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Mississippi Structural Steel Licensing Exam — Practice Test

What This Practice Exam Covers

The Mississippi Structural Steel licensing exam is 60 questions, 120-minute time limit, and requires a 70% to pass — that's 42 correct answers out of 60. This practice test mirrors that format.

Free practice exam: 10 questions per attempt, pulled from a limited pool. You can retake it as many times as you want. It's a solid way to get a feel for how questions are worded and what the exam actually asks.

Full practice exam (paid): 60 questions, 120-minute timer — same format as the real thing. Questions are drawn from a pool of 255+ so every attempt gives you a different mix. You won't see the same exam twice. Questions are built directly from the official topic list provided by the test administrator.

Start with the free version. If you're scoring well and want serious preparation, the full exam gives you the depth you need.

What You'll Be Tested On

Steel Joists and Girders — 20 questions (heaviest topic)

This is one-third of your exam. Do not underestimate it.

You need to know the SJI product families: K-Series, LH-Series, DLH-Series, CJ-Series composite joists, and Joist Girders. Know how each designation is read — depth, series, and load indicator. For Joist Girders, you must parse the full designation string: nominal depth, the "G" identifier, number of joist spacings, and the kip load per panel point. That format appears directly on the exam.

Erection bridging is heavily tested. Know which span lengths trigger which bridging requirements, and how the Red, Blue, and Gray load table zones change what's required before the crane releases. Know when the hoisting cable cannot be released from a joist. Know bridging terminus and anchoring rules.

End bearing and anchorage matters: minimum bearing lengths, seat attachment requirements, and stabilizer plates for joist girders. Construction load restrictions on unbridged joists and deck bundle placement rules — specifically where bundles can and cannot land — are tested directly.

Safe handling, rigging, and storing of joist products round out this topic. Sources: SJI Technical Digest and SJI Erectors Manual, multiple chapters.

Post-Tensioning — 10 questions

You need to understand why post-tensioning works — eccentric force, pre-compression of the concrete — not just the vocabulary.

Know your tendon components: strand size, sheathing, PT coating, and the difference between stressing-end and fixed-end anchorages. Know what encapsulated systems are and where they're used.

Stressing procedures are heavily tested. Understand seating loss, how wedge seating affects final stress, and the difference between initial stress and long-term losses. Elongation calculations are fair game — know Section 10.2 of the PTI Field Procedures Manual. Delivery, storage, and handling rules matter too. Sources: PTI Field Procedures Manual and Post-Tensioning Manual, multiple chapters.

Reinforcing Steel — 10 questions

Bar identification is fundamental. You must read the line marks and number marks on a deformed bar and identify grade, size, and mill. Figure 7-2 from both the Ironworker Reference and CRSI Placing Reinforcing Bars is the map for this.

Know ASTM standard bar sizes and properties from Table 7-1. Concrete cover requirements and tolerances appear on this exam — know the values for slabs, walls, footings, beams, and columns, and the tolerances that apply to each situation.

Bar supports: know the types, how they're selected, and placement rules. Splicing is tested across all three methods — lap, mechanical, and welded. For welded splices, understand what makes a splice acceptable and the inspection requirements. Placement in footings, walls, columns, slabs, beams, and joists is all in scope.

Safety — OSHA Subpart R — 7 questions

This is steel erection-specific safety. The 15-foot trigger height for fall protection is a tested number. Know connector requirements and the Controlled Decking Zone (CDZ). Hoisting and rigging: qualified rigger requirements, crane inspection, and rules about working under suspended loads.

Column anchorage requirements — minimum number of anchor rods, guying and bracing evaluation — appear on this exam. Open web steel joist erection safety ties directly to the Joists and Girders topic: bridging before cable release, load limits, and hoisting cable rules. Know the pre-erection requirements: concrete strength notification to the controlling contractor and site access road standards.

Steel Decks — 7 questions

Know the five deck product types: composite floor, roof, form, cellular, and acoustic. Each has a distinct profile and application. Know how each is fastened — arc spot welds, screws, powder-actuated fasteners, and air-driven fasteners — and when each method applies.

Side lap connections are tested: screws, button punching, clinching, and welds. Construction load tables and maximum span rules during erection are real exam content. Bundle placement on the structure has specific rules. Deck damage and penetration repair, including burn hole repair criteria, appear in the SDI Manual and show up on the exam.

