The Hawaii Contractor Licensing Exams

You cannot register until the Board approves your application and sends an approval letter listing the exams you may take and the date by which you must pass. The Board asks candidates to allow up to 24 hours after the letter before registering. PSI then emails an eligibility link; you can also register by phone at (833) 333-4754.

Eligibility lasts six months, and the bulletin says you may test as many times as needed within that window. HAR 16-77-45 adds the consequence: a candidate who has not passed within six months must file a new application and pay the application fee again.

PSI charges $85 each for the A General Engineering and B General Building exams and $80 for every other exam, including Business and Law. Fees are nonrefundable, nontransferable and valid for a year from payment.

Hawaii test centers are listed in Honolulu (Ala Moana), Kapaa on Kauai, Kahului on Maui and Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, and the bulletin also offers remote proctoring. Cancel at least two days ahead to keep your fee, arrive 30 minutes early for a center appointment, and bring a current signature-bearing photo ID whose name matches your application exactly.

The Business and Law exam has 80 questions, a 180-minute limit and a 75 percent passing score. It tests payroll taxes, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, lien laws and other rules that affect daily contracting. Since March 30, 2026 the Public Works Law area has been dropped and the outline reads:

The Business and Law reference is the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Hawaii edition (1st edition, 2022), but the bulletin states the exam is closed book and the manual is not allowed in the testing center. That changes how you prepare: instead of tabbing, you need to recall lien deadlines, licensing rules and estimating methods from memory.

Licensed contractors adding a classification skip Business and Law and take only the new classification exam. HAR 16-77-41 also waives the exam for someone who passed in the same classification within the previous four years, or within four years of last holding that license in good standing or inactive.

Every classification exam uses the same 75 percent cut and is closed book. A few examples from the bulletin:

Up to ten unscored experimental questions may be added to an exam, and in Hawaii the time spent on them does not count against you. Your score appears on screen, with a report emailed afterward; a failing report breaks down strengths and weaknesses. HAR 16-77-44 sets 75 percent as the minimum for each part.

You cannot book a new appointment on the day you tested, but depending on seat availability you may retest within two business days. Keep the six-month deadline in mind when spacing attempts. PSI provides an online calculator, and your own calculator is allowed only if it is silent, nonprogrammable, battery-operated and has no alphabet keyboard or paper tape.

Register with your legal first and last name exactly as it appears on your government ID. If your name has changed since you applied to the Board, bring the original marriage license, divorce decree or court order; name and address changes must go through the Board, not PSI. Accepted IDs include a driver's license, state or national ID card, passport or passport card, and a permanent resident card, while military IDs are refused for remote testing.

PSI hands you scratch paper and a pencil, which you return at the end. A computer tutorial of up to 15 minutes comes before the exam and does not use exam time. Questions appear one at a time, the remaining minutes show at the top of the screen, and you can revisit and change answers until time expires. Use the comment key to flag a question you think is flawed; the bulletin says that is the only exam review available.

Closed-book testing rewards repetition and recall. ContractorPrepHQ's practice is built for that: original questions written from PSI's Hawaii outlines and reference lists, a diagnostic that shows which areas need work, drills with explanations and timed exams that end with a readiness score. Hawaii Business and Law prep costs $99; trade prep costs $149 and bundles the Business and Law prep, with one payment, lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Use the listed references themselves too, because every question traces back to them.