PracticeVideosBlogFlashcardsEspañol
All Practice Exams

100+ Free VA PTC QI Practice Questions

Prepare for the Virginia Painting and Wallcovering Contracting Qualified Individual Examination exam with instant access — no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately
100+ Questions
100% Free

Loading practice questions...

Same family resources

Explore More Virginia Board for Contractors Examinations

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

Virginia Alternative Energy Systems Qualified Individual Examination

Practice Questions

Virginia Asphalt Paving and Sealcoating Qualified Individual Examination

Practice Questions

Virginia Billboard/Sign Contracting Qualified Individual Examination

Practice Questions

Virginia Class A Designated Employee Examination

Practice Questions

Virginia Class B Designated Employee Examination

Practice Questions

Virginia Commercial Building Technical Contractor Qualified Individual Examination

Practice Questions
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: VA PTC QI Exam

USD 85

PSI QI Specialty Fee

DPOR Board for Contractors / PSI Specialty CIB

Open Book

Book Policy

PSI Specialty CIB

PTC

Official Specialty Abbreviation

18VAC50-22-30

QI exam required

Technical Examination

DPOR A501-27EXINFO 09/01/2025

Virginia Painting and Wallcovering Contracting Qualified Individual Examination is the official DPOR/PSI specialty exam for the PTC specialty (18VAC50-22-30). PSI fee is USD 85. Official item count is on the PSI specialty outline.

Sample VA PTC QI Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your VA PTC QI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Under 18VAC50-22-30, what work does Virginia's Painting and Wallcovering Contracting (PTC) specialty authorize?
A.Installation of ceramic tile, marble, and terrazzo floor and wall finishes
B.Hanging gypsum wallboard, taping joints, and installing nonstructural metal studs
C.Applying painting and decorating materials for protective or decorative purposes and installing vinyls, wallpapers, and cloth fabrics
D.Installing roofing membranes and applying below-grade waterproofing as a standalone trade
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 defines PTC as applying materials common to the painting and decorating industry for protective or decorative purposes and installing surface coverings such as vinyls, wall papers, and cloth fabrics. Surface preparation, caulking, sanding, and cleaning that prepare those finishes are included. Tile, drywall hanging, and roofing are separate specialties.
2Per 18VAC50-22-30, which surfaces may a PTC contractor coat or cover?
A.Both interior and exterior surfaces
B.Interior surfaces only; exterior work requires the ROC specialty
C.Exterior siding only; interiors require the HIC specialty
D.Only new construction; existing buildings require a CIC specialty
Explanation: The PTC definition expressly includes both interior and exterior surfaces. A painting contractor may prepare and finish walls, ceilings, trim, and exterior siding or masonry that receive decorative or protective coatings or wallcoverings. Roofing, new-building construction, and unrelated trades stay outside PTC even when they occur on the same site.
3Which preparatory operations does 18VAC50-22-30 include inside the PTC specialty?
A.Installing floor joists and subfloor so a room can be painted later
B.Surface preparation, caulking, sanding, and cleaning preparatory to painting or coverings
C.Running new branch circuits to power spray equipment
D.Encapsulating or removing lead-containing materials as a lead-abatement project
Explanation: The regulation lists surface preparation, caulking, sanding, and cleaning that prepare a surface for paint or wallcovering as PTC work. Those steps exist to receive a coating or covering, not to rebuild structure, add electrical service, or perform lead abatement. Keep incidental prep inside the painting scope and leave other trades to their own specialties.
4Besides a PTC specialty, which Virginia classifications or specialties also provide painting and wallcovering functions under 18VAC50-22-30?
A.ELE and PLB only
B.ROC and DRY only
C.LAC and ASB only
D.CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties
Explanation: 18VAC50-22-30 states that the CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties also provide the painting and wallcovering function. A firm holding one of those broader credentials may paint without a separate PTC designation. Electrical, plumbing, roofing, drywall, lead-abatement, and asbestos credentials do not substitute for PTC.
5A Richmond homeowner wants vinyl wallcovering in a hallway and ceramic tile on the adjacent bathroom walls. What may a PTC-only contractor perform?
A.Both the vinyl wallcovering and the ceramic tile, because both are wall finishes
B.The vinyl wallcovering only; ceramic tile is outside PTC
C.The ceramic tile only; vinyl wallcovering requires the FLR specialty
D.Neither finish; wall work on dwellings requires an RBC classification
Explanation: PTC covers installation of vinyls, wallpapers, and cloth fabrics. Ceramic tile is tile, marble, ceramic, and terrazzo (TMC) work, even when it is installed on a wall. A PTC-only firm hangs the vinyl and must leave the tile to a properly classified contractor unless the firm also holds TMC, HIC, CIC, CBC, or RBC as applicable.
6A client asks a PTC contractor to permanently remove lead-containing paint as a lead-abatement project. How does 18VAC50-22-30 treat that work?
A.It is the LAC specialty; no other classification or specialty, including PTC, provides lead abatement as its function
B.It is ordinary PTC surface preparation whenever the building is older than 1978
C.It is included in PTC if the contractor also sands and primes after removal
D.It is included in HIC only, so a PTC firm may subcontract it without any lead credential
Explanation: Lead abatement contracting (LAC) is defined separately, and the regulation states that no other classification or specialty provides that function except limited incidental work by plumbing and HVAC classifications. Painting that happens to disturb existing paint is not the same as offering abatement. A PTC firm still follows federal lead-safe renovation rules when they apply, but it does not hold LAC authority by virtue of the painting specialty.
7A PTC-only contractor is asked to hang gypsum wallboard, tape the joints, and then prime and paint the new walls. Which portion is inside PTC?
A.Hanging the board and installing sheet-metal studs
B.Taping and finishing the joints only
C.Priming and painting the finished drywall; hanging and taping are DRY work
D.The entire sequence, because paint will be the last step
Explanation: Drywall contracting (DRY) covers installation, taping, and finishing of gypsum board and related panels. PTC begins after that substrate exists: cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting. A last paint coat does not pull hanging and taping into the painting specialty.
8After painting a porch ceiling, the owner asks the same PTC-only firm to replace the leaking porch-roof shingles. What is the correct scope decision?
A.The shingles are incidental caulking, so they stay inside PTC
B.Replacing roofing materials that form a weather-resistant roof surface is ROC work, not PTC
C.Any exterior coating-related leak repair is automatically PTC
D.PTC may replace shingles if the area is smaller than one square
Explanation: Roofing contracting (ROC) covers materials that form a watertight, weather-resistant surface for roofs and decks. PTC includes caulking and coating as preparation or decoration, not installing a roof system. A painting contractor should refuse the shingle replacement unless the firm also holds ROC, HIC, CIC, CBC, or RBC as applicable.
9During an interior repaint, the owner wants new dedicated receptacles installed for future HVLP spray equipment. May a PTC-only contractor perform that electrical work?
A.Yes, because the receptacles serve painting equipment
B.Yes, if the circuits operate at 50 volts or less
C.Yes, if a licensed electrician later inspects the connections
D.No. Installing new branch-circuit wiring is outside the PTC specialty
Explanation: PTC is limited to painting, decorating, wallcovering, and the surface preparation those finishes require. New receptacles and branch circuits are electrical work under the ELE classification, regardless of why the owner wants the power. Serving a painting tool does not pull wiring into the painting specialty.
10A developer wants one contractor to build a new single-family dwelling, including framing, and then paint it. What does a PTC-only license authorize on that project?
A.The painting and wallcovering portion only, not construction of the dwelling
B.The entire dwelling, because paint is part of new residential construction
C.Framing and paint, but not plumbing or electrical
D.Only the exterior paint; interiors require a separate HIC specialty on new houses
Explanation: PTC does not construct dwellings. Building a house is residential building contractor (RBC) work. A PTC firm may be the painting subcontractor on that project and may hang specified wallcoverings, but it cannot take the construction contract under PTC alone. Interior and exterior paint are both inside PTC once the surfaces exist.

