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100+ Free MS Underground Utilities Practice Questions

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: MS Underground Utilities Exam

70%

Passing Score

PSI MS Contractor Bulletin 4/23/2026

50 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 Underground Utilities PSI trade exam: 50 questions, 70% pass, 2 hours, fee $120. Open-book MSBOC classification (bulletin 4/23/2026).

Sample MS Underground Utilities Practice Questions

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

1Before a Mississippi underground-utilities crew opens an excavation, OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651 first requires the employer to:
A.Locate underground installations and contact the utility owners
B.Stockpile all spoil against the near trench wall to form a traffic berm
C.Begin the cut and call utilities only if a line is struck
D.Skip locates when the trench will be less than 5 feet deep
Explanation: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651 requires underground installations to be located before an excavation is opened and the utility owners to be contacted. Mississippi 811 is how that locate is arranged in this state, but the federal rule is the same idea: find the lines first, then dig.
2A crew is laying water main in an open-cut trench 6 feet deep and 300 feet long. Applying the OSHA lateral-travel rule for means of egress, what is the smallest number of ladders that will serve the run and how far apart may they stand?
A.Two ladders, one at each end, because only the ends of a trench need egress
B.Six ladders, spaced no more than 50 feet apart, so no worker is more than 25 feet of lateral travel from one
C.Three ladders, spaced 100 feet apart, because the lateral-travel rule applies only to trenches deeper than 20 feet
D.No ladder is required, because the egress rule starts at 20 feet of depth
Explanation: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651(c)(2) applies to every trench excavation 4 feet or more in depth: a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress must be positioned so no employee travels more than 25 feet laterally to reach it. One ladder therefore serves 25 feet in each direction, or a 50-foot length of trench, so 300 ÷ 50 = 6 ladders at 50-foot spacing, with the first about 25 feet in from the end. A 6-foot trench also needs a protective system under 1926.652.
3Unless retaining devices are used, excavated spoil and equipment must be kept at least how far from the edge of an excavation?
A.6 inches
B.12 inches
C.2 feet
D.5 feet
Explanation: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651 requires spoil, other materials, and equipment to be kept at least 2 feet from the edge of an excavation unless retaining devices that are sufficient to prevent materials or equipment from falling or rolling into the excavation are used. The setback reduces surcharge on the walls and keeps material from sliding back onto workers.
4OSHA treats an excavation atmosphere as oxygen-deficient when the oxygen concentration falls below:
A.19.5 percent
B.16.0 percent
C.21.0 percent
D.23.5 percent
Explanation: OSHA defines oxygen deficiency as less than 19.5 percent oxygen. In excavations more than 4 feet deep where a hazardous atmosphere could reasonably exist, the atmosphere must be tested before employees enter. Treat anything under 19.5 percent as immediately dangerous until it is corrected and retested.
5Before employees enter an excavation more than 4 feet deep where a hazardous atmosphere could reasonably be expected, OSHA requires the atmosphere to be tested. Flammable gas must not exceed:
A.5 percent of the lower flammable limit
B.10 percent of the lower flammable limit
C.20 percent of the lower flammable limit
D.50 percent of the lower flammable limit
Explanation: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651 requires atmospheric testing before entry in excavations more than 4 feet deep where a hazardous atmosphere could exist. Oxygen must be at least 19.5 percent, and flammable gas must not exceed 20 percent of the lower flammable limit (LFL). If either limit is missed, ventilate or otherwise control the atmosphere before anyone goes in.
6A competent person must inspect an excavation, adjacent areas, and protective systems at least:
A.Once a week unless the soil looks dry
B.Only when the trench first exceeds 5 feet
C.Only after a cave-in or near-miss
D.Daily, before each shift, and after every rainstorm or other hazard-increasing event
Explanation: OSHA requires daily inspections by a competent person, typically before the work shift, and additional inspections after rainstorms or other events that could increase hazards. Soil that stood yesterday can slough after rain. The competent person must have the authority to remove employees if a hazard is found.
7While a backhoe or crane is handling pipe or a trench box, employees must not:
A.Stand under the load of the digging or lifting equipment
B.Use hand signals that the operator can see
C.Stay outside the swing radius unless needed for the lift
D.Wear a hard hat and high-visibility vest
Explanation: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651 prohibits employees from being under loads handled by digging or lifting equipment. A dropped joint, box, or bucket will kill anyone under it. Spotters and pipelayers work beside the load path, not under the hook or bucket.
8A protective system (sloping, benching, shoring, or a shield) is required in an excavation unless:
A.The excavation is entirely in stable rock, or it is less than 5 feet deep and a competent person finds no indication of a potential cave-in
B.The crew is only in the trench for 15 minutes
C.The trench is less than 8 feet deep in any soil
D.The contractor has a trench box on another street of the same project
Explanation: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.652 requires a protective system except when the excavation is made entirely in stable rock, or when it is less than 5 feet deep and a competent person examines it and finds no indication of a potential cave-in. Depth alone is not a free pass if the bank is already raveling.
9OSHA defines a trench as a narrow excavation in which the depth is generally greater than the width and the width at the bottom is not greater than:
A.4 feet
B.8 feet
C.15 feet
D.20 feet
Explanation: OSHA defines a trench as a narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground. In general, the depth is greater than the width, but the width of a trench (measured at the bottom) is not greater than 15 feet. Wider cuts are excavations, not trenches, and the protective-system rules still apply.
10Unconfined compressive strength of 1.5 tsf or greater is one Type A soil test, but OSHA will not classify the soil as Type A if it is:
A.Fissured, subject to vibration, previously disturbed, part of a sloped layered system of 4H:1V or steeper, or seeping water
B.Cohesive clay that has never been disturbed
C.Stable rock with no cracks
D.Angular gravel that stands in a 1H:1V cut
Explanation: Type A is cohesive soil with an unconfined compressive strength of 1.5 tsf or greater, but OSHA excludes it from Type A if it is fissured, subject to vibration, previously disturbed, part of a sloped layered system of 4H:1V or steeper, or has seeping water. Those conditions drop the classification to Type B or C even when a pocket penetrometer reads 1.5 tsf.

