Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor Exam Book Package

Prepare for the Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor examination with a focused collection of construction references covering the major technical areas tested on the state trade exam. Highway and street construction brings together asphalt paving, excavation, grading, concrete, reinforcing steel, traffic control, tunneling, erosion control, project management, estimating, safety, and underground utility awareness. Effective preparation requires familiarity with several different construction disciplines and the ability to locate technical information quickly across multiple reference books.

The Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor Exam Book Package brings together key references for candidates preparing for this broad heavy-construction examination. The package includes resources covering OSHA construction safety, construction equipment and methods, pipe and excavation work, concrete technology, asphalt paving, reinforcing steel, post-tensioning, tunneling, Alabama One Call requirements, stormwater management, and traffic control devices.

The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors defines the Highways & Streets classification to include construction involving roads, streets, guardrails, fences, parkways, parking areas, bridges, grading, drainage, and other work incidental to those construction activities. Because the classification covers both roadway construction and supporting infrastructure, candidates should be prepared to move between subjects such as asphalt, earthwork, concrete, safety, traffic control, piles, tunneling, erosion control, and estimating.

This package is especially useful for candidates who want their exam references organized around the technical areas they are expected to encounter. Rather than relying on general construction knowledge alone, candidates can study with the books that address the specific subjects identified in the examination outline. Building familiarity with each book before test day can make open-book exam preparation more efficient and give candidates a clearer strategy for finding formulas, standards, procedures, tables, and construction requirements under timed conditions.

Exam Details

The Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor examination is administered by PSI as part of Alabama's general contractor examination program. The examination contains 80 questions. Candidates are allowed 220 minutes to complete the test and must earn a minimum score of 70%, which equals 56 correct answers.

The examination content outline covers the following subject areas:

• Paving-Asphalt: 16 questions
• Piles: 5 questions
• Excavation and Grading: 12 questions
• Concrete Paving: 3 questions
• Safety: 5 questions
• One-Call: 3 questions
• Traffic Control: 2 questions
• Concrete: 8 questions
• Metals Including Concrete Reinforcement: 6 questions
• Erosion and Sedimentation Control: 6 questions
• Tunneling: 8 questions
• Project Management and Estimating: 6 questions

Asphalt paving and excavation and grading make up a substantial portion of the examination, but candidates should not overlook the other content areas. Concrete, tunneling, erosion and sedimentation control, reinforcement, project management, piles, safety, One Call requirements, concrete paving, and traffic control all contribute to the final score.

PSI permits candidates to use a silent, non-printing, non-programmable calculator in the examination center. A magnifying glass can also be provided upon request.

Open Book Test

The Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor examination is an open book test. Candidates are responsible for bringing their permitted reference materials to the examination center because the references are not supplied at the testing location.

PSI permits approved reference materials to be highlighted, underlined, and indexed. The books must otherwise remain unmarked and may not contain additional loose or attached papers. Permanent tabs may be used for indexing, while temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are not permitted.

Open-book testing rewards candidates who know how their references are organized. With 80 questions and 220 minutes, the average time available is approximately 2.75 minutes per question. That makes reference navigation an important part of preparation. Candidates should practice identifying which book contains the needed information, finding the correct chapter or regulation, and locating tables or technical requirements without spending excessive time searching.

The PSI examination bulletin states that, except for code books, candidates may base answers on later editions of listed references as those editions become available. For code questions, the examination is based on the edition identified for the test. Candidates should organize their study materials carefully and become familiar with the exact books they plan to use during the examination.

Licensing Steps

The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors regulates general contractor licensing in the state. Eligibility to take the contractor examination is determined through the Board's application process.

1. Select the Highways & Streets classification. Determine that the scope of work you plan to perform falls within the Alabama Highways & Streets contractor classification.
2. Complete the required license application. Prime contractor applicants must complete the application required by the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors and provide the requested supporting documentation.
3. Document qualifying work experience. Applicants seeking a classification must provide experience information supporting the type of contracting work requested.
4. Submit required references and supporting information. The Board application process includes documentation designed to establish the applicant's qualifications for the requested classification.
5. Identify the qualifying party. The applicant must provide qualifying-party information as required by the Board.
6. Complete the Board's financial and business documentation requirements. Prime contractor applicants must submit the financial and organizational information required as part of the application process.
7. Receive examination eligibility. After the application is submitted and eligibility requirements are satisfied, examination scheduling is handled through PSI.
8. Complete the required examinations. Alabama requires applicable contractor applicants to complete the required trade examination as well as the Business and Law examination required by the Board.
9. Complete Board review and licensing requirements. Passing the examinations is one component of licensing. The applicant must satisfy the complete Board application and approval process.

