Mississippi Building Construction

Mississippi Building Construction Exam: What You Need to Know to Pass in 2026

You've done the work. Now you need the license. The Mississippi Building Construction exam stands between you and a commercial contractor's license in this state — and it's not a test you want to walk into unprepared. This guide covers exactly what's on the exam, what books to bring, and how to study smart so you pass the first time. Whether you're searching for a Mississippi building contractor practice exam or just trying to understand what the MS commercial contractor exam actually tests, you're in the right place.

Exam Overview

The Mississippi Building Construction exam (MSBOC state-specific) has 80 scored questions. You get 180 minutes — that's 3 hours — to complete it. To pass, you need to answer at least 56 questions correctly, which works out to a 70% passing score.

This is an open-book exam. You bring your own approved reference materials to the testing center. That sounds easier than it is. The clock is still running, and the questions are specific. If you can't find an answer in your books quickly, time runs out. The candidates who pass aren't the ones who've read every book cover to cover — they're the ones who can put their finger on the right page in under a minute.

Registration is handled through PSI. You can sign up on the exam registration page online 24 hours a day, or call PSI at (855) 557-0619 during business hours. The exam fee is $120 for one portion or $240 for two portions, and it's non-refundable. Review the official exam bulletin before you register — it lists every approved reference and has the rules you need to follow on test day.

What's Covered on the Mississippi General Contractor License Test

The exam tests 11 subject areas. Here's how they break down by item count — study your time accordingly:

• General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating — 15 items. The heaviest-weighted topic. IBC occupancy groups, construction types, building height and area limits, permit procedures, and reading architectural drawings.
• Concrete — 12 items. Mix design, cement types, aggregates, admixtures, and reinforcing steel placement.
• Safety — 8 items. OSHA requirements, fall protection, scaffolding, PPE, and fire prevention on site.
• Metals — 10 items. Open web steel joists, IBC Chapter 22, erection procedures, bridging requirements, and handling of joist products.
• Carpentry — 7 items. Framing systems, floor and wall framing components, roof framing, and rafter layout.
• Thermal and Moisture Protection — 7 items. Insulation R-values, vapor retarders, roof underlayment, flashing, and roofing materials.
• Site Work — 6 items. Site layout, surveying instruments, batter boards, Mississippi 811 notification requirements, and trench safety.
• Masonry — 6 items. Brick and CMU types, mortar classifications, wall systems, and laying techniques.
• Doors and Windows — 3 items. Door types and construction, hardware, window styles, and energy efficiency ratings.
• Finishes — 3 items. Drywall installation, taping and finishing, plaster systems, ceilings, and flame spread classifications.
• Mississippi One Call — 3 items. Advance notice requirements, emergency procedures, locate tickets, marking color codes, and tolerance zone rules.

Weight your study time to match those item counts. General Code and Concrete together make up more than a third of the exam.

Sample Questions

Here are five actual-style questions from the exam. Read through them — and be honest with yourself about what you know.

Question 1 — Metals (Hard)
You are managing the erection of joists at column lines that span more than 60 feet. What erection method is required if an alternative stabilization method is not used?
- A) Each joist is erected singly with all horizontal bridging installed
- B) Each joist is set in tandem with an adjacent joist with all bridging installed
- C) Each joist is erected singly without bridging but with stabilizer plates
- D) Three joists are bundled together and erected as one unit

Question 2 — Thermal and Moisture Protection (Hard)
A Class II vapor retarder is being used with foam plastic insulating sheathing on the exterior side of a 2×6 frame wall in Climate Zone 7. What is the minimum R-value of continuous insulation required?
- A) R-3
- B) R-7.5
- C) R-5
- D) R-10

Question 3 — Metals (Medium)
Where columns are not framed in at least two directions with solid structural steel members, what connection method is required for joists at column lines during erection?
- A) Plug welding
- B) Field bolting
- C) Resistance welding
- D) Tack welding

Question 4 — General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating (Medium)
You are designing the means of egress for a commercial building story that will have an occupant load of 750 persons. What is the minimum number of separate and distinct exits required from that story?
- A) 5
- B) 3
- C) 2
- D) 4

Question 5 — General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating (Medium)
A permit application for proposed work shall be deemed abandoned after how many days from the date of filing, unless pursued in good faith or a permit has been issued?
- A) 365 days
- B) 90 days
- C) 120 days
- D) 180 days

Don't guess — go find the answers in your references. Better yet, try our free practice exam and see how you actually score.

What Types of Questions to Expect

Our full practice exam bank has 782 questions spread across all 11 topics. Here's what each section actually tests:

