Mississippi Carpentry

Mississippi Carpentry License Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide

So you're ready to earn your Mississippi Carpentry License. That's a serious credential — it tells clients, general contractors, and the state that you know your trade cold. But first, you have to get through the PSI Carpentry exam. The good news: it's open book, it's 60 questions, and you have two hours to finish it. The even better news: with the right prep, a 70% passing score is absolutely within reach. This guide covers everything — exam format, topic breakdown, sample questions, required references, and study strategies — so you can walk in confident on test day.

Mississippi Carpentry Exam Overview

The Mississippi Carpentry License exam is administered by PSI and consists of 60 scored questions. You have 120 minutes to complete it. To pass, you need to answer at least 42 questions correctly, which works out to a 70% score.

The exam is open book, meaning you can bring your approved reference materials — but you can't write in them during the test (more on that below). It's a computer-based, multiple-choice exam taken at a PSI testing center.

One important note: you'll also need to pass the Business and Law exam for Mississippi. If you purchase our course, you'll have access to that exam as well.

For full scheduling and eligibility details, check the official exam bulletin or the state licensing website.

Topics Covered on the Mississippi Carpentry Exam

The exam tests seven topic areas. Here's how they break down by the number of items on the real exam — which tells you exactly where to focus your energy:

• Rough Carpentry and Formwork — 27 items (by far the heaviest topic)
• Finish Carpentry — 14 items
• Drywall — 7 items
• Safety — 6 items
• Windows and Doors — 3 items
• Siding — 2 items
• Insulation — 1 item

Rough Carpentry and Formwork accounts for nearly half the exam, so it deserves the bulk of your study time. Floor framing, wall framing, roof framing, and foundation formwork are all fair game. Finish Carpentry — stairs, trim, and cabinet installation — is the second biggest slice at 14 items, so don't overlook it. Drywall and Safety round out the middle tier, while Windows, Siding, and Insulation show up in smaller numbers but can still make or break your score if you're sitting right at the cutoff.

Sample Mississippi Carpentry PSI Exam Questions

Here are five questions representative of what you'll see on the real PSI Carpentry exam. Give them a shot — but we're not going to give you the answers here. See how you do, then take our free practice exam to check your knowledge.

Question 1 (Drywall — Medium)

What is the maximum framing spacing for 3/8″ gypsum panels?
- A) 24″ on center
- B) 16″ on center
- C) 32″ on center
- D) 12″ on center

Question 2 (Rough Carpentry and Formwork — Easy)

What is the minimum size of lumber permitted for use as lateral restraint and diagonal bracing for trusses?
- A) 2×6 stress-graded lumber
- B) 2×2 stress-graded lumber
- C) 2×4 stress-graded lumber
- D) 1×4 stress-graded lumber

Question 3 (Rough Carpentry and Formwork — Medium)

When wall sheathing is properly installed on steel-framed exterior walls, what structural problem does it help prevent?
- A) Electrolytic corrosion of the steel members
- B) Racking, which forces studs out of plumb
- C) Thermal bridging through the steel studs
- D) Jacking of the screw connections

Question 4 (Finish Carpentry — Medium)

When a baseboard ends in the middle of a wall or butts against a smaller molding, which of the following is a recommended method for finishing the open end?
- A) Leave the end square and fill with caulk
- B) Apply a separate end cap molding piece
- C) Cut the end at a 22.5-degree angle
- D) Return-miter the baseboard into the wall or into the floor

Question 5 (Finish Carpentry — Medium)

You are a carpenter installing base cabinets in a kitchen. After leveling and securing the first corner cabinet, you are ready to install the adjacent cabinet. What should you do to join the two cabinets together?
- A) Nail through the side panels of both cabinets with 16d common nails
- B) Apply construction adhesive between the cabinet sides and press them together
- C) Clamp the adjacent cabinet to the previous one and fasten the two together permanently through the face frames or cases
- D) Use metal angle brackets on the outside of the cabinets to bridge the gap

These questions test code knowledge, structural reasoning, and hands-on installation judgment — exactly the mix you'll face on test day.

What Types of Questions to Expect

Our Mississippi Carpentry practice exam includes 557 questions spread across all seven topic areas. Here's what each section covers and how many practice questions we offer:

• Rough Carpentry and Formwork (221 practice questions): Expect calculations and code lookups covering floor system components (sill plates, girders, joists, subfloor sheathing), wall framing members (studs, headers, cripple and trimmer studs), roof framing geometry (rafter layout, ridge board, ceiling joists), and concrete/formwork requirements. This is where you'll spend the most time.
• Finish Carpentry (173 practice questions): Questions test stair-building code requirements (riser height, tread depth, headroom, handrails), cut-stringer and cleat-stringer layout, molding and trim profile identification, and cabinet installation sequences.
• Drywall (51 practice questions): Covers panel type selection (Type X, Type C, moisture-resistant), fastener types and spacing, joint compound application stages, score-and-snap cutting technique, and trim accessories like corner bead and J-trim.
• Safety (44 practice questions): Tests OSHA 29 CFR 1926 requirements — fall protection systems, PPE selection, power and hand tool rules, electrical hazard recognition, and employer/employee responsibilities.
• Windows and Doors (27 practice questions): Includes window component terminology, rough opening sizing, egress code requirements, energy efficiency ratings (U-factor, SHGC), and glazing types.
• Insulation (16 practice questions): Covers R-value ratings, insulation material types (batts, loose-fill, rigid board, spray foam), proper placement in the building envelope, vapor retarders, and attic/crawl-space ventilation requirements.
• Siding (25 practice questions): Tests wood bevel siding installation (story pole, exposure calculation, nailing patterns), moisture prevention methods (housewrap, flashing, drainage plane), shingle coursing styles, and vinyl siding fastening and expansion gap requirements.

