Free practice + study guide

North Carolina General Contractor Exam

North Carolina General Contractor Business and Law Examination — 40 questions · 90 minutes · Passing score: 70%. PrepPass also publishes a complete study guide for this exam as a downloadable book (91 pages, 89 practice questions inside, $14.99).

Start 10 questions — about 5 min Free · No signup · Every answer explained
01

Test what you know · free, all of it

Five ways to practise.

The same 409 questions, dealt five ways. Pick the one that fits the time you have.

02

Learn what the questions test

Practice finds the gaps. Reading closes them. The eleven chapters below are free to read online. The study guide book is a separate download, sold on its own page.

Practice · free
409
questions, each explained — finds what you don't know yet
Learn · the guide
91
pages in the study guide book, section by section

The eleven sections, as chapters

free to read online
  1. 1Business Organization & Licensing10% of the examRead free →
  2. 2Estimating & Bidding14%Read free →
  3. 3Contracts & Contract Law14%Read free →
  4. 4Project Management & Scheduling12%Read free →
  5. 5Financial Management & Accounting12%Read free →
  6. 6Safety & OSHA14%Read free →
  7. 7Employment & Labor Law12%Read free →
  8. 8Building Codes & Permits12%Read free →
  9. 9North Carolina Contractor Licensing & the NCLBGCState Contractor Licensing & Board · 40% — the largest sectionRead free →
  10. 10North Carolina Contracting Law, Liens & ContractsState Contracting Law, Liens & Contracts · 35%Read free →
  11. 11North Carolina Bonding, Insurance & Business RequirementsState Bonding, Insurance & Business Requirements · 25%Read free →
Cover: North Carolina General Contractor Business & Law — Complete Study Guide (2026)
Study guide · PDF + EPUB
North Carolina General Contractor Business & Law — Complete Study Guide (2026)
91 pages · 89 practice questions inside · updated 2026-09-23
$14.99 one-time · yours to keep
  • The national Business & Law chapters plus a full North Carolina chapter — one PDF + EPUB you keep
  • A self-check closing each of the 11 chapters, and a named-traps list on 8 of them
  • A full practice exam at the back with the reasoning behind every answer, then a formula sheet, a glossary and an exam-day appendix
03

Before you sit

Know the exam you're walking into.

04

See the questions first

Two from the bank, answered.

Real items, with the answer marked and the reason written out — the same format as all 409.

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?

  1. A2 feet
  2. B4 feet
  3. C6 feetCorrect
  4. D20 feet

Why: 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.

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?

  1. A$18,150
  2. B$18,270
  3. C$20,700Correct
  4. D$21,150

Why: 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.

Read all 409 questions with answers →

06

The exam itself

North Carolina General Contractor Exam, by the numbers.

Questions40 questionsPSI adds that five to ten unscored experimental questions may also be given, and they count against exam time.
Time90 minutes
SectionsSafety & OSHA · Estimating & Bidding · Contracts & Contract Law · Financial Management & Accounting · Project Management & Scheduling · Employment & Labor Law · Building Codes & Permits · Business Organization & Licensing · State Contractor Licensing & Board · State Contracting Law, Liens & Contracts · State Bonding, Insurance & Business Requirements
Passing score70%
Our bank409 questions · updated August 2026Written from North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC)
LanguagesEnglish
SourceNorth Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC)Verified 2026-09-24

Full facts and sources →

08

Contractor License Exams

On the same path.

09

Questions

Asked before starting.

Is the practice really free, or does it stop after a few questions?

All 409 questions, the timed mock and the report are free with no sign-up. A free account only adds saving your progress. The study guide book is sold separately, $14.99 one-time; nothing in the practice requires it.

Is your mock the same as the real North Carolina General Contractor Exam?

No. Ours is 50 questions in 50 minutes; the real exam is 40 questions in 90 minutes. Use the mock for stamina and section timing, not as a score predictor.

What score do I need?

70% — as published by North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC). Confirm the current rule with them before your exam date.

Practice questions are AI-assisted study material written from North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC) and reviewed by PrepPass — for practice only, not official exam questions. Bank updated August 2026. PrepPass is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC). Always confirm current exam details with North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors (NCLBGC).
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