Safety — General — 6 questions

Fall protection systems: guardrail, safety net, and personal fall arrest — know when each is required and what it must do. PPE selection and employer payment obligations are tested. Fire protection rules, hazard communication, signs and barricades, first aid requirements, and noise exposure limits all appear here. Know the OSHA 1926 CFR 29 sections for medical services and emergency action plans.

Worked Sample Questions

Question 1 — Steel Joists and Girders

In a joist girder designation of 36G9N6K, what does the "9N" portion indicate?

• A. Nine concentrated loads
• B. Nine joist spacings
• C. Nine panel points per chord
• D. Nine bridging rows

Correct Answer: B — Nine joist spacings

Break the designation apart: "36" is the nominal depth in inches; "G" identifies it as a Joist Girder; "9N" is the number of joist spacings (panel points); "6K" is the unfactored concentrated load — 6 kips — applied at each panel point. The exam tests all four segments. If you only memorize depth and load, you'll drop points on the middle two. Source: SJI Technical Digest, Chapter 1 - Products.

Question 2 — Post-Tensioning

After initial seating losses, elastic shortening, and tendon friction during post-tensioning of a 1/2-inch strand, the tendon stress is reduced from an initial 216,000 psi to approximately what value?

• A. 189,000 psi
• B. 173,000 psi
• C. 150,000 psi
• D. 200,000 psi

Correct Answer: A — 189,000 psi

When the jack releases and wedges seat, three things happen simultaneously: wedge seating loss, elastic shortening of the concrete, and tendon friction loss. Combined, they reduce stress from 216,000 psi to approximately 189,000 psi — roughly 28.9 kips for a 1/2-inch strand. The distractor here is 173,000 psi, which represents the final stress after all long-term losses over one to five years. Don't confuse immediate post-stressing losses with long-term prestress losses. Source: Post-Tensioning Manual, Chapter 2 - Background of Prestressed Concrete and Post-Tensioning.

Question 3 — Reinforcing Steel

A concrete mixture typically contains one part cement, approximately 1½ to 2½ parts fine aggregate, and approximately how many parts coarse aggregate?

• A. 2 to 3 parts
• B. 5 to 7 parts
• C. 4 to 6 parts
• D. 3 to 5 parts

Correct Answer: D — 3 to 5 parts

Standard concrete proportions: one part cement, 1½ to 2½ parts fine aggregate (sand), and 3 to 5 parts coarse aggregate (gravel, crushed stone, or blast-furnace slag), plus clean water. The exam expects you to know concrete makeup as a foundation for understanding why reinforcing steel behaves the way it does. Source: Concrete and Reinforced Concrete - Definitions, Chapter 3.

How to Read Your Score

Passing is 70% — 42 out of 60 correct. On your first practice attempt, treat the score as a diagnostic, not a verdict. Most people don't pass on their first try, and that's the point: you're finding your weak spots before they cost you a real exam fee.

If you score below 60%, you have significant gaps. Pick the two lowest-scoring topics and work them before retaking. If you're at 60–69%, you're close but not ready — one bad topic can pull you under on the real exam. Scoring 70–79% on practice is encouraging, but the real exam draws from a larger question pool, so stay focused. If you're consistently hitting 80%+ across multiple attempts on the full 60-question exam, you're in solid shape.

Use the topic-by-topic breakdown after every attempt. Steel Joists and Girders is 20 questions — if you're weak there, that alone can fail you. Post-Tensioning and Reinforcing Steel are 10 questions each. A few missed answers in any topic adds up fast.

Where Candidates Lose Points

Joist girder designations. People memorize depth and load but blank on the middle two segments. Know all four parts of the designation.

Bridging zone rules. The Red, Blue, and Gray zones from the load tables each have different requirements. Candidates pick the wrong zone or confuse the rule for "when can the crane release" with "when can workers walk on joists."

Seating loss vs. long-term prestress loss. On post-tensioning questions, the exam offers both numbers as answer choices. Know which losses happen immediately at stressing and which develop over time.

Concrete cover tolerances. The tolerance values differ depending on the member type and bar position. Candidates apply the wrong tolerance to the wrong situation.

Bar identification markings. The line mark system for grade and the number system for size are both tested. Mixing them up costs points.

OSHA trigger heights. The 15-foot rule for steel erection is specific to Subpart R. Candidates confuse it with general industry or other construction thresholds.

Running out of time. With 60 questions in 120 minutes, you have 2 minutes per question. The Steel Joists and Girders section is dense. Don't get stuck — flag it and move on.

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