To become a licensed Florida air conditioning contractor you must pass two open-book exams: a Trade Knowledge exam and a separate Business & Finance exam. Both are multiple choice and require 70% to pass. The trade exam is split into two open-book sessions of 65 scored questions each, and you may bring approved code books and textbooks into the testing room.
Format and structure of the Florida air conditioning contractor exam
The Florida Air Conditioning Contractor exam is administered by Professional Testing, Inc. on behalf of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB). It is the state-level credential that lets you pull permits and contract for HVAC work across Florida.
The exam is open book and multiple choice, and you need a score of 70% to pass each portion. The Class A Trade Knowledge exam contains 130 questions delivered in two open-book sessions of 65 scored questions each, with roughly 4.75 hours allotted per session. Because it is open book, the test rewards candidates who know how to navigate their reference materials quickly rather than those who simply memorize answers.
The two exams you must pass
The biggest source of confusion for applicants is that this is not a single test. Every air conditioning contractor applicant must pass two distinct exams:
- Trade Knowledge exam — the technical portion covering HVAC systems, installation, the building code, and safety. For Class A this is 130 questions across two 65-question open-book sessions.
- Business & Finance exam — a separate open-book exam of 120 questions, with about 6.5 hours allotted, covering contracting business practices, accounting, Florida lien law, and project management.
Both exams are open book and both require 70% to pass. You can prepare for them in parallel, but treat them as two separate study tracks because the content barely overlaps. Many candidates clear the trade exam and then stumble on Business & Finance simply because they underestimated it.
Class A air conditioning contractors can work on systems of unlimited capacity, while Class B contractors are limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating per system. Choose the license class that matches the size of jobs you intend to take on before you sit for the exam.
Open-book references you can bring
Open book does not mean easy. The proctor allows a specific list of references, and you are expected to bring tabbed, marked-up copies. Approved materials typically include the Florida Building Code – Mechanical, the Florida Energy Code, refrigeration and air conditioning technology textbooks, EPA 608 material, and OSHA construction standards.
The candidates who pass are the ones who have practiced finding answers under time pressure. With around 4.75 hours per session and 65 scored questions, you have a few minutes per question — not enough time to read a chapter from scratch. Tab your books, build an index of the topics you struggle with, and rehearse the lookups. Our Florida HVAC study guide walks through which references answer which question types.
How to prepare and what to expect
The most reliable path is realistic, repeated practice. Working through exam-style questions with your reference books open builds both your knowledge and your lookup speed at the same time. Our library includes 341 practice questions covering both the trade and business portions, available for $49 or $89 depending on the plan.
Before test day, make sure you understand the Florida HVAC license requirements so your application and experience documentation are in order. Then drill with a full-length Florida HVAC practice test, review targeted exam questions by topic, and read our step-by-step guide on how to pass the Florida HVAC exam the first time.
When you sit down, the structure is straightforward: answer the multiple-choice questions, use your books, manage the clock, and clear 70% on each exam. Knowing the format in advance removes most of the stress, and consistent practice does the rest.
Ready to start preparing?
Test your knowledge with our free quiz, then dive into the full study materials built for the Florida air conditioning contractor exam.