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Quick answer
The California Smog Check Inspector exam is a BAR test given on computer by PSI. It has 110 multiple-choice questions (90 scored), and the bulletin allows 3 hours, though its summary table says 2.5. BAR does not publish the pass mark; it is set for each exam form. Nearly two-thirds of the exam covers emissions tests, and visual inspection alone is 41 percent.
About the exam
California Smog Check Inspector License Exam (BAR)
To perform official Smog Check inspections in California you need a Smog Check Inspector license from the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), part of the Department of Consumer Affairs. After you complete the required BAR training, BAR approves you to sit the Smog Check Inspector Licensing Examination, which PSI delivers on computer at its test centers. The Repair Technician license has its own exam. This quiz covers the Inspector exam.
BAR writes the exam with licensed Smog Check technicians, and its exam plan has three areas: customer interactions (12 percent), pre-inspection (24 percent) and emissions tests (64 percent). The emissions test area breaks down into test procedures (14 percent), visual inspection (41 percent) and functional tests (9 percent). The bulletin names the BAR Smog Check Manual and related BAR publications as the references, and every question here cites one of them.
Several rules changed recently. The April 2025 manual added biometric inspector access and virtual hands-on inspection. BAR adopted an all-readiness-monitors rule effective October 1, 2025. It is being phased in, and until BAR announces changes, 2000 and newer gasoline vehicles may still pass with only the evaporative monitor incomplete. Permanent diagnostic trouble codes (PDTCs) fail 2010 and newer vehicles even when the check engine light is off.
Exam format
Smog Check Inspector Exam: questions, time and pass mark
| Item | Official exam | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 110 multiple-choice items: 90 scored and 20 unscored research items you cannot tell apart. Some items use an exhibit or reference material. | Verified Oct 2026 (PSI bulletin, Feb 2023 edition) |
| Time limit | 3 hours in the bulletin's exam description. Its summary table lists 2.5 hours, so plan for 2.5. | Bulletin conflict; confirm with PSI when you book |
| Pass mark | Not published. A committee sets it for each exam form, and failing candidates see the minimum passing score on their report. | Not published by the agency; practice test uses 70% |
| Exam plan | Customer interactions 12% · Pre-inspection 24% · Emissions tests 64% (procedures 14%, visual inspection 41%, functional tests 9%). | Verified Oct 2026 (PSI bulletin) |
| Attempts | Two attempts per approved application, at least 14 days apart. After two failures you file a new application. | Verified Oct 2026 (PSI bulletin) |
| Training to qualify | BAR Level 2 Smog Check training (28 hours) within two years, plus Level 1 (68 hours) or a listed alternative such as ASE A6, A8 and L1. | Verified Oct 2026 (bar.ca.gov/training; bulletin) |
| Keeping the license | 4 hours of BAR update training every two years. | Verified Oct 2026 (bar.ca.gov/training) |
The practice test above draws 50 questions with a 60-minute timer and a 70% pass mark. Practice mode lets you work one topic at a time with explanations after every answer, and the cheat sheet view lists every question and answer for review.
Cost and booking
Fees, where to take it and retakes
The February 2023 PSI bulletin lists a $20 application fee to BAR, which covers two exam attempts, and a $56.27 PSI exam fee for each attempt. BAR has not published newer amounts on the pages we checked, so confirm both when you apply. Training costs are set by each BAR-certified training institution.
You apply to BAR with proof of your training. When BAR approves you, it sends an eligibility notice, and you book a seat with PSI online or by phone. Fees are not refunded if you miss the appointment or cancel outside PSI's rules. Results come at the end of the exam, and a failing report shows the minimum passing score and your score in each section.
What’s covered
200+ practice questions, by topic
Written from BAR Smog Check Manual (April 2025), Smog Check Reference Guide (Nov 2025) and On-Board Diagnostic Test Reference. Every explanation cites its section.
- Customer Interactions and Program Rules24
- Pre-Inspection and Vehicle Verification43
- Tailpipe Test Procedures25
- Visual Inspection and Aftermarket Parts59
- Functional Tests and Results32
- Licensee Conduct, Fraud and Enforcement17
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these pages in October 2026.
Why people fail
The mistakes that cost people the Smog Check Inspector Exam
- Studying OBD and tailpipe numbers and skimming visual inspection. Visual inspection is 41 percent of the exam: missing or modified parts, aftermarket parts that need a CARB Executive Order, and what passes or fails.
- Not knowing which test applies to which vehicle: OBD-focused for 2000 and newer gasoline and 1998 and newer diesel, ASM loaded-mode or two-speed idle for 1976 to 1999 gasoline, and when a vehicle is incompatible with the dynamometer.
- Mixing up unsafe, unfit and incompatible conditions, which decide whether a test is aborted or switched to another method.
