Georgia Residential Basic Contractor Exam

Georgia Residential Basic Contractor Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide

You've put in the work to build homes — now you need the license to prove it. The Georgia Residential Basic Contractor exam is the technical portion of your licensing requirements, and passing it opens the door to operating legally as a residential contractor in Georgia. This guide covers everything you need to know: exam format, topic breakdown, sample questions, approved references, and proven study strategies.

Ready to see where you stand right now? Take our free practice exam and get a feel for the format before diving into your study plan.

Exam Overview

The Georgia Residential Basic Contractor license exam is administered by PSI and contains 80 scored questions with a 200-minute time limit. To pass, you need a minimum score of 70% — that's 56 out of 80 questions correct.

This is an open-book exam, which is great news. You can bring approved reference materials into the testing center. But open book doesn't mean easy — the clock moves fast, and flipping through unfamiliar pages under pressure is a real problem for unprepared candidates. Speed and organization matter as much as knowledge.

All exam details, scheduling info, and candidate requirements are available in the official exam bulletin. For licensing requirements, visit the state licensing website.

Topics Covered on the Exam

Here's how the 80 scored questions break down by topic. Study time should follow this weighting — heavier topics deserve more of your prep.

• General Code and Construction Knowledge — 18 questions (heaviest weight)
  IRC 2018 scope, Georgia state amendments, load types, fire-resistant construction, and climatic/geographic design criteria.

• Carpentry — 16 questions
  Wood framing, floor and wall systems, roof framing, engineered wood products, and IRC fastening schedules.

• Associated Trades — 10 questions
  Drywall, siding, finish flooring, insulation R-values, vapor retarders, and plumbing basics.

• Sitework, Footings and Foundation — 8 questions
  Footing size and depth, frost protection, foundation wall types, drainage, and soil classification.

• Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement — 8 questions
  Mix design, Portland cement types, compressive strength, steel reinforcement, and formwork.

• Roofing — 8 questions
  Rafter layout, span/run/rise calculations, hip and valley framing, and sheathing installation.

• OSHA Safety — 7 questions
  Fall protection, scaffolding, ladders, excavation safety, and PPE requirements.

• Masonry — 5 questions
  Mortar types, brick and CMU classifications, wall systems, and laying techniques.

General Code, Carpentry, and Associated Trades together account for 55% of the exam — prioritize them.

Sample Questions

Here are five real-style questions to give you a feel for the content and difficulty. The answers are not shown — try our free practice exam to test yourself.

Question 1 — Associated Trades (Easy)

What is the maximum specified length for a dryer exhaust duct measured from the transition duct connection to the outlet terminal, before any fitting deductions?
- A) 45 feet
- B) 35 feet
- C) 25 feet
- D) 50 feet

Question 2 — OSHA Safety (Medium)

An employee working on a construction project has been temporarily removed from lead exposure due to an elevated blood lead level at or above 50 μg/dl. The employee may be returned to former job status when two consecutive blood sampling tests indicate a blood lead level below what value?
- A) 25 μg/dl
- B) 40 μg/dl
- C) 50 μg/dl
- D) 30 μg/dl

Question 3 — General Code and Construction Knowledge (Medium)

You are a residential contractor building a home in Georgia Climate Zone 3. What is the required ceiling insulation R-value per the Georgia energy code?
- A) R-19
- B) R-49
- C) R-30
- D) R-38

Question 4 — General Code and Construction Knowledge (Medium)

Under Georgia energy code amendments, what is the maximum U-Factor required for attic hatch or scuttle hole covers providing access from conditioned to unconditioned space?
- A) U-0.20
- B) U-0.05
- C) U-0.30
- D) U-0.10

Question 5 — Associated Trades (Medium)

Fiber-cement lap siding must be lapped a minimum of what distance?
- A) 1 inch
- B) 1-1/2 inches
- C) 3/4 inch
- D) 1-1/4 inches

Notice that Questions 3 and 4 require you to know Georgia-specific amendments — not just the base IRC. That's exactly the kind of detail that trips up candidates who only study the national code.

What Types of Questions to Expect

Our Georgia residential contractor practice test bank covers all eight exam topics with 850 total practice questions. Here's what each section tests and how many practice questions we offer:

• General Code and Construction Knowledge — 220 questions: IRC administration, permit requirements, load calculations, Georgia energy code amendments, fire separation, and townhouse wall assemblies.
• Carpentry — 167 questions: Span table lookups, header sizing, rafter calculations, notching/drilling limits, sheathing panel selection, and fastening schedules.
• Roofing — 159 questions: Unit-rise and unit-run calculations, Pythagorean rafter sizing, hip and valley layout, bird's mouth cuts, and sheathing nailing patterns.
• Sitework, Footings and Foundation — 74 questions: Footing depth for frost protection, soil bearing capacity, foundation wall thickness, and drainage requirements.
• Associated Trades — 66 questions: Insulation R-values by climate zone, vapor retarder placement, drywall installation, siding lap requirements, and plumbing DWV basics.
• Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement — 65 questions: Water-cement ratios, slump testing, cylinder strength, rebar cover requirements, and formwork removal timing.
• OSHA Safety — 57 questions: Fall protection trigger heights, scaffold load ratings, ladder angle requirements, and excavation protective systems.
• Masonry — 42 questions: Mortar type selection, CMU classifications, cavity wall construction, and brick coursing.

