Virginia Class A Contractor Exam Guide
If you're applying for a Virginia Class A contractor license, your Designated Employee (DE) must pass the required Class A contractor examination before submitting the contractor license application to the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
Many applicants become confused because Virginia requires two different types of examinations during the licensing process:
the Class A/Class B contractor examination, and
the technical (specialty) examination required for many contractor classifications.
This guide covers only the Virginia Class A contractor examination. Technical examinations are separate requirements and generally occur later in the licensing process after your application has been reviewed by DPOR.
If you're just getting started, we recommend reading How to Get a Virginia Contractor License: The 6-Step Process first to understand where the Class A examination fits into the overall licensing process.
Who Must Take the Virginia Class A Contractor Exam?
Every Virginia Class A contractor license application must designate a Designated Employee (DE) who is responsible for passing the required examination.
The Designated Employee demonstrates that the business has the minimum knowledge required to operate as a Class A contractor in Virginia.
If you're still deciding whether your business needs a Class A, Class B, or Class C license, review Virginia Contractor License Classes Explained before scheduling an examination.
What Is the Virginia Class A Contractor Exam?
The Virginia Class A contractor examination is administered by PSI on behalf of the Virginia Board for Contractors.
Unlike the Class B examination, which requires only two examination portions, the Class A examination consists of three separate examination portions:
Virginia Portion
General Portion
Advanced Portion
All three portions must be successfully completed before the Designated Employee meets the examination requirement for a Virginia Class A contractor license.
Comparison of the examination portions required for Virginia Class A and Class B contractor licenses.
Class A vs. Class B Examination Requirements
One of the most common questions applicants ask is: "What's the difference between the Class A and Class B contractor exams?" The answer is simple.
Class B Contractor Examination
The Designated Employee must pass:
Virginia Portion
General Portion
Class A Contractor Examination
The Designated Employee must pass:
Virginia Portion
General Portion
Advanced Portion
The Virginia and General portions are identical for both license classes. The Advanced Portion is required only for applicants seeking a Class A contractor license.
If you're unsure which contractor license class your business needs, review Virginia Contractor License Classes Explained.
Virginia Portion
The Virginia Portion measures knowledge of Virginia-specific laws, regulations, and licensing requirements that apply to contractors operating within the Commonwealth.
According to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, examination topics include:
Virginia contractor licensing laws
Board for Contractors regulations
Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code
Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund
Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control regulations
Virginia Portion Overview
Questions: 24
Passing Score: 18
Testing Time: 48 minutes
The Virginia Portion is open book and uses approved reference materials published in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.
General Portion
The General Portion evaluates the business knowledge required to successfully manage a construction company.
Subject areas include:
Business organization
Estimating and bidding
Contracts
Project management
Risk management
Safety
Labor laws
Financial management
Federal and state taxes
Lien laws
General Portion Overview
Questions: 50
Passing Score: 35
Testing Time: 100 minutes
Advanced Portion
The Advanced Portion is required only for Class A applicants and focuses on advanced business management concepts expected of larger contracting businesses.
Subject areas include:
Business organization
Estimating
Contract management
Project management
Risk management
Safety
Labor laws
Financial management
Taxes
Lien laws
Advanced Portion Overview
Questions: 24
Passing Score: 17
Testing Time: 60 minutes
Which Books Are Used During the Examination?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that applicants must study from a large collection of books.
According to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management contains the information needed for both the General and Advanced examination portions.
When used together with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, these references also provide the information necessary for the Virginia Portion.
The Candidate Information Bulletin also lists several alternative references that contain more detailed information on certain examination topics. However, PSI specifically notes that additional information contained in those references is not required to answer examination questions.
When Do You Take the Class A Examination?
This is one of the most misunderstood parts of the Virginia contractor licensing process.
The Class A contractor examination is completed before submitting your contractor license application.
Many contractor classifications also require a technical (specialty) examination, but those examinations are generally taken after DPOR reviews and approves your contractor license application.
Understanding the difference between these examinations can help prevent delays and confusion throughout the licensing process.
For a complete overview of the licensing timeline, review How to Get a Virginia Contractor License: The 6-Step Process.
How Long Are Examination Scores Valid?
According to the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, examination scores remain valid for one year.
If all required examination portions are not successfully completed within one year of the initial passing score, the Designated Employee must retake the examination.
Applicants who have passed the Virginia and General portions may choose to apply for a Class B contractor license before their scores expire and later complete only the Advanced Portion to upgrade to a Class A license, provided their examination scores remain valid under PSI's current policies.
Can You Upgrade from Class B to Class A?
Yes.
If you've already passed the Virginia and General portions for a Class B license, you may only need to complete the Advanced Portion when upgrading to Class A, provided your examination scores remain valid under PSI's current score retention policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. The examination is open book and permits approved reference materials listed in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin. PSI has specific rules regarding permitted books, tabs, highlighting, and prohibited materials.
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No.
The Class A contractor examination is a licensing examination for the Designated Employee. Many contractor classifications also require a separate technical examination after the contractor license application has been approved by DPOR.
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Yes. Applicants who have already passed the Virginia and General portions may later complete the Advanced Portion to upgrade to a Class A contractor license, provided their examination scores remain valid under PSI's score retention policy.
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PSI offers online proctoring for many examinations. Availability depends on the specific examination and PSI's current policies. Check the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for the latest scheduling options.
Official Sources
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