Class A is CSLB's General Engineering Contractor classification (BPC §7056). Builds fixed works that need specialized engineering skill, such as roads, bridges, pipelines, dams, sewers, utility plants and the grading/paving/concrete tied to them. Applicants take the General Engineering (A) Examination as well as the Law and Business exam. CSLB's Data Portal lists 14,691 active licenses in this class (read November 7, 2026). CSLB General Engineering (A) Trade Examination — Questions: Not published by CSLB · 210 minutes · Passing score: Not published by CSLB. PrepPass also publishes a complete study guide for this exam as a downloadable book (218 pages, 246 practice questions inside, $24.99).
Your other CSLB exam
This license also needs the Law and Business exam (CSLB can waive an exam in some cases). 110 lessons, 732 practice questions.
Exam inside two weeks?
A printable colour cheat sheet for the exam: the format, the content areas and the figures it turns on, each checked against a named source and dated.
CSLB Class A — General Engineering cheat sheet PDF — $9.99 →
4 pages · US Letter · printable PDF · yours to keep
The Class A license, from CSLB's own pages
General Engineering Contractor (BPC §7056). Builds fixed works that need specialized engineering skill, such as roads, bridges, pipelines, dams, sewers, utility plants and the grading/paving/concrete tied to them.
CSLB's official Class A study guide (PDF)CSLB's Class A classification page
Free Class A practice questionsFree Class A study guideClass A study guide book, $24.99CSLB Class A — General Engineering cheat sheet PDFBundle: $30.99 for 4 itemsAll California license classes
Facts as of November 7, 2026; check CSLB for current rules. PrepPass is independent of CSLB.
Test what you know · free, all of it
The same 300 questions, dealt five ways. Pick the one that fits the time you have.
Learn what the questions test
Practice finds the gaps. Reading closes them. The eight chapters below are free to read online. The study guide book is a separate download, sold on its own page.
Before you sit
See the questions first
Real items, with the answer marked and the reason written out — the same format as all 300.
What is the maximum slope for a 15-foot-deep excavation in Type B soil?
Why: Type B soil allows a maximum slope of 1H:1V for excavations less than 20 feet deep.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 1541.1 App. B
What must every employer have under the Construction Safety Orders?
Why: Every employer must establish, implement and maintain an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 1509
The exam itself
| Questions | Not published by CSLBCSLB says only that “All trade examinations consist of multiple-choice questions.” No count appears in the study guide, the Examinations FAQ, or PSI's candidate bulletin. |
|---|---|
| Time | 210 minutesCSLB: “You will be given 3-1/2 hours to complete each examination.” It is per examination, not per sitting — a candidate taking Law and Business plus a trade exam gets 3-1/2 hours for each. |
| Sections | Planning and Estimating · Structural Principles · Earthwork and Surveying · Subsurface, Surface, and Elevated Piping Work · Foundation and Concrete Construction · Buildings, Structures, and Related Work · Roadwork and Paving · Safety |
| Passing score | Not published by CSLBCSLB: “You will be informed at the test site about the percentage of correct answers needed to pass each examination,” and, in Get Licensed to Build Q14, that the percentage “varies for each exam”. Passing candidates are never shown their own score. PrepPass states no passing score for this exam. |
| Our bank | 300 questions · updated September 2026Written from California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) |
| Languages | English |
| Source | California Contractors State License Board (CSLB)Verified 2026-09-24 |
Contractor License Exams
Questions
Class A is CSLB's General Engineering Contractor classification (BPC §7056). Builds fixed works that need specialized engineering skill, such as roads, bridges, pipelines, dams, sewers, utility plants and the grading/paving/concrete tied to them.
Yes. CSLB requires the General Engineering (A) Examination in addition to the Law and Business exam.
As CSLB states it: At least 4 years journey-level/foreman/supervisor/contractor/owner-builder experience in the class within the last 10 years; up to 3 years credit for education/apprenticeship, at least 1 year must be practical. Source: 16 CCR §825 (2026 CSLB Law Book); CSLB Step 3 Qualifying Experience page.
CSLB publishes the Class A study guide (form 13E-A (03-2026)) as a free PDF at https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/StudyGuides/AStudyGuide.pdf. It lists the exam's content areas and their percentages.
All 300 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, $24.99 one-time; nothing in the practice requires it.
No. Ours is 100 questions in 210 minutes; the real exam is 210 minutes long. Use the mock for stamina and section timing, not as a score predictor.
Not published by CSLB. CSLB: “You will be informed at the test site about the percentage of correct answers needed to pass each examination,” and, in Get Licensed to Build Q14, that the percentage “varies for each exam”. Passing candidates are never shown their own score. PrepPass states no passing score for this exam.
Yes. PrepPass sells CSLB Class A General Engineering — Trade Exam Study Guide (2026), a PDF + EPUB download, $24.99 one-time; the practice on this page stays free without it. See the study guide →