A-14 vs. CR-69 vs. R-13: Which License Do You Need?

What Work Does A-14 Allow?

Arizona's A-14 classification allows contractors to install asphalt paving and perform related fine grading on projects such as:

• Streets.
• Highways.
• Commercial driveways.
• Parking lots.
• Tennis courts.
• Running tracks.
• Play areas.
• Gas-station driveways and paved areas.

As part of a larger paving project, the classification can also include limited excavation and grading needed to adjust the elevation of existing sewer access holes, storm drains, water valves, sewer cleanouts, and drain gates.

It also includes the A-15 Seal Coating scope.

Current A-14 and CR-69 Exam Details

The A-14 and CR-69 exam structure currently includes:

• 30 questions.
• 75-minute time limit.
• 70% minimum passing score.
• Open-book format.
• Computer-based PSI testing.
• Current PSI trade exam fee: $66.

Seventy-five minutes gives you about two and a half minutes per question.

That is enough time if you know where information lives in the books. It is not enough time to meet each book for the first time during the exam.

A-14 and CR-69 Exam Breakdown

Asphalt and paving deserves the most study time, but grading and compaction are not far behind.

Together, Asphalt/Paving and Excavation/Compaction/Grading make up 16 of the 30 questions. That is more than half the exam.

The R-13 Exam Is Similar, But Not Identical

R-13 also has:

• 30 questions.
• 75 minutes.
• 70% passing score.
• Open-book testing.

However, R-13 puts more weight directly on paving, maintenance, safety, and traffic-control topics.

• Asphalt / Paving: 15 questions.
• Sealcoating: 5 questions.
• OSHA Safety: 5 questions.
• Traffic Control, Signs, Striping: 5 questions.

Current A-14 and CR-69 Reference Books

The current PSI CR-69 outline lists the following open-book references:

• The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, 3rd Edition.
• Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, 2018.
• 29 CFR Part 1926 OSHA, with the latest available amendments or PSI selections.
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting, 2011.
• Excavation and Grading Handbook, 3rd Edition.
• Hot-Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook, 2000.
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 2009.

PSI says later editions of non-code references may generally be used as they become available. Always compare the books you own against the newest PSI content outline before exam day.

You can browse Arizona paving references and other exam-prep materials in the Arizona Contractor Exam Prep collection.

How to Prepare Your Books for PSI

Arizona's paving exam is open book, but PSI has rules about what you can do to the references.

Approved books may generally be:

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

Permanent tabs are tabs that would damage or tear the page if removed.

Avoid:

• Post-it notes.
• Removable flags.
• Loose papers.
• Extra attached sheets.
• Writing or highlighting during the exam session.

Downloaded references must be properly bound when PSI permits them into the exam center.

Study Asphalt and Paving First

Asphalt/Paving is the biggest subject on every version of this exam.

Review:

• Asphalt materials.
• Aggregates.
• Mix characteristics.
• Asphalt production.
• Transportation of hot mix.
• Surface preparation.
• Tack coats.
• Paver operation.
• Laydown procedures.
• Compaction.
• Rolling patterns.
• Temperature control.
• Joints.
• Quality control.
• Common pavement defects.

The Hot-Mix Asphalt Paving Handbook should become one of your most familiar books.

Know the Paving Sequence

Instead of memorizing random asphalt facts, understand how an actual paving project moves from dirt to finished pavement.

1. Evaluate the site.
2. Establish grades and drainage.
3. Prepare the subgrade.
4. Install and compact the base.
5. Prepare the surface.
6. Apply tack or other required materials.
7. Deliver the asphalt mixture.
8. Place the mix.
9. Compact the pavement.
10. Construct joints properly.
11. Inspect the finished surface.
12. Complete markings and traffic-control work.

Understanding the sequence makes technical questions much easier because each fact has a place in the job.

Master Excavation, Compaction, and Grading

On A-14 and CR-69, this subject accounts for six questions.

Study:

• Cut and fill.
• Existing and proposed grades.
• Slopes.
• Drainage.
• Subgrade preparation.
• Base materials.
• Moisture content.
• Compaction equipment.
• Lift thickness.
• Density.
• Equipment selection.
• Production calculations.

A paving surface can look beautiful for a short time and still fail miserably if the base underneath it was poorly prepared.

Asphalt remembers what happened below it.

