its pages and forms; if anything here differs from CSLB’s own wording when you read it, CSLB’s governs.

CSLB: exams and the application: Examinations Frequently Asked Questions · Preparación para el examen, 13P-104a (April 2026), the Spanish exam handout · Preparing for the Exam, 13P-104 (English edition) · Application for Original Contractor License, 13A-1 (rev. 01/2026) · General information and application instructions, in Spanish · Forms and Applications · Step 2: Applying for the Examination · Step 5: My Original Exam Application was Accepted · Obtenga una Licencia para Construir, CSLB’s Spanish licensing guide

CSLB: bulletins, reports and Board meetings: Bulletin on the Spanish Law and Business exam (August 14, 2023) · 2025 Accomplishments and Activities Report · 2024 Accomplishments and Activities Report · September 2026 Board meeting packet · March 2026 Board meeting packet

PSI, CSLB’s exam vendor: CSLB test list · Law and Business candidate bulletin 11136 · General Building (B) candidate bulletin 8320

We looked for, and did not find in any primary source: which periods CSLB compares in its Spanish pass rates, or whether they count first attempts only; Spanish pass rates newer than those in the 2025 report; whether the Spanish versions are offered at PSI’s test center in Wilsonville, Oregon; and what to do if you already sent your application without requesting Spanish on Question 15.

License Ladder is independent study material, not affiliated with or endorsed by CSLB or PSI.

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