What Does the Arizona B-5 License Cover?

Arizona officially calls B-5 the General Swimming Pool Contractor classification.

The current scope allows the licensee to construct and repair swimming pools and spas.

The classification also includes:

• Installation of code-required pool barriers around the pool or spa.
• Installation of utilities from the point of service to the pool equipment.
• The work included in all B-5R subclassifications.

Construction of other structures or appurtenances is excluded from the B-5 scope.

B-5 Versus B-6 Swimming Pool Contractor Including Solar

Arizona also offers the B-6 General Swimming Pool Contractor, Including Solar classification.

B-6 includes the same basic scope as B-5 but adds the installation and repair of solar heating devices.

If your business plans include pool solar-heating installations, make sure you are applying for the classification that actually covers that work.

Choosing the correct classification before buying books and scheduling exams is considerably easier than discovering the difference after the application is moving.

Step 1: Confirm the Experience Requirement

Arizona currently requires four years of qualifying hands-on and/or managerial experience for B-5.

The standard examination requirements include:

• Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam, or SRE.
• B-5 swimming pool trade examination.

Certain examination waivers may be available under Arizona ROC rules, so applicants should verify their individual situation before scheduling.

Review the Arizona ROC classification requirements before beginning your application.

Step 2: Know the Current Exam Numbers

Two hours gives you an average of about two minutes and 24 seconds per scored question.

That is enough time for targeted code lookups. It is not enough time to read the International Building Code like a beach novel.

Step 3: Learn the Official B-5 Exam Breakdown

Step 4: Make Sitework and Excavating a Top Priority

Sitework and Excavating is tied for the largest section with nine questions.

Pool construction begins with understanding the site before digging begins.

Review:

• Pool layout.
• Excavation procedures.
• Soil conditions.
• Cut and fill.
• Grading.
• Compaction.
• Trenching.
• Drainage.
• Excavation equipment.
• Utility awareness.
• Slope and elevation concepts.
• Excavation safety.

PSI lists Pipe and Excavation Contracting as a study-only reference for the exam.

Pay particular attention to excavation dimensions and how the finished pool shell, reinforcing, plumbing, and deck relate to the original excavation.

Step 5: Study Forming and Reinforcing

Forming and Reinforcing also contains nine questions.

Review:

• Pool forming methods.
• Reinforcing-bar placement.
• Bar size concepts.
• Bar spacing.
• Splices.
• Clearances.
• Supporting reinforcing steel.
• Bond beams.
• Structural pool-shell concepts.
• Inspection preparation.

PSI lists Placing Reinforcing Bars, Recommended Practices as a study-only reference.

Reinforcing steel should be understood as part of a structural system, not as decorative metal placed in the hole shortly before the shotcrete crew arrives.

Step 6: Prepare Thoroughly for Concrete

Concrete contributes eight questions.

Study:

• Cement and concrete materials.
• Water-cement relationships.
• Aggregates.
• Mixing.
• Placement.
• Consolidation.
• Curing.
• Strength.
• Weather effects.
• Concrete quantity calculations.

PSI lists Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures as a study-only reference.

Pool shells depend on good concrete practices. Water is excellent at finding small construction mistakes and turning them into larger conversations.

Step 7: Learn Shotcrete

Shotcrete contains eight questions and deserves its own study block.

Review:

• Shotcrete materials.
• Surface preparation.
• Application procedures.
• Nozzle technique.
• Layer thickness.
• Encapsulation of reinforcing steel.
• Rebound.
• Finishing.
• Curing.
• Quality control.

PSI currently lists the ACI Guide to Shotcrete as study material, with the outline identifying the 2016 or 2022 edition.

Do not treat shotcrete as ordinary concrete that happens to move through a hose. Application method and technique are part of the material's performance.

Step 8: Master Pool Equipment

Pool Equipment contains eight questions.

Study:

• Circulation systems.
• Pumps.
• Filters.
• Skimmers.
• Main drains.
• Returns.
• Valves.
• Pool piping.
• Heaters.
• Water-treatment equipment.
• Basic equipment layout.
• Equipment troubleshooting concepts.

PSI lists the Certified Pool-Spa Operators Handbook as study-only material.

