Auto & Shop Information · Practice test 7

25 questions · 11 minutes

Answer every question, then tap Check results to see your score and the method behind each answer.

Question 1Not answered

Which saw is best suited to cutting curves in stock?
1. A band saw
2. A table saw
3. A hacksaw
4. A mitre saw
Correct answer: A band saw

A band saw's narrow continuous blade can follow a curved line while the workpiece is guided by hand. Table and mitre saws use rigid circular blades and cut only straight lines.

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Question 2Not answered

The water pump in an engine
1. sprays washer fluid onto the windscreen
2. draws coolant from the overflow bottle only
3. raises the pressure in the cooling system
4. circulates coolant between the engine and radiator
Correct answer: circulates coolant between the engine and radiator

Usually belt driven, the water pump keeps coolant moving so heat is carried from the block to the radiator. If it fails the engine overheats quickly even with a full cooling system.

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Question 3Not answered

The direction that wood fibers run in a board is called its
1. kerf
2. grain
3. rabbet
4. dado
Correct answer: grain

Grain describes the alignment of the wood's fibers, and it strongly affects how the wood should be cut, planed, and how strong it is in different directions.

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Question 4Not answered

The disc that presses against the flywheel to transmit engine power in a manual transmission car is the
1. clutch disc
2. brake rotor
3. flywheel ring gear
4. pressure plate spring
Correct answer: clutch disc

Faced with friction material like a brake pad, the clutch disc is squeezed between the flywheel and pressure plate to lock the engine to the gearbox input shaft.

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Question 5Not answered

The chuck of a drill is the part that
1. controls the speed of rotation
2. grips and holds the bit
3. sets how deep the hole will go
4. reverses the direction of the drill
Correct answer: grips and holds the bit

The chuck's jaws close on the shank of the bit to hold it centred and tight. A keyless chuck tightens by hand, while an older type needs a chuck key.

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Question 6Not answered

The caliper in a disc brake system
1. stores brake fluid for the whole system
2. squeezes the brake pads against the rotor using hydraulic pressure
3. transmits engine torque to the wheel
4. senses wheel lockup and releases pressure
Correct answer: squeezes the brake pads against the rotor using hydraulic pressure

Hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder pushes the caliper's pistons, which press the pads against the spinning rotor to create braking friction.

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Question 7Not answered

Pliers with long, tapered jaws designed to reach into tight spaces are called
1. diagonal cutters
2. channel-lock pliers
3. locking pliers
4. needle-nose pliers
Correct answer: needle-nose pliers

Needle-nose pliers taper to a fine point, letting them grip small parts, bend wire, or reach into confined areas that wider-jawed pliers cannot access.

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Question 8Not answered

The pressure plate in a clutch assembly
1. meters fuel into the engine
2. locks the differential for off-road use
3. clamps the clutch disc against the flywheel with spring force
4. cools the transmission fluid
Correct answer: clamps the clutch disc against the flywheel with spring force

Bolted to the flywheel, the pressure plate's springs squeeze the clutch disc tight against the flywheel whenever the pedal is released, keeping the drive engaged.

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Question 9Not answered

A brake pedal that feels soft and travels close to the floor most likely indicates
1. brake pads worn down to the backing
2. a warped brake disc
3. a seized brake calliper
4. air trapped in the hydraulic lines
Correct answer: air trapped in the hydraulic lines

Brake fluid does not compress but air does, so a bubble in the line absorbs pedal travel and gives a spongy feel. That is why the system is bled after any repair that opens it. A warped disc gives pulsation instead, and worn pads give noise.

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Question 10Not answered

Before drilling a hole for a screw, it is common practice to first
1. drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the screw
2. apply paint to the surface
3. drive the screw in fully by hand
4. sand the surface to a high polish
Correct answer: drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the screw

A pilot hole gives the screw threads something to bite into without splitting the material, and makes the screw much easier to start straight.

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Question 11Not answered

Kickback on a table saw happens when
1. the workpiece binds on the blade and is thrown back at the operator
2. the blade stalls and stops turning part way through a cut
3. the motor overheats and shuts itself down
4. the blade is fitted the wrong way round
Correct answer: the workpiece binds on the blade and is thrown back at the operator

If the cut closes on the blade or the piece twists off the fence, the rising rear teeth catch it and hurl it backward at great speed. The riving knife and anti-kickback pawls exist for exactly this, which is why removing them is so dangerous.

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Question 12Not answered

A bench vise is used to
1. measure the thickness of flat stock
2. bend metal to a chosen angle
3. drill holes at a fixed spacing
4. hold work securely while it is cut or shaped
Correct answer: hold work securely while it is cut or shaped

Bolted to the bench, its jaws free both hands for the actual work. Soft jaw covers are fitted when the piece is finished or delicate, so the serrations do not mark it.

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Question 13Not answered

A dovetail joint is valued mainly because it
1. is the quickest joint to cut by hand
2. needs no glue or mechanical fastener of any kind
3. resists being pulled apart in one direction
4. allows the two pieces to pivot
Correct answer: resists being pulled apart in one direction

The flared tails wedge into their sockets so the joint cannot be pulled straight out, which is why drawer fronts are made this way. It is one of the slowest joints to cut, not the quickest.

