• 73 questions

KY Underground Mine Foreman Practice Test

Seventy-three questions on Kentucky's mining law, KRS Chapters 351 and 352, each with the section it was written from.

Which other duty may any mine foreman or assistant mine foreman act in, under the certificate rules?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Kentucky Division of Mine Safety. Bank checked October 12, 2026.

The certificate, as Kentucky law and the Division describe it

Fee
$50, by United States postal money order or certified check
Questions, time and pass mark
Not published by the Division of Mine Safety.
Experience
Five years of practical underground coal mining experience after age eighteen, at least one on an active working section (KRS 351.120).
Also required
The department's first-aid course and its examination (KRS 351.125), and proof of being drug and alcohol free (KRS 351.110).
Where
Division branch offices at Harlan, Hazard, Madisonville and Pikeville, by the October 2026 schedule.
After certification
Six hours of annual training for mine foremen, given by the Division, beyond the annual retraining of all certified persons (KRS 351.106).

Checked October 12, 2026 against KRS 351.106, 351.110, 351.120 and 351.125, and the Division of Mine Safety's certifications page and exam schedule. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

The Division of Mine Safety's certifications and exams page

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All 73 questions

Certification and training (KRS 351) 14

  • A person has passed the mine foreman examination and proved drug- and alcohol-free status. What may the commissioner approve before the department next meets? KRS 351.120(10), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • An applicant for a mine foreman certificate holds a four-year degree in mining engineering from a recognized institution. How much practical experience is the degree credited as? KRS 351.120(6), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Besides the required experience and the fee, what must an applicant show before the department admits him or her to the mine foreman examination? KRS 351.110(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Beyond the annual retraining of all certified persons, how many hours of annual training does the law require of every mine foreman? KRS 351.106(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How many trainee miners may work under the supervision or direction of one certified mine foreman or assistant mine foreman? KRS 351.102(5), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How many years of practical underground coal mining experience must an applicant for an underground mine foreman certificate have? KRS 351.120(7), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
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Certification and training (KRS 351), continued

  • How many years of practical underground experience does an underground assistant mine foreman certificate require? KRS 351.120(7), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How much of a mine foreman applicant's underground experience must have been acquired on an active working section? KRS 351.120(7), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What must an applicant present to the examiner when registering for the mine foreman examination? KRS 351.110(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Which body revokes, suspends or probates a certificate when its holder has become unworthy to hold it? KRS 352.390, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Which certificate must a mine superintendent hold? KRS 351.108, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Which course must every candidate for certification as a mine foreman complete, and pass an examination on, as a prerequisite? KRS 351.125, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Which other duty may any mine foreman or assistant mine foreman act in, under the certificate rules? KRS 351.120(4), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Who provides the annual training that the law requires of mine foremen? KRS 351.106(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)

Duties of the mine foreman 14

  • A mine foreman dies, and no certified man is available. For how long may a competent man approved by the mine inspector and the commissioner serve? KRS 352.380, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How often must the air current be measured with an anemometer at the inlet, at the outlet and at or near the faces of the advanced headings? KRS 352.360(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How often must the mine foreman enter and sign, in ink, a report of the condition of the mine? KRS 352.350(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How often must the mine foreman or his assistants visit and carefully examine each working place while the mine employees are at work? KRS 352.340(1)(a), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How often must the superintendent or mine manager read and countersign the reports in the mine foreman's record book? KRS 352.410(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • The mine foreman finds a place in a dangerous condition. What does the statute require of him? KRS 352.340(1)(b), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • The mine foreman is unable to comply with a requirement of the mining laws. Whom must he notify, and how? KRS 352.350(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • The mine workings become so extensive that the mine foreman cannot personally carry out his duties. What must the operator, superintendent or mine manager do? KRS 352.320(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • To whom must the mine foreman immediately report all violations of the mining laws? KRS 352.330, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Under the general duties of the mine foreman, what must every person employed to work in the mine receive before beginning to work? KRS 352.330, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What must the mine foreman do each day with the reports in the record book of the fire bosses? KRS 352.350(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What must the mine foreman see is done at dangerous places and at the entrances to worked-out and abandoned places? KRS 352.340(1)(e), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Where the coal is below 48 inches high, hinged man doors on the intake and return air courses may be no more than how far apart? KRS 352.360(4), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Who is held jointly responsible with the mine foreman for immediate compliance with KRS Chapters 351 and 352? KRS 352.350(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)