• General Code, Plan Reading and Estimating (160 practice questions): IBC occupancy classifications, construction type fire ratings, building area and height calculations, permit procedures, and interpreting floor plans, sections, and drawing symbols.
• Carpentry (118 practice questions): Platform vs. balloon framing, floor joist sizing and spacing, wall layout with headers and cripple studs, common and hip rafter calculations, and roof sheathing installation.
• Concrete (103 practice questions): Water-to-cementitious-materials ratio, cement type selection, aggregate grading, admixture effects, rebar grades, cover requirements, and splicing rules.
• Thermal and Moisture Protection (100 practice questions): R-value requirements by assembly, vapor retarder classes, underlayment requirements by slope and roof type, flashing at chimneys and valleys, and installation specs for asphalt, metal, tile, and membrane roofing.
• Site Work (61 practice questions): Plot plan reading, setbacks, batter board setup, differential leveling, Mississippi 811 notification timelines, and OSHA trench shoring requirements.
• Masonry (61 practice questions): ASTM brick classifications, CMU grades and sizes, mortar type selection (M, S, N, O, K), cavity wall vs. veneer systems, and laying technique questions.
• Safety (51 practice questions): Fall arrest system components, guardrail and safety net requirements, scaffold load capacity and access, OSHA employer obligations, and site fire prevention rules.
• Metals (50 practice questions): K-, LH-, DLH-, and CJ-Series joist designations, IBC Chapter 22 structural steel provisions, erection bridging rules by span, and joist storage and handling requirements.
• Finishes (44 practice questions): Drywall types including fire-code and moisture-resistant panels, taping and joint compound sequences, three-coat plaster vs. veneer plaster, and IBC flame spread classifications by occupancy.
• Doors and Windows (19 practice questions): Solid-core vs. hollow-core construction, hinge and lockset types, double-hung vs. casement operation, and glazing and weatherstripping performance ratings.
• Mississippi One Call (15 practice questions): Standard and emergency excavation notice requirements, pre-marking rules, utility color codes, locate ticket details, and tolerance zone compliance.

Required Study Materials

This is an open-book exam, so your references aren't optional — they're your tools. Get organized copies of everything on the approved list.

Required books:
- IBC 2021 — The backbone of the General Code section. Know the occupancy tables and construction type fire-resistance charts cold.
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — Your source for all Safety questions. Scaffold rules, fall protection, PPE requirements — it's all in here.
- Technical Digest No. 9 – Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders — Covers the Metals topic specifically. The erection bridging and tandem-setting rules come directly from this document.
- Carpentry and Building Construction — Floor framing, wall layout, roof framing, and subfloor systems.
- Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (16th) — Mix proportioning, cement types, admixtures, and durability requirements.
- Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Revised) — Site work and trench safety content.
- Roofing Construction and Estimating — Underlayment, flashing, and roofing material installation.
- Modern Masonry – Brick, Block, Stone (9th) — All brick and CMU content, mortar types, and wall systems.
- State of Mississippi Regulation of Excavation — The Mississippi One Call law. Three exam items come from this source alone.

Organizational supplies:
- Sharpie Tank Highlighters — Fluorescent ink that stands out, chisel tip for underlining, and 12 colors to color-code by topic. Let the ink dry before flipping pages.
- Redi-Tag Permanent Colored Tabs — 100 tabs in 5 colors. Tab every major section in every book. Permanent adhesive means they stay put through the exam.

Study Tips

Speed is the skill. On an open-book exam, the fastest finder wins. Highlight and tab every book before test day. Learn the index and table of contents of your IBC and OSHA references until you can land on any topic in seconds.

Work through questions in two passes. Answer everything you know immediately, skip what you don't, and flag it. Go back on the second pass. Don't sink five minutes into one question while the clock runs.

Give yourself three to six weeks. Use the official exam bulletin as your roadmap — it lists exactly what's tested and which references apply to each section. Spend your time practicing how to find answers, not memorizing them.

Practice timed. Our full practice exam runs at the same time limit as the real thing. Use it to build pacing. By test day, 180 minutes should feel routine. Aim for 80% or higher on practice runs — setting your bar above 70% gives you a real cushion.

FAQs

How many questions are on the Mississippi Building Construction exam and how long do I have?
The MSBOC state-specific exam has 80 questions. You have 180 minutes (3 hours) to complete it.

What is the passing score?
You need 70% — that's 56 correct out of 80 questions.

What does the exam cover?
Eleven subject areas: Site Work, Concrete, Masonry, Metals, Carpentry, Thermal and Moisture Protection, Doors and Windows, Finishes, Safety, General Code/Plan Reading/Estimating, and Mississippi One Call.

Is it open book?
Yes. You bring your own approved references to the testing center. References may be highlighted, underlined, and tabbed with permanent tabs only. Post-It notes and similar temporary tabs are not allowed. You cannot write in references during the exam, and no loose or attached papers are permitted inside your books.

What books are allowed?
Approved references include the IBC 2021, OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, Technical Digest No. 9, Carpentry and Building Construction, Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Roofing Construction & Estimating, State of Mississippi Regulation of Excavation, Modern Masonry, and others listed in the CIB. You must bring your own copies — they are not provided at the test center.

Do I have a choice of which exam to take?
Yes. You can sit for the MSBOC state-specific Building Construction exam (80 questions, 3 hours, 70% passing) or the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, which is accepted by multiple states. The two exams differ in content and references. Read the NASCLA section of the official exam bulletin carefully before choosing.

What is the exam fee and how do I register?
The fee is $120 for one exam portion or $240 for two portions. It is non-refundable and non-transferable. Register online through the exam registration page or call PSI at (855) 557-0619.

What if I fail?
You can retest an unlimited number of times within your 6-month eligibility period. If you don't pass within that window, you must reapply with the Mississippi Contractor Licensing Board.

What ID do I need on exam day?
One valid, non-expired government-issued photo ID that also bears your signature — driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport, military ID, Alien Registration Card, or Canadian government-issued ID. The name must match your registration exactly.

Start Practicing Now

The Mississippi Building Construction exam is passable. The material is specific, the time is fixed, and the standard is clear: 56 out of 80. Get your books organized, tab them right, and practice with a clock running.

Start with our free practice exam — 10 questions, no account required, no cost. It'll show you the format and give you a quick read on where you stand. When you're ready to prep seriously, the full practice exam matches the real test exactly: 80 questions, timed, with a topic-by-topic score breakdown so you know where to put your energy. You've got the skills. Now go get the license.