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Question 14Not answered

In a disc brake system, the rotating metal disc that the pads clamp onto is called the
1. backing plate
2. drum
3. caliper
4. rotor
Correct answer: rotor

The rotor spins with the wheel, and the caliper squeezes the pads against its two faces to slow the vehicle through friction.

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Question 15Not answered

A torque wrench is used to
1. loosen a fastener that has seized
2. cut threads into a new hole
3. measure the diameter of a bolt
4. tighten a fastener to a specified tightness
Correct answer: tighten a fastener to a specified tightness

It measures the twisting force applied and signals when the specified value is reached. Cylinder head bolts and wheel nuts are tightened this way because both too loose and too tight cause failures.

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Question 16Not answered

Welding differs from brazing and soldering in that welding
1. always uses a torch fueled by acetylene
2. never involves any heat source
3. melts the base metals themselves so they fuse together
4. is used only to join dissimilar metals
Correct answer: melts the base metals themselves so they fuse together

In welding, the parent metal itself is melted at the joint and fuses as it cools, unlike brazing or soldering, where a filler metal bonds to the surface of metal that stays solid.

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Question 17Not answered

A ball-peen hammer is intended mainly for
1. driving nails into softwood framing
2. tapping delicate parts without marking them
3. metalwork, including striking punches and chisels
4. breaking up concrete and masonry
Correct answer: metalwork, including striking punches and chisels

Its rounded peen was made for shaping rivet heads and its flat face for striking punches and cold chisels. Nails call for a claw hammer, and a soft-faced mallet is the tool for delicate parts.

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Question 18Not answered

Constant velocity joints are found on
1. the camshaft
2. the exhaust system
3. the steering column
4. the drive axles
Correct answer: the drive axles

CV joints let a drive axle deliver power to a wheel that is both steering and moving up and down over bumps, keeping the speed constant through the angle. A torn CV boot lets grease out and dirt in, and the clicking noise on full lock is the classic warning.

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Question 19Not answered

Adding antifreeze to the cooling system
1. lowers both the freezing and boiling points
2. raises the freezing point and lowers the boiling point
3. lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point
4. changes neither, but prevents rust only
Correct answer: lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point

Glycol widens the liquid range at both ends, so the coolant neither freezes and cracks the block in winter nor boils in summer. It carries corrosion inhibitors too, which is a real benefit but not its main purpose.

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Question 20Not answered

A ratchet handle used with sockets allows
1. a fastener to be turned in one direction while the handle swings back freely
2. the torque applied to be measured precisely
3. a fastener to be turned without any handle motion at all
4. threads to be cut on a bolt
Correct answer: a fastener to be turned in one direction while the handle swings back freely

Internal gearing lets the ratchet drive a socket in one chosen direction while allowing the handle to be swung back the other way without moving the fastener.

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Question 21Not answered

The fluid that lubricates and transmits power inside an automatic transmission is called
1. engine coolant
2. automatic transmission fluid
3. brake fluid
4. power steering fluid
Correct answer: automatic transmission fluid

ATF lubricates the gear sets and clutch packs, cools the transmission, and fills the torque converter so it can transmit power hydraulically.

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Question 22Not answered

Locking pliers, also called vice grips, are useful because they
1. cut through wire cleanly
2. apply a precise amount of torque
3. clamp onto a workpiece and hold it without the user's continued grip
4. measure a fastener's diameter
Correct answer: clamp onto a workpiece and hold it without the user's continued grip

An adjustable screw sets the jaw opening, and a toggle mechanism locks the jaws shut under strong clamping pressure, freeing the user's hands once it is set.

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Question 23Not answered

Brazing is generally chosen over welding when
1. a strong joint is needed on thin or dissimilar metals without melting the base material
2. joining two pieces of thick structural steel
3. the joint will be exposed to very high mechanical stress
4. the strongest possible fused joint is required
Correct answer: a strong joint is needed on thin or dissimilar metals without melting the base material

Because brazing heats the filler metal to flow without melting the parent pieces, it works well on thin sheet or dissimilar metals that welding's higher heat might warp or that would not fuse properly.

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Question 24Not answered

An engine that starts fine but dies after a few seconds, then is hard to restart, may have
1. a worn brake pad
2. a loose seatbelt sensor
3. a failing fuel pump losing pressure
4. a cracked windshield
Correct answer: a failing fuel pump losing pressure

A weak pump can push enough fuel briefly to start the engine but cannot sustain the pressure needed to keep it running, so it stalls soon after firing.

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Question 25Not answered

In arc welding, the electric arc is struck between
1. the electrode and the workpiece
2. the gas nozzle and the ground clamp
3. the torch tip and the fuel tank
4. two separate pieces of filler wire
Correct answer: the electrode and the workpiece

Current flows from the electrode, across a small air gap, to the metal being welded, and the intense heat of that arc melts both the electrode and the base metal to form the joint.

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The ASVAB has no pass mark. Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Mathematics Knowledge make up your AFQT percentile.

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