What Does the Arizona A General Engineering License Cover?

Arizona's A General Engineering classification allows contractors to construct or repair major engineering works and infrastructure.

The current scope includes:

• Fixed works.
• Streets.
• Roads.
• Power and utility plants.
• Dams.
• Hydroelectric plants.
• Sewage and waste-disposal plants.
• Bridges.
• Tunnels.
• Overpasses.
• Public parks.
• Public rights-of-way.

The classification also includes the scopes of work allowed by Arizona's A-4 through A-19 engineering specialty classifications.

You can review the current scope through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors license classifications.

Step 1: Confirm the Experience and Exam Requirements

Arizona currently requires four years of qualifying hands-on and/or managerial experience for the A General Engineering classification.

The listed examinations are:

• Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam, or SRE.
• A General Engineering trade exam.

A solar warranty is required if solar work is performed under the classification.

Arizona may allow examination waivers in specific situations, so confirm your individual eligibility before registering.

Check the current Arizona ROC classification requirements before beginning the licensing process.

Step 2: Know the Exam Numbers

Four hours sounds comfortable until you meet a pipe question, a storm-water calculation, and an electrical transmission question that all want to become long-term relationships.

Time management matters.

Step 3: Learn the Official A General Engineering Exam Breakdown

Step 4: Make Excavation, Compaction and Grading a Top Priority

Excavation, Compaction and Grading is the largest individual category with 12 questions.

Review:

• Excavation methods.
• Trenching.
• Soil types.
• Compaction methods.
• Moisture and density.
• Cut and fill.
• Grading.
• Slopes.
• Earthmoving equipment.
• Production rates.
• Shoring.
• Underground utilities.

Practice earthwork calculations and understand how soil conditions affect equipment selection and compaction procedures.

Dirt is cheaper than many building materials, but it has an impressive ability to create expensive problems.

Step 5: Prepare for Electrical Transmission Lines

Electrical Transmission Lines contributes 11 questions, making it the second-largest category.

Review:

• Transmission-line construction concepts.
• Poles and structures.
• Conductors.
• Hardware.
• Line installation.
• Clearances.
• Equipment used in line work.
• Handling conductors.
• Safety around energized systems.

The Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook is one of PSI's study references for this portion of the exam.

This category deserves serious preparation even if most of your engineering experience is in roads, underground utilities, or concrete.

Step 6: Study Sewers and Underground Pipe Work

Sewers contributes 10 questions.

Study:

• Sewer pipe materials.
• Trenching.
• Bedding.
• Pipe installation.
• Grade and slope.
• Manholes.
• Backfill.
• Compaction around pipe.
• Pipe connections.
• Testing concepts.

Underground-pipe questions can combine excavation, pipe installation, slope, material selection, and safety.

One sewer question can apparently visit several exam categories before returning home.

Step 7: Put Serious Time Into Paving

Paving contributes another 10 questions.

Review:

• Subgrade preparation.
• Base materials.
• Compaction.
• Hot-mix asphalt.
• Paving equipment.
• Placement.
• Rolling.
• Density.
• Drainage.
• Pavement defects.

The Hot-Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook is listed by PSI as a study reference, although it is not currently allowed inside the testing center.

Learn the concepts before exam day rather than planning to look them up during the test.

Step 8: Treat OSHA Safety as a Major Subject

Safety contributes 10 questions.

Review OSHA requirements involving:

• Excavation and trenching.
• Fall protection.
• Cranes.
• Rigging.
• Electrical hazards.
• Personal protective equipment.
• Traffic and equipment hazards.
• Concrete operations.
• Steel erection.
• Material handling.

OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 is one of the few references you may currently bring into the examination center.

Candidates who want an organized copy can review the OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 highlighted and tabbed reference from Contractor Exam Preps.

Step 9: Study Concrete Construction

Concrete contributes 10 questions.

Review:

• Concrete materials.
• Mixing.
• Placement.
• Forms.
• Reinforcement.
• Foundations.
• Slabs.
• Curing.
• Joints.
• Quality-control concepts.

PSI identifies the Contractors Guide to Quality Concrete Construction as a study reference.

Understand practical concrete procedures rather than trying to memorize isolated facts.

Step 10: Master Storm Water Runoff

Storm Water Runoff contains nine questions.

Study:

• Drainage concepts.
• Runoff.
• Storm-water collection.
• Channels.
• Culverts.
• Erosion control.
• Sediment control.
• Construction-site storm-water practices.
• Urban storm-water management concepts.

