The Ohio Contractor Exams, Explained

Once OCILB tells PSI you are eligible, you have one year to schedule and take the exam before eligibility expires and you must apply again. Register online at test-takers.psiexams.com/ohconst, where you create an account, pay and pick a site, or call (855) 257-1621. PSI's fee is $69 for each registration, first attempt or repeat, and it is not refundable.

PSI has centers around Ohio, including Akron, Cambridge, Columbus, Hamilton, Maumee and Troy. To reschedule without losing the fee, cancel at least two days ahead; voicemail does not count. Arrive 15 minutes early with a current photo ID such as a state driver's license or passport, and expect prohibited items to go into secure storage.

The Business and Law exam has 50 scored items plus 5 unscored pretest items, a two-hour limit and a 70 percent passing standard. Its outline by item count:

The reference is the NASCLA Contractor's Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Ohio edition (the bulletin lists the 4th edition), and PSI provides a copy in the testing center. You may not highlight or write in the provided copy. You may also bring your own copy, pre-highlighted, underlined or indexed, as long as it contains no handwriting and no extra papers.

Since the Licensing and Lien Laws items reach into Ohio statutes, pair the NASCLA guide with ORC Chapter 4740 and the mechanics' lien sections in Chapter 1311 when you study.

Two Ohio statutes show the kind of state-specific material the Lien Laws and Contract Management items can draw on. Under ORC 1311.06, a mechanic's lien affidavit is filed with the county recorder within sixty days of the last work or materials on a one- or two-family dwelling or residential condominium unit, and within seventy-five days on most other projects. Under ORC 1311.05, a subcontractor or supplier who wants to keep lien rights on a job with a recorded notice of commencement serves a notice of furnishing within twenty-one days of first furnishing labor or materials; an original contractor who contracted with the owner does not have to.

Ohio's prompt-pay statute, ORC 4113.61, gives a contractor ten calendar days after receiving the owner's payment to pay subcontractors and suppliers for the work that payment covered, less retainage or amounts held for disputed liens. Late payment carries interest at eighteen percent a year starting on the eleventh day.

All five trade exams are open book, require 70 percent and include unscored pretest items. You bring your own references.

PSI allows references that are highlighted, underlined or indexed before the exam, but not written in. A candidate caught writing in a book has it confiscated and reported to the department, and loose or attached papers are removed. For code questions the listed edition controls; for other references the bulletin lets you rely on later editions.

At the end of the session you receive a printed score report marked pass or fail, and a failing report carries diagnostic information by area. Duplicate reports can be requested from PSI by email.

If you fail a portion, both the bulletin and ORC 4740.06(G) require a 60-day wait before retesting. The statute also says that after five failed attempts you must submit a new license application before testing again. Once you pass, remember that ORC 4740.04 expects the qualifying score to fall within the twelve months before you apply for the license.

PSI's own tips are to study the outline, work in 45 to 60 minute sessions and talk through new terms with colleagues. In practice, the trade exams reward tab work: with 100 questions in four hours you have little time to hunt through a code book.

ContractorPrepHQ can serve as a practice tool alongside the books: original questions written from PSI's Ohio outlines and reference lists, a diagnostic, topic drills with explanations and timed practice exams that produce a readiness score. Business and Law prep is $99 and trade prep is $149 with the Business and Law prep included, as a one-time purchase with lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Continuing education for renewal is a separate matter handled through OCILB-approved training agencies.