Learn how circulation components work together. A pump, filter, return system, and pool shell are not separate trivia categories on a real project.

Step 9: Understand Pool Circulation

Circulation is one of the most important pool-equipment concepts to understand.

Water must move through a complete system:

1. Water leaves the pool through approved suction points.
2. It travels through piping to the circulation equipment.
3. The pump moves the water through the system.
4. The filter removes contaminants.
5. Other treatment or heating equipment may be part of the system.
6. Water returns to the pool through properly placed return fittings.

Study equipment relationships rather than memorizing isolated definitions.

If you understand what the water is supposed to do, equipment questions become much easier to reason through.

Step 10: Do Not Ignore Safety

Safety contains five questions, or 10% of the examination.

Review OSHA topics involving:

• Excavation and trenching.
• Fall protection.
• Ladders.
• Personal protective equipment.
• Electrical hazards.
• Concrete operations.
• Hand and power tools.
• Material handling.
• Housekeeping.
• Jobsite access.

OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 is currently permitted inside the examination center.

Five questions may not look huge until you remember that you only have 50 scored questions total.

Candidates can review an organized OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 highlighted and tabbed reference.

Step 11: Practice Plan Reading and Estimating

Plan Reading and Estimating contains three questions.

It is the smallest section, but it tests skills that support several other parts of the exam.

Practice:

• Reading dimensions.
• Understanding scale.
• Recognizing elevations.
• Interpreting pool layouts.
• Calculating areas.
• Calculating volumes.
• Estimating concrete.
• Estimating excavation.
• Estimating reinforcing quantities.
• Understanding equipment locations.

Pool shapes do not always cooperate by being perfect rectangles. Practice breaking irregular shapes into smaller, manageable calculations.

Step 12: Practice Pool Construction Math

Construction math can appear in Plan Reading, Excavation, Concrete, Reinforcing, and Pool Equipment questions.

Be comfortable with:

• Length.
• Area.
• Volume.
• Cubic feet.
• Cubic yards.
• Gallons.
• Basic flow calculations.
• Material quantities.
• Percentage calculations.
• Simple unit conversions.

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

Practice with the same style of calculator before test day so the buttons are not your newest exam topic.

Step 13: Know the Current Exam-Room References

PSI currently allows the following reference materials inside the examination center:

• Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR Part 1926 OSHA, with the latest available amendments or PSI-approved OSHA selections.
• International Building Code, 2009, 2012, 2015, or 2018.
• International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2009, 2012, 2015, or 2018.

Candidates choosing the 2018 editions can review the 2018 International Building Code and 2018 International Residential Code.

Step 14: Know the Study-Only References

PSI currently lists several references that may be used to develop examination questions but are not allowed inside the examination center.

• Certified Pool-Spa Operators Handbook, 2006.
• Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 2011.
• Placing Reinforcing Bars, Recommended Practices, 9th Edition, 2011.
• Guide to Shotcrete, 2016 or 2022.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting, 1987.

These books deserve serious study because they cover most of the highest-value categories on the exam.

The tricky part is simple: the books help create the questions, but the books stay outside while you answer them.

Step 15: Prepare Approved References Correctly

PSI allows approved references to be prepared before the examination.

You may:

• Highlight approved references.
• Underline information.
• Annotate them before the examination.
• Index the books.
• Use permanent tabs.

PSI defines permanent tabs as tabs that would tear the page if removed.

Temporary removable tabs such as Post-it notes are not allowed.

Candidates may not bring unauthorized loose or attached papers with their approved references.

Printed internet references must be properly bound before entering the testing center.

Step 16: Practice Code Lookup Drills

Do not assume the IBC or IRC will magically become easy to navigate because PSI allows you to bring it.

Practice locating subjects involving:

• Pool barriers.
• Guards and safety provisions.
• Residential requirements.
• Commercial building requirements.
• Structural provisions.
• Means of egress around related structures.
• General code definitions.

Start every lookup by deciding whether the question is really a code question. Many pool-equipment, concrete, excavation, and shotcrete questions are based on trade knowledge instead.

