Free practice test · Law and Business + General Building (B)

Free CSLB practice test: 20 exam-style questions, no login.

Checked 20 October 2026 against CSLB and PSI sources · Written by the License Ladder team · Reviewed by AJ Sokol, Co-Founder

This free practice test is for the California contractor license exams given by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB): 20 questions, 10 Law and Business and 10 General Building (B), from License Ladder’s own question bank, each with an instant explanation. No account, no email, no credit card. Like the real CSLB exams, it is four-choice multiple choice; the real exams are closed book, on a computer at a PSI test center, with 3½ hours for each.

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Free practice test

Can you take a free CSLB practice test online?

Yes, right here: 20 questions, 10 Law and Business and 10 General Building (B), with no account, email or credit card. In Study mode you see each answer and its explanation as you go; Exam mode holds them until the end. Your results break down by CSLB section.

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Free test The real exams Law and Business General Building Your score How to prepare Questions Sources
How CSLB tests you

How do the real CSLB exams work?

Each CSLB exam is multiple choice with four answer choices, taken on a computer at a PSI test center, closed book, with 3½ hours to finish. PSI charges $51.43 for each exam, and you get a printed result before you leave. CSLB publishes no passing score and no question count.

The rules for both CSLB exams, as CSLB and PSI state them (checked 20 October 2026)
RuleWhat CSLB and PSI say
Which examsLaw and Business, plus the trade exam for your classification (General Building for a B license), unless a waiver applies
WhereIn person, on a computer, at a PSI test center: 20 in California plus one in Wilsonville, Oregon. There is no online option.
Time3½ hours for each exam. PSI’s on-screen tutorial, up to 15 minutes, does not count.
FormatMultiple choice, with four answer choices per question
Notes and booksClosed book: no reference materials may be used. A calculator is provided.
GuessingNo penalty for guessing
Fee$51.43 per exam, paid to PSI, for a first try or a retake
ResultsA printed report before you leave. A passing report does not show your score; a failing report shows your score and a breakdown by section.
Passing scoreNot published. CSLB says the percentage needed “varies for each exam.”
Number of questionsNot published by CSLB or PSI
RetakesAfter 21 calendar days, inside your 18-month application window

That is why this practice test gives you a score without a pass line. Websites and AI answers that quote a passing percentage or a question count for these exams are not quoting CSLB: as of October 2026, CSLB’s study guides, its Examinations FAQ and PSI’s candidate bulletins state neither.

Sources: CSLB, Examinations FAQ; CSLB, Get Licensed to Build; CSLB, Law and Business study guide 13E-LAW (03-2026); CSLB, General Building study guide 13E-B (03-2026); PSI, Law and Business candidate bulletin. Checked 20 October 2026.

The business exam

What does the CSLB Law and Business exam cover?

CSLB’s Law and Business study guide, 13E-LAW (03-2026), splits the exam into seven sections. The two biggest are Contract Requirements and Execution at 21% and Employment Requirements at 20%. Whatever your trade, your license’s qualifier takes this exam unless a waiver applies. Every section in detail.

CSLB’s Law and Business outline, study guide 13E-LAW (03-2026). CSLB gives the weights as approximate.
SectionApproximate weight
Contract Requirements and Execution21%
Employment Requirements20%
Business Finances15%
Safety14%
Business Organization and Licensing13%
Insurance and Liens12%
Public Works5%

Ten of this test’s 20 questions are Law and Business. For 20 Law and Business questions spread by CSLB’s weights, take the free Law and Business practice test. To study the whole exam, License Ladder for Law & Business, $99, gives you the printed 142-card deck, digital study guides and one year of the app.

Sources: CSLB, Law and Business study guide 13E-LAW (03-2026); CSLB, Get Licensed to Build. Checked 20 October 2026.

The trade exam

What does the CSLB General Building (B) exam cover?

CSLB’s General Building study guide, 13E-B (03-2026), splits the B trade exam into five sections for exams scheduled on or after January 1, 2025. Core Trades is the biggest at 30%, then Framing and Structural Components and Finish Trades at 20% each. Every section in detail.

CSLB’s General Building (B) outline, study guide 13E-B (03-2026), for exams scheduled on or after January 1, 2025. CSLB gives the weights as approximate.
SectionApproximate weight
Core Trades30%
Framing and Structural Components20%
Finish Trades20%
Planning and Estimating15%
Safety15%

Taking a different trade exam?

The 10 Law and Business questions on this test apply to you: every trade’s qualifier takes Law and Business, unless a waiver applies. License Ladder’s Residential Remodeling (B-2), Electrical (C-10) and Plumbing (C-36) decks are Coming Soon, and Law & Business is available now for $99.

For 20 General Building questions spread by CSLB’s five section weights, take the free General Building practice test. With License Ladder, General Building is $50 more ($149 total) and adds the printed 177-card General Building deck to everything in Law & Business.

