- What Is AL-GC, Exactly?
- Who Regulates and Administers the Exam
- Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
- The 12 AL-GC Exam Domains
- Eligibility and Licensing Requirements
- The Separate Business and Law Exam
- Who Actually Needs This Credential
- Mapping a Study Plan to the Domain List
- Cost and Renewal at a Glance
- Frequently Asked Questions
- AL-GC is the NASCLA trade exam for Alabama's Building Construction (Commercial) contractor classification, administered by PSI.
- It's 115 questions, open book, 5 hours 30 minutes, requiring a raw score of 81 to pass.
- The exam costs $106; the separate prime license application costs $300, plus a $200 annual renewal.
- Eligibility lasts one year with unlimited attempts, but only Alabama-licensed contractor prospects with Board approval qualify.
What Is AL-GC, Exactly?
AL-GC refers to the Alabama Building Construction (Commercial) General Contractor Trade Exam - the technical licensing exam that candidates pursuing Alabama's commercial general contractor license must pass before they can legally bid or perform building construction work valued at $100,000 or more. It is not a generic industry certificate or a national credentialing badge; it is a state-mandated trade competency exam tied directly to the license issued by the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors.
The exam itself is the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, a multistate trade exam that Alabama has adopted for its Building Construction (Commercial) classification. Because Alabama recognizes this NASCLA exam, a passing score can sometimes carry weight in other states that also accept the NASCLA credential - but within Alabama, passing AL-GC is simply one required step in a larger licensing process that also includes a business and law exam, financial documentation, and Board approval.
If you're just getting oriented, it helps to read a broader breakdown of what the credential covers and how it fits into the licensing pathway in our companion piece, AL-GC Certification, before diving into exam mechanics.
Who Regulates and Administers the Exam
Two organizations matter here, and candidates frequently confuse their roles:
- The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors is the state regulatory body. It sets licensing rules, reviews applications, approves qualifying parties, and issues the actual prime contractor license.
- PSI is the third-party testing vendor that administers the exam itself. PSI runs the computer-based testing centers, delivers the NASCLA exam content, and reports scores back for licensing purposes.
Understanding this split matters practically: exam scheduling, testing-center logistics, and calculator policies are PSI's domain, while eligibility determinations, financial statement review, and license issuance sit with the Board. If a question is about "can I retake it" or "how long is my eligibility window," that's a Board policy question; if it's about "what happens at the test center," that's PSI's process.
Exam Format, Timing, and Scoring
The AL-GC trade exam has a specific, fixed structure that candidates should internalize well before exam day:
- 115 scored and unscored questions - the exam may embed 1 to 10 unscored experimental questions that are indistinguishable from scored items but still count against your time.
- 5 hours 30 minutes total time allowed.
- Raw score of 81 required to pass - not a percentage or scaled score, a specific raw point threshold.
- Open book format - you may bring permitted reference materials, but knowing where information lives in your references is just as important as knowing the material itself.
- Computer administered at a PSI test center.
- Calculator policy: only a silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted.
- Exam fee: $106 per attempt.
Because the exam is open book, many candidates underestimate it - assuming they can simply look everything up. In practice, with 115 questions spread across a wide range of construction disciplines and a hard time ceiling, flipping through references for every question is not a viable strategy. For a realistic assessment of how demanding this format actually is, see How Hard Is the AL-GC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Key Takeaway
Open book does not mean open-ended time. With 115 questions in 5 hours 30 minutes, budget roughly under three minutes per question and reserve your reference lookups for genuinely uncertain items rather than routine ones.
The 12 AL-GC Exam Domains
The trade exam draws from twelve distinct content areas that mirror the full scope of commercial building construction - from sitework through finishes to contract administration. Knowing the domain list is the starting point for any serious prep plan.
Domain 1: General Requirements
Covers project-wide administrative and coordination items that apply across a commercial job, including submittals, project documentation, and general conditions.
Domain 2: Site Construction
Earthwork, site utilities, excavation, and site preparation concepts relevant to commercial building projects.
Domain 3: Concrete
Formwork, reinforcement, mix design basics, and placement/curing practices for cast-in-place and precast concrete.
Domain 4: Masonry
Unit masonry systems, mortar and grout practices, and reinforcement of masonry assemblies.
Domain 5: Metals
Structural steel, metal fabrications, and connections common to commercial structural systems.
Domain 6: Wood
Rough and finish carpentry, structural wood framing, and wood-related assemblies used in commercial construction.
Domain 7: Thermal and Moisture Protection
Waterproofing, insulation, roofing systems, and building envelope moisture control.
Domain 8: Doors, Windows, and Glazing
Door and window assemblies, hardware, and glazing systems appropriate to commercial buildings.
Domain 9: Finishes
Interior and exterior finish systems, including flooring, wall finishes, and ceiling assemblies.
Domain 10: Mechanical and Plumbing Systems
Coordination-level knowledge of HVAC and plumbing systems as they relate to general contractor oversight.
Domain 11: Electrical Systems
General contractor-level understanding of electrical systems coordination within commercial projects.
Domain 12: Procurement and Contracting Requirements
The largest domain on the exam. Covers bidding, contract types, contract administration, and procurement procedures - the business-side backbone of running a commercial project.
- Because this is the largest domain, it deserves proportionally more study time than any single trade-specific domain above.
