Contractor Exam Preparation, LLC is headquartered in prestigious Fairfax County, Virginia with an additional training facility in Richmond (Glen Allen), Virginia (Henrico County).

Our focus is to prepare contractors to the pass the state-required PSI Contractor License Exams for both Virginia and Maryland.

Our instructors have more than 20 years of combined experience in training.  They train and prepare you to pass the exam mirroring the way your mind naturally works. When you follow our simple, easy-to-follow course recommendations, you should find preparing for and passing the exam nearly ... effortless.

Feel free to see what some of our instructors' students have said ... Comments from students.

You will pass the exam ... or we'll keep working with you ... until you do ...  for up to three months.*

*Our Simple Guarantee

1. Take our exam preparation course ...
2. Show up on time for all of your scheduled, consecutive classes ...
3. Take the exam as soon as possible after your last class ...
4. If you do not pass, bring your test results to take an additional refresher class.  Students can come back for up to three months.  (For each additional refresher class, students must retake the exam and bring results to class.  Other conditions and restrictions may apply.)

Tyson's Corner Contractor Training Facility
1765 Greensboro Station Place
9th Floor - Tower 1
McLean (Tyson's Corner), Virginia 22102

CLICK MAP TO ENLARGE

Greensboro Drive to Solutions Drive. 

Our Tyson's Corner Training Center is the building at the end of

Solutions Drive in the 'CVENT'/'SAIC' building.

Richmond Area Contractor Training Facility

4860 Cox Rd., Suite 200
Richmond (Glen Allen), VA 23060

Contractor Exam Preparation, LLC does not offer refunds or exchanges on any course except in extreme cases where the course must be cancelled or there is some other *significant failure on the part of Contractor Exam Preparation, LLC. *(The determination of what is a 'signficant failure' is at the sole discretion of Contractor Exam Preparation, LLC.)

We encourage you to confirm your choice of course, course dates and location before placing your order.

Since our classes are held in Fairfax and Henrico Counties, we endeavor to hold our classes according to what the individual county school system dictates regarding inclement weather.  However, for the convenience of our students and other factors, we can hold classes even if the individual county school system is closed.  This will be on a case-by-case basis.  Please contact our offices to confirm if a class will be held.

Please note: If a class is cancelled or postponed, Contractor Exam Preparation, LLC cannot be held responsible for any difficulties or problems that may arise regarding scheduling/taking the exam and/or obtaining a license through the state. The only remedy that Contractor Exam Preparation, LLC offers is that the student may take another class.

 VA Contractor License Information

• Process:  How to Get a Contracting License in the state of Virginia – 6 Steps
• Process: How to Get a Maryland Residential Contractor License, MHIC License - 4 Steps
  
• Visit our VA Contracting License Frequently Asked Questions page

Pre-License Course for Virginia Contractor License

The PreLicense Training course goes by several names.  It is also called the 8-Hour Prelicensing Course, the Mandatory 8-Hour Course and other variations.  Some mistakenly refer to it as the Virginia Class C Contractor license training course.  This is a mandatory course for all classes of Virginia licenses for contracting, VA Class A license, VA Class B license and the VA Class C license. This is a mandatory foundation course that helps Virginia contractor licensees understand much about running a successful construction business in Virginia.  It also details your relationship, as a licensed Virginia contractor, with the government, local and state.

Classes of and Requirements for a Contracting License in the state of Virginia

The differences in the classes of contractor licenses in Virginia ultimately comes down to two basic things: money and experience.  Below, we’ve shared the differences between the VA contractors license, VA Class A, VA Class B and VA Class C.

Class A Contractor License.  This is the largest class of Virginia contracting license.  There is no monetary limit on the size of individual projects nor on the annual revenue. Requirements for Class A contractor license in Virginia is a net worth of at least $45,000.  Also, the qualified individual, the person in the company who actually knows the hands-on, field work, must have a minimum of 5 (five) years of verifiable experience..  The qualified individual can simply be an employee or a member of management.

