- NV-CMS is the Nevada State Contractors Board's Contractor Management Survey, administered by PSI.
- 60 scored multiple-choice questions plus 3 non-scored questions, with 120 minutes for scored items.
- A score of 45 correct (75%) is required to pass, and the exam is open book.
- PSI charges $95 alone or $140 when paired with a trade exam.
What NV-CMS Actually Is
NV-CMS stands for the Nevada Contractor Business and Law (CMS) Exam - also referred to as the Contractor Management Survey - a licensing examination required by the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) and administered through the testing vendor PSI. If you're searching for a plain-English answer to "what is NV-CMS," it's this: a business-and-law competency test that every contractor applicant in Nevada must pass before the Board will issue a license, regardless of which trade classification is being pursued.
Unlike a trade-specific exam that tests hands-on craft knowledge, the CMS focuses entirely on the business side of running a licensed contracting operation in Nevada - licensing rules, financial management, lien law, labor law, contracts, and more. For a full breakdown of naming and terminology, see our companion pieces on NV-CMS Meaning and What Does NV-CMS Stand For?
Who Needs to Take It
Anyone applying for a Nevada contractor's license needs to pass the CMS, in addition to the trade examination applicable to their classification. This applies broadly across residential, commercial, and specialty trade applicants. The qualifying individual on the license - typically the person with the required experience - is generally the one who sits for both exams.
Because the CMS is a business-and-law test rather than a trade test, it's relevant to owners, qualifiers, and responsible managing employees alike. If you're trying to understand exactly who must qualify and what experience is expected, our NV-CMS Requirements guide walks through eligibility in detail. For a broader look at career context, see NV-CMS Jobs.
Exam Format and Scoring
The CMS is structured very specifically:
- 60 scored multiple-choice questions, plus 3 additional non-scored (pretest) questions that don't count toward your result.
- 120 minutes allotted for the scored portion, and 6 minutes for the non-scored questions.
- 45 correct answers out of 60 are required to pass - a 75% threshold.
- The exam is open book, using the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada as the approved reference.
The open-book nature surprises some candidates into underpreparing, but knowing where information sits in the manual under real time pressure is its own skill. Our NV-CMS Passing Score article breaks down exactly what 45/60 means in practice, and How Hard Is the NV-CMS Exam? covers why the open-book format doesn't necessarily make this easy.
Key Takeaway
Open book does not mean open-ended time. With 120 minutes for 60 questions, you have exactly two minutes per question to locate, read, and confirm an answer in the manual - plan your reference strategy accordingly.
The 10 Content Domains
The Contractor Management Survey draws its questions from ten distinct content areas. Understanding how these domains are weighted and what each one covers is central to an efficient study plan - our NV-CMS Exam Domains Guide goes deep on each one individually.
Domain 1: Licensing
Covers NSCB licensing rules, classifications, application requirements, and the general framework governing who may legally contract in Nevada.
- Understand license classifications and monetary limits
Domain 2: Estimating and Bidding
Tests knowledge of how contractors develop cost estimates and submit competitive or public bids.
- Know the components of an accurate bid
Domain 3: Lien Law
Focuses on mechanic's lien rights, notice requirements, and deadlines that protect contractors and subcontractors who aren't paid.
- Track notice-to-owner and lien filing timeframes
Domain 4: Financial Management
The single largest domain on the exam. It covers bookkeeping basics, cash flow, bonding, insurance, and the financial controls a licensed contractor must maintain.
- Prioritize this domain above all others in your study time
Domain 5: Tax Laws
Covers state and federal tax obligations relevant to a contracting business, including employment-related tax responsibilities.
- Distinguish employee versus independent contractor tax treatment
Domain 6: Labor Laws
Addresses wage requirements, worker classification, and employment law obligations specific to construction employers.
- Know prevailing wage basics and recordkeeping duties
Domain 7: Project Management
Tests understanding of scheduling, subcontractor coordination, and job-site oversight from a business-operations perspective.
- Understand critical path basics and change order handling
Domain 8: Contracts
Covers contract formation, required clauses, and legal obligations tied to residential and commercial construction agreements in Nevada.
- Know what must be disclosed in a Nevada construction contract
Domain 9: Risk Management
Focuses on bonding, insurance coverage, and liability protections contractors use to manage financial exposure.
- Differentiate general liability from workers' comp requirements
Domain 10: Environmental and Safety
Covers workplace safety obligations and environmental compliance issues relevant to construction operations.
