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CSLB Class B General Building 30-Day Study Plan (2026)
Taking the CSLB Class B General Building exam next month? Days 1–14 read the 5 content areas in the order the exam weights them, starting with Core Trades at 30%. Days 15–21 are timed topic drills against 700 free practice questions. Days 22–28 are three full 100-question, 210-minute mocks with a repair day after each. Days 29 and 30 are a skim and a rest.
Every chapter, drill and mock below is free on PrepPass. Nothing on this page is an official exam fact — the weights are the ones our study chapters carry, and the 70% figure we use in week 4 is our own readiness bar for this question bank, not a passing score published by California Contractors State License Board (CSLB).
What the CSLB Class B General Building exam weights
The plan spends reading days in proportion to these weights, so the schedule below is specific to this exam, not a generic 30-day template.
| Content area | Weight | Free questions | Reading days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Trades | 30% | 215 | 4 |
| Framing & Structural | 20% | 135 | 3 |
| Finish Trades | 20% | 135 | 3 |
| Safety | 15% | 107 | 2 |
| Planning & Estimating | 15% | 108 | 2 |
Weeks 1–2 · Days 1–14
Read every content area once, heaviest first. Core Trades is 30% of the exam, so it gets 4 of the 14 reading days, while Planning & Estimating at 15% gets 2.
- Day 1
Read: Core Trades (part 1 of 4)
Concrete · Electrical. Core Trades is 30% of the exam — the largest block on the blueprint. Finish with the Core Trades practice set — 215 free questions.
- Day 2
Read: Core Trades (part 2 of 4)
Plumbing · HVAC. Carry on where day 1 stopped. Finish with the Core Trades practice set — 215 free questions.
- Day 3
Read: Core Trades (part 3 of 4)
Roofing · Insulation & Weatherproofing. Carry on where day 2 stopped. Finish with the Core Trades practice set — 215 free questions.
- Day 4
Read: Core Trades (part 4 of 4)
Earthwork & Surveying. Carry on where day 3 stopped. Finish with the Core Trades practice set — 215 free questions.
- Day 5
Read: Framing & Structural (part 1 of 3)
Floor & Wall Framing · Roof Framing. Framing & Structural is 20% of the exam — the 2nd-largest block on the blueprint. Finish with the Framing & Structural practice set — 135 free questions.
- Day 6
Read: Framing & Structural (part 2 of 3)
Seismic Hardware · Siding & Stucco. Carry on where day 5 stopped. Finish with the Framing & Structural practice set — 135 free questions.
- Day 7
Read: Framing & Structural (part 3 of 3)
Decks & Stairs. Carry on where day 6 stopped. Finish with the Framing & Structural practice set — 135 free questions.
- Day 8
Read: Finish Trades (part 1 of 3)
Drywall, Plaster & Ceilings · Tile & Stone · Floor Covering. Finish Trades is 20% of the exam — the 3rd-largest block on the blueprint. Finish with the Finish Trades practice set — 135 free questions.
- Day 9
Read: Finish Trades (part 2 of 3)
Paint & Coatings (VOC) · Cabinetry & Millwork (NAAWS Grades). Carry on where day 8 stopped. Finish with the Finish Trades practice set — 135 free questions.
- Day 10
Read: Finish Trades (part 3 of 3)
Windows, Skylights & Doors · Landscaping. Carry on where day 9 stopped. Finish with the Finish Trades practice set — 135 free questions.
- Day 11
Read: Safety (part 1 of 2)
Fall Protection & PPE · Excavation & Trenching · Scaffolding & Ladders. Safety is 15% of the exam — the 4th-largest block on the blueprint. Finish with the Safety practice set — 107 free questions.
- Day 12
Read: Safety (part 2 of 2)
Traffic Control (MUTCD) · Environmental (SWPPP). Carry on where day 11 stopped. Finish with the Safety practice set — 107 free questions.
