The Virginia contractor exam blog

Study plans, Virginia licensing rules and exam strategy for the contractor, tradesman and code official exams. Each post links to the license it covers, and every rule we quote links back to the board that sets it, so you can check it yourself before you apply.

Most people who fail a licensing exam do not fail on knowledge. They run out of time in the references, misread an exception, or bring the wrong edition. New posts land here first and in the RSS feed. When a post is about one license, it links straight to that license page so you can act on it.

No posts yet. The first one is on its way.

Where should you start if your Virginia exam is coming up?

Three things trip up most Virginia candidates, and none of them is a lack of trade knowledge. The first is the clock. The contractor and tradesman exams are open book, and the people who run out of time are the ones who look up answers they should already know roughly where to find. Tab your references, read the table of contents until you can place any topic in its chapter, and drill the index with a timer.

The second is the business side. Most Class A and B firms sit the business and law portion as well as the trade exam, and contract law, lien rules and the Virginia regulations catch people who only studied their trade. The third is the edition. Your PSI candidate bulletin names the reference books your test is written to, and the books you bring must match it. The posts here link to the matching license pages, where every package ships from our fulfillment center, 1 Exam Prep.

What does this blog cover?

Study strategy. How to split six to eight weeks between the reference books, the business and law material and timed practice; how to keep an error log that points at sections instead of vague topics; and what to do in the last 3 days. Every plan assumes about 90 minutes an evening, because most readers work full days.

Using the references. Which chapters carry most of the questions, how to highlight and tab a book so the tabs are useful, and how to read an exception without missing the condition that makes it apply. Permanent tabs and highlighting are allowed in Virginia exam rooms; removable flags are not.

Virginia licensing. Class A, B and C limits, the 8-hour pre-license course, tradesman licenses through the Board for Contractors, and DHCD certification for inspectors and plans examiners. Rules change without much notice, so each post carries the date it was last checked and a link to the board's own page.

Questions we get asked most

How long should I study for a Virginia contractor exam?

Most candidates do well with six to eight weeks at about 90 minutes a day, split between finding answers fast in the references, the business and law material, and full-length timed practice in the last two weeks.

Is the exam open book, and which books do I bring?

The PSI contractor and tradesman exams are open book. Bring the editions named in your candidate bulletin; highlighting and permanent tabs are allowed, removable flags and loose notes are not.

What is the difference between Class A, B and C?

The class sets the size of job your firm may take: Class C up to under $10,000 a job, Class B up to under $120,000 a job and $750,000 a year, Class A above that. Class A and B also need the business exams.

Are the practice questions the real exam questions?

No. Licensing exam questions are confidential and are not published. Practice questions are original material written to the same subjects and format.

Does buying a package register me for the exam?

No. The Board for Contractors approves you first, and PSI schedules the exam. Code officials go through DHCD and ICC instead.

How do the packages arrive?

Books ship from our fulfillment center, 1 Exam Prep; online courses arrive by email after purchase, so you can start the same day.

Sources

Licensing facts checked against these pages; last updated October 19, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the board before you apply.