Connecticut Business and Law Exam: A Practical Study Guide
The Connecticut Business and Law exam tests the rules and the reference books behind the work. This guide lays out the job: the key facts from the official bulletin, what the exam covers, the books you need, sample questions with answers, and how to get ready. PSI gives the exam.
The Connecticut Business and Law Exam at a Glance
Here's the rundown from the official bulletin:
| Questions | 50 questions |
| Time limit | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 70% correct |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $59 |
On exam day
- You must present one valid, unexpired photo and signature identification from the listed options, matching the legal first and last name you registered with.
- Arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment.
- You must bring your own references, may not write in them during the exam, and may not include any additional loose or attached papers, which will be removed and confiscated.
- Highlighting, underlining and annotation done before the exam are allowed and permanent tabs only may be used, but Post-It type temporary tabs must be removed and written questions and answers are prohibited.
- A silent, nonprinting, non-programmable calculator may be used for the Business and Law examination.
- PSI provides a piece of scratch paper and a pencil that must be returned at the end of the exam, and personal items such as electronic devices, bags, notes, writing devices, food and drinks must be stored in secure storage.
References you may bring
- Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Connecticut (6th Edition)
Scheduling, changes and retakes
- Candidates schedule and pay for the examination online at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/ctot or by calling PSI at (855) 746-8171.
- Eligibility is determined by the State and lasts one year from the date the State approves your application.
- You may cancel and reschedule without forfeiting your fee if PSI receives the cancellation notice 2 days before the scheduled examination date, by website or by speaking with a representative (voice mail or email is not acceptable).
- Missing the appointment, arriving after the examination start time, failing to cancel on time, or not presenting proper ID makes your registration invalid and forfeits your examination fee.
- Results appear on screen immediately after the exam, with a diagnostic report of strengths and weaknesses for candidates who do not pass.
- Retakes are unlimited, but a new appointment cannot be made the same day you tested; you may call the next day and retest as soon as the day after, subject to availability.
- After passing, send the licensing fee shown on your trade examination passing score report along with all passing score reports to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
Source: Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection — Occupational Licensing Electrical Trades Candidate Information Bulletin, Updated 2/4/2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
What the Connecticut Business and Law Exam Covers
The official content outline breaks the exam into 11 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | 5 | 10% |
| Estimating and Bidding | 7 | 14% |
| Lien Law | 2 | 4% |
| Financial Management | 4 | 8% |
| Tax Laws | 5 | 10% |
| Labor Laws | 5 | 10% |
| Project Management | 5 | 10% |
| Contracts | 6 | 12% |
| Business Organization | 2 | 4% |
| Risk Management | 4 | 8% |
| Environmental and Safety | 5 | 10% |
How to Get Ready for the Connecticut Business and Law Exam
Treat your reference books like your tools. On an open-book exam you don't need every rule memorized. You need to know which book holds it and where to find it.
Buy the books the bulletin lists, in the editions it names. An older or newer edition can put the answer on a different page, or change it.
Learn your way around each book before you study anything else. The table of contents and the index are your layout.
Highlight what you look up most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.
Do the big jobs first. Estimating and Bidding and Contracts make up 26% of the exam.
Put in the reps with timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 2 minutes 24 seconds per question.
Measure twice. When you miss a practice question, find the section in your book, read it and mark it. Keep at it until you pass practice exams consistently.
The Books for the Connecticut Business and Law Exam
The only reference allowed in the examination center for the Business and Law examination is the Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Connecticut, 6th Edition (NASCLA).
Where to get them:
Working the Exam on Test Day
Work the exam in two passes. On the first pass, answer everything you know and bookmark the rest. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions. On the second pass, go back to your bookmarks and take them one at a time.
Don't get hung up on one question. You have 2 hours for 50 questions, which is about 2 minutes 24 seconds per question. Before you finish, make sure nothing is left blank.
Study Tips
Our practice exam is specifically designed to mimic the testing conditions at all exam centers. While untimed PDF study guides might help with studying, they don’t prepare you for the challenge of managing your time during an actual test.
A little anxiety before an exam is completely normal — acknowledge it instead of fighting it. If you feel yourself spiraling on a question, pause and take a few slow breaths to reset. If your test center allows a short break, use it; just remember the clock usually keeps running.
On an open-book exam, work through every question once: answer the ones you know and skip the ones you don't. Then go back to the ones you flagged. You can bookmark questions for later review, just like on our exams — and don't sink too much time into any single question. The clock is still running.
Don't let the clock rattle you. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when facing a page full of questions, a racing mind, and a ticking clock. Stay calm and stick to your planned pace. If you've been monitoring your progress consistently, you'll have enough time to finish. Even if the final minutes feel rushed, as long as you have only as many questions remaining as you should at that point, you're exactly where you need to be.
Sample Connecticut Business and Law Questions
These come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and the reference behind it.
Sample 1 — Tax Laws
Question: Form 1096, Annual Summary and Transmittal of U.S. Information Returns, used to transmit 1099 forms to the IRS, is due by what date?
- A. March 31
- B. February 28
- C. January 31
- D. April 15
Correct Answer: B
Form 1096 is used to transmit 1099 forms to the IRS and is due by February 28 for the previous year's 1099s. Note: current law: since tax year 2020, payments to independent contractors are reported on Form 1099-NEC, and a Form 1096 sent with paper 1099-NEC forms is due January 31; February 28 still applies to paper 1099-MISC.
Reference: NASCLA Contractors Guide, Tax Basics chapter — Information Returns - 1099-MISC section
Sample 2 — Labor Laws
Question: You are a mechanical contractor setting up a new employee's personnel file. The employee asks to change the amount of federal tax withheld from their paycheck a few months after being hired. Which form must the employee complete to make this change?
- A. Form I-9
- B. IRS Form W-4
- C. State Tax Form
- D. Form SS-8
Correct Answer: B
IRS Form W-4 is used to determine the appropriate level of federal tax withholding. Employees can change the amount of federal tax withholding at any time by completing a new W-4 form.
Reference: NASCLA Contractors Guide, Employee Management chapter — Employee Documentation section
Sample 3 — Project Management
Question: What information is needed beyond sequence of tasks and activity duration to develop a critical path method (CPM) schedule that is NOT required for bar chart or calendar scheduling?
- A. The project start and completion dates from the contract
- B. The number of labor hours estimated for each task
- C. The length of time dedicated to each task per day
- D. The relationship between tasks and identification of simultaneous events
Correct Answer: D
A CPM schedule requires determining the relationship between tasks, simultaneous events, and the critical path — in addition to the sequence of tasks and activity duration that bar chart and calendar scheduling also require. The relationship between tasks and simultaneous events are unique CPM requirements.
Reference: NASCLA Contractors Guide, Scheduling and Project Management chapter — Critical Path Method section
Sample 4 — Environmental and Safety
Question: What is the maximum OSHA worker exposure limit for lead in the air, averaged over an 8-hour day?
- A. 25 micrograms per cubic meter
- B. 100 micrograms per cubic meter
- C. 50 micrograms per cubic meter
- D. 75 micrograms per cubic meter
Correct Answer: C
OSHA regulates the amount of lead that workers can be exposed to at no more than 50 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8-hour day.
Reference: NASCLA Contractors Guide, Jobsite Safety and Environmental Factors chapter — Lead section
Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF
A PDF is like reading about a job instead of doing it. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers with the clock running. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break your score down by topic so you know where to put in more work.
Get Started
Take the free Connecticut Business and Law practice exam to see where you stand, then put your time into the topics that need it. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.