Source: CSLB, General Building (B) study guide 13E-B (03-2026). Checked 20 October 2026.

After the test

What does your CSLB practice test score tell you?

Your score shows how many of the 20 questions you got right and how you did in each CSLB section, so you can see where License Ladder will focus your study. It is a starting point, not a pass line. CSLB publishes no passing score, and what tells you you’re ready is the readiness score in the License Ladder app: when it turns green, you’re ready to pass.

What your score shows

How many you got right out of 20, your results in each CSLB section the questions come from, and a review list with every question, the correct answer and its explanation. Read every explanation, including the ones for questions you got right.

What tells you you’re ready

The readiness score in the License Ladder app. Study the printed cards and digital study guides, and work the app’s practice questions and timed mock exams until it turns green. Green means you’re ready to pass, and it is the first condition of the pass guarantee.

Why there’s no pass line here

CSLB does not publish a passing score. Its Get Licensed to Build guide says the percentage needed to pass “varies for each exam.” A percentage you see quoted online is not CSLB’s, so this test gives you your score without one.

Sources: CSLB, Get Licensed to Build; CSLB, Examinations FAQ. Checked 20 October 2026.

How to prepare

How should you prepare for the CSLB exams?

Buy License Ladder and use it 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 book your exams. For both exams, add General Building to Law & Business for $50 more: $149 total.

  1. 1

    Take this free test

    20 questions, 10 Law and Business and 10 General Building (B), with no login. Read the explanation for every answer.

  2. 2

    See your score by section

    Your results show how you did in each CSLB section: that is where License Ladder will focus your study.

  3. 3

    Keep going in License Ladder until you’re green

    Study 20 minutes a day with the printed cards and digital study guides, then work the app’s practice questions and timed mock exams. The AI Exam Coach in the online system answers your questions as you go. When your readiness score turns green, you’re ready to pass.

  4. 4

    Book your exams with PSI

    After CSLB accepts your application, it mails you a Notice to Schedule. Book each exam with PSI, $51.43 per exam, on the same day or on different days.

Printed cards for both exams

If you add General Building, you get 319 printed cards: the 142-card Law & Business deck and the 177-card General Building (B) deck. Shipping is free.

One year of the app

Practice questions, timed mock exams, your readiness score and the AI Exam Coach in the online system, for one year, plus digital study guides. One payment, no subscription.

English or Spanish

The site and the app run in Spanish, the cards are printed in Spanish, and the Exam Coach answers in Spanish, so you can study in the language you think in.

Backed by our guarantee

Reach a green readiness score before your exam and take the exam within 12 months of purchase. If you don’t pass, send your official result within 60 days and your purchase is refunded. That is our pass guarantee.

Weigh that against the cost of not being ready. Each retake is another $51.43 to PSI and at least 21 days of waiting, and every attempt has to fit inside the 18 months CSLB gives you after it accepts your application. License Ladder is $99 for Law & Business, and $50 more if you add General Building ($149 total).

Exam facts: CSLB, Examinations FAQ; PSI, Law and Business candidate bulletin. What License Ladder includes: how License Ladder works and the guarantee terms. Checked 20 October 2026.

FAQ

Questions people ask about CSLB practice tests

Yes. License Ladder’s free CSLB practice test has 20 questions, 10 Law and Business and 10 General Building (B), and asks for no account, no email and no credit card. You get each answer’s explanation and your score by CSLB section right on this page. For 20 questions on one exam, take the free Law and Business test or the free General Building test.

No. They come word for word from License Ladder’s own question bank, the one behind the License Ladder app. Each has the app’s explanation and is filed under a section of CSLB’s outline. They are not CSLB’s questions: CSLB’s Examinations FAQ says “Test questions and answer keys are not available for review” (checked October 2026). What each exam covers: Law and Business and General Building.

No 20-question practice test can tell you that, and no score on this page is a pass line. CSLB does not publish a passing score: its Get Licensed to Build guide says the percentage needed “varies for each exam” (checked October 2026). Treat your score as your starting point. What tells you you’re ready is the readiness score in the License Ladder app: when it turns green, you’re ready to pass.

Yes, the real CSLB exam is timed. CSLB gives you 3½ hours for each exam. PSI’s on-screen tutorial, up to 15 minutes, does not count against that time, say CSLB’s Examinations FAQ and PSI’s Law and Business bulletin (checked October 2026). On this free test, pick Exam mode. It holds the answers until the end and shows how long you have taken, so you can practice against the clock.

No. The CSLB exams are closed book: no notes or books, and you can’t take your own calculator into the testing room. CSLB’s Law and Business study guide says no reference materials may be used and that a calculator will be provided. CSLB’s Examinations FAQ lists notes, textbooks, cell phones and calculators among the personal items not permitted in the testing room (checked October 2026). So take this practice test the same way: no notes and no searching online.