About the MS Underground Utilities Exam

Mississippi Underground Utilities is an MSBOC specialty classification trade examination administered by PSI. Official scope is water, sewer, and gas pipeline installation plus excavation, grading, and paving, including directional drilling, auger boring, jacking and boring, trenchless methods, wet and dry taps, grouting, and slip lining. The official open-book exam has 50 questions, a 70% passing standard, and 2 hours allowed. PSI fee is $120 per portion (Candidate Information 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

50 scored questions

Time Limit

2 hours

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

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

MS Underground Utilities Exam Content Outline

12%

Safety — Code of Federal Regulations

OSHA 29 CFR 1926 excavation and construction safety

8%

General Knowledge

Underground utility construction practices

18%

Concrete Pipe Installation

Concrete pipe and box-culvert installation

18%

Ductile Pipe Installation

DIPRA ductile-iron pipe installation

14%

Excavating and Grading

Trenching, bedding, backfill, and grade

8%

Welding

Pipe welding procedures used on utility lines

16%

Underground Utilities — Gas

ASME B31.8 gas transmission and distribution piping

6%

MS One-Call

Mississippi 811 / Chapter 13 excavation notice

How to Pass the MS Underground Utilities Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70%
  • Exam length: 50 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 Underground Utilities Study Tips from Top Performers

1Study only the approved references listed for Underground Utilities in the current PSI Mississippi Contractor bulletin (updated 4/23/2026): OSHA 29 CFR 1926, DIPRA Installation Guide, Concrete Pipe and Box Culvert Installation, Pipe and Excavation Contracting, MS Chapter 13 / ms811.org/law, ASME B31.8 (2018), and Pipe Welding Procedures
2Practice open-book navigation of OSHA Subpart P and Mississippi Code 77-13 before test day
3Drill DIPRA joint assembly, polyethylene encasement, and hydrostatic testing tables
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 Underground Utilities exam?

The official PSI examination has 50 scored questions (plus possible unscored experimental items). Passing is 70% within 2 hours.

How much does the MS Underground Utilities 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.