Any Recomendations For CA License Exam School?

In_Mexifornia

Anyone have a recommendation for a good CA license exam school?
I already have the law book and CD-rom that came with it, but I wanted to go to the school and get as much info as possible to prepare. I've looked at CSLB.com. Looks like they send you books and you take a 2 day class. Anyone have any experience with them or maybe another school? Any info would be appreciated.


I gotta get this thing going. The GC i've been working for the last 5+ years is driving me crazy. He talks to the customer a couple of times, while I do all the work AND dealing with the customer from that point on. All I hear is complaints from sub's and home owners all day long, everyday, and i'm just sick of it. This guy is off somewhere on vacation, or playing golf and no one can ever get ahold of him on the phone, or even get a phone call returned. I've had home owners drop future projects with this GC and deal with me instead. Sub's are even telling me to just do it myself. I get leads all the time for jobs, but with the 3 hours of driving to work and back everyday and the 8+ hours I put in at work, it's hard to find the time to do these other jobs. I do them after work, or the weekends. If I could just get away and had the time to devote to my own jobs, I could be making money instead of a paycheck.

Sorry for rambling, but I had to vent.

w6ire

The contractors tests in California are so easy you don't need to attend formal classes. Your boss passed the test so how hard can it be? I recomend home study material from:

peerlessinstitute . com

Good luck, once you get your GC license you will start receiving post cards from me advertising my electrical business, then you will know you've arrived!

send_it_all

I took the home study deal at Avis contractor school in Garden Grove. Someone telling you that you can pass the "easy" test without at least access to a practice test is very misinformed. Your books and cd rom are not enough alone to pass. Taking practice tests until you've memorized all the answers is the key. PM me for more if you want. I also might have work for you in the meantime if you're interested.

w6ire

Most people who pass the contractors license exam have never taken a practice test. Many people do not even study. The Glazing exam has a passing score of 50%, which means you can toss a coin and become a Glazing contractor.

Here's an actual question from the General Contractor exam:

"A triangular trowel has how many sides?"

CSLB tests are easy, everybody knows it.

send_it_all

And here are a few more from the same test:
how many days does an owner have to post and record a notice of non responsibility?

how many days does a owner have to file a notice of completion?

how many days does a sub contractor have to file a mechanic's lien?

how many days does a prime contractor have to file a mechanic's lien?

how many days does a businass owner have to respond to an unemployment insurance claim?

there are hundreds more like this in the question pool for the exam...it's not exactly "how many sides are in a square"? The trade portion of the test is very small compared to the law portion.

TridentOps

because there was nothin that simple on there.

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Trident Construction Management
Remodeling, Landscape and Water Features

w6ire

Sometimes people are too subjective when it comes to determining the relative difficulty of any given task. In order to gain objectivity and true perspective it's useful to think about what other people would think and then decide if something is truly difficult or not.

For example:
Would an astrophysicist find the CSLB tests difficult?
Would a structural engineer find the CSLB tests difficult?
Would someone with a masters degree in science find the CSLB tests difficult?
Would an airline pilot find the CSLB tests difficult?
Would a software developer find the CSLB tests difficult?
Would a licensed pharmacist find the CSLB tests difficult?
Would the average construction worker find the CSLB tests difficult?

The conclusion you can draw about the CSLB tests are so obvious that there really is no room for dispute.

send_it_all

So you are implying that Contractor Law and lien rights are common knowledge for someone with a high I.Q.?....you are full of s**t. I guarantee that without study material evedry one of those you listed above would fail that test. You can't honestly believe that just because someone spends 8 or more years in school studying astro physics, they would automatically know deadlines for for contractors to file paperwork with the county recorders office...just because they are smart....wtf?
I think you are spewing B.S. just to get a rise out of someone...mission accomplished, but you look like a serious ass in the process.

w6ire

The fact that you have resorted to personal attacks is proof that I have made my point. I have made such a good argument that all you can do in response is hurl insults.

I did not attack you personally, I simply made my case and you have blown a gasket. Take a breather, push yourself away from the computer and get a beer, this is too small and insignificant an issue to lose your cool over.

FINISH TECH

I went to csls (contractor state license school)
I got alot out of it but its on you if you choose to study and take advantage of the info they offer, or you could be like the guys Ive seen with 20 years ect. in the trades that felt they new it all and FAILED the test ITS NOT WHAT YOU KNOW ITS WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW!!!

I find it very funny that its said to be such an easy test.
tell that to the 20 out of 30 that didnt pass when I took mine..
and remembering the answer well only help you so much its important that you understand why the answer is what it is.
I went over 3,000 questions studied daily when I took my test I saw one question that I had seen prior!!!

dont listen to jack asses that tell not to study. this is important so you can provide for your family take it serious knock it out the first time and get on with your future...