Step 17: Understand the A-9, B-5 and KA-5 Exam Relationship

PSI currently considers the trade examination equivalent for:

• A-9 Swimming Pools, Commercial.
• B-5 General Swimming Pool Contractor, Residential.
• KA-5 Dual Swimming Pool Contractor.

The trade knowledge is shared, but the actual license scopes are different.

B-5 is residential. A-9 is commercial. KA-5 combines the commercial A-9 and residential B-5 scopes.

Make sure the classification on your ROC application matches the work your business intends to perform.

Step 18: Use a Six-Week B-5 Study Plan

Step 19: Practice Under the Real Two-Hour Limit

A short trade exam can move surprisingly quickly.

Set a timer for 120 minutes and complete 50 practice questions.

Try this three-pass strategy:

1. First pass: Answer trade questions you know immediately.
2. Second pass: Complete quick OSHA, IBC, and IRC lookups.
3. Third pass: Return to calculations and difficult technical questions.

If one question is consuming five or six minutes, mark it and move forward.

The pool may be deep. Your time-management hole does not need to be.

Step 20: Use Current B-5 Exam Prep Resources

Candidates who want structured preparation can review the Arizona A-9 and B-5 Swimming Pool Contractor Online Exam Prep Course.

Contractor Exam Preps also offers an Arizona A-9 and B-5 Swimming Pool Contractor Exam Book Package.

Because PSI controls the official examination outline, always compare any prep package with PSI's latest allowed and study-only reference list before testing.

Step 21: Know the Current PSI Fees and Retake Rules

PSI currently charges $66 for one Arizona trade examination.

The Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam currently costs $61.

Candidates who fail an examination must currently wait 30 days before retaking it.

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

The exam fee applies again when repeating the examination.

Step 22: Remember the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam

The B-5 trade examination focuses on pool construction knowledge.

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

Treat the two as separate subjects.

The SRE is currently an online course and examination maintained by Arizona ROC.

Review the Arizona ROC licensing process before completing your application.

Step 23: Passing the Exam Does Not Automatically Issue a License

Passing the B-5 trade examination is one major step, but it does not automatically create an Arizona contractor license.

The licensing process may also involve:

• Selecting the B-5 General Swimming Pool Contractor classification.
• Designating a qualifying party.
• Documenting four years of qualifying experience.
• Completing the required trade examination.
• Completing the SRE unless an applicable waiver applies.
• Completing required background-check steps.
• Obtaining the required contractor license bond.
• Meeting applicable residential licensing requirements.
• Providing business and identification information.
• Submitting the Arizona ROC application.
• Paying applicable licensing fees.

Arizona also has specific laws governing certain residential swimming-pool and spa construction contracts, so licensed contractors should stay current on ROC requirements after passing the examination.

Arizona B-5 Exam Roadmap

1. Confirm that B-5 matches the residential swimming pool and spa work you plan to perform.
2. Verify your four years of qualifying experience.
3. Confirm the SRE and trade-exam requirements.
4. Download PSI's current A-9 / B-5 / KA-5 content outline.
5. Obtain the approved OSHA, IBC, and IRC references.
6. Study the five study-only technical references.
7. Make Sitework and Excavation a major priority.
8. Study Forming and Reinforcing.
9. Study Concrete.
10. Study Shotcrete.
11. Master Pool Equipment and circulation.
12. Review OSHA Safety.
13. Practice Plan Reading and Estimating.
14. Practice pool construction math.
15. Prepare approved books with permanent tabs.
16. Practice fast code lookups.
17. Complete full 50-question practice exams in 120 minutes.
18. Review every missed answer.
19. Verify PSI rules shortly before exam day.
20. Complete the Arizona ROC licensing process.

Arizona B-5 Swimming Pool Contractor Exam Prep Resources

The B-5 examination rewards candidates who understand the complete pool-construction process, from excavation and reinforcing through shotcrete and circulation equipment.

Conclusion: How to Pass the Arizona B-5 General Swimming Pool Contractor Exam

Passing the Arizona B-5 General Swimming Pool Contractor exam becomes much easier when you organize your preparation around the official PSI outline. The current examination has 50 scored questions, allows 120 minutes, and requires a 70% passing score.

