Virginia Contractor General Portion

Virginia Contractor General Portion Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide

Passing the Virginia Contractor General Portion exam is your gateway to running a licensed contracting business in the Commonwealth. It's not a walk in the park — 50 scored questions covering everything from contract law to OSHA fall protection — but it's absolutely passable with the right preparation. This guide breaks down exactly what's on the exam, what to study first, and how to make the most of your prep time. Whether you're just starting out or retaking the test, you'll find practical, specific guidance here.

Virginia Contractor General Portion Exam Overview (2026)

The Virginia Contractor General Portion exam is administered by PSI Exams. Here's what you're working with on test day:

• Questions: 50 scored questions
• Time limit: 100 minutes
• Passing score: 70% — you need 35 correct answers to pass
• Format: Multiple-choice

You can register for the exam and review the official exam bulletin. Licensing itself is handled through the state licensing website, the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).

One hundred minutes for 50 questions gives you two minutes per question on average. That's comfortable for most questions but tight if you get stuck on a calculation. Expect a mix of conceptual questions, scenario-based problems, and straightforward knowledge checks.

What Topics Are Covered on the Exam?

The general portion tests business and management knowledge — not trade-specific skills. Here's the full topic breakdown, ranked by how much weight each area carries on the real exam:

Heaviest hitters (10 questions each):
- Estimating and Bidding — bid documents, quantity take-offs, labor cost calculations, labor burden, and bidding ethics (bid shopping, bid peddling, bid rigging)
- Contract Management — the five elements of a binding contract, Virginia residential contract requirements, payment structures, retainage, and breach of contract

Moderate weight (5–7 questions each):
- Project Management — scheduling methods (Gantt charts, CPM), float time, project life cycle phases, and team roles
- Safety — OSHA fall protection trigger heights, guardrail specs, personal fall arrest systems, and ladder requirements
- Financial Management — financial statements, ratio analysis, accounting methods, and contract accounting

Lighter coverage (1–4 questions each):
- Federal and State Taxes — EIN requirements, employment tax forms, FICA, FUTA, and 1099 reporting
- Risk Management — property and liability insurance types, workers' comp Virginia requirements, and surety bonds
- Labor Laws — FLSA overtime rules, employee classification, Form I-9, and Virginia new hire reporting
- Business Organization — sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs, corporations, and how each is taxed and formed
- Lien Laws — who can file a mechanics' lien, filing deadlines, and notice requirements for residential projects

Estimating/Bidding and Contract Management together account for 40% of your score. Study those two areas hard.

Sample Virginia Contractor General Portion Exam Questions

Here's a taste of what the real exam feels like. These questions are representative of the format and difficulty you'll encounter. Can you figure out the right answers?

Question 1 — Project Management

You are managing a commercial build-out and your schedule shows that the drywall installation is complete but the painting crew cannot start for another three days. What is the term for this remaining time between the completed task and the start of the next task?

A) Activity duration
B) Contingency time
C) Critical path time
D) Float time

Question 2 — Contract Management

You are a general contractor preparing subcontracts for a large project. The owner/contractor agreement requires the owner to approve all subcontractors. Which of the following best describes your obligation?

A) You may hire any licensed subcontractor without notifying the owner
B) You must obtain the owner's approval of subcontractors as stipulated in the owner/contractor agreement
C) Subcontractor approval is solely the responsibility of the project architect
D) Owner approval is only required for subcontracts exceeding 50 percent of the total contract value

Question 3 — Contract Management

You are bidding on a project where the actual quantities of materials cannot be accurately calculated in advance. Which contract pricing method is most appropriate for this situation?

A) Lump-sum contract
B) Cost-plus contract
C) Fixed-fee contract
D) Unit-price contract

Question 4 — Risk Management

In Virginia, which employers are required to purchase and maintain workers' compensation insurance?

A) All employers regardless of the number of employees
B) Only employers in the construction industry with any number of employees
C) Employers who regularly employ five or more full-time employees only
D) Employers who regularly employ three or more full-time or part-time employees

Question 5 — Project Management

You have just been awarded a new construction contract. During the pre-construction meeting with the customer, which of the following should you present and discuss?

A) The daily report format you plan to use for legal documentation
B) Final punch list items and warranty terms
C) The customer satisfaction survey results from your last project
D) A preliminary schedule so potential scheduling conflicts can be discussed

Not sure about your answers? Take our free practice exam to test your knowledge across all ten topic areas — no account or payment needed.