Required Study Materials

This is an open-book exam, and these are the approved references you can bring in. Own them, know them, and tab them before test day.

• IRC 2018 — Your primary reference for code questions, spanning foundations through energy requirements and Georgia amendments.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — The OSHA construction standard. The 7 OSHA questions on the exam come directly from this document.
• Carpentry and Building Construction — Covers framing, sheathing, engineered lumber, and roof layout. Essential for the 16-question Carpentry section.
• BCSI: Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses — Required reference for truss handling and bracing procedures.
• The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction — Covers mix design, testing, and placement practices for the concrete section.
• Modern Masonry — Brick, block, and stone construction methods for the 5-question masonry section.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting — Covers excavation safety and underground utilities, relevant to sitework and OSHA questions.

Study Tips

Tab your books before you walk in. On an open-book exam, the winners aren't the smartest people in the room — they're the fastest at finding answers. Highlight, underline, and add permanent tabs to every book. Know the index and table of contents well enough to land on any topic in seconds. That speed is what separates a pass from a fail.

Answer what you know first, flag the rest. Work through every question once: answer the confident ones, skip the ones you don't know, then go back. You can bookmark questions for review, just like on our practice exams. Don't sink five minutes into a single question while easier ones wait.

Give yourself three to six weeks. Use the Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB) as your roadmap and focus on finding-it-fast skills over rote memorization. Aim for three clean practice passes at 80% or higher before test day — setting your bar above the 70% cut score gives you a real margin.

Practice under the clock. Exam-clock anxiety is real. Our timed full practice exams build pacing so the format feels routine by test day. Know going in that you have 2.5 minutes per question on average — that's enough time if you don't stall.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Georgia Residential Basic Contractor Exam cost?
The exam fee is $72 for both the Residential Basic Qualifying Agent and Residential Basic Individual exams.

How many questions are on the exam and how long do I have?
The exam has 80 scored questions with a 200-minute time limit.

What is the passing score?
You need to answer at least 56 out of 80 questions correctly, which equals a minimum passing score of 70%.

Is the exam open book?
Yes. You may bring approved reference materials into the testing center, but PSI does not provide them — you must bring your own. Books may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed with permanent tabs, but no loose papers or writing in the margins is allowed.

What references can I bring?
Approved materials include: the IRC 2018, OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, Carpentry and Building Construction (2010 or 2016), the BCSI Guide (2018), The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction (3rd Edition, 2005), Modern Masonry (8th edition, 2015), Pipe and Excavation Contracting (2011), the International Energy Conservation Code (2015), and the Georgia State Amendments to the State Minimum Standard Codes.

Do I also need to pass the Business and Law Exam?
Yes. All candidates for the Residential Basic Contractor license must pass both the Residential Basic Contractor Exam and the Business and Law Exam.

How do I register for the PSI Georgia Residential Contractor Exam?
After the Board approves your application and notifies you to contact PSI, register online at the exam registration page (available 24 hours a day) or call PSI at (855) 744-0314. Phone registration hours are Monday–Friday 7:30 am–10:00 pm and Saturday–Sunday 9:00 am–5:30 pm Eastern Time.

How many attempts do I get?
On your first exam approval, you have 2 attempts within the 1-year eligibility period. If you fail twice, you must wait at least 1 year after your last attempt before testing again. On any subsequent approval period, only 1 attempt is granted.

How long is my eligibility valid?
You have 1 year from the date of your exam approval letter to pass. If you don't pass within that window, you must reapply with the Board.

What ID do I need to bring?
One form of current, government-issued photo ID that includes your name, signature, and photograph — such as a driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, military ID, or alien registration card. No temporary identification is accepted.

Ready to Start?

The Georgia Residential Basic Contractor license is within reach. You know the format, you know the topics, and you have the right references. The next step is putting that knowledge to the test.

Start with our free practice exam — 10 questions, no account required, no pressure. When you're ready to prep seriously, upgrade to the full practice exam: 80 questions, timed to match the real exam, with a detailed score breakdown by topic so you know exactly where to focus. You've got 850 practice questions ready to go. Use them.