- Trade exam costs $120 per attempt (including retakes); trade plus Law and Business Management totals $240.
- 80 scored questions, three hours, 70% passing score - that's 56 correct answers.
- Estimating, Plan Reading and General Code Requirements leads all domains at 18 questions.
- PSI may add up to 10 unscored questions per its April 23, 2026 bulletin, and they count against your time.
Quick Facts Snapshot
If you only have five minutes before test day, this is the page to keep open. The Mississippi Residential Builder License Exam (MS-RB) is administered through the Mississippi State Board of Contractors (MSBOC) and delivered by PSI Services LLC under the Residential Building application classification. Below is the condensed version of everything a candidate needs to internalize before scheduling.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Trade exam questions | 80 scored questions |
| Time limit | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 70% (56 of 80 correct) |
| Format | Computer-delivered, open-book |
| Trade exam fee | $120 per attempt, including retakes |
| Trade + Law/Business fees | $240 total |
| Residential application fee | $50 for one classification |
| Application + both exams | $290 before books, prep, insurance |
| Eligibility window | 6 months, unlimited paid retakes |
For the full context behind these numbers, see the MS-RB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt and the companion breakdown at MS-RB Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Fee Math and Application Mechanics
Money mistakes are avoidable if you understand the layers. Mississippi Residential Builder License Exam candidates pay in three separate places, and skipping one step delays scheduling with PSI.
- Application to MSBOC: $50 for one classification (Residential Building). You must receive PSI eligibility confirmation before you can book a seat.
- Trade exam fee: $120 per attempt - this applies to every retake, not just the first sitting.
- Law and Business Management exam: required separately from the trade exam. Combined trade-plus-law/business fees total $240.
- All-in before extras: $290 covers application plus both exam portions, before you factor in reference books, prep materials, insurance, or business registration costs.
A deeper walkthrough of every line item, including insurance and reference-letter costs, lives in MS-RB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Exam Format at a Glance
The trade exam is computer-delivered and open-book - but "open-book" has strict boundaries that trip up unprepared candidates. You get 80 scored questions in three hours, and PSI's April 23, 2026 bulletin permits the testing center to insert one to ten additional unscored experimental questions. Those unscored items look identical to real questions and still consume your clock time, so budget your pacing as if all 90 could be scored.
Key Takeaway
Don't try to guess which questions are experimental. Treat every question with equal seriousness and manage your three-hour window with a steady pace rather than trying to identify "filler" items.
For a full explanation of how the scoring threshold works in practice, read MS-RB Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. If you're still weighing how difficult this format is compared to other trade licensing exams, How Hard Is the MS-RB Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 covers that in detail.
Domain Breakdown by Question Count
PSI allocates the 80 scored questions across nine domains. Knowing the weight of each domain tells you exactly where to spend your review hours.
Domain 7: Estimating, Plan Reading and General Code Requirements - 18 questions
The single largest domain. Candidates must read residential plans accurately, apply general code principles, and perform estimating calculations tied to real-world scope.
- Plan symbols, dimensions and schedules
- General code requirement application, not memorization of every section
- Quantity takeoffs and material estimating logic
Domain 4: Carpentry - 15 questions
Framing, rough carpentry, and finish carpentry concepts specific to one- and two-family residential construction.
- Wall, floor and roof framing methods
- Fastener and connection requirements
- Material specifications tied to residential scope
Domain 1: Site Work, Footings and Foundations - 13 questions
Covers excavation, grading, footing sizing, and foundation systems that support residential structures.
- Site preparation and drainage basics
- Footing and foundation dimensioning
- Soil-bearing considerations
The remaining six domains - Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement, Masonry, Associated Trades and Drywall, Roofing, OSHA Safety, and Licensing - round out the exam with fewer questions each, but none are optional to study. For the complete allocation across all nine domains with study strategies for each, see MS-RB Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 9 Content Areas.
Approved References and What You Can Bring
Because this is an open-book exam, reference management is a skill in itself. There are eight approved reference categories:
- 2021 International Residential Code (use this exact edition - older or newer non-code references are used at your own risk)
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926
- Concrete references
- Masonry references
- Carpentry references
- BCSI truss bracing references
- Pipe/excavation references
- Roofing references
Permitted markup includes highlighting, underlining, and permanent tabs applied before the exam. Handwritten notes, loose papers, attached papers, and temporary tabs are prohibited. A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator is also allowed.
Key Takeaway
Tab your 2021 IRC and OSHA references by chapter before test day. Since Domain 7 (Estimating, Plan Reading and General Code Requirements) draws the most questions, your IRC tabs should map to the sections you're weakest on.
Eligibility Window and Retakes
Once MSBOC confirms your PSI eligibility, the clock starts. You have six months to schedule and complete testing, with unlimited paid retakes within that window - each retake costs $120 for the trade exam. If your eligibility expires before you pass, you must reapply through MSBOC rather than simply rebooking.
This is a common source of wasted money: candidates who don't plan their retake budget end up scrambling near the six-month mark. Map your study timeline against this window from day one. If you want a data-informed view of how candidates typically perform on attempts, MS-RB Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows lays out what's publicly documented.
Licensing, Renewal and CE
Passing the exam is only half the equation - the license itself has ongoing obligations.
- Annual renewal: $100, or $110 if renewed late within the permitted period.
- Lapse rule: more than 180 days expired requires a brand-new application, not a simple renewal.
- Continuing education: active residential qualifiers for licenses issued on or after July 1, 2015 need two approved CE hours annually. Inactive status is exempt from this requirement.
These prerequisites are frequently underestimated by first-time applicants. Full detail on gathering job examples and reference letters is in MS-RB Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, and scheduling logistics around PSI windows are covered in MS-RB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
One-Week Review Focus by Domain
If you're in the final stretch before your scheduled date, allocate your remaining review days by domain weight rather than by personal comfort level. Here's a compressed final-week structure built around the actual PSI allocations.
Estimating, Plan Reading and General Code Requirements
- Drill plan-reading exercises and takeoff math
- Tab your 2021 IRC to match general code topics you miss most
Carpentry and Site Work, Footings and Foundations
- Review framing connections and fastener schedules
- Work through footing sizing and foundation drainage scenarios
Concrete, Masonry, Roofing, Associated Trades and Drywall
- Cross-check reference tabs for each trade category
- Practice timed question sets to simulate the three-hour limit
OSHA Safety and Licensing
- Review 29 CFR 1926 highlights
- Confirm you understand MSBOC licensing and renewal rules, since Domain 9 tests this directly
For a longer-range version of this plan built around your full eligibility window, the MS-RB Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands each phase into a multi-week schedule.
Beyond the exam itself, many candidates ask whether the license is worth pursuing given the fees and CE obligations involved. That question is addressed directly in Is the MS-RB Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and if you're researching career paths that value this license, MS-RB Jobs and MS-RB Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis are useful next reads. You can also sharpen your recall of these exact facts using timed practice questions on the main practice test site before your scheduled date.
FAQ
The trade exam has 80 scored questions with a three-hour time limit. PSI may add up to 10 additional unscored questions per its April 23, 2026 bulletin, and those also count against your three hours.
You need 70%, which equals 56 correct answers out of the 80 scored questions.
The trade exam is $120 per attempt, including retakes. Combined with the required Law and Business Management exam, total exam fees are $240. Add the $50 residential application fee and the full cost before books and insurance is $290.
Bring the 2021 International Residential Code. Older or newer non-code references are used at your own risk under exam rules.
Eligibility lasts six months with unlimited paid retakes during that window. If it expires, you must reapply through MSBOC rather than simply scheduling another attempt.