About the VA PTC QI Exam

The Virginia Painting and Wallcovering Contracting Qualified Individual Examination is the official PSI technical examination for the PTC specialty. 18VAC50-22-30 defines the specialty as application of painting and decorating materials for protective or decorative purposes and installation of surface coverings such as vinyls, wall papers, and cloth fabrics, including surface preparation on interior and exterior surfaces. The PSI specialty examination fee is USD 85. The examination is open book. Official scored item count, time, and passing score appear on the PSI specialty content outline. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation. It does not replace required trade experience, pre-license education, board approval, or the official examination.

Assessment

Computer-based open-book multiple-choice Qualified Individual examination for the PTC specialty. Official 18VAC50-22-30 scope: application of painting and decorating materials for protective or decorative purposes and installation of surface coverings such as vinyls, wall papers, and cloth fabrics, including surface preparation on interior and exterior surfaces.

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

70% (35 of 50 correct)

Exam Fee

USD 85 (PSI Services (for the Virginia Board for Contractors / DPOR))

VA PTC QI Exam Content Outline

study

PTC Scope

PTC Scope within the official PTC specialty definition

study

Surface Preparation

Surface Preparation within the official PTC specialty definition

study

Coatings

Coatings within the official PTC specialty definition

study

Wallcovering

Wallcovering within the official PTC specialty definition

study

Jobsite Safety

Jobsite Safety within the official PTC specialty definition

How to Pass the VA PTC QI Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70% (35 of 50 correct)
  • Assessment: Computer-based open-book multiple-choice Qualified Individual examination for the PTC specialty. Official 18VAC50-22-30 scope: application of painting and decorating materials for protective or decorative purposes and installation of surface coverings such as vinyls, wall papers, and cloth fabrics, including surface preparation on interior and exterior surfaces.
  • Time limit: 120 minutes
  • Exam fee: USD 85

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

VA PTC QI Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study the official 18VAC50-22-30 PTC specialty definition
2Use the PSI specialty content outline and listed references
3Permanent tabs are allowed in listed code books; study guides are not permitted in the PSI center
4This bank is an English-language MCQ study aid, not an official PSI form

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Virginia PTC Qualified Individual exam?

The DPOR-approved PSI specialty content outline lists 50 scored questions, 120 minutes, and a minimum passing score of 70% (35 of 50 correct). PSI may also administer 5 to 10 unscored experimental items. Those numbers are published on the individual specialty content outline linked from the Contractor Specialty Examination CIB, not in the main bulletin.

How much does the Virginia PTC QI exam cost?

PSI charges USD 85 for a Qualified Individual specialty examination (DPOR Board for Contractors page and PSI Specialty CIB).

What work does a Virginia PTC specialty cover?

18VAC50-22-30 defines this specialty as application of painting and decorating materials for protective or decorative purposes and installation of surface coverings such as vinyls, wall papers, and cloth fabrics, including surface preparation on interior and exterior surfaces.

Is this practice bank the official PSI exam?

No. This is an English-language multiple-choice study adaptation. It is not an official translation, format simulation, or substitute for the PSI examination or required field experience.