0.1 Current Exam Facts: Trade Knowledge & Business & Finance
Key Takeaways
- Florida Certified Roofing Contractor candidates must pass two separate open-book CBT exams: Trade Knowledge (80 scored questions, 5 hours) and Business & Finance (120 scored questions, 6.5 hours).
- The minimum passing score on each part is 70%, and construction exam scores are not rounded to the nearest percent (Candidate Information Booklet).
- Trade content weights follow the DBPR Roofing ECI (BUR, shingles/shakes, metal, single-ply, modified, tile, waterproofing, drains, equipment/safety); Business & Finance follows the statewide B&F ECI.
- Exams are scheduled through Professional Testing, Inc. eligibility and Pearson VUE administration; only current approved reference books listed for the exam year may be used.
- Candidates must complete licensure application with DBPR/CILB after passing; exam scores are time-limited under board rules for obtaining the license.
0.1 Current Exam Facts: Trade Knowledge & Business & Finance
Source of truth: Florida DBPR Construction Examinations pages, the Construction Candidate Information Booklet (CIB), Roofing Trade Knowledge Examination Content Information (
roof_eci.pdf), and Business & Financial Management Examination Content Information (bus_fin_eci.pdf).
Florida's Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) pathway is a Division II specialty. You must pass both of the following computer-based, open-book examinations (unless you hold a qualifying Business & Finance exemption from another Florida construction license category):
| Exam Part | Scored Questions | Time Allowed | Administration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing Trade Knowledge | 80 equally weighted multiple-choice | 5 hours | Daily CBT (Pearson VUE after PTI approval) |
| Business & Finance | 120 multiple-choice (Service Pool is a different 60-question product—not CCC) | 6.5 hours | Daily CBT |
Passing Score
The CIB sets the minimum percentage score at seventy percent (70%). Scores on construction exams are NOT rounded to the nearest percent. You must clear 70% on each required part—excelling on Trade does not offset a failing Business & Finance score.
Official Trade Content Weights (Roofing ECI)
| Area | Weight | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| A Built-Up Roofs | 15% | Gravel stops, test cuts, surfacings (including coatings/SPF/aggregate/cap sheets), decks, felts, coal tar, flashing, maintenance |
| B Shingles and Shakes | 15% | Material selection, layout methods, wood shakes/shingles, valleys, ridges, drip edges, ventilation, flashing, repair |
| C Architectural Metal Roofs | 10% | Metal roofs/shingles, fasteners, sealants, underlayment, flashing, maintenance |
| D Single-Ply Systems | 15% | Adhered, heat-applied, mechanically fastened systems; seaming; insulation; flashing; repair |
| E Modified Roofing Systems | 15% | APP, SBS, self-adhered; adhesive and heat application; insulation; flashing |
| F Concrete and Clay Tile Roofs | 10% | Loads, layout, adhesives, mortar/foam/fastening, underlayment, ventilation, repair |
| G Membrane Waterproofing | 5% | Below-grade walls and floor slabs; primers; hydrostatic pressure; hot/cold methods |
| H Drains and Gutters | 5% | Scuppers/overflow, gutters/downspouts, leaders/conductor heads |
| I Equipment and Safety | 10% | Ladders, scaffolds, hoists, lifts, kettles, heat welding, roof jacks, spudding, compressors/pneumatic tools, fall protection |
Cross-cutting skills explicitly listed for the trade exam include reading plans/specifications, reading codes, and trade mathematics (areas, volumes, triangles, percentages, simple algebra).
Official Business & Finance Content Weights
| Area | Weight | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| A Establishing the Contracting Business | 11% | Entity structure, business plan, professional relationships, fixed assets, obtaining insurance |
| B Managing Administrative Duties | 26% | Overhead, bids/proposals, purchasing, invoices/draws, safety program, insurance, contracts |
| C Managing Trade Operations | 10% | Scheduling (including CPM concepts), OSHA records, materials/equipment, inventory |
| D Conducting Accounting Functions | 32% | AR/AP, cash flow/ratios, taxes, job cost, payroll |
| E Managing Human Resources | 6% | Hiring, HR policies, evaluating employees |
| F Complying with Government Regulations | 15% | Federal (OSHA, tax, NPDES/environmental, immigration components) and Florida law (Ch. 455, 489, 713, 61G4, workers' compensation, CE) |
Registration Path
- Apply with Professional Testing, Inc. (floridaexam.com) for the CCC exam parts.
- After approval, schedule CBT seats with Pearson VUE (Florida DBPR Construction program).
- Bring only current approved references for the exam year (Trade reference list is separate from the Business & Finance list).
- After passing, file the DBPR/CILB licensure application (e.g., CILB 5-I / 6-I) with experience, credit, insurance, and fingerprint packages within the board's score-validity window.
Treat every logistics number in this section as a high-value exam fact: 80 / 5 hours, 120 / 6.5 hours, 70% unrounded, two separate sittings.
Approved References and Open-Book Strategy
Both sittings are open-book, but that does not mean open-laptop or open-internet. Only the bound reference titles on the current DBPR reference list for that exam part may enter the testing room. Trade Knowledge uses the roofing CBT reference list (estimator manuals, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, SMACNA sheet-metal manual, Florida Building Code volumes, and other titles as listed for the exam year). Business & Finance uses its own finance/law list. Bringing a superseded edition is at your own risk: answers are keyed to the editions named on the official list.
Practical open-book tactics that mirror how items are written:
- Tab manufacturer-neutral topics (fall protection trigger heights, kettle extinguisher ratings, Notice to Owner timing) before test day—movable Post-it flags are often prohibited; use permanent tabs if the rules allow.
- Practice locating table values (nail schedules, clearance tables, insurance minima) under timed conditions rather than memorizing every number in isolation.
- Expect scenario stems that force you to choose between two plausible code sections; the better answer matches the most specific applicable rule.
Score Reports, Retakes, and License Timing
Pearson VUE issues an on-site result report after CBT. Failing candidates may use DBPR review/challenge procedures described in the CIB for their most recent examination under department terms. Retake waiting periods and fees are set by current board/vendor rules—always confirm on the authorization notice rather than relying on third-party blogs.
Passing both parts is necessary but not sufficient for a CCC license. You still must:
- Document qualifying experience (typically four years with at least one year as foreman/supervisor, or an approved education-plus-experience track)
- Satisfy financial responsibility (660 FICO-derived score or remediation)
- Maintain workers' compensation and public liability/property damage insurance at Rule 61G4-15.003 minima
- Complete fingerprinting/background and the DBPR application package
Board rules historically require obtaining the license within a limited window after receiving passing scores—treat stale scores as a scheduling risk and file promptly.
How This Guide Maps to the Two Exams
- Business & Finance-heavy chapters: licensing statutes, entity/credit, CE/discipline, lien law, contracts, accounting, taxes/payroll, insurance, HR, NPDES/environmental, estimating/jobsite administration.
- Trade-heavy chapters: OSHA/equipment, BUR and modified bitumen, single-ply and metal, steep-slope shingles/shakes/tile, waterproofing, drains, FBC, and HVHZ.
Use the content-weight tables above to allocate study hours: accounting (32%) and administrative duties (26%) dominate B&F, while BUR, shingles/shakes, single-ply, and modified systems each carry 15% on Trade.
A Florida CCC candidate finishes the Roofing Trade Knowledge exam with a 69.6% score and the Business & Finance exam with an 88% score. What is the correct result under DBPR scoring rules?
According to the DBPR Roofing Trade Knowledge Examination Content Information, how many scored questions are on the roofing trade CBT and how long is the session?