The Arizona Contractor License Exams

Unlike the business-law tests in most neighboring states, Arizona's SRE is a computer-based course that the ROC provides and maintains. You work through Arizona's contracting statutes and ROC rules and are tested on the material as you complete it. PSI's bulletin gives the price as $61 and says it is available only online.

The statute behind it, section 32-1122(E)(2), says the written exam should show general knowledge of Arizona's building, safety, health and lien laws, the administrative principles of running a contracting business, and the registrar's rules. That is the scope to study, even though the format is a course. Qualifying parties who held that role on an Arizona license within the last five years do not need to repeat it.

Once you are eligible, PSI emails you a link to create an account and book. You choose a test center or remote proctoring. Arizona centers listed in the bulletin are in Flagstaff, Glendale, Phoenix, Tempe and Tucson, and the exam can also be taken at PSI centers in other states. Phone booking is at (855) 744-0310.

PSI's fee table is $66 for one examination, $116 for two, and $40 for the solar portion alone. The same fee applies to a first attempt or a retake, it is not refundable or transferable, and a paid fee stays valid for one year. Candidates with approved ADA accommodations must book by phone with a PSI registrar.

After a failed attempt you must wait 30 days to retest. You get three attempts at each exam; after the third failure there is a 90-day wait before the next try. You cannot book a new appointment the same day you test.

To cancel or reschedule without losing the fee, PSI must receive notice two days ahead, so a Monday exam must be cancelled by the previous Saturday. Voicemail and email do not count. You forfeit the fee by not showing, arriving after the start time, or lacking acceptable ID. For a remote exam, not launching within 15 minutes after the booked time forfeits the fee.

Arizona's trade exams are open book for the references each outline marks as allowed, and you bring your own copies. You may highlight, underline, annotate and tab them before the exam, but only with permanent tabs that would tear the page if pulled; sticky notes must come out before you start. Writing or highlighting during the exam gets reported to the ROC. Printouts are allowed if bound, spiral or in a binder, and no loose papers may come in with them.

Code questions are based only on the code edition the outline lists, while answers on other references may follow later editions. PSI's bulletin also sets a tiebreak rule: a code, law or regulation overrides other references, and a state requirement overrides a national one. A silent, non-printing, non-programmable calculator is allowed. At a center you get scratch paper and a pencil; remote candidates get no scratch paper and no breaks.

Each outline gives the question count, time limit, passing score and items per subject. Three common ones:

A tutorial of up to 15 minutes runs before the timed exam and is not counted against it. Expect 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions beyond the outline count; they do use your time. You can go back and change answers while time remains, and you can leave comments on questions, which PSI reviews but does not answer.

Because the books are allowed, the real test is speed. With 100 scored questions and some experimental ones in 240 minutes, you have a little over two minutes per item, so practice finding code sections fast: tab the chapters the outline weights most, learn each code's index, and answer the questions you know before digging for the rest.

Your score appears on screen at the end and a report is emailed. A failing report includes a diagnostic of strengths and weaknesses by area, which is the best guide for a retake. For timed practice against these outlines, ContractorPrepHQ's Arizona trade prep costs $149 and includes its Arizona statutes and rules practice; the statutes and rules practice alone is $99.