State Requirements

The Highways & Streets classification is one of Alabama's major general contractor classifications. Its scope includes roads, streets, guardrails, fences, parkways, parking areas, bridges, grading, drainage, and work incidental to those construction activities.

Under current Alabama law, a general contractor license is generally required for covered construction work when the cost of the undertaking is $100,000 or more. The statutory definition includes work involving highways, site work, grading, paving, structures, and other qualifying construction projects.

Applicants seeking a prime contractor license must complete the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors application process. The Board determines eligibility for examination and license approval. Current Board requirements include submission of the appropriate application materials and supporting information relevant to the applicant, qualifying party, classification, business organization, financial qualifications, and contracting experience.

The Highways & Streets trade exam should therefore be viewed as one part of the overall licensing process. A passing examination result does not by itself issue a contractor license. Applicants must complete all Board requirements associated with the classification they are requesting.

Reference Books

• Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA)
  A primary construction safety reference covering federal OSHA requirements for construction operations. It is valuable for reviewing safety topics involving excavation, equipment, fall protection, concrete work, personal protective measures, material handling, and other construction-site hazards.
• Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, 10th Edition
  A broad heavy-construction reference addressing construction planning, production, equipment selection, earthmoving, excavation, hauling, and project methods. The material supports preparation in excavation and grading, equipment operations, project planning, piles, and estimating.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
  A practical field-oriented construction reference covering excavation, trenching, underground construction, equipment, estimating concepts, and related jobsite practices. It is especially useful for study involving earthwork and underground construction.
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th Edition
  A detailed concrete reference covering concrete materials, mixture proportioning, properties, production, placement, curing, durability, and quality considerations. It supports preparation for both general concrete and concrete paving questions.
• Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook
  A specialized asphalt paving reference covering the production, placement, compaction, and quality considerations associated with hot-mix asphalt pavement construction. Asphalt paving represents the largest single subject area on the Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor examination.
• Placing Reinforcing Bars
  A reinforcing-steel reference addressing placement practices, detailing concepts, supports, splices, bar arrangements, and field installation. It supports exam preparation for metals and concrete reinforcement topics.
• Instructional Manual for Training and Certification of Field Personel for Unbonded Post-Tensioning, 3rd Edition, 2003
  A technical reference focused on field practices associated with unbonded post-tensioning systems. It provides study material related to specialized concrete reinforcement and post-tensioned construction methods.
• Jacked Tunnel Design and Construction, 1999
  A specialized underground-construction reference covering concepts associated with jacked tunneling and related design and construction practices. Tunneling accounts for a significant portion of the Highways and Streets Contractor exam.
• Alabama 1Call – Dig Safely; AL Act 94-487 S.299
  An Alabama-specific reference addressing underground utility notification and safe excavation responsibilities. One-Call is a dedicated subject area on the examination and is directly relevant to excavation, roadway, and underground construction work.
• Storm Water Management for Construction Activities, 1992
  A construction stormwater reference addressing erosion prevention, sediment control, runoff management, and related environmental practices. It supports preparation for the examination's erosion and sedimentation control content area.
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 2009
  A roadway traffic-control reference addressing the use and application of traffic signs, pavement markings, signals, temporary traffic control devices, and other traffic-control practices used on streets and highways.

Test Information and Study Materials

A productive study plan for the Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor exam should begin with the official content outline. The exam does not focus on a single trade. It combines highway paving and site construction with concrete, structural reinforcement, safety, utility notification, traffic control, erosion control, tunneling, piles, and project management.

Asphalt deserves substantial study time because paving-asphalt accounts for 16 of the 80 scored questions. Candidates should become comfortable using the Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook to research paving operations, mixture handling, placement, rolling, compaction, and related field practices.

Excavation and grading is another major area, with 12 questions. Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods and Pipe and Excavation Contracting are useful references for developing familiarity with earthwork operations, equipment, production, excavation practices, grading, and job planning.