- Getting the readiness monitor and PDTC rules wrong during the 2025 phase-in. The published pass/fail standards still apply until BAR announces changes.
- Forgetting the program rules on the customer side: the $650 repair cost waiver threshold, Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) referrals, Smog Check Referee cases and which repairs a test-only station may do at no charge.
- Treating fraud rules as minor. Clean plugging, entering another vehicle's data and issuing a certificate without a full inspection lead to license revocation, and a willful false entry on a certificate is treated as perjury.
A study plan that works
- Download the current BAR Smog Check Manual and read the visual inspection sections and Appendix C (aftermarket parts) twice. Together they are the largest share of the exam.
- Read the Smog Check Reference Guide for program rules: biennial and change-of-ownership exemptions, STAR and directed vehicles, CAP, waivers and the Referee.
- Run this quiz in Practice mode by category, starting with Visual Inspection and Aftermarket Parts, then Pre-Inspection and Vehicle Verification. Read every explanation and look up the manual section when an answer surprises you.
- Make a sheet of the test-method rules by model year and fuel, the unset readiness monitor allowances, and the PDTC rules (15 warm-up cycles and 200 miles).
- Take timed Tests (50 questions, 60 minutes). The real exam is more than twice as long, so once you score 80 percent, do two Tests back to back to build stamina.
Try a few
Sample Smog Check Inspector Exam practice questions
Six questions pulled straight from the bank, with the answer shown. For the timed, no-peeking version, use the quiz above.
Why: Test-only stations may not diagnose or repair, except minor items such as reconnecting hoses or vacuum lines, repairing parts the station damaged, or repairs needed for safe operation at the station. No charge may be made for them.
Source: BAR Smog Check Reference Guide (rev. 6.0, Nov 21, 2025), Sec. 1.2.0 (16 CCR 3340.16, 3340.41)
Why: Dual or bi-fuel vehicles are inspected using the fuel in which the vehicle was operating when it arrived at the station.
Source: BAR Smog Check Manual (April 2025), Sec. 1.1.1, note 10
Why: ASM requires traction control to be disabled when applicable. Traction control that cannot be disabled makes the vehicle incompatible with ASM, so the TSI test is performed.
Source: BAR Smog Check Manual (April 2025), Sec. 1.2.0-1.2.1
Why: Modified parts and add-on parts require an EO exemption. Replacement parts and consolidated parts do not.
Source: BAR Smog Check Manual (April 2025), Appendix C
Why: The ignition timing test applies to 1976 to 1995 model-year vehicles equipped with adjustable timing. It is not required if the label or reliable references say timing is not adjustable.
Source: BAR Smog Check Manual (April 2025), Sec. 1.4.4
Why: Section 3340.41(c) states that no person shall enter into the EIS or OIS vehicle identification information or emission control system identification data for any vehicle other than the one being tested, or knowingly enter false information.
Source: BAR Accusation No. 79/22-1335 (Nov 28, 2022), quoting 16 CCR 3340.41(c)
FAQ
Smog Check Inspector Exam questions, answered
How many questions are on the California Smog Check Inspector exam?
110 multiple-choice questions, of which 90 are scored and 20 are unscored research items. You cannot tell which ones are unscored, so answer every question. Our timed test uses 50 questions from a bank of 200.
What score do you need to pass the Smog Check Inspector exam?
BAR does not publish a fixed passing score. A committee of licensed technicians sets it for each exam form based on difficulty, so different forms can have different cut scores. This practice test uses 70 percent as a benchmark; aim for 80 percent or better before you book.
How long is the Smog Check Inspector exam?
The PSI bulletin's exam description allows 3 hours, but its summary table lists 2.5 hours for the Inspector exam. Plan to finish in 2.5 hours, and check the time on your PSI confirmation.
What training do I need before the Smog Check Inspector exam?
BAR Level 2 Smog Check training (at least 28 hours) completed within the last two years, plus one of the following: Level 1 Engine and Emission Control training (68 hours), ASE A6, A8 and L1 certification, a qualifying degree or certificate with one year of engine-performance experience, or two years of experience with BAR's alternative diagnostic and repair training.
How many times can I take the Smog Check Inspector exam?
Each approved application allows two attempts, at least 14 days apart. If you fail both, you submit a new application and fee to BAR before you can test again.
Does the October 2025 readiness monitor rule mean every monitor must be set to pass?
That is the new rule, but BAR is phasing it in. Until BAR announces changes, the existing standards still apply: for 2000 and newer gasoline vehicles, only the evaporative monitor may be incomplete. BAR says it will give advance notice before any change.
Is this the official BAR Smog Check exam?
No. ExamStates is an independent practice site, and the real exam content is confidential. These questions are original, written from the BAR Smog Check Manual, Reference Guide and OBD Test Reference, with the section cited for every answer.