Practice questions are the fastest way to find out whether your study time is working. The questions below are original samples written in the style of the North Carolina Building Contractor exam: same topics, same fondness for exact numbers, same distractors built from outdated figures. They are NOT real exam questions. Work them, then read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
The exam math you must have
Q1. The Building Contractor exam has 90 questions, and the passing score is 70 percent. How many questions must you answer correctly? A) 60 B) 63 C) 65 D) 70 Answer: B. 70 percent of 90 is 63. This is arithmetic the exam expects you to do on sight.
Q2. You have 200 minutes for 90 questions. Roughly how much time is that per question? A) 1 minute B) About 2 minutes 13 seconds C) 5 minutes D) 3 minutes 30 seconds Answer: B. 200 divided by 90 is about 2.22 minutes, or 2 minutes 13 seconds. That budget is why open-book strategy matters: you must find answers fast, not reason everything out from scratch.
Licensing questions
Q3. A contractor takes a $38,000 kitchen renovation. Under G.S. 87-1(a), is a North Carolina general contractor license required? A) Yes, all commercial work needs a license B) No, the cost is below the $40,000 threshold C) Yes, because the threshold is $30,000 D) No, renovations are exempt Answer: B. A license is required where the cost of the undertaking is $40,000 or more. H.B. 488 raised the threshold from $30,000 effective October 1, 2023, so any choice still saying $30,000 is stale.
Q4. An Intermediate licensee wants to bid a $1,400,000 project, excluding land cost. Is the bid allowed? A) No, Intermediate is capped at $1,000,000 B) Yes, Intermediate covers single projects up to $1,500,000, and land cost is excluded C) No, only Unlimited licensees may bid over $750,000 D) Yes, but only with Board permission Answer: B. Limited covers $750,000 and Intermediate $1,500,000 per single project, excluding land and ancillary land-improvement costs (S.L. 2024-49). The old $500,000 and $1,000,000 figures are superseded.
Q5. An Unlimited applicant shows working capital of $150,000. A third-party site told the applicant the requirement is $1,500,000. What is correct? A) The site is right B) The rule requires at least $150,000; the $1,500,000 figure is a documented third-party error C) Unlimited has no financial requirement D) Only a surety bond works for Unlimited Answer: B. Unlimited requires working capital of at least $150,000. Learn the pair together: $150,000 right, $1,500,000 wrong.
The qualifier trap
Q6. A contractor's qualifier resigns on April 1. The contractor is notified in writing on April 5 and bids a new $200,000 project on April 10. What is the violation? A) The notice was late B) The license expired on April 1 C) The licensee bid on a new contract during the 90-day separation window, when bidding and undertaking additional contracts are prohibited D) There is no violation Answer: C. When the qualifier leaves, the license remains valid for 90 days but the licensee shall not bid on or undertake additional contracts during the window (G.S. 87-10(c1)). The 10-day written notice was timely; the bid was not.
Lien questions
Q7. A subcontractor first furnishes labor on a covered $500,000 project on June 1 and the lien agent receives the Notice to Lien Agent on June 20. Against a bona fide purchaser, is the real-property lien perfected? A) Yes, the notice was served within 15 days of first furnishing B) No, the notice had to arrive within 10 days C) No, the notice was late; it had to reach the lien agent no later than 15 days after first furnishing D) Yes, the deadline is 30 days Answer: C. The Notice to Lien Agent must reach the lien agent NO LATER THAN 15 DAYS after first furnishing to perfect the lien against a bona fide purchaser or previously recorded mortgage (G.S. 44A-11.2). Miss the 15 days and the lien survives against the owner but loses against buyers and prior mortgages.
Q8. A claim of lien must be filed no later than how many days after the last furnishing, and the enforcement action no later than how many days? A) 90 to file, 120 to enforce B) 120 to file, 180 to enforce C) 180 to file, 120 to enforce D) 60 to file, 90 to enforce Answer: B. File the claim within 120 days of the last furnishing (G.S. 44A-12); commence enforcement within 180 days (G.S. 44A-13). Keep the pair straight: 120 to file, 180 to enforce.
One Call and labor
Q9. An excavator plans to dig for a non-subaqueous project. When must notice go to the Notification Center? A) 2 business days before B) Within 3 to 12 full working days before the start date C) The morning of the dig D) 30 days before Answer: B. G.S. 87-122(a) requires notice within 3 to 12 full working days before the start date (10 to 20 for subaqueous facilities). The notice expires 15 full working days after it is given. "2 business days" appears in a utility brochure, not the statute.
Q10. A construction company with 5 employees has no workers' comp insurance. Is that a violation of North Carolina law? A) No, coverage is optional B) No, coverage is required only at 10 or more employees C) Yes, employers regularly employing 3 or more employees must carry coverage D) Only if the employees are full time Answer: C. Workers' comp is required at 3 or more employees, and part-time and temporary workers count (G.S. 97-2(1), 97-93). The penalty is $1.00 per employee per day, not less than $20 nor more than $100 per day.
How to use these
If you missed a licensing or numbers question, that topic needs tab-and-highlight work in the NASCLA guide. If you missed a lookup question like the One Call timing, your tabbing map has a hole. Work the questions with the books open, the way you will on exam day, per our open-book strategy. And if you want a fuller workup, our study guide has 150 practice questions in this style with full explanations.
This is an independent study aid, not affiliated with the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, PSI, or NASCLA. These are original sample questions, not real exam questions. Verify current exam rules in the PSI bulletin.
Try the free practice quiz
Want to see where you stand right now? Take the free 12-question North Carolina Building Contractor practice quiz. You will get your score with explanations for every answer, so you can see exactly which topics need work. Start the free quiz