Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference
Mississippi Building Construction
Mississippi · PSI Services Contractor
Verified, not estimated. Every figure below is drawn from the official exam structure we maintain — question counts, passing standard and topic weighting. Practice questions are grounded in the source law with statute citations. We omit any figure we can't verify rather than guess at it.
Total questions
80
Passing score
70%
Exam time
180 min
Administered by
PSI Services Contractor
Format
Reference materials allowed
Mississippi State Portion 80 questions
Site work
6 Q · 8%
Building site layout and staking (plot plan, setbacks, reference lines)Surveying instruments and methods (levels, transits, theodolites, GPS, laser levels)Batter boards, grade establishment, and differential levelingMississippi 811 one-call notification requirements and underground utility markingExcavation safety and trench shoring systems (open ditch, shoring jacks, trench box)Soil compaction methods, Proctor testing, and backfill requirementsSite clearing and preparation (grubbing, tree removal, pavement removal)Grading, cut and fill quantities, and IBC grading requirements
Concrete
12 Q · 15%
Concrete mix design and proportioning (water-cementitious materials ratio, strength, durability)Portland cement types and hydraulic cement propertiesAggregates for concrete (classification, grading, quality requirements)Chemical admixtures (air-entraining, water-reducing, accelerating, retarding)Reinforcing steel (types, grades, placement, cover, bar supports, splicing)Formwork design, materials, and form releasePlacing, consolidating, and finishing concrete (subgrade prep, vapor retarders, joints, curing methods)Special concreting conditions (hot weather, cold weather, post-tensioning, OSHA safety requirements)
Masonry
6 Q · 8%
Brick types, classifications, and ASTM standards (building, facing, hollow, paving, glazed, thin veneer)Concrete masonry unit (CMU) types, sizes, grades, and shapesMortar types (M, S, N, O, K), proportioning, mixing, and propertiesMasonry wall systems (solid, cavity, composite, anchored veneer, reinforced)Brick and block laying techniques (spreading mortar, leads, courses, leveling, plumbing)Flashing, weep holes, wall ties, and moisture control in masonry wallsMasonry anchors, joint reinforcement, and steel reinforcement (rebar) in masonryIBC requirements for masonry construction, quality assurance, and seismic design
Metals
10 Q · 12%
Open web steel joist types and designation systems (K-, LH-, DLH-, CJ-Series, joist girders)IBC Chapter 22 code requirements for structural steel, cold-formed steel, and steel joistsSteel joist erection procedures and erection stability requirementsBridging types, installation requirements, and erection bridging rules by spanReceiving, unloading, storage, and handling of steel joist productsSteel joist end support, bearing length, and bearing seat attachment requirementsCold-formed steel light-frame construction types, tools, fastening methods, and framing techniquesField inspection, field welding quality control, and jobsite repair of steel joist products
Carpentry
7 Q · 9%
Wood framing systems (platform, balloon, post-and-beam, in-line framing)Floor framing components (sill plates, girders, joists, subfloor, bridging)Wall framing components and layout (studs, plates, headers, cripple studs, trimmer studs, sheathing)Roof framing types and rafter layout (common, hip, valley, jack rafters; slope and pitch calculations)Roof assembly and sheathing (ridge installation, collar ties, cornice, rake, panel sheathing)Engineered wood products (plywood grading, LVL, glulam, OSB, I-joists)Stairway design and construction (stringers, treads, risers, headroom, handrails, code requirements)Carpentry hand tools, power saws, and pneumatic tools (identification, safe use, and maintenance)
Thermal and Moisture Protection
7 Q · 9%
Insulation types, materials, and R-valuesVapor retarders and moisture control in wall and roof assembliesRoof underlayment requirements and installation by roof type and slopeFlashing installation at walls, valleys, chimneys, and penetrationsRoof covering materials and their installation requirements (asphalt, wood, tile, slate, metal, BUR, elastomeric)Weather-resistant exterior wall envelope and water-resistive barriersRoof drainage, ventilation, and ice barrier requirementsFire classification of roof assemblies
Doors and Windows
3 Q · 4%
Door types and their applications (exterior and interior)Door construction types (solid-core, hollow-core, raised-panel)Door hardware (hinges, locksets, strike plates)Window types and operational styles (double-hung, casement, awning, hopper, sliding, stationary)Window and door energy efficiency (glazing types, weatherstripping, thermal performance ratings)Safety glazing requirements and hazardous locations (IBC Section 2406)Egress window requirements (minimum dimensions, sill height, open area)Skylight installation and flashing requirements
Finishes
3 Q · 4%
