Alabama Concrete Contractor Exam: What You Need to Know to Pass in 2026
You've done the work. Now you need the license. The Alabama concrete contractor exam stands between you and a contractor's license, and it's not something you want to walk into cold. The test covers everything from formwork design to OSHA excavation rules — 60 questions in 150 minutes, open book but still demanding. This guide breaks down exactly what's on the exam, what books to bring, and how to prepare so you pass on the first attempt. Start by taking our free practice exam to see where you stand right now.
Alabama Concrete Contractor Exam Overview
The Alabama concrete contractor PSI exam is administered by PSI on behalf of the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. Here's what the test looks like:
- Questions: 60 scored questions
- Time limit: 150 minutes
- Passing score: 70% — that's 42 correct out of 60
- Format: Multiple choice, open book
- Fee: $96 per registration (same fee whether first attempt or a retake)
This is an open-book exam, which helps — but don't let that fool you into thinking you can flip through pages and figure it out on the fly. The questions are specific. You need to know which book to open and roughly where to find the answer. That only comes from practicing beforehand.
You must be approved by the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors before you can register. Once approved, register online 24/7 at the exam registration page or call PSI at (855) 257-1619. For full details, check the official exam bulletin and the state licensing website.
What Topics Are on the Alabama Concrete Contractor License Test?
The exam covers six topic areas. Here they are, ranked by how heavily they're weighted on the real exam — study accordingly.
1. General Concrete — 16 Questions
This is the biggest section. Expect questions on concrete mixture proportioning, water-cementitious materials ratio, Portland cement types, fly ash, slag cement, silica fume, aggregate classification and grading, moisture content, chemical admixtures, and concrete durability categories (freeze-thaw, sulfate, chloride exposure). Know your material science here — it's worth the most points.
2. Layout and Excavation — 12 Questions
Batter boards, string lines, survey stakes, and plan reading are fair game. You also need to know OSHA excavation safety cold: soil classifications (Type A, B, C), protective systems (sloping, benching, shoring, shielding), and what to do near existing foundations and underground utilities.
3. Estimating and Plan Reading — 10 Questions
Volume calculations for slabs, walls, and footings. Estimating labor, equipment, and material costs. Reading plan views, profiles, symbols, and scales. Formwork cost estimation. Reinforcing bar placing drawings and bar lists. Bring a calculator and know your formulas.
4. Formwork — 8 Questions
Lateral pressure of fresh concrete on vertical forms, vertical loads (dead and live), slab and wall form design using allowable stress and deflection criteria, shoring and reshoring in multi-story work, and formwork materials — lumber, plywood, engineered wood, steel, and aluminum.
5. Reinforcing Steel — 8 Questions
Bar grades, ASTM specs (A615, A706, A955, A1035), bar identification markings, concrete cover requirements, development length, lap splice requirements, and bar supports. You need to read a bar and know what it means.
6. Safety — 6 Questions
Fall protection under Subpart M (6-foot threshold, guardrails, personal fall arrest, safety nets), concrete and masonry safety under Subpart Q, excavation safety under Subpart P, PPE requirements, and fire protection on construction sites. These questions are straight from 29 CFR 1926 — know that code.
Sample Questions from the Alabama Concrete Contractor Exam
Here are five questions representative of what you'll face. Read them carefully — do NOT look up the answer yet. That's what the practice exam is for.
Question 1 — Formwork (Medium)
When performing a factored load (LRFD) analysis for a shoring/reshoring system during construction, what load factor does ASCE 37-14 specify for the construction dead load of forms, shores, and reshores?
- A) 1.6
- B) 1.2
- C) 1.0
- D) 1.4
Question 2 — Formwork (Medium)
When motorized carts are used during concrete placement, what is the minimum unfactored design load for combined dead and live loads on the formwork?
- A) 150 lb/ft²
- B) 75 lb/ft²
- C) 100 lb/ft²
- D) 125 lb/ft²
Question 3 — Reinforcing Steel (Medium)
What is the normal construction tolerance for bar support height, measured from the bottom of the leg or runner wire to the underside of the reinforcing bar?
- A) Plus or minus 1/4 inch
- B) Plus or minus 1/16 inch
- C) Plus or minus 1/8 inch
- D) Plus or minus 3/16 inch
Question 4 — Reinforcing Steel (Hard)
You are a concrete contractor reviewing bar markings at the jobsite and notice a bar with grade lines between the two main ribs. The grade lines extend at least 5 deformation spaces. If there is exactly one grade line, what grade does this bar represent?
