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The MS-RB exam has 80 questions and runs 3 hours.
These 10 free MS-RB questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Mississippi Residential Builder License Exam blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
A continuous wall footing carries a total service load of 3,600 pounds per linear foot, including the footing's weight. The soils report allows 2,000 pounds per square foot for concentric bearing. Structural thickness and reinforcement have already been resolved. Considering soil bearing alone, what is the smallest listed footing width that is adequate?
Correct answer: C - 24 inches
The approved concrete mix for a foundation pour permits a slump of 3 to 6 inches. A valid test gives 5 inches after the producer adds an authorized water-reducing admixture. Batch records confirm the specified water-cement ratio, and all other delivery acceptance checks pass. An earlier load measured 3 inches. How should the foreman handle this load?
Correct answer: A - Accept it for placement; it meets the specified delivery acceptance criteria.
White, powdery deposits return on a brick veneer after each wet spell and brush off when dry. The bricks and mortar are not cracked, flaking, or displaced, but several weep holes at the base are packed with mortar. Which explanation best fits the evidence?
Correct answer: A - Moisture is carrying soluble salts to the face, where evaporation leaves efflorescence.
An owner wants a vaulted ceiling beneath a conventionally framed gable roof. The proposed remodel removes every ceiling joist and lower rafter tie but retains the ridge board and collar ties in the upper third. Which redesign would carry the roof without relying on the removed tension ties?
Correct answer: B - Install a designed structural ridge beam with posts supported down to the foundation.
A plumber proposes one 2-inch-diameter hole through a solid-sawn floor joist with an actual depth of 9-1/4 inches. The hole is centered vertically at the midpoint of a 12-foot span; there are no other holes or notches. Assess this cut under 2018 IRC Section R502.8.1.
Correct answer: A - Permit it; the middle-third restriction prohibits notches, not an otherwise compliant bore.
Low-angle daylight will rake across a living-room wall finished with dark semigloss paint. The drywall proposal includes embedded tape, two separate coats on flat joints, one on inside angles, and three on fasteners, but no compound over the board's field. What additional work brings this preparation to Level 5?
Correct answer: C - Apply a thin skim coat over the entire wall surface before decoration.
A reroofing plan retains a sound 3:12 roof plane and specifies asphalt shingles approved by the manufacturer for that slope. The work uses conventional felt underlayment, with no approved alternative underlayment system. How should this roof plane be detailed under the 2018 IRC?
Correct answer: D - Install the prescribed double felt underlayment beneath the shingles.
At final inspection, a second-floor bedroom's emergency escape window opens without keys or tools. Its verified net clear opening is 24 inches wide by 32 inches high, with an area of 5.33 square feet. The sill is 40 inches above the finished floor, well above exterior grade. Under the 2018 IRC, which finding prevents acceptance?
Correct answer: D - The clear area falls below the required minimum of 5.7 square feet.
The estimate for a residential addition lists $60,000 in direct costs and $12,000 in allocated overhead. The builder wants the amount remaining after both costs to equal 25% of the contract price. What contract price meets that target?
Correct answer: D - $96,000
Following a rain shower, the competent person observes new tension cracks and sloughing along an unprotected 4-1/2-foot-deep utility trench. Two employees are still making a connection inside. The foreman points out that the trench is less than 5 feet deep. What response does OSHA require now?
Correct answer: B - Remove the employees until protective measures make reentry safe.
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