Concrete-related subjects appear throughout the outline. General concrete accounts for 8 questions, concrete paving adds 3 questions, and metals including concrete reinforcement adds another 6 questions. Candidates should therefore be comfortable moving among concrete mixture information, reinforcing-bar practices, and specialized concrete construction references.

Tunneling represents 8 questions, making Jacked Tunnel Design and Construction an important reference to know before test day. Erosion and sedimentation control and project management and estimating each contribute 6 questions. Safety and piles each contribute 5 questions, while One-Call and traffic control make up smaller but still important portions of the examination.

One of the most effective ways to prepare for an open-book contractor exam is to practice reference retrieval. Choose a subject from the outline, identify the book most likely to contain the answer, and practice locating the information under a time limit. Repeat this across different books so that switching between subjects becomes familiar.

Permanent tabs can help organize large references around major examination areas. Candidates may also highlight and underline useful material within the rules established for the testing center. The objective is not to tab every page, but to create a clear navigation system for major chapters, tables, safety topics, pavement subjects, excavation information, concrete topics, and other frequently used sections.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps candidates build a more organized approach to Alabama contractor exam preparation. For the Highways and Streets Contractor examination, that means working through a wide range of trade subjects while also becoming familiar with the reference materials used to research detailed technical questions.

Trade-focused review helps candidates organize their study around asphalt paving, excavation and grading, concrete, reinforcing steel, tunneling, erosion control, piles, traffic control, safety, One-Call requirements, and project management. This structure makes it easier to identify stronger areas, recognize subjects that need additional review, and spend preparation time according to the examination outline.

Reference navigation is also an important part of 1 Exam Prep's preparation approach. Candidates can benefit from practicing how to use indexes, tables of contents, chapter headings, regulatory sections, diagrams, tables, and technical terminology. Repeated navigation practice helps turn a large group of books into a more manageable exam-day resource.

Practice-oriented preparation also helps candidates become comfortable working under a time limit. Instead of reading every reference from front to back, candidates can combine subject review with timed searches and exam-style questions. This builds familiarity with both the construction concepts and the process of finding supporting information efficiently.

The goal is to enter the examination with a clear study structure, organized references, better familiarity with the tested trades, and greater confidence in navigating the books when a question requires additional research.

What is the Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor exam?

It is the trade examination associated with Alabama's Highways & Streets contractor classification. The classification includes roads, streets, guardrails, fences, parkways, parking areas, bridges, grading, drainage, and related incidental construction work.

How many questions are on the Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor exam?

The exam contains 80 questions. Candidates receive 220 minutes to complete the examination and must earn at least 70%, or 56 correct answers, to pass.

Is the Alabama Highways and Streets Contractor exam open book?

Yes. The examination is open book. Candidates are responsible for bringing permitted reference materials because the books are not provided at the examination center.

Can I highlight and tab my books for the exam?

Approved references may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed. Permanent tabs are permitted, but temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are not allowed. Books must otherwise remain unmarked and cannot contain additional loose or attached papers.

What are the largest subject areas on the exam?

Paving-asphalt is the largest individual subject area with 16 questions, followed by excavation and grading with 12 questions. Concrete and tunneling each account for 8 questions, while several additional construction disciplines make up the remainder of the examination.

Does the exam include traffic control?

Yes. Traffic control is included in the official examination outline. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways is included in this book package as a traffic-control reference.

Does the exam cover Alabama One Call requirements?

Yes. One-Call is a dedicated examination subject. The package includes Alabama 1Call – Dig Safely; AL Act 94-487 S.299 for study related to underground utility notification and excavation responsibilities.

Do I need to study concrete for a highways and streets exam?

Yes. The official outline includes general concrete, concrete paving, and metals including concrete reinforcement. Candidates should be comfortable with concrete materials, placement concepts, pavement work, and reinforcing-steel practices.

Does passing the trade exam automatically give me an Alabama contractor license?

No. Passing the trade examination is one part of the Alabama licensing process. Applicants must also satisfy the application, qualification, examination, and approval requirements established by the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors.

Is the Business and Law exam also required?

Alabama requires applicable general contractor applicants to complete the Business and Law examination in addition to the required trade examination. Licensing eligibility and final approval are handled by the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors.