- The GITS BPE is a 50-question, open-book, multiple-choice exam completed in about 1.5 to 2 hours.
- It covers seven domains: taxes, insurance and bond laws, management skills, lien laws, safety regulations, employment laws, and general accounting.
- The base Florida fee is $80, plus a testing-site or online-proctor fee, and Spanish administration adds $25.
- You typically need authorization from your sponsoring local licensing agency before you can schedule.
What the GITS BPE Actually Covers
The GITS Business Procedures Examination (GITS BPE) is administered by the Global Independent Testing Service (GITS) on behalf of participating Florida counties and municipalities. It is not a general contracting knowledge test - it is specifically focused on the business and regulatory side of running a construction or trade business in Florida. That distinction matters because candidates sometimes over-prepare on technical trade skills and under-prepare on the business procedures content that actually appears on the exam.
This one-page cheat sheet condenses the facts that matter most for exam day: format, fees, domains, and rules. If you want deeper coverage of any single topic, pair this page with the full GITS BPE Study Guide and the GITS BPE Exam Domains Guide, which break each content area down in much greater detail.
Exam Format at a Glance
Here is the core structure you need to memorize before anything else:
- Question count: 50 multiple-choice questions
- Time allowed: 2 hours generally, with Florida administrations listed at 1.5 to 2 hours
- Format: Open-book - approved references are permitted
- Calculator: Non-programmable calculators only
- Delivery: In-person testing site or online proctoring, depending on jurisdiction setup
If you're still deciding how much time to budget for prep, read How Hard Is the GITS BPE Exam? for a realistic difficulty assessment, and check GITS BPE Passing Score so you know exactly what target you're studying toward.
| Exam Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 50 multiple-choice |
| Time | 1.5-2 hours |
| Format | Open-book |
| Base Fee (Florida) | $80 |
| Spanish Administration | +$25 |
| Additional Fees | Testing-site or online-proctor fee |
Registration, Fees, and Authorization
Before you can even schedule the GITS BPE, most candidates need authorization from the sponsoring local licensing agency in the county or municipality where they intend to work. This is a key structural fact about the GITS BPE that trips up first-time candidates: it is not a single statewide credential you register for directly with no prerequisites - the sponsoring jurisdiction controls the related contractor registration, and GITS administers the actual exam on that jurisdiction's behalf.
On fees, GITS lists an $80 charge for Florida examinations, and you should expect to pay an additional testing-site or online-proctor fee on top of that base amount. If you need the exam administered in Spanish, add $25 to your total cost. For a full line-item breakdown of what to budget, see GITS BPE Certification Cost, and confirm eligibility specifics on GITS BPE Requirements before you pay anything.
Key Takeaway
Contact your sponsoring local licensing agency first to confirm authorization, then register for the exam through GITS - doing this in the wrong order can cost you time and a rescheduling fee.
Domain-by-Domain Cheat Sheet
The GITS BPE draws its 50 questions from seven domains. None of the CERT FACTS specify exact weighting per domain, so treat every domain as fair game rather than assuming any one area is "safe" to skip. Here is a condensed review of what each domain typically demands.
Domain 1: Taxes
Covers business tax obligations relevant to running a local contracting or trade business.
- Know the difference between business-level and payroll-level tax obligations
- Be ready to identify which tax forms/concepts apply to a small business scenario
Domain 2: Insurance and Bond Laws
Covers the insurance coverages and bonding requirements tied to contractor registration.
- Understand the purpose of surety bonds versus liability insurance
- Recognize when proof of insurance/bonding is required for registration
Domain 3: Management Skills
Covers day-to-day business operations and decision-making.
- Focus on scenario questions about supervising staff and managing contracts
- Expect judgment-based questions rather than pure memorization
Domain 4: Lien Laws
Covers construction lien procedures and notice requirements.
- Know the sequence of notices and filings in a typical lien process
- Understand who can file a lien and under what conditions
Domain 5: Safety Regulations
Covers workplace safety compliance obligations for a business owner.
