Florida General Contractor Exam Practice Test
Frequently asked questions
How many Florida General Contractor Exam practice questions are here?+
A full bank of original Florida General Contractor Exam practice questions across the official content areas, weighted like the real exam, with explanations. Free, no signup.
What is the Florida General Contractor Exam exam like?+
A multiple-choice exam. Practice by topic here, then take the full timed mock exam to gauge readiness.
Are these the real exam questions?+
No. Every question is 100% original, written from public primary sources with explanations. We never copy real exam questions or paid prep material.
Can I study in Chinese or Spanish?+
PrepPass practice is in English, 中文 and Español. The official exam is in English — switch the question language to English any time to rehearse the exact terminology you'll see on test day.
Sample practice questions
A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.
- 1. Business Organization & Licensing
A construction business is organized as a corporation. If the corporation is sued and cannot pay a judgment, what is generally at risk?
- a.The personal homes and bank accounts of every shareholder
- b.The personal assets of the highest-paid officer only
- c.The assets owned by the corporation itself, not the shareholders' personal assets
- d.Nothing, because corporations cannot be sued
Answer: c
Explanation: A corporation is a separate legal entity from its owners (shareholders). This separation creates limited liability: creditors and judgments generally reach only the assets the corporation owns, and shareholders risk losing only what they invested — not their personal homes or savings. That protection can be lost only in unusual cases such as fraud or 'piercing the corporate veil.'
- 2. Estimating & Bidding
A contractor's total direct cost for a job is $18,000. The contractor adds a 15% markup to cover overhead and profit. What is the bid price?
- a.$18,150
- b.$18,270
- c.$20,700
- d.$21,150
Answer: c
Explanation: Markup is a percentage added on top of cost. Multiply the cost by (1 + markup): $18,000 x 1.15 = $20,700. The markup dollars are $18,000 x 0.15 = $2,700, which is added to the $18,000 cost to reach the bid price. Markup covers both company overhead and profit.
- 3. Contracts & Contract Law
Which set of elements is generally required for a contract to be legally valid and enforceable?
- a.A notary stamp, a witness, and a deposit
- b.A blueprint, a permit, and a bond
- c.Offer, acceptance, consideration, legal capacity, and a lawful purpose
- d.A handshake, a logo, and an invoice
Answer: c
Explanation: A valid contract requires an offer, acceptance of that offer (mutual assent), consideration (something of value exchanged by each side), parties with legal capacity to contract, and a lawful purpose. If any element is missing — for example, no consideration or an illegal objective — the agreement may be void or unenforceable. Notaries, permits, and bonds are sometimes useful but are not the core elements of contract formation.
- 4. Project Management & Scheduling
In a Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule, the 'critical path' is:
- a.The path with the most expensive activities
- b.The longest sequence of dependent activities, which determines the shortest possible project duration
- c.The path that uses the newest equipment
- d.Any path that has the most float
Answer: b
Explanation: The critical path is the longest chain of dependent activities through the network. Because it is the longest path, it sets the minimum time in which the whole project can finish. Activities on the critical path have zero float — delaying any one of them delays the entire project. It is about time and dependency, not cost or equipment.
- 5. Financial Management & Accounting
A contracting company has current assets of $240,000 and current liabilities of $120,000. What is its current ratio?
- a.0.5 to 1
- b.1.2 to 1
- c.2.0 to 1
- d.12 to 1
Answer: c
Explanation: Current ratio = current assets / current liabilities = $240,000 / $120,000 = 2.0. A ratio of 2.0 means the company has $2 of short-term assets for every $1 of short-term debt, which generally indicates healthy short-term liquidity. Sureties and lenders watch this ratio closely; a ratio below 1.0 signals the company may struggle to pay near-term obligations.
- 6. Safety & OSHA
Under OSHA construction standards, at what height above a lower level does fall protection generally become required for workers on a construction site?
- a.2 feet
- b.4 feet
- c.6 feet
- d.20 feet
Answer: c
Explanation: OSHA's construction fall-protection rule (29 CFR 1926.501) generally requires protection — such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall-arrest systems — when a worker is exposed to a fall of 6 feet or more to a lower level. (Note the general-industry trigger is 4 feet, but on construction sites the 6-foot rule applies.) Falls are consistently a leading cause of construction fatalities, which is why this threshold is heavily tested and enforced.
- 7. Employment & Labor Law
An employee is injured while framing a house during work hours. Which system is designed to cover the employee's medical bills and lost wages regardless of who was at fault?
- a.The employee's personal auto insurance
- b.Workers' compensation insurance
- c.A performance bond
- d.The building permit fee
Answer: b
Explanation: Workers' compensation is a no-fault system: an employee injured on the job receives medical care and partial wage replacement without having to prove the employer was negligent, and in exchange the employer is generally protected from most injury lawsuits. Carrying required workers' compensation coverage is a fundamental legal obligation for contractors with employees. A bond and a permit serve entirely different purposes.
- 8. Building Codes & Permits
What is the primary purpose of a building permit and the inspections that go with it?
- a.To generate extra tax revenue with no benefit to the public
- b.To confirm that the proposed work meets the applicable building codes for safety and to allow official inspection of the work
- c.To guarantee the contractor will make a profit on the job
- d.To replace the need for a written contract with the owner
Answer: b
Explanation: A building permit is the jurisdiction's authorization to perform construction that meets the adopted building codes, and the required inspections verify that the work actually complies at key stages. The core purpose is protecting public health and safety — sound structures, safe electrical and plumbing systems, and proper egress. Permits are not a revenue trick, a profit guarantee, or a substitute for the owner-contractor contract.
- 9. State Contractor Licensing & Board
In Florida, what is the key difference between a CERTIFIED contractor and a REGISTERED contractor?
- a.A certified contractor may work anywhere in the state; a registered contractor may work only in the local jurisdiction(s) that recognized their local competency
- b.A certified contractor works only on government jobs; a registered contractor works only on homes
- c.There is no difference; the terms are interchangeable
- d.A registered contractor may work statewide; a certified contractor is limited to one county
Answer: a
Explanation: A Certified contractor passes the state examination and holds a statewide certificate valid anywhere in Florida. A Registered contractor has qualified through a local competency examination or license and may work only within the local jurisdiction(s) that granted that local credential. Certification is the broader, statewide credential.
- 10. State Contracting Law, Liens & Contracts
Under Florida's Construction Lien Law, a lienor who is NOT in direct contract with the owner (such as a supplier or sub-subcontractor) generally must serve a Notice to Owner within what time frame?
- a.Within 10 days of signing any contract
- b.Within 45 days of first furnishing labor or materials
- c.Within one year of finishing the project
- d.There is no notice requirement in Florida
Answer: b
Explanation: A lienor who is not in privity with the owner must serve a Notice to Owner no later than 45 days after first furnishing labor, services, or materials to the job. Serving this notice on time is a prerequisite to a valid lien for those not in direct contract with the owner.