What Types of Questions to Expect

Knowing the topic list is one thing. Understanding the kind of thinking each section demands is another. Here's what our practice question bank covers, topic by topic:

• Business Organization (10 practice questions): You'll distinguish between business structures — sole proprietorships, LLCs, corporations — and identify how each is taxed and what liability exposure each creates.
• Estimating and Bidding (50 practice questions): Expect quantity take-off calculations, labor burden math, material cost problems, and scenario questions about bidding ethics.
• Contract Management (50 practice questions): These questions test the legal elements of contracts, Virginia-specific residential requirements, payment and retainage procedures, and what happens when a contract is breached.
• Project Management (35 practice questions): Scheduling method comparisons, float time identification, team role definitions, and project phase sequences.
• Risk Management (15 practice questions): Insurance type identification, Virginia workers' comp thresholds, and surety bond classification.
• Safety (25 practice questions): OSHA fall protection rules, guardrail height and load specifications, ladder angle requirements, and stairway handrail specs.
• Labor Laws (15 practice questions): FLSA overtime calculations, exempt vs. non-exempt classification, and Form I-9 documentation requirements.
• Financial Management (25 practice questions): Reading balance sheets, calculating financial ratios, and distinguishing between cash and accrual accounting methods.
• Federal and State Taxes (20 practice questions): Matching tax forms to entity types, understanding deposit schedules, and 1099 reporting thresholds.
• Lien Laws (4 practice questions): Filing deadlines, who qualifies to lien, and notice requirements for single-family residential projects.

All told, we offer 249 practice questions across these ten areas. Our full practice exam mirrors the real test — 50 questions, 100 minutes, and a topic breakdown that matches the official exam.

Recommended Study Materials

The Virginia Contractor General Portion exam is open-book in its content philosophy — the questions test whether you understand the material, not just whether you memorized a number. That said, knowing your reference materials cold saves time and reduces errors.

Safety Reference:
If safety questions trip you up, go straight to the source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — the full OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry. For the exam, focus on Subpart M (fall protection) and Subpart X (stairways and ladders). You don't need to memorize every number, but knowing where to find them quickly is genuinely useful.

Virginia-Specific Knowledge:
For contract law, lien law, and licensing requirements, use the state licensing website as your primary Virginia source. DPOR publishes candidate handbooks and regulatory updates that reflect current law.

Practice Questions:
Practice is the most efficient use of your study time. Start with our free practice exam — 10 questions, no signup required — to get a feel for the format. When you're ready to prep seriously, the full practice exam gives you 50 questions per attempt drawn from a large pool (so every attempt is different), plus a topic-by-topic score breakdown that shows exactly where you're losing points.

Study Tips for the Virginia Contractor General Exam

Start with Estimating/Bidding and Contract Management. These two topics account for 20 questions — 40% of your entire score. Get them right and passing becomes much more achievable.

Learn the vocabulary cold. A lot of wrong answers on this exam look plausible until you know exactly what terms like "float time," "labor burden," "completed operations coverage," or "mechanics' lien" mean. Build a glossary as you study.

Practice the math. Estimating and financial management questions often involve calculations — labor burden percentages, ratio analysis, and quantity take-offs. Write out the formulas and run through them until the process is automatic.

Don't ignore the lighter topics. Business Organization is only 2 questions, but Lien Laws is 1, and these are some of the most straightforward questions on the exam if you've studied them. Free points are free points.

Flag and move on. With 100 minutes and 50 questions, you have time to think — but not to obsess. If a question stumps you, mark it and come back. Don't let one hard question burn five minutes.

Use the topic score breakdown. After each full practice attempt, look at your scores by topic. That's where you find your gaps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Virginia Contractor General Portion exam?
The exam has 50 scored questions. You need to answer at least 35 correctly — a 70% score — to pass.

How long do I have to complete the exam?
100 minutes, which works out to about two minutes per question.

What score do I need to pass?
70%, which means 35 out of 50 scored questions correct.

Where do I register for the exam?
Through PSI Exams at the exam registration page. Licensing is issued through DPOR.

Is the Virginia Contractor General Portion exam hard?
It's challenging but very passable. The two biggest topic areas — Estimating/Bidding and Contract Management — are learnable with focused study. Most people who fail do so because they underestimate those two sections or don't practice enough scenario-based questions.

Can I use a calculator?
Check the official exam bulletin for the current policy. PSI testing centers typically provide an on-screen calculator for exams that involve math.

How many times can I retake the exam if I fail?
PSI allows retakes after a waiting period. Check the official bulletin for current retake policies and any associated fees.

Ready to Pass? Start Practicing Today.

The Virginia Contractor General Portion exam covers a lot of ground, but it rewards people who study strategically. Focus your energy on Estimating/Bidding and Contract Management first, build your vocabulary, and practice under timed conditions. Take our free practice exam to see where you stand right now — 10 questions, no account required, no payment. When you're ready to go deeper, the full practice exam gives you the complete test experience with detailed topic feedback. You've got this.