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ONE DAY AT A TIME!

w6ire

The fact that 66% of all construction workers fail a test reveals more about the test candidates than the test itself.

Also, no one in this thread has suggested not studying for the test, so let's try to keep this discussion factual.

I'm saying that anyone with 3rd grade reading and comprehension skills can study at home and pass the test.

Study hard, pass the test, do quality work and never price jobs below what you need to be profitable.

85% of all newly licensed contractors go out of business in the first 2 years anyway, so it's really silly arguing about whether the test is hard or not, most contractors will fail in business anyway. The only reason for the test is the state wants to get some of your money while you still have some....

Subia29

Exactly true Finish tech.I went to the same school and I can say It got me prepared to pass the law first time.I v'e seen guys (Just like myself) go through the same Bs .Kram the law and study less on the trade.Those thousand of answered questions you studied for I can say 20% will be on your law exam.Your trade is a whole different test ,Excepting you know everything about your trade is'nt going to get you by.Study your ass off first 3 weeks before your test date.Ive said it before It's always the BEST ANSWER!!! Its those two right answer and unrelated questions that will get you stumped.

skyhook

Did you take the CSLB GC exam ?

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Subia29

Dam Diddly Doodly Wrong! Where did you get your figures.Are you asumming that 85% of contractors just give up and go outta of buiness? Send it all is right ,You are full of sh*t.

w6ire

The 85% attrition rate is a figure I've heard for years, but I have no proof that it's a true fact. I did not take the GC test, I took and passed the C-10 25 years ago, I think it's reasonable to assume the C-10 test is more difficult than the B test and I can tell you this, the C-10 test was laughably easy.

Here's a fact that may support the "85% go out of business" figure, which I believe to be generally true: Every year I do residential electrical work for general contractors, in 20% of these jobs, the GC abandons the project and I'm left to deal direct with the homeowner.

In commercial work, in the last 25 years, only 1 GC has bailed on a project, but in residential the attrition rate is very high. Most new general contractors start out in residential, remodels, additions and being new and inexperienced at business, they drop like flies.

You guys have already decided that I don't know what I'm talking about and that does not bother me, I've been in construction since before many of you were born and I've seen hundreds of contractors go out of business.

I don't care what you believe, for some psychological reason it's important that you tell yourselves the test is very difficult and once licensed, there's very little chance of going out of business. It's good to keep a positive attitude, but every so often it wouldn't hurt to confront reality from time to time.

I've learned two things from you guys, the test is very hard and going out of business is even harder. In my humble opinion, the test is easy and going out of business is even easier.

Hey, we're all brothers, it won't be the end of the world if we disagree on these issues.

skyhook

For someone who didn't take the test, you sure are an expert.

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FINISH TECH

Im guesing your not the type to have alot of friends cuz all I see is some big mouth know it all on here just disrespecting other people just for your amusement, Its guys like you that used to get thrown in a garbage can in high school.

your right were all gonna fail in our buisiness and the test is for retards...why dont you go play on some other site this one is for contractors helping each other not dick heads like you just trying to
boast about how smart you are im guesing the reason the generals took off was they were tired of listening to your know it all coments

BROTHER!

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ONE DAY AT A TIME!

tnt specialty

Listen to send it all.....

I took my test in 1983...it's not "easy"....you need to have the information to pass the test....and the simplest, most efficient method, is to memorize the possible questions and answers.

It's well worth the money to pay for a study program or "seminar/school" of some sort. Time is money. You want to be able to get to work asap.

w6ire

Wow, I really got the construction worker's panties in a bunch by suggesting that the contractor's test was easy. If you guys want a tough test, try the BICSI RCDD. Or try the NICET Level 4 Fire Alarm test.

For many of you, the CSLB test represents the intellectual challenge of a lifetime, but believe me, compared to other tests, it's quite simple.

I had no idea I'd stir up this hornet's nest by mentioning what I thought everybody already knew. If it will make you guys feel better about yourselves, I take it all back, I was wrong and you guys were right: The California Contractors tests are very hard and anyone would be foolish not to attend formal classroom training to prepare for the test.

Happy now?

send_it_all

Wow..you're making friends fast W6ire. I noticed you met mdshunk in the electrical forum...that went just as well as this thread for you. You again spewed incorrect information and were called on it and even offered an address where you could go and probably get your ass kicked. If Pa. is too far for you, I'm offering the same service only an hour or so down the coast. Were you born a pompous prick, or did it take years of training to reach your elite level?