The Wisconsin jurisprudence exam is an open-book, untimed online test that several licensed healthcare professions must pass before practicing in the state. Administered by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS), it covers the Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Code sections that govern your specific profession. Passing scores range from 75% to 88% depending on the profession.
Who Needs to Take It
The exam applies to a defined set of healthcare and related professions. Each licensing board sets its own passing threshold:
- Chiropractors: 75%.1Department of Safety and Professional Services. Credentialing Information for Chiropractic Applicants
- Psychologists: 80%.2Department of Safety and Professional Services. Psychologist Exam Information
- Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants: 85%.3Department of Safety and Professional Services. Physical Therapist Exam Information
- Advanced practice nurse prescribers: 85%.4Department of Safety and Professional Services. Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber Exam Information
- Social workers, including clinical, independent, and advanced practice levels: 85%.5Department of Safety and Professional Services. Social Worker Exam Information
- Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants: 88%.6Department of Safety and Professional Services. Occupational Therapist Exam Information
- Dentists and dental hygienists: required for both initial licensure and licensure by endorsement.7Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Administrative Code DE 2.03(2)
Confirm the current passing score for your profession on the DSPS exam page before you start preparing.
What the Exam Covers
Every version draws from the Wisconsin Statutes and the Wisconsin Administrative Code. Chapter 440 of the statutes appears across most versions because it establishes the authority and general duties of DSPS and its examining boards.8Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 440 – Department of Safety and Professional Services The rest varies by profession.
Physical therapists are tested on Administrative Code chapters PT 2 through PT 9 along with Statute Chapters 48, 252, 440, 448, and 940, with chapter PT 7 covering unprofessional conduct standards.9Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Administrative Code PT 7 – Unprofessional Conduct Psychologists see a heavy concentration on Administrative Code chapter PSY 5, which defines professional conduct standards and lists prohibited acts; that single chapter accounts for over 68% of the psychology exam questions.2Department of Safety and Professional Services. Psychologist Exam Information Social workers face a broader statutory range reflecting the populations they serve, including Statute Chapters 48 (children’s code), 51 (mental health act), 55 (protective services), 457 (social workers and therapists), and 938 (juvenile justice code), plus Administrative Code chapters MPSW 1 through 6 and MPSW 19 and 20.5Department of Safety and Professional Services. Social Worker Exam Information Advanced practice nurse prescribers cover controlled substances in Statute Chapter 961 and Administrative Code Phar 8, miscellaneous health provisions in Chapter 146, and conduct rules in Administrative Code chapters N 7 and N 8.4Department of Safety and Professional Services. Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber Exam Information
The common thread is practical: patient confidentiality, scope of practice, mandatory reporting, record-keeping, and the disciplinary process. The test rewards your ability to locate and apply the rules, not memorize statute numbers. Spending time with the table of contents and search functions in the online code pays off more than rote study.
Format and How to Take It
You take the exam entirely online through the DSPS licensing portal at license.wi.gov.10Department of Safety and Professional Services. Self-Service Create an account, submit your license application, and once DSPS processes it you’ll receive login credentials, including an applicant ID, to access the test.6Department of Safety and Professional Services. Occupational Therapist Exam Information
DSPS gives you a three-month window to complete the exam, and you can exit and return at any point during that period.4Department of Safety and Professional Services. Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber Exam Information It is open-book, so you can keep the relevant statutes and administrative code chapters open while you work. Your score displays immediately after submission, and DSPS transmits the result to your licensing board. No testing center appointment is involved.
If You Don’t Pass
Failing isn’t a one-click retry. You download and submit Form 2699 (Request to Retake Statutes and Rules or Ethics Examination) and pay a $75.00 retake fee. Once DSPS receives the form and payment, you’re assigned a new test.3Department of Safety and Professional Services. Physical Therapist Exam Information1Department of Safety and Professional Services. Credentialing Information for Chiropractic Applicants
DSPS does not publish a waiting period between attempts or a cap on retakes, and no source indicates that remedial coursework is required after a failed attempt. The practical delay is the time it takes to submit the form and fee and receive new credentials.
Out-of-State Applicants
Whether the exam applies to you as an out-of-state applicant depends on the profession. Dentists and dental hygienists applying by endorsement must pass the Wisconsin jurisprudence exam regardless of any existing license elsewhere, because the test covers Wisconsin-specific law.7Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Administrative Code DE 2.03(2)
For social workers, a Wisconsin Attorney General opinion found that the examining board may not require a state law exam for reciprocal certification applicants unless a statute specifically mandates one.11Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 457.24(2) If you’re applying from out of state, check the DSPS exam page for your specific profession and application pathway to confirm.
ADA Testing Accommodations
If you need accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, DSPS has a formal process. Submit Form 2352 (completed by you) and Form 2351 (completed and signed by a medical provider). Upload both to the LicensE portal with a new application, or email them to DSPSCourseApproval@wisconsin.gov if your application is already pending.12Department of Safety and Professional Services. Trades Credentialing Examination Information
Allow up to ten days for approval. You can’t access the exam until the request is approved, so submit the forms as early as possible to keep your licensing timeline on track.