- The B trade exam has 80 scored questions, 240 minutes, and a 75% (60 correct) passing score.
- Trade exam costs $85; Business and Law costs $80 for new applicants - $165 total in exam fees.
- Concrete and Associated Trades tie as the largest domains on the outline.
- Exam is closed book - the 2018 IBC and other listed references cannot be brought into the room.
Exam Snapshot: Numbers You Must Memorize
Before you touch a single practice question, lock these figures into memory. PSI administers the Hawaii General Building Contractor (B) Trade Exam under the Hawaii Contractors License Board, and every number below comes directly from the current PSI bulletin governing HI-GBC.
- Scored questions: 80
- Time allowed: 240 minutes
- Passing score: 75%, equivalent to 60 correct answers
- Unscored items: up to 10 experimental questions may appear, and PSI states time spent on them does not count against your exam time
- Format: computer-based multiple-choice, at a test center or via remote proctoring
If any of these numbers feel unfamiliar, stop and revisit the HI-GBC Passing Score 2026 breakdown before continuing with this sheet - everything else here assumes you already know the target you're testing against.
Registration and Fee Mechanics
HI-GBC candidates often underestimate the paperwork sequence, which is different from a simple "register and pay" process. Board approval comes first - you cannot schedule your exam session until the Hawaii Contractors License Board approves your application.
- Trade exam fee: $85
- Business and Law exam fee (new applicants): $80
- Combined examination charges: $165
- Sole-proprietor / responsible-managing-employee application fee: $50 (separate from exam and license fees)
- Deadline: all required exams must be passed within six months of Board approval
Miss that six-month window and you may need to restart the approval process, which is one of the most costly mistakes a candidate can make. For the full cost picture, including how these figures interact with license issuance, see the HI-GBC Certification Cost 2026 breakdown. If you're still confirming you even qualify to apply, review HI-GBC Requirements 2026 first - the Board generally expects four years of supervisory experience within the preceding ten years, at least three notarized experience certificates, and a chronological project list, with qualifying technical training worth up to one year of credit.
Key Takeaway
Confirm your Board approval date the moment you receive it and count six months forward on a calendar - that's your hard deadline to pass both exams.
Domain-by-Domain Cheat Sheet
The HI-GBC outline covers eight domains. Two of them - Concrete and Associated Trades - tie for the largest share of the exam, which means your review time should skew heavily toward those areas rather than being split evenly across all eight.
Domain 1: Plan Reading and Estimating
Expect scenario questions built around reading construction drawings and pulling quantities or specs from them.
- Practice interpreting plan symbols and schedules quickly, since time management matters across 80 questions in 240 minutes
Domain 2: Sitework and Foundations
Covers excavation, grading, and foundation systems that precede structural work.
- Know sequencing - what must happen before foundation placement and why
Domain 3: Concrete
One of the two largest domains on the outline. The outline restricts this topic specifically to C-31a work, so don't over-study general concrete trivia outside that scope.
- Focus study time proportional to its outsized weight on the blueprint
Domain 4: Carpentry
Rough and finish carpentry concepts tied to residential and commercial building work.
- Review framing terminology and typical sequencing questions
Domain 5: Associated Trades
The other of the two largest domains. Includes interior and exterior finishes, plus windows and doors.
- Because it ties Concrete for the biggest share, give it equal review priority
Domain 6: Roofing
The outline restricts this topic to C-42a/C-42b work specifically - study within that boundary rather than broader roofing material trivia.
Domain 7: Safety OSHA
Jobsite safety standards relevant to general building contracting operations in Hawaii.
Domain 8: Thermal and Moisture Protection
Insulation, vapor barriers, and moisture-control assemblies as they relate to building envelope work.