Examinations and records 10

  • A fire boss makes a false report of the condition of a place allotted to him. What does the statute require? KRS 352.310, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • After examining a place, what does the certified person leave at or as close as possible to the face? KRS 352.280(5), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • The certified person discovers an explosive mixture of gas in a place. What must he do? KRS 352.280(6), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How often must all air courses, escapeways, self-rescuer caches and seals on the return be traveled and examined? KRS 352.340(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How often must shafts by which men enter or leave the mine, and passageways to escape outlets, be examined by the mine foreman or a person he designates? KRS 352.120(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What must the certified person see to before proceeding with the examination? KRS 352.280(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Who may conduct examinations of conveyor belts? KRS 352.340(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Who may pass a danger signal before the dangerous condition has been corrected? KRS 352.300(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Who may see the licensee's record books at all times during working hours? KRS 352.290, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Within how many hours before each shift enters the mine must a properly certified person make the examination? KRS 352.280(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)

Ventilation, gas and rock dust 13

  • A fan has stopped unintentionally. Within how many minutes must all miners begin withdrawing from the mine? KRS 352.020(8), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • As working places advance, breakthroughs for air may be no more than how far apart, unless a greater distance is approved? KRS 352.020(6), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How many persons may work in the same air current or split without the approval of the mine inspector and the commissioner? KRS 352.030(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • The mine inspector finds a working place being driven in advance of the air current. What does he notify the mine foreman to do? KRS 352.040, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Rock-dusting must maintain at all times at least what percentage of noncombustible matter? KRS 352.060(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • To within how many feet of the faces must the required rock-dusting be maintained? KRS 352.060(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Ventilation must keep the methane percentage in the return of any split to not more than what figure? KRS 352.030(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What is the least oxygen the mine ventilation plan must require in the air throughout the mine? KRS 352.020(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What is the least quantity of air for a working face from which coal is being cut, mined or loaded? KRS 352.020(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What is the least quantity of air that must pass through the last open crosscut between the intake and return in any pair or set of entries? KRS 352.020(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What is the most carbon dioxide the mine ventilation plan may allow in the air throughout the mine? KRS 352.020(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Where must the fans that ventilate an underground coal mine be located? KRS 352.020(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Which three things must the handheld multigas detector that the operator provides be able to measure? KRS 352.170(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)

Escapeways and emergencies 11

  • A person removes a self-rescuer from a cache for a purpose other than emergency use, repair, maintenance or replacement, and without authorization. What offense is that? KRS 352.133(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • A telephone or two-way communication facility at a working section may be no more than how far outby the last open crosscut? KRS 352.630(1)(a), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • A trained mine rescue team must be within what driving time of each underground coal mine? KRS 351.191, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How many escapeways must every coal mine worked by shaft, slope or drift provide and maintain? KRS 352.020(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How often must each miner take part in a practice escapeway drill? KRS 352.650(4), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • In an underground mine, where must at least one emergency medical technician or mine emergency technician be at all times while miners are working? KRS 351.127(2)(b), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • In designated escapeways, devices indicating the direction to the surface must be provided at intervals of no more than how many feet? KRS 352.135, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Under the system of checking employees in and out, what must be kept on the surface? KRS 352.070, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Within how many feet of an underground miner must his or her self-contained self-rescuer be at all times? KRS 352.133(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Within how many minutes of actual knowledge of an accident must notice be given to the department and to the representative of the miner? KRS 352.180(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Within what time must an occupational injury be reported in writing to the department? KRS 352.180(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)