For a deeper walkthrough of how these twelve domains are weighted and interrelated, along with example topics under each, see AL-GC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Eligibility and Licensing Requirements
Sitting for the AL-GC trade exam isn't automatic - you need Board approval first, and that approval process involves several concrete steps:
- Submit an application and receive approval from the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors.
- Pay the $300 prime application fee.
- Designate a qualifying party who will sit for the trade exam on behalf of the license applicant.
- Register the business with the Alabama Secretary of State.
- Carry liability insurance.
- Submit a current financial statement, prepared by a CPA or approved accountant, showing at least $10,000 in both net worth and working capital, with no deficits.
- Document at least three relevant projects demonstrating applicable experience.
- Provide three qualified references.
Once approved to test, your eligibility window lasts one year, during which you may attempt the exam an unlimited number of times if needed. That's a meaningful cushion, but each attempt still costs the $106 exam fee, so treating the first sitting as your real shot is far more cost-effective than planning on repeat attempts. A full walkthrough of every prerequisite, including documentation specifics, is available in AL-GC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
The Separate Business and Law Exam
Passing the trade exam is only half the testing requirement. Alabama also requires a separate Alabama Business and Law exam covering contracting-related legal and business topics distinct from the construction-trade content covered on AL-GC. Candidates should not assume that passing the trade exam satisfies their full testing obligation - both exams must be cleared as part of the overall licensing path.
Who Actually Needs This Credential
AL-GC exists specifically for individuals and firms seeking Alabama's Building Construction (Commercial) prime contractor license. Because Alabama requires licensure for any general contracting work on projects of $100,000 or more, this exam is relevant to:
- Contractors bidding commercial building construction projects at or above the $100,000 threshold.
- Qualifying parties designated by a construction firm to hold the trade competency credential on the company's behalf.
- Superintendents and project managers moving into ownership or qualifying-party roles who need to demonstrate trade-wide competency across all twelve domains, not just their usual specialty.
Because commercial GCs coordinate - rather than personally perform - most trade work, the exam's breadth (concrete, masonry, metals, mechanical, electrical, procurement, and more) reflects the reality of the job: overseeing subcontractors across every division while remaining accountable for contract and business decisions. If you're weighing whether pursuing this license path makes sense for your career, Is the AL-GC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 lays out the considerations, and AL-GC Jobs looks at the kinds of roles and firms that value the license.
Mapping a Study Plan to the Domain List
Because the exam spans twelve domains of very different sizes and technical depth, an effective plan allocates time by domain weight rather than splitting hours evenly. Procurement and Contracting Requirements, being the largest domain, deserves a dedicated block near the end of your prep, after the trade-specific domains are fresh, since contract and procurement questions often reference scenarios that touch multiple trades.
Structural and Sitework Domains
- Site Construction, Concrete, Masonry, Metals, and Wood - build familiarity with how these systems appear in commercial-scale projects.
Envelope and Systems Domains
- Thermal and Moisture Protection, Doors/Windows/Glazing, Finishes, Mechanical and Plumbing Systems, and Electrical Systems - focus on coordination-level knowledge, not trade-license depth.
General Requirements and Procurement
- Concentrate on Procurement and Contracting Requirements given its outsized weight, plus General Requirements administrative content.
Open-Book Practice and Timing Drills
- Run full-length timed practice sets to rehearse the 5-hour-30-minute pace and calculator-only workflow before test day.
For a structured, week-by-week plan built specifically around this domain list and the open-book format, see AL-GC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you want a quick reference of must-know facts to review the night before your test, bookmark AL-GC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Cost and Renewal at a Glance
Between the trade exam, the licensing application, and ongoing renewal, AL-GC candidates should budget for several distinct fees rather than a single flat cost:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| AL-GC trade exam (per attempt) | $106 |
| Prime license application | $300 |
| Annual prime license renewal | $200 |
| Financial statement minimum (net worth & working capital) | $10,000 each, no deficits |
These figures don't include the separate Business and Law exam fee or any prep materials you invest in. For the complete financial picture across the whole licensing journey, see AL-GC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. And if you want a data-grounded look at how the raw score requirement translates into practical study targets, check AL-GC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
Budget for the $106 exam fee, the $300 prime application fee, and the $200 annual renewal separately - they serve different stages of the licensing process and aren't interchangeable.
Once you're ready to gauge your readiness against realistic, domain-based questions, practicing under timed, open-book-style conditions on our AL-GC practice test platform is one of the most direct ways to see where your knowledge gaps sit before committing to a test date. Reviewing performance data by domain on the practice site also helps you decide whether Procurement and Contracting Requirements or a trade-specific domain needs more attention in your final review weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
AL-GC is Alabama's implementation of the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, required specifically for the Building Construction (Commercial) classification under the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. It is tied directly to Alabama licensure.
Within your one-year eligibility window, you can attempt the exam an unlimited number of times, though each attempt requires the $106 exam fee.
Yes. Alabama also requires a separate Alabama Business and Law exam in addition to the AL-GC trade exam before a prime license can be issued.
You need a raw score of 81 on the 115-question exam. This is a fixed raw score requirement, not a percentage or scaled score.
Procurement and Contracting Requirements is the largest domain on the exam, covering bidding, contracts, and procurement procedures, so it warrants extra dedicated study time alongside the trade-specific technical domains.