PSI lists both Design and Construction of Urban Storm Water Management Systems and Storm Water Management for Construction Activities as study references.

Storm-water questions are easier when you understand the system as a whole instead of memorizing a collection of things water might bump into.

Step 11: Prepare for Solar Thermal

Solar Thermal contributes eight questions.

Study:

• Solar collectors.
• Storage.
• Pumps.
• Controls.
• Solar piping.
• Heat transfer.
• System installation.
• Solar thermal safety.

The 2015 Uniform Solar Energy Code is one of the references currently allowed inside the examination center.

PSI also identifies Planning & Installing Solar Thermal Systems as a study-only reference.

Step 12: Review Photovoltaic Systems

Photovoltaic Systems contributes three questions.

Review basic concepts involving:

• PV modules.
• Arrays.
• Mounting.
• System components.
• Basic electrical concepts.
• Solar safety.

PSI lists Photovoltaic Systems by James Dunlap as a study reference that is not currently allowed inside the examination center.

Three questions may be a small percentage of 109, but three points are still three points.

Step 13: Study Gas Piping

Gas Piping contributes six questions.

The major approved reference for this area is ASME B31.8, Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems, with PSI currently listing the 2007 or 2014 editions.

Review:

• Gas transmission systems.
• Distribution piping.
• Materials.
• Installation.
• Testing.
• Safety.
• Pipeline protection.

Become comfortable navigating ASME B31.8 before test day.

Step 14: Review Water Piping

Water Piping contributes five questions.

Study:

• Water-main materials.
• Ductile iron pipe.
• Pipe installation.
• Trenching and bedding.
• Connections.
• Backfill.
• Testing concepts.

PSI identifies the DIPRA Installation Guide for Ductile Iron Pipe as a study reference.

Water-piping knowledge overlaps with excavation, grading, compaction, and utility construction, so use those connections while studying.

Step 15: Learn Piles and Foundation Concepts

Piles contributes six questions.

Review:

• Pile types.
• Driven piles.
• Foundation support concepts.
• Pile-driving equipment.
• Site conditions.
• Installation procedures.
• Safety around pile-driving operations.

General engineering contractors work on major infrastructure where deep-foundation systems may be necessary to transfer loads into suitable soil or rock.

Step 16: Study Traffic Control

Traffic Control contributes six questions.

Review:

• Temporary traffic control.
• Work zones.
• Signs.
• Channelizing devices.
• Flagging concepts.
• Vehicle and worker separation.
• Public protection.

PSI identifies the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways as a study reference.

Road construction becomes substantially less relaxing when traffic is still using the road, so traffic-control knowledge matters.

Step 17: Review Steel

Steel contributes three questions.

Study:

• Steel members.
• Steel joists.
• Connections.
• Handling.
• Erection.
• Basic structural-steel safety.

PSI lists Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders as one of the study references.

Step 18: Know the Three Current Exam-Room References

PSI currently lists the following materials as allowed in the A General Engineering examination center:

• Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR Part 1926 OSHA, with the latest available amendments, or PSI's OSHA selections.
• ASME B31.8, Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems, 2007 or 2014.
• Uniform Solar Energy Code, 2015.

Always verify the latest PSI outline immediately before buying or preparing books.

Step 19: Know the Study-Only References

PSI's current outline identifies the following references as materials used to develop examination questions but not allowed inside the examination center:

• Photovoltaic Systems.
• Planning & Installing Solar Thermal Systems.
• Contractors Guide to Quality Concrete Construction.
• DIPRA Installation Guide for Ductile Iron Pipe.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting.
• Hot-Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook.
• Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders.
• Concrete Pipe and Box Culvert Installation Manual.
• Lineman's and Cableman's Handbook.
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.
• Design and Construction of Urban Storm Water Management Systems.
• Storm Water Management for Construction Activities.
• Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods.
• Arizona 811: Arizona Blue Stake.

These books matter even though you cannot bring them into the exam room.

They contain the industry knowledge you are expected to learn before testing.

Step 20: Prepare Approved Books Correctly

PSI allows candidates to prepare approved references before the examination.

Approved books may be:

• Highlighted.
• Underlined.
• Annotated before the exam.
• Indexed.
• Tabbed with permanent tabs.

Permanent tabs must be attached strongly enough that removing them would tear the page.

Temporary tabs, Post-it notes, and other removable page markers are not permitted.

You also may not bring unauthorized loose or attached papers into the examination.

If an approved reference is printed from the internet, PSI requires it to be bound.

For book organization options, review the contractor exam reference tabs from Contractor Exam Preps.

