CALA Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CALA exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CALA Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CALA Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample CALA Questions & Answers
1. How do you handle discrepancies in damage estimation?
Handling discrepancies in damage estimation requires a meticulous approach: re-assessing the vehicle and thoroughly reviewing the damage report. This process helps identify any overlooked damage, correct inaccurate part pricing, or adjust miscalculated labor hours. Ensuring accuracy is paramount for a fair and correct estimate that satisfies all parties involved and prevents future disputes.
2. What is the primary purpose of a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) filed by an insurer?
SARs are filed with state insurance fraud bureaus to report suspected fraudulent activity for potential criminal investigation.
3. Which of the following best describes 'paint materials' on an estimate?
Paint materials encompass all refinishing supplies used during the paint process, including primers, sealers, base coats, clear coats, and related materials.
4. During an estimate, an adjuster finds that a door's inner structure is crushed, requiring replacement. What must also be checked on the B-pillar adjacent to that door?
Severe door inner structure damage often transmits force to the adjacent B-pillar, which must be inspected for deformation since it is a critical occupant safety structure.
5. Why is the 'total loss formula' (repair cost + salvage value ≥ ACV) used in some states?
The total loss formula declares a vehicle a total loss when the sum of repair costs and salvage value meets or exceeds ACV, meaning repair is not economically justified.
6. A claimant in a tort state demands compensation for pain and suffering after a minor auto accident. The adjuster must verify the claimant first meets:
Some states with limited tort or tort-threshold rules require claimants to meet a verbal or monetary threshold before recovering non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
🎯 Free CALA Practice Tests
📖 CALA Guides & Articles
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for CALA
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length CALA mock exam — 120 questions in 150 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed CALA question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable CALA cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- CALA flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free CALA practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.