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100+ Free MS Municipal Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: MS Municipal Exam

70%

Passing Score

PSI MS Contractor Bulletin 4/23/2026

60 Q

Official Exam Questions

PSI MS Contractor Bulletin 4/23/2026

2 hours

Time Allowed

PSI MS Contractor Bulletin 4/23/2026

$120

PSI Exam Fee

PSI MS Contractor Bulletin 4/23/2026

Open book

Exam Format

PSI MS Contractor Bulletin 4/23/2026

MS Municipal PSI trade exam: 60 questions, 70% pass, 2 hours, fee $120. Open-book MSBOC classification (bulletin 4/23/2026).

Sample MS Municipal Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your MS Municipal exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A municipal crew must excavate 1,600 bank cubic yards (BCY) of clay for a sewer interceptor. If the clay has a swell factor of 30%, how many loose cubic yards (LCY) must be hauled?
A.1,120 LCY
B.1,600 LCY
C.2,080 LCY
D.4,800 LCY
Explanation: Loose volume equals bank volume multiplied by one plus the swell factor: 1,600 × 1.30 = 2,080 LCY. Clay expands when it is cut from the bank, so haul units must be sized for the larger loose volume, not the in-place bank quantity. Pipe and Excavation Contracting treats swell as an increase applied to bank yards.
2A water-main trench is 360 feet long, 4.0 feet wide, and 5.5 feet deep with vertical sides. What is the excavated volume in cubic yards?
A.244 cubic yards
B.293 cubic yards
C.330 cubic yards
D.7,920 cubic yards
Explanation: Trench volume is length × width × depth, then converted to cubic yards: 360 × 4.0 × 5.5 = 7,920 cubic feet. Divide by 27 cubic feet per cubic yard: 7,920 ÷ 27 = 293.3, which rounds to 293 cubic yards. Always convert cubic feet to cubic yards before ordering trucks or comparing pay quantities.
3A 200-foot sewer trench in Type C soil is 8 feet deep with a 3-foot-wide flat bottom and OSHA maximum slopes of 1½ horizontal to 1 vertical on both sides. What is the excavated volume?
A.178 cubic yards
B.444 cubic yards
C.889 cubic yards
D.1,600 cubic yards
Explanation: Each sloped side adds 1.5 × 8 = 12 feet of width, so the top width is 3 + 12 + 12 = 27 feet. Average width is (3 + 27) ÷ 2 = 15 feet. Volume = 200 × 15 × 8 = 24,000 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 888.9, which rounds to 889 cubic yards. Sloped municipal trenches contain far more yardage than a vertical-wall takeoff of the same invert depth.
4Under typical municipal specifications for trench backfill in a paved street, what relative compaction is most commonly required on the Standard Proctor (ASTM D698) test?
A.85% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density
B.90% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density
C.95% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density
D.100% of Modified Proctor maximum dry density
Explanation: Pipe and Excavation Contracting and typical municipal street specs require about 95% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density in the trench zone that supports pavement. Lower densities leave the trench soft and the pavement settles. Modified Proctor (ASTM D1557) is a different, higher-energy test and 100% Modified is an unusually severe requirement that is not the ordinary municipal trench target.
5For mechanical compaction of select trench backfill around a municipal water main, what loose lift thickness is the usual field limit so each layer can be compacted uniformly?
A.2 to 3 inches
B.6 to 8 inches
C.18 to 24 inches
D.One lift from the pipe springline to finished grade
Explanation: Pipe and Excavation Contracting and AWWA C600 practice place backfill in thin lifts, commonly about 6 to 8 inches loose, so a plate compactor or rammer can densify the full lift. Thicker lifts leave a soft core. Haunch material is worked under the pipe first; the remainder of the trench is built in successive compacted lifts to grade.
6A wastewater-plant berm requires 1,700 compacted cubic yards (CCY). The borrow soil shrinks 15% from bank to compacted condition. How many bank cubic yards (BCY) must be excavated?
A.1,445 BCY
B.1,700 BCY
C.2,000 BCY
D.11,333 BCY
Explanation: Compacted volume equals bank volume times (1 − shrink), so BCY = CCY ÷ (1 − 0.15) = 1,700 ÷ 0.85 = 2,000 BCY. Shrinkage means a cubic yard in the bank occupies less volume after compaction, so more bank material must be cut than the finished fill quantity. Forgetting to divide by 0.85 under-orders the borrow pit.
7A nuclear gauge shows trench backfill at the specified dry density but well below optimum moisture. What is the most likely field result if the contractor continues without adding water?
A.The soil will continue to densify easily because dry soil always compact better than moist soil
B.The lift will be hard to compact to the specified density and may remain unstable until moisture is corrected
C.Optimum moisture only matters for concrete, not earthwork
D.The gauge reading already proves the moisture is acceptable
Explanation: Standard Proctor moisture-density curves peak at optimum moisture. Soil that is much drier than optimum resists compaction; the same compactive effort produces a lower dry density and a spongy or unstable lift. Municipal inspectors expect the contractor to wet and remix the lift, then retest. A density reading taken on a dry, poorly knit lift is not a substitute for being near optimum moisture.
8In earthwork estimating, what does one bank cubic yard (BCY) represent?
A.One cubic yard of soil after it has been excavated and loaded loosely in a truck
B.One cubic yard of soil in its natural, undisturbed condition in the ground
C.One cubic yard of soil after it has been placed and compacted in the fill
D.One cubic yard of crushed stone bedding measured in the stockpile
Explanation: Bank cubic yards are measured in the undisturbed ground before excavation. Loose cubic yards are the expanded volume after digging and loading. Compacted cubic yards are the volume after the soil is placed and densified in the fill. Municipal pay quantities and haul estimates fail when these three measures are mixed.
9Cross sections of a graded plant site are taken every 50 feet. End-area 1 is 120 square feet and end-area 2 is 180 square feet. What is the volume between those two stations?
A.11 cubic yards
B.278 cubic yards
C.556 cubic yards
D.15,000 cubic yards
Explanation: Average-end-area volume = ((A1 + A2) ÷ 2) × length. Average area is (120 + 180) ÷ 2 = 150 square feet. Volume = 150 × 50 = 7,500 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 277.8, which rounds to 278 cubic yards. This is the standard grading takeoff method in Pipe and Excavation Contracting for irregular cut-and-fill.
10A 600-foot water-main trench is 3.0 feet wide. Granular bedding will be placed 6 inches thick across the full trench width before the pipe is set. How many cubic yards of bedding are required, ignoring pipe displacement?
A.11 cubic yards
B.33 cubic yards
C.67 cubic yards
D.100 cubic yards
Explanation: Bedding volume = length × trench width × thickness. Thickness is 6 inches = 0.50 foot, so 600 × 3.0 × 0.50 = 900 cubic feet. 900 ÷ 27 = 33.3, which rounds to 33 cubic yards. Municipal takeoffs often add a waste factor after this neat-line volume; the question asks for the neat bedding prism only.

