3.2 The PSI Trade Exam

What Is the PSI Trade Exam?

Quick Answer: The PSI trade exam is a 100-question, 4-hour, open-book exam that requires a 70% passing score and costs $66 for one exam or $116 for two. It is delivered by PSI Services either remotely proctored online or at a PSI test center.

After you pass the SRE, the second requirement is the trade-specific exam administered by PSI Services. PSI offers two delivery modes: a remote-proctored online session (you take it from home with a live proctor monitoring your camera) or an in-person session at a PSI test center. Both modes use the same exam content, time limit, and passing score.

Trade Exam Format

The 5–10 unscored experimental items are mixed into your exam to pre-test future questions. They count against your 4-hour time budget but do not affect your score, so budget time for all 100+ items rather than trying to identify which ones are experimental.

Open-Book References

The trade exam is open-book, but the rules for what you may bring are strict:

• 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA) — the federal Construction Industry safety standard, required for all classifications.
• 2018 IRC (International Residential Code) — listed on the residential B/B-3/CR-61 outline and on the commercial B-1/B-2/KB-1/KB-2 outline. Both exams allow it.
• 2018 IBC (International Building Code) — listed on the commercial B-1/B-2/KB-1/KB-2 outline only.

Only those three titles are allowed in the room on the commercial exam. The bulletin separately lists five books that were used to write the questions but are barred from the exam center: Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (2011 or 2016), Pipe and Excavation Contracting (1987 or 2011), Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders (2006 or 2008), Carpentry and Building Construction (2010 or 2016), and Modern Masonry (8th or 9th edition). Candidates who assume every listed reference may be carried in lose the lookup they were counting on.

One more rule from the bulletin: for code questions the exam is scored only against the edition listed (2018), even if a newer IRC or IBC has been published. For non-code references you may rely on later editions.

What You May Do With Your References

A silent, non-printing, non-programmable, non-scientific calculator is permitted — PSI's bulletin excludes scientific models, so bring a basic four-function unit. Programmable or text-storing calculators, phones, and smartwatches are prohibited. At a test center PSI issues scratch paper and a pencil and takes them back at check-out; in a remote-proctored session scratch paper is not allowed at all, and no breaks are permitted.

B-1 / B-2 / KB-1 / KB-2 Content Outline (Commercial General Building)

The general contractor exam most applicants take is the commercial general building trade exam, which covers the B-1, B-2, KB-1, and KB-2 classifications in a single combined exam. It has 10 content areas totaling 100 items and allows 29 CFR 1926, the 2018 IBC, and the 2018 IRC in the exam room:

The three heaviest areas — Concrete (14), Metals (13), and Carpentry (12) — together account for 39 of the 100 scored questions, and Safety (12) is the next largest single area. Because this guide targets the general contractor license, the trade-skill chapters that follow are organized around these 10 commercial domains (with residential notes where the B/B-3/CR-61 outline diverges).

B / B-3 / CR-61 Content Outline (Residential — Alternative)

If you are sitting for the residential trade exam instead (covering the B, B-3 Remodeling & Repair, and CR-61 classifications), the outline shifts to 9 content areas with a different weighting:

Here the three heaviest areas are Sitework, Concrete, and Carpentry (17 items each), together 51 of 100. The residential exam references the 2018 IRC instead of the IBC and drops General Building Code and the heavier Metals domain. If you are pursuing a dual KB-1/KB-2 license, confirm which trade exam you are scheduled for so you bring the correct code book.

Waiver Eligibility

Unlike the SRE, the trade exam may be waived if you were a qualifying party on a contractor license in Arizona or another state in the same or comparable classification within the preceding 5 years. To claim the waiver:

• Provide proof of your prior qualifying-party status (license number, state, dates).
• Confirm the classification matches or is comparable to the Arizona license you are applying for.
• Remember that the SRE is still required even when the trade exam is waived.

Retake Policy

If you fail the trade exam, you must wait 30 days before retaking it. You are allowed 3 attempts; after the third failed attempt, you must wait 90 days between each subsequent retake. You cannot rebook on the same day you tested, and the fee is charged again for every attempt. Failing candidates receive a diagnostic score report showing strengths and weaknesses by subject area — use it, plus the 30-day window, to target your weakest content areas rather than rebooking immediately.

Exam-Day Strategy

With 100 questions in 240 minutes, you have roughly 2.4 minutes per question — comfortable for an open-book exam, but only if your references are well-organized:

1. Tab your code books by chapter before exam day. OSHA 29 CFR 1926 subparts and the IRC/IBC chapters should be reachable in seconds.
2. Answer the questions you know first, flag the ones that require a lookup, and return to them.
3. Do not spend more than 4 minutes on any single question. Mark it, move on, and come back if time allows.
4. Bank the Safety items early — Safety is 12 of 100 on the commercial outline (only 6 of 100 on the residential outline), and OSHA questions are usually the fastest to answer if you know fall protection (6 feet in construction), scaffolding, and excavation rules. Clearing them fast buys lookup time for Concrete and Metals.

Quick Answer: The PSI trade exam is 100 questions / 4 hours / 70% passing / $66 (or $116 for two). It is open-book with OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and the 2018 IRC on both exams, plus the 2018 IBC on the commercial exam. Permanent tabs and highlighting are allowed; writing during the exam is not.