Step 21: Practice Engineering Math

The A General Engineering exam can involve calculations across several categories.

Practice:

• Area.
• Volume.
• Cubic yards.
• Pipe slope.
• Grade.
• Earthwork quantities.
• Concrete quantities.
• Production rates.
• Drainage calculations.
• Basic construction formulas.

PSI allows a basic silent, nonprinting, non-programmable, non-scientific calculator.

Practice with the same type before the exam.

Step 22: Learn Arizona 811 Concepts

Arizona 811, also known through the Arizona Blue Stake system, appears on PSI's study-reference list.

Underground utility awareness is especially important for contractors performing excavation, trenching, utility construction, roads, and public works.

Review:

• Utility-location concepts.
• Pre-excavation planning.
• Marking awareness.
• Damage prevention.
• Safe excavation near existing utilities.

Finding an existing utility with the bucket of an excavator is generally considered a poor locating method.

Step 23: Use a Six-Week Study Plan

Step 24: Practice Under the Real Four-Hour Limit

Complete full practice tests using the actual 240-minute limit.

Use a three-pass strategy:

1. First pass: Answer questions you know immediately.
2. Second pass: Complete straightforward approved-reference lookups.
3. Third pass: Return to calculations and difficult questions.

Remember that many questions are based on study-only references. If the answer is not in your three permitted exam-room books, endlessly searching those books will not make it appear out of politeness.

Know when to use your references and when to rely on the trade knowledge you studied beforehand.

Step 25: Watch Question Wording Carefully

Pay close attention to words such as:

• MINIMUM
• MAXIMUM
• FIRST
• BEST
• MOST
• LEAST
• NOT
• EXCEPT

A complicated engineering question can sometimes become much easier once you identify exactly what PSI is asking.

Read first. Calculate second.

Step 26: Know the Current Fees and Retake Rules

PSI currently lists the fee for one Arizona trade examination at $66.

The Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam currently costs $61.

If you fail the trade examination, the current PSI rules require a 30-day waiting period before retesting.

Candidates receive three attempts. After three unsuccessful attempts, a 90-day waiting period applies before another attempt.

Use any diagnostic information available after an unsuccessful attempt to identify which categories need more work.

Step 27: Remember the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam

The A General Engineering trade exam tests technical engineering-construction knowledge.

The Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam focuses on contractor laws and licensing rules.

The SRE is currently provided as an online course and examination through Arizona ROC.

Prepare for it separately from the technical trade exam.

Review the Arizona ROC contractor licensing process for current application instructions.

Step 28: Passing PSI Does Not Automatically Issue the A License

Passing the A General Engineering examination is only one part of becoming licensed.

The complete process may include:

• Selecting the A General Engineering classification.
• Designating the qualifying party.
• Documenting four years of qualifying experience.
• Completing the trade exam.
• Completing the SRE unless an applicable waiver is granted.
• Completing required background checks.
• Obtaining the appropriate contractor license bond.
• Providing identification and business information.
• Meeting applicable solar-warranty requirements if solar work will be performed.
• Submitting the Arizona ROC application.
• Paying applicable licensing fees.

Current PSI instructions state that applicants should complete licensing requirements and submit the license application and examination documentation to Arizona ROC within two years after passing the required examination.

Arizona A General Engineering Exam Roadmap

1. Confirm that the A General Engineering scope matches your intended work.
2. Verify the four-year qualifying experience requirement.
3. Confirm your SRE and trade-exam requirements.
4. Review PSI's current 109-question content outline.
5. Obtain the approved OSHA, ASME B31.8, and Uniform Solar Energy Code references.
6. Collect the study-only references you need for weak subjects.
7. Prepare approved references with permanent tabs and highlighting.
8. Study Excavation, Compaction and Grading heavily.
9. Prepare thoroughly for Electrical Transmission Lines.
10. Review Sewers, Paving, Safety, and Concrete.
11. Study Storm Water Runoff.
12. Prepare Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic topics.
13. Review Gas and Water Piping.
14. Study Piles, Traffic Control, and Steel.
15. Practice construction and engineering math.
16. Practice approved-reference lookups.
17. Complete full 240-minute practice exams.
18. Review every missed question.
19. Check current PSI rules before test day.
20. Complete all Arizona ROC licensing requirements.

Arizona A General Engineering Exam Prep Resources

The A General Engineering examination is broad because the license itself covers major infrastructure and public works.

Your preparation should combine field experience, study-only trade references, organized exam-room books, construction math, safety knowledge, and full-length timed practice.