Class B Contractor License. This is the mid-range Virginia contracting license. With the VA Class B license, there is the opportunity for larger projects and more revenue than the VA Class C license, but falls short of the potential of the VA Class A license.  Projects just under $120,000 can be contracted.  The maximum annual revenue with this class of Virginia license is just under $750,000.  Requirements for Class B contractor license in Virginia is a net worth of at least $15,000.  Also, the qualified individual, the person in the company who actually knows the hands-on, field work, must have a minimum of 3 (three) years of verifiable experience.  The qualified individual can simply be an employee or a member of management.

Class C Contractor License. This is sometimes thought of as the ‘starter’ license.  This is the smallest of the three contracting licenses in Virginia.  Projects just under $10,000 can be contracted.  The maximum annual revenue with this class of license is just under $150,000.  For the Class C license in Virginia, there is no minimum net worth requirement.  However, the qualified individual, the person in the company who actually knows the hands-on, field work, must have a minimum of 2 (two) years of verifiable experience. .  The qualified individual can simply be an employee or a member of management.

The Contractor License Business Exam – For Class A Contractors License and Class B Contractors License (Taken by the Designated Employee)

To apply for and obtain a license for contracting in Virginia as a Class A or a Class B contractor, your designated employee must pass an examination or test, often called the ‘Virginia business exam’. 

In total, there are three portions of the exam:  the Virginia Portion, the General Portion, and the Advanced Portion.  A Class B license applicant needs only to pass two portions, the Virginia and the General Portions.  A Class A license applicant must pass all three portions.   A Class C license applicant is not required to take any portion of this contractors business examination.  The Designated Employee can be a full-time employee or a member of responsible management.

VA Contractors License Specialties

The class of contractor license in Virginia (i.e.-Virginia Class A license) is independent of the specialties the licensee is approved to perform. There are over 40 VA contractor licensing specialties (i.e.-Painting and Wallcovering) that licensees can be approved to perform.  Some specialties are very specific and limited, whereas others are ‘umbrella’ construction specialties that encompass a number of smaller specialties.  Some of the ‘umbrella’ Virginia contractor specialties are the VA Home Improvement Contracting (HIC), VA Residential Building Contracting (RBC), VA Commercial Improvement Contracting (CIC), VA Commercial Building Contracting (CBC) and the VA Highway Heavy (H/H).  Typically, it is best to apply for the largest specialty you are qualified for, as this can open the door for increased opportunities in the future without the need to take additional specialty exams.

The VA Contractor Licensing Specialty Exam (Taken by the Qualified Individual)

The focus of this exam is to test your Qualified Individual’s knowledge of the type(s) of projects you will be approved to perform as a licensed Virginia contractor.   The length of the exams, the reference materials allowed, and the subject matter vary greatly, depending on the specialty. 

As of March 1, 2016, the Qualified Individual must be pre-approved to sit for all specialty/technical exams.  The approval process can sometimes take months, so we encourage you to schedule any specialty exam course with us ONLY AFTER you’ve received your approval to sit for the Virginia contractor technical exam.

Dispelling a False VA Contractor Licensing Myth

It is not a requirement that a contractor first start with a Class C license in Virginia and then move up or upgrade.  If a contractor meets the qualifications for a Class A contractors license or a Class B contractors license, they can apply directly for them.

Maryland Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) Exam Prep Course

Virginia Contractor License Highway Heavy Exam Preparation Course (H/H)

VA Contractor License Class A/B Contractor Exam Preparation Course

Contractor License Virginia Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) Specialty Exam Prep Course

Contractor Licenses VA Commercial Improvement Contractor (CIC) Specialty Exam Prep Course

Virginia Contractor License Commercial Building Contractor (CBC) Specialty Exam Prep Course

VA Contractor License Building Technical (BLD) Specialty (Now known as the Residential Building Contractor Specialty (RBC)) Exam Prep Course

Contractor License Student Testimonials

MHIC (Maryland Home Improvement Commission) FAQs and Helpful Information

Virginia Contractor License ... Frequently Asked Questions/Helpful Information

DPOR Board of Contractors Application Process: How to get Your Virginia Contractor License ... In 6 Steps

MHIC Contractor License for Home Improvement: How to Get Your MHIC License ... In 4 Steps