If you fail one part of the Florida contractor examination, you retake only that part. The parts you passed remain valid. There is a 30 day wait between attempts, and each retake carries a fee, commonly reported at $295.
That is the whole answer to the question most people are actually asking at midnight after a bad result. You have not lost the parts you passed and you are not starting again.
The rules, plainly
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I retake everything? | No. Only the parts you failed. Passed parts stand |
| How long must I wait? | 30 days between attempts on a failed part |
| What does a retake cost? | Commonly reported at $295 per retake |
| Do I reapply from scratch? | No. This is a retake of an examination part, not a new licence application |
| Is there a limit on attempts? | Confirm with the DBPR for your situation rather than relying on a general page |
On the fee: $295 is the figure reported consistently across current sources, but fees are set by the department and by the testing vendor and they do change. Confirm the amount when you book rather than budgeting from any article, this one included.
Work out which kind of failure it was
This is the step almost everyone skips, and it determines whether 30 days is enough.
There are broadly two ways to fail an open book exam, and they need opposite responses.
- You ran out of time. You knew where things were, roughly, but not fast enough, and you left questions unanswered or rushed the last stretch. This is a navigation problem. Thirty days is comfortably enough to fix it, and the fix is timed retrieval practice rather than more reading.
- You ran out of knowledge. You reached the questions, you looked things up, and you still could not resolve them. This is a content problem. Thirty days may be enough, depending on how large the gap is, and the fix is genuinely studying the weak area rather than drilling lookup speed.
Be honest about which one it was while it is fresh. A week later the memory smooths over into I just failed, and you lose the diagnostic information that was available on the day.
Note that Business and Finance is the long one
Business and Finance is 125 questions in 6.5 hours, roughly 3 minutes 7 seconds per question. Contract Administration and Project Management are 65 questions in 4.75 hours each, roughly 4 minutes 23 seconds. If you failed Business and Finance specifically, the time pressure per question is meaningfully tighter, and running out of time there is common rather than shameful.
Reported pass rates circulate for each part, generally in the region of 50% for Business and Finance, 55% for Contract Administration and 40% for Project Management. Treat those as indicative only. We could not trace them to an official DBPR publication, and pass rate figures on prep sites are not independently audited.
What to do with the 30 days
- Write down what happened while you remember it. Which topics stalled you, whether you finished, where the time went.
- Fix your tabs before you fix your knowledge. If navigation cost you the exam, that is the cheapest thing to repair. See what you may mark in your books.
- Re-check your reference list. If your books were the wrong edition, or you were missing one, that is a silent cause of a bad result. See which books you can bring.
- Practise against the clock, not against the material. Timed retrieval is the thing being tested. See how the open book format actually works.
- Book the retake early in the window rather than late, so the material is still current in your head.
Retake rules, waiting periods and fees are set by the Florida DBPR and the testing vendor and can change. Confirm the current position for your licence category before making plans around a date or a figure.
For the structure of each part and how they differ, see the format of each exam.
Frequently asked questions
If I fail one part do I have to retake all of them?
No. You retake only the parts you failed. Parts you have already passed remain valid.
How long do I have to wait to retake?
There is a 30 day wait between attempts on a failed part.
How much does a Florida contractor exam retake cost?
Commonly reported at $295 per retake. Fees are set by the department and the testing vendor and can change, so confirm the current amount when you book.
Which part do most people fail?
Reported pass rates circulate at roughly 50% for Business and Finance, 55% for Contract Administration and 40% for Project Management. These figures could not be traced to an official DBPR publication and should be treated as indicative only.
Is 30 days enough to prepare for a retake?
It depends on why you failed. If you ran out of time, 30 days is comfortably enough to fix navigation and lookup speed. If you could not answer the questions even with the books, the gap is content and may need longer.
Do I have to reapply for the licence?
No. Retaking a failed examination part is not a new licence application. Confirm your specific situation with the DBPR if anything about your application has changed.
Exam rules, approved reference lists and fees are set by the Florida DBPR and change without notice. This page was verified in August 2026 and is rechecked regularly. Always confirm against the current DBPR reference list for your test date. We are independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the Florida DBPR.
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