Exam; it's not exactly the most beloved word in the English language. For pool cleaners in Florida, though, it's an important part of owning and operating your pool cleaning business.  I'm talking about becoming a state certified swimming pool/spa servicing contractor.  There are residential pool contractors, commercial pool contractors and service pool contractors.  Pretty fancy titles, huh?

These are licenses that enable you to do a whole variety of pool-related work.  In addition to cleaning and water treatment, holding a pool contractor's license allows you to do repair work as well. And remember, to really bring in the big bucks you've got to branch out into repairs.

You can prepare for the exam in a few different ways.  There are courses you can attend where they teach you what you need to know to pass the test.  There are also home study kits and online practice exams you can buy.  The courses and study kits don't come cheap. Most cost significantly more than the exam fee itself. Personally I would have been a nervous wreck without having read a couple of study guides and taken a few practice tests.  I looked at it as part of my investment in my business.

The answers to virtually all of your questions about the licensing exam can be found on www.myflorida.com.  I won't lie to you, though.  I found the site to be less than user-friendly, so I put together this list of links to make it easier for you to find what you need. All the info is in the form of pdf documents, so they're convenient to save and print for future reference.

Candidate Information Brochure

www.myflorida.com/dbpr/servop/testing/documents/constcib.pdf

This pdf document is a 13-page booklet that covers all the general information about construction licensure exams.  It explains what the test will be like, what supplies you should bring and all the rules.

Reference Lists:

www.myflorida.com/dbpr/servop/testing/constructionreferencepage.html

Check out this link for the books and materials you're allowed to bring with you to the exam.  There's a separate list for commercial pool, residential pool and service pool exams.

Examination Content Information:

www.myflorida.com/dbpr/servop/testing/examinationcontentinformation.html

This page contains links to pdf documents that provide a very broad outline of the trade knowledge topics covered on each exam.  Again, there are separate documents for commercial, residential and service pools.

Examination FAQs:

http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/servop/testing/documents/exam_faq.pdf

This link will take you to a pdf document listing the most commonly asked questions about the licensing exams in general.

I guess all that's left to say is good luck – study hard, get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast!