Free Metal Fabricator (Fitter) Red Seal Exam Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Metal Fabricator (Fitter) Red Seal Exam practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1While checking a welding helmet before arc welding, a metal fabricator identifies the component that limits the amount of visible light reaching the eyes. Which component performs this function?

   1. A.Cover lens
   2. B.Filter lensCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Retainer lens
   4. D.Insulating gasket

   Explanation: CCOHS describes "A filter lens made of glass containing a filler, which reduces the amount of light passing through to the eyes." The filter lens controls light transmission; the other components serve protective or insulating functions.

   Reference: Welding - Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing — What are the various components of welding hand shields and helmets?

2. 2A fabricator is making a paper wraparound template for a cylindrical tube with an outside diameter of 100 mm. Ignoring overlap, what length is needed for one full wrap? Use π = 3.14.

   1. A.157 mm
   2. B.200 mm
   3. C.314 mmCorrect answer: C
   4. D.628 mm

   Explanation: The BC trade-math text gives "C = π · d (where d is the diameter of the circle)." Substitution gives 3.14 × 100 mm = 314 mm. The 157 mm choice uses the radius as the diameter; 200 mm doubles the diameter without π; 628 mm applies 2π to the diameter instead of the radius.

   Reference: BC Carpenter Apprenticeship Program — Perform Trade Math — Competency B-4, Learning Task 1, Constant

3. 3A fabricator makes a weld with a continuously fed solid wire electrode and a separate shielding gas delivered through the welding gun. Which arc-welding process is being used?

   1. A.GTAW
   2. B.GMAWCorrect answer: B
   3. C.FCAW
   4. D.SMAW

   Explanation: TWI describes the method as "MIG/MAG uses a solid wire and a separate gas to form the arc and shield the weld pool." Its process overview identifies MIG/MAG as variations of gas metal arc welding, or GMAW.

   Reference: Health Risks from Fume and Gases During Welding — Metal inert gas (MIG/MAG)

4. 4A metal fabricator assesses fumes before welding a piece of hot-dip galvanized carbon steel. Which fume can form when its galvanized coating vaporizes?

   1. A.Chromium oxide fume
   2. B.Zinc oxide fumeCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Copper oxide fume
   4. D.Cadmium oxide fume

   Explanation: CCOHS identifies "zinc on galvanized steel (vaporizes to produce zinc oxide fume)". The question concerns the galvanized coating, so the relevant fume is zinc oxide.

   Reference: Welding - Fumes and Gases — How do coatings affect the composition of welding fumes?

5. 5A fabricator lays out a straight diagonal brace across a rectangular opening 600 mm high and 800 mm wide. Ignoring end allowances, what is the required diagonal length?

   1. A.200 mm
   2. B.700 mm
   3. C.1,000 mmCorrect answer: C
   4. D.1,400 mm

   Explanation: The BC trade-math guide says "the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides." The brace length is √(600² + 800²) = √1,000,000 = 1,000 mm. The alternatives come from subtracting the legs, averaging them, or adding them directly.

   Reference: BC Carpenter Apprenticeship Program — Perform Trade Math — Competency B-4, Learning Task 2, Pythagorean Theorem

6. 6To control distortion on a long seam, a fabricator deposits adjacent short welds with each bead travelling opposite to the overall direction of progress along the seam. What is this sequence called?

   1. A.Skip sequence
   2. B.Block sequence
   3. C.Back-step sequenceCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Cascade sequence

   Explanation: TWI states that "Back-step welding involves depositing short adjacent weld lengths in the opposite direction to the general progression". Skip welding instead spaces short welds along the seam; block and cascade are other weld sequences.

   Reference: Distortion Control: Prevention by Fabrication Techniques — Welding sequence

7. 7A fabricator checks the separation of stored welding gas cylinders. Under CCOHS guidance, which gas should be separated from oxygen cylinders by at least 6.1 m when no qualifying fire wall is present?

   1. A.Argon
   2. B.Nitrogen
   3. C.AcetyleneCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Carbon dioxide

   Explanation: CCOHS recommends: "Separate oxygen from fuel gas cylinders by at least 6.1 m (20 ft), or by a wall at least 1.5 m (5 ft) high with a minimum half-hour fire resistance." Acetylene is a fuel gas; the other gases listed are inert gases or carbon dioxide.

   Reference: Welding - Storage and Handling of Compressed Gas Cylinders — What are the workers’ responsibilities when storing compressed gas cylinders?

8. 8A fabricator cuts mild steel by first heating the edge to its ignition temperature, then sustaining an exothermic chemical reaction along the cut. Which cutting process uses this mechanism?

   1. A.Oxy-fuel cuttingCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Plasma arc cutting
   3. C.Laser beam cutting
   4. D.Air carbon arc cutting

   Explanation: TWI states: "Oxygen cutting (also known as oxy-fuel cutting) is the thermal cutting of materials by chemical reaction with oxygen after the part has been raised to ignition temperature." This describes the process in the scenario.

   Reference: What Is Powder Cutting? — Oxygen cutting description

9. 9A fabricated steel assembly is to be sent for batch hot-dip galvanizing. Which surface residue should the fabricator remove before delivery because ordinary galvanizer cleaning chemicals have difficulty removing it?

   1. A.Ordinary surface rust
   2. B.Light shop dirt
   3. C.Weld slag residueCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Ordinary mill scale

   Explanation: The galvanizing association lists "Weld slag and other welding flux residues" among materials its cleaning chemicals cannot remove or have great difficulty removing, and says these should be removed before delivery. It explains that acid removes ordinary mill scale and rust, while the degreasing bath removes dirt.

   Reference: Surface Preparation Prior to Hot-Dip Galvanizing — Materials the Cleaning Chemicals Cannot Remove

10. 10A metal fabricator reviews the hazards of compressed gases used in a fabrication shop. Which gas does not itself burn but can vigorously support and accelerate combustion?

    1. A.Acetylene
    2. B.OxygenCorrect answer: B
    3. C.Argon
    4. D.Carbon dioxide

    Explanation: CCOHS states that "oxygen alone will not combust, but it will vigorously support and accelerate combustion". Oxygen therefore presents the described oxidizing hazard.

    Reference: Welding - Storage and Handling of Compressed Gas Cylinders — What are the workers’ responsibilities when storing compressed gas cylinders?