Drywall types, installation, and fastening (including fire-code and moisture-resistant panels)Taping, joint compound application, and finishing drywall surfacesPlaster systems (veneer plaster, three-coat plaster, lath types, and trim accessories)Suspended and acoustical ceiling installationInterior finish flame spread and smoke development classifications (IBC requirements by occupancy)Gypsum board and plaster code requirements (IBC Chapter 25 material standards and limitations)Finish flooring installation (hardwood strip, parquet, engineered wood, vinyl, ceramic tile, and carpet)Molding and trim installation (baseboard, crown molding, door and window casing, coping and mitering)
Safety
8 Q · 10%
Fall protection systems (guardrail, safety net, personal fall arrest)OSHA employer responsibilities and accident prevention programsPersonal protective equipment (PPE) selection and requirementsScaffold erection, capacity, and fall protection requirementsFire protection and prevention on construction sitesExcavation hazards, cave-in protection, and shoring systemsElectrical safety and ground fault protection on construction sitesConfined space entry procedures and permit requirements
General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating
15 Q · 19%
IBC occupancy classification and use groups (A, B, E, F, H, I, M, R, S, U)IBC types of construction and fire-resistance rating requirements (Types I–V)Building height, number of stories, and area limitations by occupancy and construction typePermit application process, building official authority, and certificate of occupancyReading architectural and construction drawings (floor plans, elevations, sections, symbols, abbreviations, and scale)Cost estimating methods (quantity takeoff, board feet, cost per square foot, direct and indirect costs, bidding)Means of egress requirements (occupant load, exit numbers and spacing, egress width, illumination)Fire and smoke protection features (fire walls, fire barriers, fire partitions, smoke barriers, exterior wall ratings)
Mississippi One Call
3 Q · 4%
Advance notice requirements and timeframes for standard excavationEmergency and impending emergency excavation proceduresPre-marking and locate request ticket requirementsOperator marking responsibilities and color-code standardsTolerance zone requirements and safe excavation practices near marked facilitiesDamage reporting obligations and liability provisionsLarge project excavation and preconstruction meeting proceduresEnforcement, civil penalties, and the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Board
Key Distinctions
SlopevsPitch
In roof framing, slope is the ratio of rise to run (and is the term best suited to roof framing), while pitch is the ratio of rise to span, even though many carpenters use the terms interchangeably.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 470Direct construction costvsDirect (job) overhead cost
Direct construction costs are labor, material and equipment tied to a specific trade or phase (pipe materials, backhoe rental, bedding aggregate), while direct (job) overhead costs result from taking a particular job but are not tied to a trade or phase (traffic control with barricades, flaggers and lane delineators; pipe and soil-density testing).
Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Pages 20-21Fiberglass asphalt shinglevsOrganic asphalt shingle
Fiberglass shingles use a fiberglass base mat saturated and covered with flexible asphalt and surfaced with mineral granules, whereas organic shingles use a cellulose-fiber base mat.
Roofing Construction and Estimating, Chapter 4—Asphalt ShinglesMuntinvsMullion strip
A muntin is the vertical or horizontal piece within a sash that holds an individual pane of glass, while a mullion strip is the vertical piece separating combined window units.
Windows & Skylights chapter, Double-Hung Windows sectionActive lateral soil pressurevsAt-rest lateral soil pressure
Per IBC 2021 Section 1610.1, at-rest pressure is required where horizontal movement at the top of the wall is restricted, but foundation walls extending not more than 8 feet below grade and laterally supported at the top by flexible diaphragms are permitted to be designed for active pressure.
IBC 2021 Section 1610.1Thickened slab beneath an interior bearing wallvsStandard footing
The thickened slab area acts like a footing but is formed by a trench dug into the subgrade rather than by formwork, and should be strengthened with rebar.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 11.1, Page 295Punchouts/holes in the web of cold-formed steel membersvsHoles in the flange of a stud, joist, or track
Holes in the web are permitted for utility routing, but a hole must never be punched in the flange because it reduces the structural strength of the member.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 29.3, Builder's Tip - PunchoutsClass B fire extinguishervsClass A, C, and D extinguishers
Class B is for grease, oil and chemical fires, while Class A covers wood, paper, cloth and plastic, Class C covers electrical equipment, and Class D covers combustible metals (combination A:B or A:B:C ratings also work for grease/oil/chemicals).
