Michigan Sign Specialist Exam Day: PSI, Four Allowed References, and One Hour
What to expect on Michigan's Sign Specialist exam with PSI: the NEC plus three state texts and exactly how to prepare them, the calculator question, 32 questions in 60 minutes, the 75% pass mark and the two-failure retake rule.
Contents
Michigan Sign Specialist Exam Day: What to Expect
PSI schedules and proctors Michigan's electrical exams for LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes, under one candidate bulletin that covers the journeyman, master, fire alarm specialty technician and sign specialist exams. The bureau writes the questions. Here is what the day looks like.
Where you test
The exam is computer-based and given only at a PSI test center. There are seven in Michigan: Dearborn, Holt-Lansing, Southfield (two), Grand Rapids, Gaylord and Marquette. There is no remote option for the electrical exams, and the exam is offered in English only.
Scheduling
After LARA approves your application, register with PSI at test-takers.psiexams.com/mielec or by phone at 855-579-4635. The exam fee is $100, paid to PSI. Time-and-a-half extra time, if approved, adds $50.
To cancel or reschedule, give PSI at least two days' notice. Otherwise you forfeit the fee.
Open book: four references, prepared the right way
You may bring exactly these:
| Reference | How it must be prepared |
|---|---|
| NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code | Factory markings, factory highlighting and factory tabs only. The NEC Handbook is not allowed. |
| 2016 PA 407, the Skilled Trades Regulation Act | Printed from the BCC website, bound with three staples on the left edge, as a separate document. No highlighting, marking or tabs. |
| 1972 PA 230, the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act | Same: printed, three staples on the left, separate, unmarked. |
| Michigan Electrical Code Rules, Part 8 | Same: printed, three staples on the left, separate, unmarked. |
No loose or attached extra papers. A straight edge without calculations printed on it is also allowed. Your sign course workbook is not on the list.
On the NEC edition: other editions are permitted in the room, but the questions are based on the 2023 NEC. Bring the 2023.
Calculator
Check this before you go. The electrical bulletin lists a calculator among the personal items that must be stored, and it does not mention an on-screen calculator. (PSI's separate bulletin for Michigan's electrical inspector exams does allow one.) We could not confirm either way for this exam, so ask PSI when you schedule, and be ready to work a simple load or Ohm's law question by hand.
The clock
32 questions in 60 minutes, which is under 2 minutes per question.
- Tab the sign article and know it cold. Most of your lookups will start there.
- Know where the law sits. Your state documents cannot be tabbed, so learn the layout of PA 407 Article 7 and the Part 8 rules before the day.
- Do not let one lookup eat your time. Answer and move on; come back if time allows.
- Check the clock at 30 minutes: about 16 questions done.
The screen has a comment link on each question if you think one is flawed.
Scoring
The pass mark is 75%. If all 32 questions are scored, that is 24 correct. The bulletin does not say whether any questions are unscored, and the state rules allow an exam to include duplicate questions, so treat every question as if it counts.
Your score shows on screen at the end. A failing score report includes a diagnostic breakdown to show you where to focus.
If you do not pass
Under PA 407, if you fail twice within two years, you must complete a board-approved course before you test again. There is no one-year waiting period for the Sign Specialist, unlike the journeyman and master licenses.
The PSI bulletin words the limit differently, as "2 attempts within 1 year" before you reapply. The statute controls, but confirm your next step with LARA after a second failure. Each attempt is another $100, and your LARA application is good for one year from its first review.
Before you go
Run a full 32-question set against a 60-minute clock at least once. Our free practice test gives you the question style on the 2023 NEC and Michigan law, and the full exam prep has full-length timed practice exams with every answer explained. For experience and the sign course requirement, see Michigan Sign Specialist requirements.
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