The exam is concentrated heavily in five technical subjects. Sitework and Excavating has nine questions. Forming and Reinforcing also has nine. Concrete, Shotcrete, and Pool Equipment each contain eight questions. Together, these five categories account for 42 of the 50 scored questions.

That means your study plan should begin with the actual construction process. Learn how a pool is laid out and excavated. Understand grading, soil conditions, trenches, compaction, drainage, and utility awareness. Then move into forming and reinforcing so you understand how the shell is prepared structurally.

Concrete and shotcrete deserve separate attention. Learn concrete materials, placement, consolidation, strength, curing, and quantities. Then study how shotcrete application changes the construction process, including nozzle technique, reinforcement encapsulation, rebound, finishing, and curing.

Pool Equipment is equally important. Understand circulation from suction to pump, filtration, treatment, heating, piping, valves, and returns. Do not simply memorize equipment names. Learn what each component does and how it affects the full circulation system.

Safety contributes five questions, which is 10% of the examination. OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 is currently allowed in the testing center, so practice fast searches involving excavation, ladders, PPE, electrical hazards, tools, concrete operations, and jobsite protection.

Plan Reading and Estimating contains only three questions, but it supports the rest of the exam. Practice calculating excavation, concrete, volume, gallons, reinforcing quantities, and basic material requirements.

The difference between exam-room references and study-only references is especially important for B-5. PSI currently allows OSHA and listed editions of the IBC and IRC, but the Pool-Spa Operators Handbook, concrete book, reinforcing book, Shotcrete Guide, and Pipe and Excavation Contracting are study-only.

In other words, most of the trade knowledge needs to arrive in your head rather than in your book bag.

Arizona currently requires four years of qualifying hands-on and/or managerial experience for B-5. Applicants also need to satisfy the applicable SRE and licensing requirements. Passing the trade examination is an important milestone, but it is not the final contractor license.

Build your preparation the same way you would build a pool. Start with a good layout, handle the excavation correctly, reinforce the structure, place the materials carefully, install the equipment properly, and inspect everything before calling the project finished. A strong study plan has fewer leaks.

Plain-Language Summary

The Arizona B-5 General Swimming Pool Contractor license is for contractors who construct and repair residential swimming pools and spas.

The scope also includes code-required pool barriers and utilities from the point of service to pool equipment. It does not allow unrelated structures or appurtenances to be built under the B-5 license.

Arizona currently requires four years of qualifying hands-on and/or managerial experience for B-5. Applicants must also satisfy the applicable Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam and swimming-pool trade-exam requirements.

The current PSI trade exam contains 50 questions, allows 120 minutes, and requires a 70% passing score. That means candidates need at least 35 correct answers on the 50 scored questions.

Sitework and Excavating has nine questions, and Forming and Reinforcing has nine. Concrete, Shotcrete, and Pool Equipment each contain eight questions. Safety has five questions, while Plan Reading and Estimating has three.

The five biggest technical subjects account for 42 of the 50 questions, so candidates should spend most of their preparation time on excavation, reinforcing, concrete, shotcrete, and pool equipment.

Candidates should understand circulation systems, pumps, filters, valves, piping, pool-shell construction, reinforcing steel, shotcrete application, excavation, grading, concrete calculations, and OSHA safety.

PSI currently allows OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 and listed editions of the International Building Code and International Residential Code inside the testing center.

The Certified Pool-Spa Operators Handbook, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, Placing Reinforcing Bars, Guide to Shotcrete, and Pipe and Excavation Contracting are currently study-only references.

Because most of the technical books cannot be used during the examination, candidates should learn their material before test day rather than depending on open-book searches.

A strong study plan should include construction math, plan reading, code lookup drills, OSHA navigation, permanent reference tabs, and full 50-question practice exams under the real two-hour time limit.

The trade test is currently equivalent for A-9, B-5, and KA-5, although the actual license scopes are different. Contractors should make sure they apply for the classification that matches the work they intend to perform.

Passing the examination does not automatically issue the B-5 license. Applicants must still complete applicable Arizona ROC requirements involving qualifying experience, the qualifying party, the SRE, background checks, bonding, business information, and the formal contractor application.

For Arizona B-5 swimming pool study resources, books, and exam preparation, visit the Contractor Exam Preps Arizona collection.