About the MS Municipal Exam

Mississippi Municipal Contractor Examination is a classification trade examination administered by PSI for the Mississippi State Board of Contractors. The official open-book exam has 60 questions, a 70% passing standard, and 2 hours allowed. PSI examination fee is $120 per portion (bulletin updated 4/23/2026). This English-language MCQ bank is a study aid for the official content outline; it is not an official PSI form, does not replace the required Law and Business Management exam, and is not a substitute for MSBOC application review or the official open-book examination.

Questions

60 scored questions

Time Limit

2 hours

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

$120 (PSI Services LLC (for Mississippi State Board of Contractors))

MS Municipal Exam Content Outline

13%

Excavation, Compaction and Grading

Earthwork for municipal utilities

12%

Safety

Municipal construction safety

17%

Steel

Steel in municipal work

25%

Concrete

Municipal concrete

5%

General Knowledge

General municipal construction knowledge

12%

Underground Utilities-Concrete Pipe Installation

Concrete utility pipe

12%

Underground Utilities-Ductile Pipe Installation

Ductile-iron utility pipe

5%

MS One-Call

MS 811 one-call

How to Pass the MS Municipal Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70%
  • Exam length: 60 questions
  • Time limit: 2 hours
  • Exam fee: $120

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

MS Municipal Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study only the approved references listed for this classification in the current PSI Mississippi Contractor bulletin (updated 4/23/2026)
2Practice open-book navigation with permanent tabs and indexes before test day
3Drill OSHA 29 CFR 1926 topics that appear across nearly every trade outline
4Confirm MSBOC classification scope and eligibility at msboc.us before scheduling with PSI
5All applicants must also pass Law and Business Management unless it is waived

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the MS Municipal exam?

The official PSI examination has 60 scored questions (plus possible unscored experimental items). Passing is 70% within 2 hours.

How much does the MS Municipal exam cost?

PSI lists $120 per examination portion (Candidate Information Bulletin updated 4/23/2026). MSBOC application fees are separate: $400 commercial or $50 residential. Additional classifications are $100 each.

Is the Mississippi contractor exam open book?

Yes. PSI administers MSBOC classification exams as open book. Only bulletin-listed approved references are allowed; temporary tabs such as Post-it notes are prohibited.

Do I still need the Law and Business Management exam?

Yes. MSBOC requires the Mississippi Law and Business Management exam (50 questions, 70%, 2 hours) of all applicants. Reciprocity may waive a trade exam in some cases but does not waive Law and Business.