Conclusion: How to Pass the Arizona A General Engineering Contractor Exam

The Arizona A General Engineering Contractor exam is challenging because it represents one of the broadest infrastructure-focused contractor classifications in the state. Candidates are not preparing for one narrow trade. They are preparing for roads, utilities, excavation, concrete, transmission lines, storm water, solar systems, pipelines, traffic control, piles, and safety.

The first thing to understand is the official exam structure. PSI currently gives candidates 109 questions and 240 minutes. A 70% score is required to pass. With a little more than two minutes available per scored question, candidates need both technical knowledge and a good testing strategy.

Excavation, Compaction and Grading should receive heavy attention because it is the largest section with 12 questions. Electrical Transmission Lines follows with 11 questions. Sewers, Paving, Safety, and Concrete each contribute 10 questions. Those high-value categories should form the foundation of your study plan.

Storm Water Runoff adds nine questions, while Solar Thermal adds eight. Gas Piping, Piles, and Traffic Control each contain six. Water Piping contributes five, while Steel and Photovoltaic Systems contribute three each. Even the smaller categories matter because the exam requires broad competency.

One of the most important things to understand is the reference policy. The current PSI outline identifies many books used to create the exam, but only three major references are currently permitted inside the testing center: OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, ASME B31.8, and the 2015 Uniform Solar Energy Code.

That means this is not an exam where you can plan to research every answer. Much of your knowledge must already be in your head before testing. Study the concrete, excavation, piping, paving, electrical, storm-water, traffic-control, and solar references in advance.

Your approved books should still be organized carefully. Permanent tabs, highlighting, annotations, and indexing can reduce search time when you do need OSHA, gas-piping, or solar-code information.

Full-length practice is also important. Complete 109-question tests under the real four-hour limit. Answer familiar questions first, complete fast lookups second, and return to difficult calculations at the end. Do not allow one hard problem to steal time from several easier questions.

Finally, remember that passing the trade exam is only part of becoming licensed. Arizona currently requires four years of qualifying experience for the A classification, along with the applicable SRE, qualifying-party requirements, background checks, bonding, and the formal ROC application.

A successful study plan should look like a successful engineering project: identify the scope, gather the right materials, handle the biggest risks first, check the details, and do not discover at the last minute that half the books you studied cannot enter the testing center.

Plain-Language Summary

The Arizona A General Engineering Contractor license is designed for contractors working on major infrastructure and fixed works. Its scope includes streets, roads, power and utility plants, dams, hydroelectric plants, sewage and waste-disposal plants, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, public parks, and public rights-of-way. It also includes the work covered by Arizona's A-4 through A-19 specialty engineering classifications.

Arizona currently requires four years of qualifying hands-on and/or managerial experience for this license. Applicants also need to meet the applicable Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam and trade-exam requirements.

The current PSI A General Engineering examination contains 109 questions, gives candidates 240 minutes, and requires a 70% passing score.

Excavation, Compaction and Grading is the largest category with 12 questions. Electrical Transmission Lines has 11. Sewers, Paving, Safety, and Concrete each contain 10 questions. Storm Water Runoff has nine questions, while Solar Thermal has eight.

Gas Piping, Piles, and Traffic Control each contribute six questions. Water Piping has five, while Steel and Photovoltaic Systems each have three.

Because the exam covers so many different subjects, candidates should not study it like a single-trade test. Preparation should include excavation, soil compaction, grading, sewer installation, water piping, gas transmission, paving, concrete construction, electrical transmission lines, storm-water systems, traffic control, piles, steel, solar thermal systems, photovoltaic systems, and OSHA safety.

The current exam-room reference list is much smaller than the overall study list. PSI currently allows OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, ASME B31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Systems, and the 2015 Uniform Solar Energy Code inside the testing center.

Other references covering concrete, excavation, asphalt, ductile iron pipe, steel joists, transmission lines, storm water, traffic control, solar systems, and Arizona 811 are currently study-only. Candidates should learn this material before exam day because those books cannot simply be opened during the test.

Candidates should prepare approved references using permanent tabs, highlighting, annotations, and indexing according to PSI rules. They should also practice construction math and complete full 109-question practice exams under the real four-hour time limit.

Passing the trade exam does not automatically create a contractor license. Applicants still need to complete applicable Arizona ROC requirements involving experience, the qualifying party, the SRE, background checks, bonding, business information, and the contractor application.

For Arizona contractor exam preparation resources, approved-book organization tools, and study materials, visit the Contractor Exam Preps Arizona collection.