Roof control, blasting and other rules 11

  • A working place approaches abandoned areas shown by surveys certified by a registered engineer. Within what distance of those areas must boreholes be drilled ahead of the working face? KRS 352.371, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Buildings used to store oils or similar flammable material may not be within how many feet of a hoisting or escape shaft or mine opening? KRS 352.270, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How many stretchers must the operator keep on hand at the mine? KRS 352.190, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • How much actual mining experience must a person have before being permitted to have charge of electric face equipment? KRS 352.232(1), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • In a mine worked by shaft, slope or incline, how many persons at most may ride in a cage or car at one time without special approval? KRS 352.140(3), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Under whose direction must shotfirers be at all times? KRS 352.260(2), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What does "high voltage" mean in KRS Chapter 352? KRS 352.010(1)(n), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What does the statute say about recovering roof bolts for reuse? KRS 352.201(4), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • What is the rule on cutting or welding inby the last open break? KRS 352.045, Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Where workmen are exposed to danger from falls of roof, face and ribs, what must they do before any other work is performed or machinery is started? KRS 352.201(5), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)
  • Within how many hours before retreat mining or pillaring begins must the mine operator notify the Division of Mine Safety? KRS 352.201(6), Kentucky Revised Statutes (Legislative Research Commission)

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written from the Kentucky Revised Statutes, Chapter 351 (Department for Natural Resources: certification and training) and Chapter 352 (mining regulations), as the Legislative Research Commission publishes them at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/chapter.aspx?id=38939 and https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/chapter.aspx?id=38943 (database last updated 10/11/2026; each section read on 2026-10-12). The Kentucky Division of Mine Safety publishes no outline, question count, time limit or pass mark for its mine foreman examination on its certifications page (https://eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Mining/Mine-Safety/Pages/safety-analysis-training-certification.aspx, read 2026-10-12), so the subjects here are the chapters of the law and nothing is said about the form of the real examination. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site. The statutes are public law of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

How it works

This Kentucky mine foreman practice test asks 73 questions of our own on the state's mining law: certification, the foreman's duties, examinations, ventilation and escapeways. Unofficial: not affiliated with or endorsed by the Kentucky Division of Mine Safety.

Read the full guide

The law, section by section

Every question is written from the Kentucky Revised Statutes: Chapter 351 for certificates and training, Chapter 352 for the mine itself. The answer names its section, such as KRS 352.340, and links to the Legislative Research Commission's copy.

What the Division publishes

The Division of Mine Safety gives the mine foreman exam at its Harlan, Hazard, Madisonville and Pikeville branch offices and publishes no outline of it, so this page covers the law only. A scored test here draws 50 questions, a length this site chose.

  • Learn each figure with its unit: 9,000 cubic feet a minute at the last open crosscut, 65 percent noncombustible, three hours before the shift.
  • Several duties repeat on a clock: every four hours, each day, each week. Sort them by how often.

Questions and answers

Is there a Kentucky mine foreman study guide?

The Division's certifications page posts a study guide for the electrical exam and none for the mine foreman exam. The law a foreman must carry out is public: KRS Chapters 351 and 352, on the Legislative Research Commission's site.

How many years of experience does a Kentucky underground mine foreman need?

Five years of practical underground coal mining experience after age eighteen, with at least one year on an active working section. A four-year mining engineering degree counts as two of those years (KRS 351.120).

How many questions are on the Kentucky mine foreman test?

The Division of Mine Safety does not publish the number of questions, the time allowed or the pass mark. Ask the branch office when you register for the exam.

Is this a mine foreman practice test for other states?

No. Every question cites a Kentucky statute. The Division says Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia have a reciprocity agreement on certifying miners, under KRS 351.122.

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