- Day 13
Read: Planning & Estimating (part 1 of 2)
Plans, Specs & Shop Drawings · Cost Estimating & Takeoffs · Scope & Code Compliance. Planning & Estimating is 15% of the exam — the 5th-largest block on the blueprint. Finish with the Planning & Estimating practice set — 108 free questions.
- Day 14
Read: Planning & Estimating (part 2 of 2)
Field Inspection · Project Coordination · Change Orders & RFIs. Carry on where day 13 stopped. Finish with the Planning & Estimating practice set — 108 free questions.
Week 3 · Days 15–21
Stop reading, start retrieving. One timed drill per day, still in blueprint-weight order, so the heaviest areas get a second pass inside the week.
- Day 15
Drill: Core Trades
Work the Core Trades set straight through — 215 free questions, 30% of the exam. Read the explanation on every miss before moving on.
- Day 16
Drill: Framing & Structural
Work the Framing & Structural set straight through — 135 free questions, 20% of the exam. Read the explanation on every miss before moving on.
- Day 17
Drill: Finish Trades
Work the Finish Trades set straight through — 135 free questions, 20% of the exam. Read the explanation on every miss before moving on.
- Day 18
Drill: Safety
Work the Safety set straight through — 107 free questions, 15% of the exam. Read the explanation on every miss before moving on.
- Day 19
Drill: Planning & Estimating
Work the Planning & Estimating set straight through — 108 free questions, 15% of the exam. Read the explanation on every miss before moving on.
- Day 20
Second pass: Core Trades
Core Trades is 30% of the exam, so it earns a second pass. Redo only what you got wrong the first time, then re-read the chapter sections behind those misses.
- Day 21
Second pass: Framing & Structural
Framing & Structural is 20% of the exam, so it earns a second pass. Redo only what you got wrong the first time, then re-read the chapter sections behind those misses.
Week 4 · Days 22–28
Three full timed mocks (100 questions, 210 minutes each) with a repair day after each one. Score movement between them is the only signal that matters this week.
- Day 22
Full timed mock #1
100 questions in 210 minutes, one sitting, no notes. Whatever you score, this is your baseline — write it down.
- Day 23
Review mock #1
No new material. Re-read the explanation for every question you missed, then re-drill the two content areas you scored lowest on.
- Day 24
Full timed mock #2
100 questions in 210 minutes, one sitting, no notes. Compare it against your day-22 baseline, area by area.
- Day 25
Rebuild: Core Trades
Core Trades is 30% of the exam — more marks than any other area, so it is worth a full day on its own. Re-read the chapter, then redo its 215-question set.
- Day 26
Weak-area day
Still no new material. Re-drill only the questions you have missed so far — the practice engine can serve you exactly those.
- Day 27
Full timed mock #3
100 questions in 210 minutes, one sitting, no notes. We call you practice-ready at 70% or better on a full timed mock. That is PrepPass's bar for our own question bank, not the exam's passing score.
- Day 28
Review mock #3 · Framing & Structural
Review every miss from mock #3, then re-read Framing & Structural (20% of the exam) — the second-heaviest area is where a near-miss score is usually decided.
Final 2 days · Days 29–30
Consolidate and stop. Nothing new goes in.
- Day 29
Skim everything
One pass over all 5 content areas — headings and rules only. Nothing new goes in today.
- Day 30
Rest and logistics
No studying. Confirm your test center, your ID, and your start time, then sleep.
Practice stays free. The full CSLB Class B — General Building (Trade Exam) study guide is the material itself, taught start to finish — a downloadable PDF + EPUB you keep.
Start day 1 now
Core Trades is the heaviest area on the blueprint at 30%, and 215 of our free questions cover it. Read the chapter, then drill it.
A study aid, not a substitute for the official material — always confirm current requirements with California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). The 70% target in week 4 is PrepPass's own practice-readiness bar on our question bank; it is not an official passing score. Last verified: September 2026.