Understand Compaction Equipment

Be comfortable with different equipment and what each machine is meant to accomplish.

Review:

• Steel-wheel rollers.
• Pneumatic rollers.
• Vibratory rollers.
• Plate compactors.
• Rammers.
• Graders.
• Loaders.
• Excavators.
• Dump trucks.
• Asphalt pavers.

Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods is especially helpful for understanding equipment production and selection.

Study Sealcoating

Sealcoating contributes four questions on A-14/CR-69 and five questions on R-13.

Review:

• Surface preparation.
• Crack repair.
• Cleaning.
• Sealcoat materials.
• Application methods.
• Weather limitations.
• Drying and curing.
• Pavement markings.

Remember that A-14 includes the A-15 Seal Coating scope, so this is not filler material.

Do Not Skip Concrete

A-14 and CR-69 contain four concrete questions.

Concrete may show up around:

• Bumper curbs.
• Headers.
• Curbs.
• Related paving structures.
• Placement.
• Finishing.
• Curing.
• Quality construction practices.

Study the Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction so you can locate practical concrete information quickly.

Make OSHA Safety Easy Points

OSHA accounts for three questions on A-14/CR-69 and five questions on R-13.

Paving contractors work around:

• Heavy equipment.
• Moving traffic.
• Trucks.
• Excavations.
• Hot materials.
• Power tools.
• Temporary electrical systems.
• Material handling.
• Personal protective equipment.

Learn the layout of 29 CFR Part 1926 instead of trying to memorize the entire federal safety rulebook.

Traffic Control, Signs, and Striping Matter

These topics account for three questions on A-14/CR-69 and five questions on R-13.

Become comfortable with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Study:

• Temporary traffic control.
• Work zones.
• Signs.
• Cones and channelizing devices.
• Flagging concepts.
• Pavement markings.
• Striping.
• Worker and public safety.

A beautiful pavement does not help much if traffic reaches the work zone before you are ready for it.

Practice Paving Math

You should be comfortable calculating:

• Area.
• Volume.
• Thickness.
• Grades and slopes.
• Material quantities.
• Production rates.
• Truck requirements.
• Equipment productivity.

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

Use the same type of calculator during practice so exam day does not become the first time you discover where the percentage key is.

Use a Three-Pass Exam Strategy

Thirty questions in 75 minutes is manageable if you control your time.

1. Pass One: answer everything you know without opening a book.
2. Pass Two: work short lookups where you already know which reference to use.
3. Pass Three: tackle calculations and deeper searches.

Do not allow one obscure question to consume ten minutes.

Ten minutes is 13% of your entire exam time. That is an expensive relationship with one question.

Build a Timed Study Plan

A practical study plan can look like this:

1. Review the official PSI outline.
2. Study asphalt materials and paving procedures.
3. Study grading and compaction.
4. Review equipment and production.
5. Study sealcoating.
6. Review concrete basics.
7. Study OSHA.
8. Review traffic control and striping.
9. Prepare your permanent tabs.
10. Practice book lookups.
11. Complete mixed practice questions.
12. Complete full 30-question exams within 75 minutes.

Browse available courses, books, tabs, and other study options through Contractor Exam Preps Arizona resources.

Do You Need Experience?

Arizona's current classification requirements treat these licenses differently.

A-14 Asphalt Paving currently requires four years of qualifying hands-on and/or managerial experience.

CR-69 Asphalt Paving also currently requires four years.

R-13 Asphalt Paving is different. Arizona's classification table currently makes the R-13 trade exam optional. The listed experience requirement is two years without the trade test and zero years when the trade exam is taken.

You Also Need the Arizona Statutes and Rules Exam

The trade exam is only one part of Arizona contractor licensing.

New applicants generally need the Arizona Statutes and Rules Training Course and Exam, or SRE.

The SRE covers Arizona contractor statutes and administrative rules and is currently delivered online.

The current fee is $61.

The passing score is currently 70%.

Arizona generally allows the SRE requirement to be waived only in limited circumstances, such as when the proposed Qualifying Party has recently served as the Qualifying Party on another Arizona contractor license.

Do not confuse the current SRE with older Arizona Business Management exam information you may find online.

Who Is the Qualifying Party?

Arizona requires the contractor business to identify a Qualifying Party, or QP.

The QP is a regularly employed person who has the experience, knowledge, and skills needed to supervise or perform the classification of work.