- Understand basic job-site safety and disposal compliance
Because Financial Management carries the most weight, candidates who under-study it tend to run into trouble even if they feel confident everywhere else. For a domain-by-domain study allocation strategy, our NV-CMS Study Guide 2026 lays out a full first-attempt plan.
Fees, Attempts, and Registration Logistics
PSI administers the CMS and charges $95 to sit for the exam alone, or $140 when you schedule the CMS together with your trade examination in the same appointment window. Scheduling both together can save time and a separate testing trip, but it also means preparing for two exams at once.
Candidates get three attempts at the CMS before the application becomes void. If all three attempts are unsuccessful, you must wait 30 days before reapplying. This makes it worth treating your first attempt seriously rather than planning on a retake as a backup strategy.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scored questions | 60 |
| Non-scored questions | 3 |
| Time for scored section | 120 minutes |
| Time for non-scored section | 6 minutes |
| Passing score | 45/60 (75%) |
| Fee (CMS only) | $95 |
| Fee (CMS + trade exam) | $140 |
| Attempts before void | 3, then 30-day reapplication wait |
For a complete cost picture that includes Board fees on top of the PSI testing fee, see NV-CMS Certification Cost. And if you're mapping your timeline around when you can actually test, NV-CMS Exam Dates covers scheduling windows and deadlines through PSI.
How CMS Fits Into Nevada Licensing
Passing the CMS is one piece of a larger licensing process overseen by the Nevada State Contractors Board. In general, licensure requires:
- Board approval of the application
- A passing score on the CMS
- A passing score on the applicable trade examination
- A qualifier with four years of relevant experience earned within the prior 15 years (approved education may substitute for up to three of those years)
Once licensed, Nevada contractor licenses operate on a biennial cycle. The Board charges a $300 application fee and a $600 biennial license fee separate from the PSI testing charges. These are Board-level costs, distinct from what you pay PSI to sit for the CMS itself.
If you're still working out whether the experience and education substitution rules apply to your background, NV-CMS Requirements covers the qualifier pathway in more depth. And if you're weighing whether pursuing licensure is worth the time and expense at all, Is the NV-CMS Certification Worth It? takes a closer look at the return on that investment.
Preparing for the Open-Book Format
Because the CMS allows the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada during the test, preparation looks different than for a closed-book exam. The real skill being tested isn't memorization - it's your ability to navigate the manual quickly enough to answer 60 questions inside 120 minutes without running out of time on individual items.
A practical way to build this skill is to tab and index your manual by domain before test day, spending more prep time on Financial Management given its outsized weight, and running timed practice sessions that mimic the two-minutes-per-question pace. Scheduling a week of focused review on the heavier domains - Financial Management, Contracts, and Licensing - before moving to lighter domains like Environmental and Safety, tends to match how the exam is weighted.
Heaviest Domains First
- Financial Management, Licensing, and Contracts
- Build manual tabs and a quick-reference index
Legal and Compliance Domains
- Lien Law, Tax Laws, Labor Laws
- Practice locating statutes and definitions under time pressure
Operations Domains
- Estimating and Bidding, Project Management, Risk Management
- Run full 120-minute timed practice sets
Final Review
- Environmental and Safety plus weak-area cleanup
- Simulate the full 60-question, open-book format end to end
For a condensed, last-mile review the night before your appointment, our NV-CMS Cheat Sheet distills the must-know facts from every domain onto a single reference page. And if you want to see how performance is trending among test-takers, NV-CMS Pass Rate examines what the available data actually shows.
You can also build test-day comfort with realistic timed practice questions on our main practice test platform, which mirrors the CMS format so you're not seeing the 60-question, multiple-choice structure for the first time on exam day. Working through practice sets on the practice test site alongside your manual review helps confirm which domains still need attention before you schedule with PSI.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The CMS is a separate business-and-law exam required in addition to whichever trade examination applies to your license classification.
Yes, the CMS is open book using the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada, though you'll want to be familiar with its layout given the 120-minute time limit.
After three unsuccessful attempts your application becomes void, and you must wait 30 days before reapplying to test again.
Yes. PSI charges $95 for the CMS alone versus $140 when the CMS and a trade exam are scheduled together in the same session.
Financial Management is the largest domain on the exam, so it deserves the most concentrated study time relative to the other nine domains.