What's on the Alabama Electrical Business & Law Exam? All 11 Areas, Lien Law and Licensing
Prov's published outline for Alabama's Electrical Contractor Business & Law exam: 40 questions across 11 areas, the NASCLA guide and 2014 Alabama Supplement, where the lien and licensing questions come from, and a study plan built on the counts.
Contents
What's on the Alabama Electrical Business & Law Exam?
The Electrical Contractor Business & Law exam is 40 questions in 120 minutes, and you need 75% to pass. Prov publishes how many questions come from each area, so you can study to the real weights.
The outline (40 questions)
These counts come from section 5.4 of Prov's candidate bulletin, document AL CIB 2026.10.31.
| Area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Business Organization | 4 |
| Risk Management | 4 |
| Financial Management | 4 |
| Payroll and Employment Taxes | 4 |
| Labor Laws | 4 |
| Safety and Environmental | 4 |
| Estimating | 4 |
| Licensing Laws | 3 |
| Lien Laws | 3 |
| Contracts | 3 |
| Project Management | 3 |
We sorted the table by count. The bulletin lists the areas in a different order.
The state Alabama Electrical Contractor exam covers the same 11 areas in its 30 business and law questions, with different weights. This exam has three times as many lien questions (3 against 1) and four times as many on business organization (4 against 1).
Which references?
The bulletin lists two, both open book:
- NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, 14th edition
- Alabama Supplement to the Contractors Guide, 2014, sold by Prov
The bulletin does not say how many questions come from either book. It lists the 14th edition of the NASCLA guide for this exam, while the state Contractor exam accepts the 13th or 14th. It also says older and newer editions are always permitted in the room.
Where the licensing and lien questions come from
No statute or rule chapter is listed as a reference. The Alabama law reaches you through the 2014 Supplement. But the Board's rules (Ala. Admin. Code 303-X) were replaced on February 14, 2026, so the Supplement predates the rules now in force, and Prov does not say which one its questions follow.
Our Alabama licensing and lien questions come from the law as it stands now: the Alabama Electrical Contractors Act (Code of Ala. 34-36), the Board's rules effective February 14, 2026, and the mechanics' and materialmen's lien statute (Code of Ala. 35-11-210 to 234).
Lien law: what the statute says
- Who has a lien (35-11-210): anyone who performs work or furnishes material for a building or improvement under a contract with the owner or the owner's agent, contractor or subcontractor.
- The verified statement (35-11-213): filed with the judge of probate in the county where the property is. Without it, the lien is lost.
- Filing deadlines (35-11-215): six months for an original contractor, 30 days for a journeyman or day laborer, and four months for everyone else, counted from the last work or material.
- Notice (35-11-218): everyone except the original contractor must give the owner written notice of the claim before filing.
- Suit (35-11-221): an action to enforce the lien must start within six months after the whole debt matures.
- Satisfaction (35-11-231): once paid, the lienholder must acknowledge satisfaction on the record. Failing to do so for 30 days after a written demand makes the holder liable for at least $200.
Licensing law: examples from the Act and rules
- A license is issued to a person, not to a firm or corporation (34-36-7(c)).
- An Alabama contractor license is unlimited in voltage and bid requirements (303-X-3-.02(3)).
- Licenses expire annually and must be renewed before the last day of the quarter in which they were issued (303-X-3-.04).
- Electrical contractors need 14 hours of continuing education every two years (34-36-8).
- If the contractor in responsible charge leaves a business, the contractor and the business must notify the Board within 5 days (303-X-3-.09).
- The Board can impose a fine of up to $5,000 (34-36-6), which the rules set per violation (303-X-6-.08).
The business areas
Our business questions are written from the NASCLA guide, 13th edition. They leave out dollar thresholds, tax rates and other figures that change between editions, since the exam lists the 14th.
Where the weight is
- Seven areas carry 4 questions each, 28 of the 40. No single area dominates.
- Money is the biggest block. Financial Management, Payroll and Employment Taxes, and Estimating are 12 questions.
- Alabama-specific law is 6 questions. Licensing Laws (3) and Lien Laws (3).
- Employer obligations add up. Labor Laws and Safety and Environmental are 8 questions together.
A study plan built on the weights
- Get both books and tab them. The Supplement is sold only by Prov.
- Start with the money areas: financial management, payroll and employment taxes, and estimating.
- Read the lien statute's deadlines and notice rules until you know the 30-day, four-month and six-month periods cold.
- Cover licensing law, labor law and safety.
- Finish with business organization, risk, contracts and project management in proportion to their counts.
- Sit a timed, full-length exam. 40 questions in 120 minutes is 3 minutes each.
Try our free sample test, or see the full exam prep. For who needs this exam, see Business & Law requirements, and for the day itself, exam day.
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