For a deeper walkthrough of each area with more subtopic detail, read the HI-GBC Exam Domains 2026 complete guide. And if you're trying to gauge realistically how tough this blueprint is for someone with your background, How Hard Is the HI-GBC Exam? breaks that down further.
| Domain | Relative Weight Note |
|---|---|
| Concrete | Ties for largest domain; scope limited to C-31a work |
| Associated Trades | Ties for largest domain; includes interior/exterior finishes, windows & doors |
| Roofing | Scope limited to C-42a/C-42b work |
| Plan Reading and Estimating | Standard blueprint weight |
| Sitework and Foundations | Standard blueprint weight |
| Carpentry | Standard blueprint weight |
| Safety OSHA | Standard blueprint weight |
| Thermal and Moisture Protection | Standard blueprint weight |
Format Rules and Closed-Book Facts
HI-GBC is a strictly closed-book exam. The 2018 IBC and other trade references listed on the outline are meant for your study process only - none of them are admitted into the testing room. Every answer has to come from what you've internalized beforehand.
- All questions are computer-based multiple-choice
- Test at a physical test center or through remote proctoring
- PSI provides an on-screen calculator, or you may use an eligible silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator
- No printed code books, tables, or personal notes permitted
Final-Week Review Plan
A generic study calendar won't help you here - your final review should mirror the actual weight of the HI-GBC blueprint. Since Concrete and Associated Trades tie for the largest domains, they deserve the most review time in your closing days, not an equal split with the other six domains.
Concrete and Associated Trades
- Drill C-31a concrete scope and interior/exterior finish, window, and door questions since these carry the most blueprint weight
Plan Reading, Estimating, Sitework, Foundations
- Practice quantity takeoffs and sequencing scenarios under timed conditions
Carpentry, Roofing (C-42a/C-42b), Thermal and Moisture Protection
- Confirm you're not studying roofing material outside the C-42a/C-42b scope
Safety OSHA and Full Mixed Review
- Run a full-length timed practice session to rehearse the 240-minute, 80-question pace
For a more complete week-by-week preparation framework built around these same domain weightings, see the HI-GBC Study Guide 2026. You can also run realistic timed sessions on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the pacing before test day.
Licensing and Renewal Facts to Remember
Passing the exam is only one step. Keep these post-exam facts on your cheat sheet too, since they affect long-term planning:
- Licenses renew on September 30 of even-numbered years
- For 2026, active entity/sole-proprietor renewal is $338
- For 2026, active responsible-managing-employee renewal is $208
- Renewal carries applicable insurance and entity/sole-proprietor tax-clearance requirements
These figures come from the Hawaii Contractors License Board and its Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs oversight, not from the exam bulletin itself, so don't confuse renewal costs with the $165 in examination charges discussed earlier. If you're weighing whether the entire licensing path is worth pursuing given these ongoing costs, Is the HI-GBC Certification Worth It? walks through that decision, and HI-GBC Salary Guide 2026 covers the earnings side of that equation.
Key Takeaway
Mark September 30 of even-numbered years on your calendar now - renewal timing is easy to forget once you're focused on passing the exam itself.
Once licensed, general building contractors holding this credential typically work on projects spanning the domains above - from sitework through finish carpentry - and employers across residential and commercial construction in Hawaii look for exactly this scope of qualification. If you're exploring what comes after licensure, HI-GBC Jobs and HI-GBC Training cover the practical next steps, while HI-GBC Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows gives useful context on where candidates tend to struggle.
FAQ
The B trade exam contains 80 scored questions with 240 minutes allowed. Up to 10 additional unscored experimental questions may appear, and PSI states time spent on those does not count against your exam time.
You need 75%, which equals 60 correct answers out of the 80 scored questions.
No. HI-GBC is closed book. The referenced codes and trade materials listed on the outline are for study purposes only and are not permitted in the testing room.
The trade exam fee is $85, and the separately required Business and Law exam costs $80 for new applicants, totaling $165 in examination charges. A separate $50 application fee applies for sole proprietors or responsible managing employees.
Concrete and Associated Trades tie for the largest domains on the outline. Concrete is scoped to C-31a work, and Roofing is scoped specifically to C-42a/C-42b work.
Yes. You must pass all required exams within six months of Board approval, so schedule promptly once approved.