- Review general safety obligations employers must meet
- Understand recordkeeping and reporting expectations
Domain 6: Employment Laws
Covers hiring, classification, and workplace law basics.
- Distinguish employees from independent contractors
- Know basic obligations employers owe to workers
Domain 7: General Accounting
Covers foundational bookkeeping and financial statement concepts for a small business.
- Be comfortable reading basic income statements and balance sheets
- Understand cash flow basics as they relate to running a contracting business
For a much deeper walkthrough of each area with sample scenarios, see the GITS BPE Exam Domains Guide. You can also test your recall of these seven areas with timed practice questions on the main practice test site.
Materials, References, and Test-Day Rules
Because the GITS BPE is open-book, your materials strategy matters almost as much as your studying. Know these rules cold:
- Allowed: Approved reference materials and a non-programmable calculator
- Not allowed: Handwritten notes or writing directly in your reference books
This means your prep should focus on knowing exactly where information lives in your approved references - tabbing, indexing, and practicing lookups under time pressure - rather than trying to memorize every regulation word-for-word. Since you only have 1.5 to 2 hours for 50 questions, wasted time flipping through unfamiliar material is one of the biggest risks candidates face.
Online Testing Checklist
If you're testing online rather than at a physical site, confirm your setup well in advance:
- A compatible computer with a working camera and microphone
- Zoom installed and tested
- Safe Exam Browser installed and configured
- A quiet, private space free of the same prohibited handwritten notes
Technical issues on exam day can eat into your limited testing window, so test your camera, microphone, Zoom connection, and Safe Exam Browser setup at least a day before your scheduled session - not the morning of.
Final Week Review Plan
A short, focused review in the days before your exam is more useful than trying to relearn everything. Use spaced review across your weakest domains rather than rereading everything equally - if lien laws or general accounting felt shaky in practice tests, give those extra passes.
Domain Refresh
- Skim Domains 1, 2, and 4 (taxes, insurance/bond, lien laws) - the most rule-heavy areas
- Rebuild reference tabs for quick lookup
Scenario Practice
- Run timed practice questions covering management skills and employment laws
- Review general accounting concepts like reading a basic balance sheet
Logistics + Light Review
- Confirm registration, authorization, and test-day requirements
- Test your online proctoring setup if applicable
- Light review only - no new material
For a longer runway version of this plan spanning several weeks, see the full GITS BPE Study Guide.
Common Mix-Ups to Avoid
- Confusing GITS BPE with other credentials sharing the same acronym. Make sure any material you study specifically addresses the Global Independent Testing Service's Business Procedures exam for Florida jurisdictions, not a similarly-named certification.
- Skipping the authorization step. Many candidates assume they can register with GITS directly without confirming sponsorship from their local licensing agency first.
- Underestimating the accounting domain. General Accounting is often the domain candidates study least, yet it appears alongside six other equally weighted-sounding areas.
- Bringing unauthorized materials. Handwritten notes or annotated books can disqualify your reference materials on test day.
If you're weighing whether the credential is worth the time and cost investment relative to job opportunities in your area, read Is the GITS BPE Certification Worth It? and GITS BPE Salary Guide for more context, and browse GITS BPE Jobs to see how the credential connects to local registration requirements.
Key Takeaway
Treat this cheat sheet as a final review tool, not a first-time study resource - pair it with full-length practice exams on the practice test platform to confirm you're ready across all seven domains.
FAQ
The GITS BPE has 50 multiple-choice questions, with Florida administrations generally lasting between 1.5 and 2 hours.
Yes. Candidates may use approved reference materials and a non-programmable calculator, but handwritten notes and writing in the reference books themselves are not allowed.
GITS lists an $80 fee for Florida examinations, plus an applicable testing-site or online-proctor fee. Spanish-language administration adds $25. See the GITS BPE Certification Cost breakdown for more detail.
Generally yes - candidates need authorization from the sponsoring local licensing agency, since that jurisdiction controls the related contractor registration.
Focus evenly across all seven domains: taxes, insurance and bond laws, management skills, lien laws, safety regulations, employment laws, and general accounting. No official weighting favors one domain over another, so don't skip any area.