No. CSLB’s Examinations FAQ says your qualifying exam “must be taken in person” at a PSI location: 20 test centers in California plus one in Wilsonville, Oregon, where you test on a computer (checked October 2026). Practicing online is different. This free test runs in the web browser on your phone or computer, with nothing to install and no account to create.

CSLB’s Examinations FAQ sets no fixed number of attempts. You can retake a failed exam after 21 calendar days, as long as you are not past your 18-month void date. An exam taken within three weeks of that date is your last chance on that application (checked October 2026). Each retake is another $51.43 to PSI. So study with License Ladder until your readiness score is green before you book.

Yes. You can take Law and Business and the General Building exam on the same day. CSLB’s Examinations FAQ says each exam is a separate fee and can be scheduled on the same day or at different times, as you prefer (checked October 2026). Each exam gets its own 3½ hours and its own $51.43 PSI fee. You can book only after CSLB accepts your application and mails your Notice to Schedule.

Yes, in part: this test’s 10 Law and Business questions apply to every trade. CSLB requires Law and Business plus the trade exam for your classification, unless a waiver applies, says its Get Licensed to Build guide (checked October 2026). Even C-61 applicants, who have no trade exam, take Law and Business. License Ladder’s decks for B-2, C-10 and C-36 are Coming Soon. Law & Business is available now for $99.

Yes. When you finish, the review list shows every question with your answer, the correct answer and the explanation. Your results are also broken down by CSLB section. The real exam is different. At the PSI test center you get a printed result before you leave, and a failing report shows your score and how you did in each section, says CSLB’s Examinations FAQ (checked October 2026).

Take it the way the real exam runs. CSLB’s exams are closed book and multiple choice, with four choices per question, and CSLB’s Law and Business study guide says there is no penalty for guessing (checked October 2026). So put your notes away, read all four choices, answer every question, then read every explanation, including the ones for questions you got right. After that, get License Ladder and study with it until your readiness score is green.

Buy License Ladder and use it as directed. Study the printed cards and 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. For both exams, add General Building to Law & Business for $50 more: $149 total. Reaching green is the first condition of the pass guarantee.

Yes. The free CSLB practice test runs in your phone’s web browser, with large answer buttons, no app to download and no account to create, and a refresh does not lose your place. It works on a computer too. When you want more, the License Ladder app gives you practice questions and timed mock exams for one year, alongside printed cards you can study anywhere. How License Ladder works.

In the License Ladder app. Along with practice questions, the app has timed mock exams, and its readiness score tells you when you’re ready: green means you’re ready to pass. License Ladder includes one year of the app, from $99 for Law & Business. Practice with the real clock in mind: CSLB gives you 3½ hours for each exam, per its Examinations FAQ (checked October 2026).

Yes. You can take this free test and study with License Ladder at any time. Only the real exam has to wait: CSLB’s Examinations FAQ says you cannot schedule it before your application is referred for testing, and once CSLB accepts the application you have 18 months to pass (checked October 2026). Starting while CSLB reviews your application puts that waiting time to work.

No. A 20-question test shows you how CSLB-style questions read and where to focus, but it is a sample, not preparation. The CSLB exams are closed book, according to CSLB’s study guides for Law and Business and General Building (checked October 2026), so what you need has to be learned before test day. The preparation is License Ladder, used as directed: printed cards, digital study guides, practice questions and timed mock exams until your readiness score turns green.

License Ladder is built for 20 minutes a day. Study the printed cards and digital study guides. Then work the app’s practice questions and timed mock exams until your readiness score turns green. Plan around CSLB’s clock too. Once CSLB accepts your application, you have 18 months to pass both exams. After a failed exam, you wait 21 days to retake it, says CSLB’s Examinations FAQ (checked October 2026).

Not from CSLB. Its Examinations FAQ says “Test questions and answer keys are not available for review” (checked October 2026), so no PDF of real CSLB exam questions and answers comes from CSLB. This free CSLB practice test is not a PDF: it runs in your web browser, scores itself, shows your results by CSLB section and explains every answer, with no login. For 20 questions on one exam, take the free Law and Business test or the free General Building test.

Keep going until you’re green

For both exams, add General Building to Law & Business for $50 more: $149 total. You get 319 printed cards, digital study guides, and one year of the app with practice questions, timed mock exams, your readiness score and the AI Exam Coach. One payment, no subscription.

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Sources

Where every fact on this page comes from

We fetched and read each source below on 20 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 web pages: Examinations FAQ

CSLB study guides and publications: Law and Business study guide, 13E-LAW (03-2026) · General Building (B) study guide, 13E-B (03-2026) · Get Licensed to Build (2025 edition)

PSI: Candidate bulletin for Law and Business · Candidate bulletin for General Building (B)

What we looked for and could not find, as of October 2026: a passing score or a number of questions for either exam in any CSLB or PSI document.

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

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