Carpentry and Building Construction, Construction Safety & Health, Page 81Combustible-frame ground signvsNoncombustible ground sign
Per IBC Appendix H Section H109.1, a ground sign's structural frame of combustible materials may not exceed 35 feet above the ground, while a ground sign built entirely of noncombustible material may be erected up to 100 feet.
IBC 2021 Page H-3Five-bag concrete mixvsSix-bag concrete mix
Five bags of cement per cubic yard is the minimum generally acceptable for most work, while six-bag mix is commonly specified where high strength is needed or where steel reinforcement is used.
Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 8.2, Page 226Calcium chloride acceleratorvsNon-chloride accelerator
Calcium chloride is an effective set accelerator but chlorides accelerate corrosion of reinforcing steel (and lower the freezing point only a few degrees), so non-chloride accelerators are the more appropriate choice for steel-reinforced concrete.
Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th ed., Chapter 6 - Chemical Admixtures for Concrete, Page 129 (16th ed.: Pages 222-223)Construction documents for conventional light-frame construction (IBC 1603.1 Exception)vsConstruction documents showing full seismic design data (IBC 1603.1.5)
Buildings built under the conventional light-frame exception must indicate items such as the basic design wind speed V, allowable stress design wind speed Vasd, and wind exposure, while the detailed seismic parameters (mapped spectral accelerations, seismic response coefficient, design base shear) apply to buildings not built under that exception.
IBC 2021 Section 1603.1 ExceptionAreas included in building areavsAreas excluded from building area
Per IBC 2021 Section 202, building area includes areas within surrounding exterior walls or exterior walls and fire walls plus unwalled areas within the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above, but excludes vent shafts and courts.
IBC 2021 Section 202 (Definitions - Area, Building)Key Terms
Fire wall IBC 2021 Section 202 (Definitions - Fire Wall)
Per IBC 2021 Section 202, a fire-resistance-rated wall having protected openings that restricts the spread of fire and extends continuously from the foundation to or through the roof, with sufficient structural stability under fire conditions to allow collapse of construction on either side without collapse of the wall.
Occupant load IBC 2021 202
Per IBC 2021 Section 202, the number of persons for which the means of egress of a building or portion thereof is designed (a design value, not the actual number of people present).
Story above grade plane IBC 2021 Section 202 (Definitions - Story Above Grade Plane)
Per IBC 2021 Section 202, any story having its finished floor surface entirely above grade plane, or in which the finished surface of the floor next above is more than 6 feet above grade plane or more than 12 feet above the finished ground level at any point.
Keyway Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 10.1, Page 258
A groove formed in the top of a concrete footing—usually 3½" wide and 1½" deep because a 2×4 forms it—that locks the foundation wall to the footing and prevents moisture from seeping between wall and footing.
Consolidation Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 8.2, Page 227
The process that removes air pockets and forces concrete into all parts of the forms, accomplished with a concrete vibrator, tamping, spearing with a spade, or tapping forms with a hammer.
Shear wall Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 378
A wall designed to resist lateral (sideways) forces, often created by a specific sheathing nail spacing, and required to be properly fastened to the framing above and to the sill plate and foundation below—especially important at house corners.
Differential leveling Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Measuring a Difference in Elevation
The process of determining differences in elevation between points remote from each other that requires one or more additional intermediate instrument setups.
Theodolite Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Types of Instruments
A transit that reads horizontal and vertical angles electronically, needs no vernier scale, displays measurements on an LCD screen, and is used where extremely accurate measurements are required.
Reference line Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Basic Techniques / Measuring From a Reference Line
An existing line such as a street or marked property line that a building is planned parallel to, from which the builder measures to stake out the site without a surveying instrument.
Batter boards Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 9 — Setting Up Batter Boards
Corner layout boards supported by three 2×4 stakes driven at each building corner at least 4 feet beyond the foundation lines, giving clearance for excavation while holding the lines in position.
Room-finish schedule Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 2.3, Page 57
A plan schedule identifying the materials and finishes for floors, walls, and ceilings in each room and hallway (for example strip-oak flooring, pine baseboard and window trim, painted drywall, wood paneling).
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Carpentry and Building Construction, Construction Safety & Health, Book Page 92
A manufacturer-supplied document, required with product shipments and accessible to every worker on site, giving physical data, toxicity levels, first-aid recommendations, storage and disposal, protective equipment, and spill/leak procedures.
