Free Construction Materials Testing, Concrete, Level I Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Construction Materials Testing, Concrete, Level I practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A concrete laboratory technician wears ordinary prescription glasses and must perform work with flying particles. How should the corrective lenses be accommodated in the required eye protection?

   1. A.Wear protective eyewear over the glasses without disturbing their position.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Wear a clear face shield over the glasses as the sole impact protection.
   3. C.Wear ordinary corrective contact lenses in place of the glasses.
   4. D.Wear ordinary prescription glasses with a neck strap to hold them secure.

   Explanation: OSHA states that employees may "wear eye protection that fits over their prescription lenses." It also cautions that the protective eyewear must not disturb the positioning of the corrective lenses. Ordinary corrective lenses and a face shield alone do not provide the required impact protection.

   Reference: Personal Protective Equipment — pp. 10–12, Prescription Lenses and Types of Eye Protection

2. 2A technician needs to see the horizontal arrangement of concrete footings as if looking directly down onto them. Which drawing view provides this perspective?

   1. A.Elevation view
   2. B.Cross-section view
   3. C.Plan viewCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Profile view

   Explanation: The manual states, "A PLAN VIEW is a view from directly above an object". This is the overhead perspective needed to locate the footings horizontally.

   Reference: Contract Plan Reading — p. 1-3, Plan View

3. 3A technician collects a routine acceptance sample from a revolving-drum concrete truck mixer. How should the portions of the composite sample be distributed during discharge?

   1. A.At regularly spaced intervals within the middle portion of the batchCorrect answer: A
   2. B.At regularly spaced intervals within the first portion of the batch
   3. C.At regularly spaced intervals within the final portion of the batch
   4. D.At the beginning and end of the batch discharge

   Explanation: ACI specifies sampling from the "middle portion of the batch." At least two regularly spaced portions from this part of discharge produce the required composite sample; concentrating on the beginning or end does not follow that procedure.

   Reference: Performance Examination Checklist — ASTM C172 Sampling — p. 1, item 1.B; ASTM C172 5.2.3

4. 4A technician has consolidated and struck off a freshly molded concrete cylinder before neat-paste capping. Which observation controls the waiting period before applying the paste?

   1. A.The concrete has ceased settling in the mold.Correct answer: A
   2. B.A bleed-water film has first appeared on the surface.
   3. C.The freshly struck surface has first dropped below the rim.
   4. D.The mold has first become warm from heat of hydration.

   Explanation: The checklist says not to apply neat paste until the concrete has "ceased settling in the molds." Initial bleeding, initial surface settlement, and a detectable temperature rise are different fresh-concrete events; none substitutes for the specified cessation of settling.

   Reference: Performance Examination Checklist — Practice C617/C617M (Capping) — p. 1, item 2.A.i; C617 6.1

5. 5A temperature-test sample contains coarse aggregate with a nominal maximum size of 1.5 inches. Applying both container-clearance criteria in the NICET temperature-test checklist, what minimum concrete cover is needed in every direction around the sensor?

   1. A.3.0 inches
   2. B.4.5 inchesCorrect answer: B
   3. C.6.0 inches
   4. D.9.0 inches

   Explanation: The container criterion is at least 3 inches and at least "3 times" the nominal maximum aggregate size. Three times 1.5 inches is 4.5 inches, which controls. Three inches ignores the aggregate-size criterion; 6 inches incorrectly uses four times the aggregate size; 9 inches uses six times the aggregate size.

   Reference: Performance Examination — Temperature of Freshly Mixed Hydraulic-Cement Concrete — p. 1, Apparatus, Container

6. 6A technician has completed a concrete-cylinder compression test and is transferring the machine's load history to the test record. Which load value is required for the strength calculation?

   1. A.The load when the first visible crack appeared
   2. B.The greatest load attained during the testCorrect answer: B
   3. C.The load remaining after complete specimen failure
   4. D.The average load during the latter half of loading

   Explanation: The checklist directs, "Record maximum load." The peak attained load, rather than a first-crack, residual, or time-averaged load, is the load used to calculate compressive strength.

   Reference: Performance Examination — Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens — p. 2, Procedure, steps 14–16

7. 7Before a C39 test, a technician checks the compression machine's calibration certificate. Under the cited checklist, what is the maximum interval since its last calibration?

   1. A.6 months
   2. B.12 months
   3. C.13 monthsCorrect answer: C
   4. D.24 months

   Explanation: The apparatus requirement says to verify calibration "within 13 months of the last calibration." The question asks for the maximum interval, so a shorter allowable age is not a competing maximum.

   Reference: Performance Examination — Compressive Strength of Cylindrical Concrete Specimens — p. 1, Apparatus, Testing Machine

8. 8A concrete laboratory has low-clearance spaces where minor head bumps are the identified hazard. Which headgear is specifically designed for protection from these bumps and lacerations?

   1. A.Class A hard hat
   2. B.Class B hard hat
   3. C.Bump hatCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Class C hard hat

   Explanation: OSHA describes a "bump hat," which is "designed for use in areas with low head clearance." This identifies headgear for minor bumps and lacerations. It is not a substitute for an industrial hard hat where falling objects are a hazard.

   Reference: Personal Protective Equipment — p. 17, Types of Hard Hats

9. 9Concrete samples are required at stations 24+35 and 28+10 along a continuous alignment measured in feet. There is no station equation between them. How far apart are the sampling locations along the alignment?

   1. A.3.75 feet
   2. B.375 feetCorrect answer: B
   3. C.425 feet
   4. D.5,245 feet

   Explanation: The manual directs, "Ignore the PLUS SIGN when calculating the answer." The station values are 2,435 and 2,810 feet, giving 2,810 − 2,435 = 375 feet. The alternatives use an incorrect scale, mishandle the offsets, or add instead of subtract.

   Reference: Contract Plan Reading — p. 1-40, Stations

10. 10A technician begins collecting portions for a composite sample of freshly mixed concrete at 9:00 a.m. What is the latest permitted time to finish obtaining the composite sample?

    1. A.9:05 a.m.
    2. B.9:10 a.m.
    3. C.9:15 a.m.Correct answer: C
    4. D.9:30 a.m.

    Explanation: The ACI checklist specifies completion within "15 min" from the start of sampling. Adding 15 minutes to 9:00 a.m. gives 9:15 a.m.; the question asks the latest time.

    Reference: Performance Examination Checklist — ASTM C172 Sampling — p. 1, item 1.E; ASTM C172 4.1