Required Study Materials

The Mississippi Carpentry exam is open book, which means your references are genuinely useful — but only if they're well-organized before you walk in. Here's every allowed reference, with links so you can get them before exam day:

• Carpentry and Building Construction — The primary textbook for this exam. Covers rough and finish carpentry in detail.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — Required for the Safety section. Know where the fall protection, PPE, and electrical hazard sections live.
• IBC 2021 — The International Building Code covers egress requirements, stair codes, and structural provisions.
• BCSI: Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses — Essential for truss bracing and lateral restraint questions.
• Gypsum Construction Handbook (7th Edition) — Your go-to for all drywall questions: panel types, fastener schedules, joint finishing.
• Finish Carpenter's Manual — Covers stair construction, trim work, and finish installation techniques.
• The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction — Required for cabinet installation questions in the Finish Carpentry section.

Organization tools matter too. Since you can index your books with permanent tabs before the exam:

• Redi-Tag Permanent Colored Tabs — 100 laser tabs in five colors; color-code by subject so you can flip to the right section fast under pressure.
• Sharpie Highlighters — 12-pack in assorted fluorescent colors; highlight key tables, code sections, and definitions before exam day.

Study Tips for the Mississippi Carpentry License Exam Prep

Practice in exam conditions. Our practice exam mirrors the real PSI exam — same number of questions, same time limit, same topic breakdown. Practicing in that format now means no surprises on test day. Start with the free practice exam to get a feel for the question style, then upgrade to the full version for serious, timed prep sessions.

Use the open-book format strategically. On an open-book exam, work through every question once: answer the ones you know and skip the ones you don't. Then go back to the flagged ones. You can bookmark questions for review — just like in our practice exam — but don't sink too much time into any single question. The clock is still running.

Tab and highlight before you go in. You may not write in your references during the exam, but you can highlight, underline, and index them ahead of time. Use colored tabs to mark key code tables, framing spans, and drywall fastener schedules. When you hit a tough question, you want to find the answer in 30 seconds, not three minutes.

Focus where the points are. Rough Carpentry and Formwork is 27 of 60 questions. If you master that section, you're most of the way to a passing score before you even open the Safety or Insulation chapters.

Timed practice beats untimed PDFs. Untimed study guides can help with learning, but they don't prepare you for managing a two-hour clock. Our practice exam simulates actual testing center conditions so you build that skill before it counts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the Mississippi Carpentry exam and how long do I have?
The exam has 60 questions and you have 120 minutes (2 hours) to complete it.

What is the passing score for the Mississippi Carpentry exam?
You need a minimum score of 70% — that's 42 correct out of 60 questions.

What topics are covered on the Mississippi Carpentry exam?
The exam covers Safety (6 items), Insulation (1), Windows and Doors (3), Rough Carpentry and Formwork (27), Finish Carpentry (14), Drywall (7), and Siding (2).

How much does it cost to register for the Mississippi Carpentry exam?
The fee is $120 per examination portion. Registration fees are not refundable or transferable.

How do I register to take the Mississippi Carpentry exam?
First, apply to the Mississippi Contractor Licensing Board to establish eligibility. PSI will then email you a confirmation notice. Once eligible, you can register through the exam registration page or by calling PSI at (855) 557-0619.

Is the Mississippi Carpentry exam open book, and what references can I bring?
Yes, it's open book. Allowed references include OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Carpentry and Building Construction (2010 or 2016 edition), the BCSI Guide (2018), Gypsum Construction Handbook (7th edition), Finish Carpenter's Manual, IBC 2021, and The Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction. You must bring your own copies to the exam site.

Can I write in my reference books during the exam?
No. You may highlight, underline, and index books with permanent tabs before the exam, but writing in references during the test is prohibited. Any candidate caught doing so will have their books confiscated and be reported to the department.

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

What is the retake policy if I fail?
You may retest as many times as needed within your 6-month eligibility window. If you don't pass within that period, you'll need to reapply with the Mississippi Contractor Licensing Board.

Can I cancel or reschedule my exam appointment?
Yes — cancel or reschedule at least 2 days before your appointment and your fee stays intact. Miss that deadline or no-show, and the fee is forfeited. PSI holds unused exam funds on file for up to one year from your initial registration date.

Ready to Start Studying?

The Mississippi Carpentry License is a credential worth earning, and the exam is absolutely passable with focused preparation. Gather your reference books, tab and highlight them now, and get comfortable with the question format before test day. Start with our free practice exam — 10 questions, no account required, no pressure. It's a quick way to see where you stand. When you're ready to go deeper, the full practice exam gives you 557 questions across all seven topic areas, timed conditions, and a detailed score breakdown so you know exactly where to focus. Good luck — you've got this.