- A) Grade 80
- B) Grade 75
- C) Grade 60
- D) Grade 40
Question 5 — General Concrete (Medium)
When supplementary cementitious materials are used in concrete exposed to deicing chemicals, what is the maximum allowable dosage of fly ash by mass of total cementing materials?
- A) 25%
- B) 10%
- C) 35%
- D) 50%
Know the answers? Take our free practice exam to check yourself.
What Types of Questions to Expect — By Topic
Here's the breakdown of what each section actually tests:
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Estimating and Plan Reading: Volume takeoffs for slabs, footings, and walls; unit cost estimation for labor and equipment; reading construction drawings, scales, and symbols; formwork cost planning; reading bar placement drawings and bar lists.
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Layout and Excavation: Setting up batter boards and string lines; interpreting survey stakes; identifying soil type for excavation; applying OSHA Subpart P rules on sloping ratios, benching geometry, and cave-in protection; safe excavation near utilities and foundations.
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Formwork: Calculating lateral concrete pressure on vertical forms; applying dead and live load minimums for horizontal formwork; designing slab, wall, beam, and column forms to stress and deflection limits; shoring and reshoring sequences; properties of different form materials.
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Reinforcing Steel: Reading ASTM grade markings on bars; calculating development length and lap splice lengths; applying cover requirements for different exposure conditions; selecting and spacing bar supports correctly.
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General Concrete: Proportioning concrete mixes; calculating water-cementitious materials ratios; choosing the right cement type and supplementary materials for the exposure; evaluating aggregate quality and moisture state; selecting and dosing chemical admixtures.
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Safety: Applying Subpart M fall protection rules; using Subpart Q for concrete-specific hazards; selecting PPE; following Subpart P excavation requirements; fire extinguisher ratings and flammable liquid storage rules.
Total across all topics: 378 practice questions in our full question pool.
Required Study Materials for the Alabama Concrete Contractor Exam
This is an open-book exam, and the allowed references are specific. Buy the right editions — older editions won't match the questions.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — The primary safety reference. Subparts M, P, Q, E, and F all appear on the exam. Tab it well.
- Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (16th Edition) — The main reference for the General Concrete section. Know the chapters on mix design, admixtures, and durability.
- Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Revised) — Covers Layout and Excavation content including soil classification and excavation safety practices.
- International Building Code 2021 — Referenced for structural and building code questions.
- International Residential Code 2021 — Referenced for residential construction questions.
Additional allowed references you should also have: SP-4 Formwork for Concrete (8th Edition, 2014), Placing Reinforcing Bars (9th Edition), and ACI 318-11 or ACI 318-14.
Important: Books must be otherwise unmarked. No loose papers. No attached notes. Permanent tabs only.
Study Tips for the Alabama Concrete Contractor Exam
Focus first on General Concrete. At 16 questions, it's more than a quarter of the test. A weak score there is hard to recover from.
Tab your books before exam day. You have 150 minutes for 60 questions — that's 2.5 minutes per question. If you're hunting through untagged pages, time will run out. Use permanent tabs labeled by topic so you can go straight to the right section.
Practice with the real exam format. Our full practice exam matches the real AL concrete contractor practice exam format: 60 questions, 150 minutes, same topic breakdown. Every attempt pulls from a large question pool, so you get a different mix each time. Start with the free practice exam (10 questions, no account needed) to get a feel for the question style. Then move to the full practice exam for serious prep.
Set a target above the minimum. You need 42 of 60 to pass. Aim for 48+ in practice so that a few tough questions on test day don't sink you. Take practice exams repeatedly until clearing 70–75% feels routine.
On test day, don't spiral. If a question stops you cold, mark it and move on. Finish what you know, then come back. A short pause and a few slow breaths can reset your focus when you feel stuck. The clock usually keeps running through any break, so use your time deliberately.
Every attempt is different. Our practice exams use varied question pools — just like the real exam. Don't try to memorize questions. Learn the concepts so you can answer whatever version shows up.
Ready to Get Your Alabama Concrete Contractor License?
The test is straightforward when you know what to expect. Sixty questions. One hundred fifty minutes. Open book, but fast-paced. Study the right materials, tab your books, and practice until passing feels like your baseline — not a stretch goal.
Start today. Take our free practice exam — 10 questions, no sign-up required — and find out where you actually stand. Then upgrade to the full exam for 378 questions across all six topics, timed exactly like the real thing. You've put in the work on the job site. Put in the work here too, and you'll get that license.