Reveal Carpentry & Building Construction, Chapter 26 (Molding & Trim)
A small offset between a piece of trim and the surface it is applied to; door casing is nailed to the jamb leaving about a ³⁄₁₆" reveal on the jamb face, adding visual interest and allowing fit adjustment.
Gain Residential Doors chapter, Hinges section
A mortise (notch) cut for a hinge with a depth equal to the thickness of a single hinge leaf—one gain in the door edge and one in the jamb—so the closed door sits flush.
Plyform Modern Masonry (9th ed.), Chapter 19, Page 402
An exterior-type plywood specially designed for concrete forming, made from special wood species and veneer grades and available in Class I and Class II grades.
Jointer (jointing tool) Carpentry and Building Construction, Chapter 24, Page 688
A simple metal bar with a shaped end run over masonry joints to pack the mortar into them and give the joints a particular shape.
Extruded expanded polystyrene (XPS/XEPS) Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 31.1 — Rigid Insulation Materials and R-Value
Rigid insulation similar to EPS but with greater compressive strength, suitable for below-grade foundation insulation, rated R-5 per inch.
Ridge board Carpentry and Building Construction, Page 468
The horizontal framing member that connects the upper ends of the rafters and extends the full length of the house (distinct from a collar tie, which connects opposite pairs of rafters).
Formulas to Know
Rain load on an undeflected roof (IBC 2021 §1611.1)
R = 5.2(ds + dh), where ds = static head (depth of water up to the secondary drainage inlet with the primary system blocked) and dh = hydraulic head (added depth above that inlet at design flow); design rainfall based on the 100-year, 15-minute eventRoof rise from pitch and span
Run = span ÷ 2; Rise = run × (pitch rise ÷ 12) — e.g., 56'/2 = 28' at 6:12 → 28 × 0.5 = 14.00'; 63'/2 = 31.5' at 8:12 → 31.5 × 0.6667 = 21.00'. Ridge elevation = top-of-wall elevation + rise.Sloped rafter (top chord) length, no overhang
Rafter length = √(run² + rise²) — e.g., √(28² + 14²) = 31.30'; √(24² + 12²) = 26.8 ft; √(31.5² + 21²) = 37.86'True hip rafter length (symmetric hip roof)
Hip length = √(run₁² + run₂² + rise²) — e.g., √(18² + 18² + 9²) = 27.00 ftSlope expressed x-in-12 and as an angle
Rise = peak elevation − bearing elevation; run = span ÷ 2; x-in-12 = (rise ÷ run) × 12; slope angle = arctan(rise ÷ run) — e.g., 12/24 → 6 in 12 and arctan(0.5) = 26.6°Actual (sloped) roof area from plan area
Sloped area = plan-view footprint × slope-conversion factor; take off separately any section with a different slope — e.g., 50×40 = 2,000 sf × 1.118 (6:12) = 2,236 sf; porch 24×10 = 240 sf × 1.014 (2:12) = 243 sf; porch 24×12 = 288 sf × 1.054 (4:12) = 304 sf; rafter length = run × factor (10 × 1.031 = 10.3 lin ft)Excavation, concrete, and fill volume in cubic yards
Volume (cy) = (length × width × depth in feet) ÷ 27 — excavation adds clearance to each side, e.g., (40+2+2) × (26+2+2) × 7 = 9,240 cf ÷ 27 ≈ 342 cy; footing 200 × 2 × 1 = 400 cf ÷ 27 = 14.8 cy → order 15 cy; fill = area × (target elev − average existing elev), e.g., 6,000 sf × 1.00' ÷ 27 = 222.2 cyAverage lot elevation and maximum corner difference
Average elevation = sum of corner spot elevations ÷ number of corners (e.g., (4.00+3.00+2.00+3.00) ÷ 4 = +3.00'); maximum difference = highest corner − lowest corner (4.00 − 2.00 = 2.00')Formwork contact area and loaded labor price
Contact area = length × form height × number of faces (200 × 1.0 × 2 = 400 sf); base labor = area × unit rate (400 × $1.25 = $500); × 1.25 labor burden = $625; × 1.15 overhead & profit = $718.75Crawl-space ventilation net area
1 sq ft of net venting per 150 sq ft of crawl-space area — e.g., 1,200 ÷ 150 = 8 sq ftMasonry lap splice length (allowable stress design, IBC 2021 §2107.2.1)
ld = 0.002 db × fs, but not less than 12 inches (305 mm) and not less than 40 bar diameters