Free NICET Construction Materials Testing - Soils - Level IV Exam Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the NICET Construction Materials Testing - Soils - Level IV Exam practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A soils laboratory's internal safety meeting includes technicians who cannot understand the language used in the existing training. What change follows OSHA's program-awareness guidance?

   1. A.Provide training in language and literacy levels the technicians understand.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Retain the existing language if the technicians sign attendance records.
   3. C.Retain the existing language if a supervisor signs the training records.
   4. D.Provide translated training only after the next annual program audit.

   Explanation: OSHA states, "Ensure that training is provided in the language(s) and at a literacy level that all workers can understand.". Attendance signatures do not establish comprehension; the training itself must be understandable.

   Reference: OSHA Education and Training — Action item 1: Provide program awareness training

2. 2A senior soils technician is preparing the total cost estimate for a geotechnical investigation using FHWA's major-project guidance. The project has spent $170,000 and needs another $80,000 to finish the defined scope. What total project cost should be reported?

   1. A.$80,000
   2. B.$90,000
   3. C.$170,000
   4. D.$250,000Correct answer: D

   Explanation: FHWA states, "Although this guidance will focus on developing a cost to complete cost estimate, include both expended and future costs when presenting the total cost of a project." Total cost = expended cost + future cost = $170,000 + $80,000 = $250,000. $80,000 reports only remaining work; $170,000 omits it; $90,000 subtracts instead of adding. All amounts are dollars and no rounding is needed.

   Reference: FHWA Major Project Program Cost Estimating Guidance — Key Principles / Contents of a Cost Estimate

3. 3A laboratory must determine consolidation behavior of a soft clay foundation. Which sampling objective should the field program prioritize?

   1. A.Preserving the soil's natural structure in an undisturbed sample.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Obtaining a disturbed bulk sample for particle-size analysis.
   3. C.Obtaining cuttings for visual identification of soil types.
   4. D.Obtaining a disturbed sample for moisture-density testing.

   Explanation: FHWA states, "Undisturbed samples are obtained where necessary to determine the in-place stiffness and strength, compressibility (settlement), natural moisture content, unit weight, permeability, discontinuities, fractures, and fissures of subsurface formations." Compressibility depends on the condition of the soil structure. The other sample objectives support identification or remolded-material tests rather than preserving the deposit's consolidation behavior.

   Reference: FHWA Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements Reference Manual — 4.5.6, Borings and Sampling

4. 4Field sample B-7/12-14 ft becomes laboratory sample L-208. Which pair of identifier types should appear on the subcontracted test request under FHWA sample-tracking guidance?

   1. A.Field sample ID and sampler equipment ID.
   2. B.Laboratory sample ID and shipment tracking ID.
   3. C.Field sample ID and laboratory sample ID.Correct answer: C
   4. D.Test-method ID and testing technician ID.

   Explanation: FHWA states, "When laboratory testing is requested, both the field identification number and the laboratory identification number should be used on the request form." Here those identifiers are B-7/12-14 ft and L-208. Equipment, shipment, method, and personnel identifiers serve other recordkeeping functions; none substitutes for the required field-to-laboratory sample link.

   Reference: FHWA Soils and Foundations Reference Manual, Volume I — 5.1.1, p. 5-2

5. 5A static compression pile test uses anchor piles to react the hydraulic jack load. What loading condition must the anchor piles resist?

   1. A.Compression
   2. B.Bending
   3. C.TensionCorrect answer: C
   4. D.Torsion

   Explanation: The reference states, "The reaction force is transferred to the anchor piles that go into tension in the case of a static load test in compression; or into compression in the case of a static load test in tension." The compression force on the test pile produces an opposite reaction that pulls on the anchors. Compression is the anchor response for a tension test; lateral bending and torsion are different load actions.

   Reference: Caltrans Foundation Manual, Chapter 8 — 8-2.1, p. 8-2

6. 6A subgrade passes the specified density tests but yields visibly under proof rolling. What does the observation establish?

   1. A.The density test necessarily used the wrong specimen mass.
   2. B.The weak response may remain despite meeting density requirements.Correct answer: B
   3. C.The proof roller must be lighter than the compaction roller.
   4. D.The layer necessarily contains more than the permitted fines.

   Explanation: FHWA states, "This practice is good for detecting soft zones that may have passed the density requirements of the project, but not necessarily the moisture content, and can detect problems that could extend many feet below the tested surface." Proof rolling evaluates load response, which a passing density alone does not establish. The observation warrants investigation; it does not by itself prove a mass error, roller mismatch, or excess fines.

   Reference: FHWA Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements, Chapter 8 — QC/QA: Tradition Methods / Proof Rolling

7. 7A wet soil specimen weighs 250 g without its container and 200 g after drying. What is its gravimetric water content?

   1. A.20%
   2. B.25%Correct answer: B
   3. C.80%
   4. D.125%

   Explanation: FHWA states, "w = Ww / Ws, where Ww is the weight of water and Ws is the weight of the soil solids in the sample." Water mass = 250 − 200 = 50 g. Water content = 50/200 × 100 = 25%. Twenty percent uses wet mass as denominator; 80% is the dry fraction of wet mass; 125% divides wet mass by dry mass.

   Reference: FHWA Geotechnical Aspects of Pavements, Chapter 5 — 5.3.2, Table 5-11

8. 8A laboratory is preparing to seek AASHTO accreditation. Which QMS milestone must be reached before requesting accreditation?

   1. A.Draft the QMS before applying and implement it after accreditation.
   2. B.Implement a conforming QMS before requesting accreditation.Correct answer: B
   3. C.Begin implementation at the assessment and document it after the award.
   4. D.Draft the QMS after the first assessment and implement it before the next.

   Explanation: The procedure states, "Before requesting accreditation, the laboratory shall establish, implement, and maintain a quality management system which meets the requirements specified in AASHTO R 18" The system must operate and meet applicable requirements before the request. Document appearance, purchasing alone, and waiting for a certificate do not establish an implemented system.

   Reference: AASHTO Accreditation Program Procedures Manual — 7.2.1

9. 9Technicians report that field hazards are raised at meetings but never receive a response. Which communication practice should the supervisor establish?

   1. A.Use an annual workforce survey as the response to individual concerns.
   2. B.Send receipt numbers without updates on action taken.
   3. C.Give regular feedback on how reported concerns are being addressed.Correct answer: C
   4. D.Maintain attendance records without reporting follow-up actions.

   Explanation: The guidance states, "Provide frequent and regular feedback to show employees that their safety and health concerns are being heard and addressed." Regular feedback describes disposition of the reported concerns. A survey, receipt number, or attendance record does not itself tell workers how those concerns are being addressed.

   Reference: OSHA Recommended Practices: Worker Participation — Action item 5, Remove barriers to participation

10. 10A technician who already performs several soils tests is assigned a newly introduced test method. What training is required before performing that new method?

    1. A.Apply the training record for the closest related method.
    2. B.Provide training in the newly assigned method.Correct answer: B
    3. C.Accept general soils experience as the new method's training.
    4. D.Use the next assessment as the new method's initial instruction.

    Explanation: The guidance states, "existing staff shall be trained in any new test methods that are added to the scope of what they are expected to perform." Experience or instruction in other work does not replace training on the newly assigned method. The required instruction should not be postponed until an external assessment.

    Reference: AASHTO Accreditation Policy and Guidance on Training and Competency Evaluation — Training Requirements, p. 1