Examination Information
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation administers numerous professional licensure examinations, including computer-based examinations and national examinations.
Scheduling a Computer-Based Examination
DBPR offers examinations for the following professions in a computer-based testing (CBT) format. Candidates who have been approved to sit for one of the following examinations may do so by contacting the department’s examination vendor, Pearson VUE. Examinations are available on a daily basis at testing sites throughout the world.
To locate a testing site near you or to register to sit for an examination, use the links below.
To schedule by phone:
888.204.6289 (DBPR Real Estate/Appraisal Candidates Only)
888.204.6230 (All Other DBPR Professions Candidates)
Candidates taking a computer-based examination through Pearson VUE will be required to submit a valid email address, telephone number, and payment at the time the examination is scheduled. Candidates will be eligible to schedule an examination within 72 hours after the candidate’s examination application has been approved by the department.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation has contracted with Professional Testing, Inc., to register candidates, develop, and score professional examinations for the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Individuals desiring to sit for construction trade knowledge, contract administration, project management, or business & finance examination parts are required to apply directly with Professional Testing, Inc.
For questions: 407.264.0562
To apply online: http://www.floridaexam.com
Completed applications and appropriate fees must be received by Professional Testing, Inc., no later than 30 days prior to the examination date.
Plumbing trade knowledge examinations are administered in paper and pencil format and are offered multiple times per year. Candidates approved to sit for these examinations will receive confirmation from Professional Testing, Inc., that includes the specific date, time, and location of the examination.
All other construction examinations, including the business & finance examination part, are administered in computer-based testing format. After a candidate has been approved by Professional Testing, Inc., they may schedule to sit for their examination(s) by contacting the department’s examination vendor, Pearson VUE.
To locate a testing site near you or to register to sit for an examination, use the links below.
Construction – Business and Finance | Construction – Contract Administration, Project Management, and Trade Knowledge Exams (Excluding Plumbing) |
To schedule by phone: 888.204.6230
Candidates taking a computer-based examination through Pearson VUE will be required to submit a valid email address, telephone number, and payment at the time the examination is scheduled. Candidates will be eligible to schedule an examination within 72 hours after the candidate’s examination application has been approved by Professional Testing, Inc.
For more information, visit the Construction Examination Information page.
The Uniform CPA Examination is available in a computer-based testing format and is offered by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). For more information, including testing locations, deadlines, and fees, visit the NASBA website.
The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) is available in computer-based testing format and is offered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). For testing locations and additional information, visit the NCARB website.
The National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ) examination is available in computer-based format and is offered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ). For testing locations and additional information, visit the CIDQ website.
The Landscape Architect Registration Examination is administered by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registrations Boards (CLARB) three times a year over a two-week period in April, August and December. View the CLARB website for exam dates, deadlines and fees.
Florida Section F is administered in computer-based testing (CBT) format. Click here for a list of testing sites near you.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, through its testing vendor Pearson VUE, now offers certain Florida professional licensure exams at various domestic and international military sites. Active duty personnel, including the spouses of active duty personnel, federal contractors, and civilians working on base, are able to schedule exams at these locations.
For more information, visit the department’s Military Services webpage.
The policies and procedures described below apply to all examinations administered by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation or its vendors. Rules for national examinations and examinations administered by third-parties may vary.
Absence Policy
If you are unable to attend the examination for which you were scheduled, you may be excused for the following reasons:
- Your illness or that of an immediate family member
- Death in the immediate family
- Disabling traffic accident
- Court appearance or jury duty
- Military duty
All candidates seeking excused absences must submit written verification and supporting documentation of the situation to the examination vendor no later than four days after the original examination date. Documentation of medical absences must have the original signature of the medical practitioner. Stamped signatures will NOT be accepted. You will be required to pay your examination fees in full, and possibly reapply to DBPR, if you do not show up for your exam appointment.
Available Languages
Examinations developed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation are available in English and Spanish at no additional cost. The request to take an examination in Spanish is made at the time you make your test reservation with the Department’s approved vendor. National examinations are only available in English.
An applicant may petition the respective board to have the examination(s) provided in the applicant’s native language. If approved by the board, the applicant is responsible for the full cost of the department’s development, preparation, administration, grading, and evaluation of the examination(s). An applicant must petition the board at least 6 months prior to the scheduled exam. When determining whether it is in the public interest to allow the examination to be translated into a language other than English or Spanish, the board, or the department when there is no board, shall consider the percentage of the population who speak the applicant’s native language.
Calculators
Calculators are permitted if they are silent, hand-held, battery-operated, nonprinting, and without an alphabetic keypad. Solar calculators are not recommended.
Change and Cancellation Policies
If you wish to cancel your exam, you must contact the examination vendor at least 2 DAYS prior to your scheduled appointment. Cancelling an exam less than 2 DAYS prior to your appointment or missing your exam may result in forfeiting your examination fees.
Forms of Identification
When registering at the test center, you will be required to have the following items: Two forms of valid signature identification, one of which is government issued: driver’s license, state identification card, passport or military identification card. Student or employment I.D. cards and photo bearing credit cards are not acceptable as picture bearing identification. Candidates will not be admitted without showing proper identification. Your name and address must match what was submitted on your application.
Personal Items in Examination Room
Personal items are not permitted in the examination room. Any personal items such as toiletries, snacks, etc., must be encased in a clear plastic bag, no larger than 8” X 11” in size and kept in the locker provided by the vendor.
Pilot Testing
Examinations may contain a small number of experimental or “pilot test” questions. The purpose of including pilot test questions within the examination is to expand and improve the bank of questions from which future examinations will be drawn. This is a common practice used by many national and state examination programs and is a critical step in ensuring the continued reliability and validity of these examinations. In the event that pilot test questions are included within the examination, these questions will NOT be counted when computing scores. Additional time will be given for answering the pilot test questions. The time allowed for testing has been evaluated to ensure there is adequate time for completing test questions and pilot questions. Pilot questions are NOT identified. If the pilot questions were identified, many of the candidates would skip them, and the results would not be valid. The development of a good examination requires accurate candidate response information for the pilot questions.
Translation Dictionaries
To better serve our “English as a second language” candidates, the Bureau of Education and Testing is permitting the use of foreign language translation dictionaries during examinations. Translation dictionaries shall contain word-for-word or phrase translations ONLY. Dictionaries that contain definitions of words, explanations of words, or handwritten notes may NOT be used. Electronic translation dictionaries are NOT recommended as most will have more than word-for word or phrase translations, an alphabetic keypad, have mathematical formulas and stored memory capabilities. Should these electronic translation devices have these capabilities, they WILL be rejected by the Proctor or Test Center Manager and are NOT suitable for the test site environment. Testing Center staff will inspect and approve each dictionary before it can be used during the examination. In order to maintain security and to ensure fairness to all candidates, candidates are limited to the use of a single dictionary.
What Not To Bring
Unauthorized supplies will be subject to removal by the Department’s representative at the examination site. Personal items are not permitted in the examination room. Any personal items such as toiletries, snacks, etc must be encased in a clear plastic bag, no larger than 8” X 11” in size and kept in the locker provided by the vendor. The following items are NOT allowed in the examination room:
- Cameras, tape recorders, or computers
- Pagers, electronic transmitting devices, or telephones (watches with alarms or beepers should be set so that they will NOT sound or go off during the examination administration)
- Any bound or loose leaf reference materials and notes
- Dictionary, thesaurus, or other spelling aids
- Canisters of mace, pepper spray, or other personal defense items
- Purses, briefcases, portfolios, fanny packs, or backpacks