Free Nevada A General Engineering Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Nevada A General Engineering practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A Nevada contractor is installing the distribution box for a commercial on-site sewage disposal system covered by WTS-23. How should the box divide the effluent among the leach lines?

   1. A.Send equal flow to each leach line.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Send flow proportional to each line's depth.
   3. C.Send flow proportional to each line's slope.
   4. D.Send flow first to the lowest leach line.

   Explanation: WTS-23 states: "Design shall ensure equal flow to each leach line within the field." The distribution box must divide flow equally. Depth, slope, and preferential loading of the lowest line do not satisfy that requirement.

   Reference: NDEP WTS-23 — On-site Sewage Disposal Systems — p. 3, §3(e)(1)

2. 2On an irrigation installation governed by NDOT 2001 §213, no southern Nevada depth reduction has been approved. What minimum cover is required over a live main line, measured from the pipe top?

   1. A.12 inches
   2. B.18 inches
   3. C.24 inches
   4. D.36 inchesCorrect answer: D

   Explanation: The reference states: "Install all live main lines a minimum of 900 mm (36 in.) below finished grade, measured from the top of the pipe." The default minimum is 36 inches. The 24-inch southern Nevada alternative requires written approval, expressly absent here.

   Reference: NDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction — §213.03.04, p. 126

3. 3On an asphalt paving job governed by NDOT 2001, the paver's automatic grade controls fail. The Engineer approves completing the current half shift manually. What must occur before paving resumes afterward?

   1. A.Repair the automatic controls before resuming paving.Correct answer: A
   2. B.Continue manual control using verified grade references.
   3. C.Continue manual control using added straightedge checks.
   4. D.Continue manual control using a reduced paving speed.

   Explanation: The source states: "Do not resume until the controls are repaired." The limited manual-operation approval covers only the half shift. Verified grade references, added straightedge checks, or slower paving do not authorize resumption before the automatic controls are repaired.

   Reference: NDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction — §401.03.03, p. 155

4. 4An NDOT 2001 earthwork contractor proposes a borrow source for embankment. What is the minimum required source Resistance Value (R-Value)?

   1. A.35
   2. B.40
   3. C.45Correct answer: C
   4. D.50

   Explanation: The source states: "Borrow sources shall have a Resistance (R-Value) of 45 or greater" The source-control minimum is 45. The rule is not a substitute for production compaction control.

   Reference: NDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction — §203.02.04, p. 87

5. 5A portable ladder is long enough to extend above the upper landing and is used for access to that landing. Under OSHA, how far must its side rails extend above the landing at minimum?

   1. A.1 foot
   2. B.2 feet
   3. C.3 feetCorrect answer: C
   4. D.5 feet

   Explanation: OSHA states: "the ladder side rails shall extend at least 3 feet (.9 m) above the upper landing surface" The usual rail-extension minimum is 3 feet. The special secured-top/grasping-device alternative applies when ladder length prevents extension, unlike this stem.

   Reference: OSHA — 29 CFR 1926.1053 — §1926.1053(b)(1)

6. 6Before driving a concrete pile on an NDOT 2001 project, the crew installs a new wood pile cushion on the pile head. What is the minimum initial cushion thickness?

   1. A.3 inches
   2. B.4 inchesCorrect answer: B
   3. C.5 inches
   4. D.8 inches

   Explanation: NDOT states: "The minimum pile cushion thickness placed on the pile head prior to driving shall not be less than 100 mm (4 in.)." The initial pile-head cushion minimum is 4 inches. This is distinct from the hammer cushion.

   Reference: NDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction — §508.03.02(b)(1), p. 288

7. 7A concrete batch for an NDOT 2001 structure is partly mixed in a stationary mixer and its mixing is completed in a truck mixer. What is this process called?

   1. A.Central-mixed concrete
   2. B.Shrink-mixed concreteCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Transit-mixed concrete
   4. D.Hand-mixed concrete

   Explanation: The source states: "Shrink-mixed concrete is that which has been mixed partially in a stationary mixer and the mixing completed in a truck mixer." The defining feature is partial stationary mixing followed by truck completion. The competing terms are real mixing methods but do not describe this combination.

   Reference: NDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction — §501.03.06(c), p. 217

8. 8A contractor checks STOP/SLOW paddles for flaggers on an NDOT 2001 project. What is the minimum paddle width?

   1. A.12 inches
   2. B.18 inchesCorrect answer: B
   3. C.24 inches
   4. D.30 inches

   Explanation: NDOT states: "The paddles shall be a minimum of 450 mm (18 in.) wide" The minimum width is 18 inches. Letter height and handle length are separate dimensions.

   Reference: NDOT Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction — §624.03.03, p. 418

9. 9For nonemergency Nevada excavation where another operator's subsurface installation is reasonably expected, which range states both statutory advance-notice boundaries in NRS 455.110(1)(a)?

   1. A.At least 1 working day but no more than 14 calendar days beforehand.
   2. B.At least 2 working days but no more than 28 calendar days beforehand.Correct answer: B
   3. C.At least 3 working days but no more than 30 calendar days beforehand.
   4. D.At least 5 working days but no more than 60 calendar days beforehand.

   Explanation: The source states: "at least 2 working days but not more than 28 calendar days before excavation or demolition is scheduled to commence." Both notice boundaries and their units matter. The other windows alter at least one statutory boundary.

   Reference: Nevada Revised Statutes — Chapter 455 — NRS 455.110

10. 10A line crew plans to remove equipment from a transmission pole, creating unbalanced loading. Under OSHA, what must be established before the crew climbs and imposes those stresses?

    1. A.The structure can sustain the additional or unbalanced stresses.Correct answer: A
    2. B.The structure can sustain its original balanced conductor loading.
    3. C.The structure can sustain its original equipment dead load.
    4. D.The structure can sustain its original design wind loading.

    Explanation: The source states: "the employer shall ascertain that the structures are capable of sustaining the additional or unbalanced stresses." Removing equipment can create additional or unbalanced stresses, and capacity for those stresses must be established. Capacity for original balanced loading, existing dead load, or original design wind alone does not establish capacity for the changed work loading.

    Reference: OSHA — 29 CFR 1926.964 — §1926.964(a)(2)