Straight questions. Honest answers.

Two, and you take them the same day. The first is the Law & Business exam, which every applicant takes no matter the trade. The second is a trade exam for your specific classification, for example C-36 (Plumbing) or C-10 (Electrical). The License Ladder bundle prepares you for both.

California's CSLB issues three: Class A (General Engineering), Class B (General Building), and Class C (Specialty). There are more than 40 Class C specialties, including C-10 Electrical, C-36 Plumbing, C-39 Roofing, and many more. You apply for the one that matches the work you do.

CSLB generally requires four years of journey-level experience in your trade within the last 10 years. Time as a journeyman, foreman, supervisor, contractor, or owner-builder can count, and some schooling or apprenticeship may substitute for part of it.

In California, any job where labor and materials total $1,000 or more generally requires a CSLB license. Smaller jobs may fall under the minor-work exemption, but you still can't advertise as a contractor without a license. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §7048

Law & Business covers contracts, employment and payroll, licensing law, liens and bonds, safety, and basic business finance. Your trade exam covers the codes, materials, methods, math, and safety specific to your classification. Both lean on California rules and exact numbers, which is what trips most people up.

Yes. Both exams are multiple choice and taken on a computer at an approved testing center. There is no hands-on or written portion, but the wording is deliberately tricky, which is exactly what our practice tests train you to read carefully.

You need roughly 73% on each exam to pass. Our practice tests aim higher, at an 80% readiness score, so you walk in with margin instead of squeaking by.

Each exam is roughly 115 questions with a set time limit, so pace matters. Running out of time is one of the most common, and most avoidable, ways people fail. That's why every practice test in the app is timed.

First you apply to the CSLB and get approved to test. Once you're approved, you'll receive a notice to schedule your exam at an approved testing center near you. License Ladder doesn't schedule the exam for you, but we get you ready to walk in and pass it.

You only retake the exam you didn't pass, not both, and there's usually a retake fee and a short waiting period before you can sit again. Keep drilling the topics you missed, get back to a green readiness score, and reschedule.

Plan to bring a valid government photo ID and your scheduling notice. The exam is closed-book, so you can't bring notes or the code book, which is the whole point of memorizing the numbers ahead of time.

Because the exams are computer-based, you typically get your pass or fail result before you leave the testing center. After you pass both exams, you'll finish licensing by posting your bond and paying the initial license fee.

One bundle with everything: a physical flashcard deck for your trade, the Law & Business deck, printed study guides, and full access to the mobile app with adaptive practice tests, timed exams, and your readiness score. See what's inside →

The license schools sell classrooms, DVDs, and 300-page binders — the same methods they used 20 years ago — and most charge five times our price or more. License Ladder is an adaptive system built for how you actually live: five-minute bursts on the job, plain English, a readiness score that tells you when you're ready, and one $89 bundle with nothing held back for an upsell.

General Building (B), Residential Remodeling (B-2), Plumbing (C-36), and Electrical (C-10), plus the Law & Business deck that every applicant needs. More classifications are on the way as we grow the question bank.

Both, in one bundle. You don't pick one or the other. The physical cards are for when you'd rather be off your phone, and the app adds adaptive practice tests, timed exams, and progress tracking. They share the same California question bank, so they reinforce each other.

No. App access is included in the one-time bundle price. There is no separate fee and no recurring charge.

Download your decks once and drill without a signal, on the truck, on site, or anywhere reception is bad. Your progress syncs the next time you're online.

Yes, that's the whole point. We prioritize California rules, Cal/OSHA, CSLB classifications, and state contract law over federal rules wherever they differ, because that's what the CSLB exam actually tests. Generic national prep gets the details wrong.

Most people study in short bursts over a few weeks. There's no fixed number, because the app tracks your readiness score and tells you when you've hit 80% card mastery and an 80% practice score. When you're green, you're ready to schedule.

It combines how well you know your cards with how you score on adaptive practice tests into one honest number. It moves from red to yellow to green as you improve, so you never have to guess whether you're prepared. You can see it.

Yes, and that's how it's designed to be used. Flashcards on a lunch break, in the truck, or between calls add up fast. The app adapts automatically, bringing back the cards you flag as new and retiring the ones you know. No marathon sessions required.

It's built for exactly that. Every card is written in plain English, the legal and code material is translated out of lawyer-speak, and the practice tests teach you how to spot trick wording before it costs you. You already know the trade, we get you ready for the test.

The code book tells you everything. License Ladder tells you what the exam actually asks, and the exact numbers you'll be tested on, then drills them until they stick. Reading cover to cover is slow and easy to forget. An adaptive system that targets your weak spots is how you remember under pressure.

The full bundle is $89 right now, during the launch, regularly $189. That's one payment for the cards, the guides, and the app, with everything included. The old-school license courses charge five times as much. See pricing →

It's a limited-time launch price. The product is ready and complete, but we're still growing the question bank, so early customers get in at $89 and lock that price plus future updates. When the launch ends, it goes back to $189.

No. It's one payment for the whole bundle, the physical cards, the printed guides, and full app access. No recurring charge, ever.

Study with the bundle, follow the plan, and reach a green readiness score. If you do that and still don't pass, you get your money back.

The printed cards and guides ship to your address, and you get app access right away so you can start studying while they're on the way.

No. License Ladder is independent study material. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Contractors State License Board or the State of California. Always confirm official requirements directly with the CSLB.

It's built by people who know the trades and the California licensing process, for contractors who'd rather be building than buried in a code book. The goal is simple: translate the hard parts into something you can actually study between jobs.

Ask us first. We'd rather answer an honest question than oversell you on something that isn't the right fit.

Reach out and we'll point you to the right deck, topic, or practice test for whatever's giving you trouble. The whole system is built to show you what to study next, so you're rarely stuck for long.