The QP may be:

• The sole proprietor.
• A partner.
• An LLC member.
• A corporate officer.
• A qualifying employee.

The QP is the person who satisfies the required examination and experience qualifications.

What Happens After You Pass?

Passing PSI does not automatically issue the contractor license.

Arizona's current licensing checklist includes steps such as:

1. Choose the correct classification.
2. Identify the Qualifying Party.
3. Meet the classification's experience requirement.
4. Pass the SRE.
5. Pass the required trade exam.
6. Complete background checks for required persons.
7. Provide government-issued identification.
8. Establish the legal business entity where required.
9. Obtain the required contractor license bond.
10. Pay the applicable fees.
11. Submit the contractor license application.
12. Wait for Arizona ROC approval.

Start with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors license checklist.

Arizona Contractor Bond Requirements

Arizona requires a contractor license bond.

The required amount depends on:

• The license type.
• Whether the work is residential or commercial.
• The contractor's anticipated Arizona gross volume.

A-14 is a commercial General Engineering classification, while R-13 is residential and CR-69 is dual.

Dual-license bonds combine the applicable residential and commercial amounts.

Review the Arizona ROC bond schedule before purchasing the bond.

Current Arizona State License Fees

Arizona issues contractor licenses for two-year periods.

• A-14 General Commercial: current application and license fees total $780.
• R-13 Specialty Residential: current state total is $720, including the Residential Recovery Fund assessment.
• CR-69 Specialty Dual: current state total is $850, including the Residential Recovery Fund assessment.

Exam fees, background checks, bond premiums, business formation, and study materials are separate.

Arizona Asphalt Paving Exam Prep Resources

Exam-Day Checklist

1. Verify whether you are taking A-14, CR-69, or R-13.
2. Confirm the current PSI outline.
3. Bring the correct approved references.
4. Remove Post-it notes and temporary tabs.
5. Check that downloaded references are properly bound.
6. Bring valid identification.
7. Bring an approved calculator if desired.
8. Answer easy questions first.
9. Save slow book lookups for the second pass.
10. Watch the 75-minute clock.
11. Review unanswered questions before submitting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Takeaways

• The correct title is Asphalt Paving. A-14 is commercial, R-13 is residential, and CR-69 combines the two scopes.
• A-14 and CR-69 currently have 30 questions, 75 minutes, and a 70% passing score. Asphalt/Paving is the largest section, followed by Excavation, Compaction, and Grading.
• R-13 also has 30 questions and 75 minutes but uses a different outline. Half of the exam is Asphalt/Paving.
• The exams are open book. Learn your paving, grading, equipment, OSHA, concrete, and traffic-control references before test day.
• Passing PSI is only part of Arizona licensing. Applicants must also satisfy the applicable SRE, experience, Qualifying Party, background, bonding, fee, and application requirements.

Final Thoughts

Passing the Arizona Asphalt Paving Contractor exam becomes much easier when your preparation looks like an actual paving project: start with the base, build one layer at a time, and do not rush the finish.

First, make sure you are preparing for the right classification. A-14 is the commercial paving license. R-13 is residential. CR-69 combines both.

Then study according to the actual exam outline instead of treating every subject equally.

If you are taking A-14 or CR-69, spend most of your time on asphalt paving, grading, excavation, and compaction. Those subjects account for more than half of the test. Add focused preparation for sealcoating, concrete, OSHA, traffic control, signs, and striping.

If you are taking R-13, shift even more attention toward Asphalt/Paving because that category makes up half the exam.

Use the approved books throughout your preparation. An open-book exam does not mean you have time to learn the books during the test. It means you have permission to use tools you should already understand.

Highlight useful material, add permanent tabs where allowed, learn the indexes, and practice finding answers under a timer.

Do not ignore the math. Area, volume, grades, slopes, material quantities, equipment production, and paving calculations can all turn simple field knowledge into a written exam question.

Finally, remember that your PSI score is only one part of becoming licensed. Arizona also requires the appropriate experience path, SRE, Qualifying Party, background checks, contractor bond, business documentation, state fees, and final ROC approval.

When you are ready to prepare, start with the Arizona Contractor Exam Prep collection. Consistent study, organized books, strong paving fundamentals, and repeated 75-minute practice sessions can make a big difference on exam day.