Auto & Shop Information · Practice test 8

25 questions · 11 minutes

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

Question 1Not answered

A hex key, or Allen wrench, is designed to fit
1. a fastener with a hexagonal recess in its head
2. a round smooth-headed fastener
3. a fastener with a slotted head
4. a fastener with a square recess
Correct answer: a fastener with a hexagonal recess in its head

The hex key's L-shaped hexagonal rod matches a hex-shaped socket recessed into the fastener head, common on set screws and furniture hardware.

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Question 2Not answered

A serpentine belt that has developed several visible cracks across its ribs is best described as
1. evidence of a coolant leak
2. over-tightened and needing to be loosened
3. worn and due for replacement before it fails
4. brand new and properly seated
Correct answer: worn and due for replacement before it fails

Cracking is the classic sign of rubber aging under heat and flexing; a cracked belt can snap without warning, so it should be replaced before that happens.

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Question 3Not answered

A Phillips screwdriver fits a screw head with
1. a cross-shaped recess
2. a single straight slot
3. a six-sided socket
4. a six-pointed star recess
Correct answer: a cross-shaped recess

A Phillips head has a cross. The straight slot takes a flat screwdriver, a six-sided socket takes an Allen or hex key, and the six-pointed star is Torx.

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Question 4Not answered

Annealing a piece of metal makes it
1. harder and more brittle
2. softer and easier to work
3. lighter for the same volume
4. resistant to rust and corrosion
Correct answer: softer and easier to work

Annealing heats the metal and lets it cool slowly, relieving internal stress and leaving it softer and more ductile. Quenching, meaning rapid cooling, does the opposite and hardens it.

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Question 5Not answered

A circular saw is best suited to
1. cutting tight curves in thin stock
2. boring holes of a set diameter
3. making straight cuts through wood
4. smoothing a rough wooden surface
Correct answer: making straight cuts through wood

Its rigid spinning blade cuts fast in a straight line but cannot turn. Curves call for a jigsaw or band saw, and smoothing calls for a sander.

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Question 6Not answered

The device that steps up battery voltage to the tens of thousands of volts needed to jump a spark plug gap is the
1. starter solenoid
2. alternator
3. voltage regulator
4. ignition coil
Correct answer: ignition coil

The coil acts as a transformer, converting the battery's low voltage into the very high voltage needed to force a spark across the plug gap.

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Question 7Not answered

The sensor that measures the volume or mass of air entering the engine is the
1. mass air flow sensor
2. coolant temperature sensor
3. brake pressure sensor
4. oxygen sensor
Correct answer: mass air flow sensor

The mass air flow, or MAF, sensor tells the engine computer how much air is entering so it can calculate the matching amount of fuel to inject.

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Question 8Not answered

A heavy, long-handled hammer used for demolition and driving large stakes is a
1. ball-peen hammer
2. mallet
3. tack hammer
4. sledgehammer
Correct answer: sledgehammer

The sledgehammer's long handle and heavy head deliver far more force than a standard hammer, suited to breaking concrete or driving large stakes rather than fine work.

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Question 9Not answered

Hardwoods such as oak and maple generally come from
1. trees that produce no usable lumber
2. only trees grown in tropical climates
3. deciduous, broad-leafed trees
4. coniferous, needle-bearing trees
Correct answer: deciduous, broad-leafed trees

Hardwood is a botanical classification based on the tree, broad-leafed and typically deciduous, rather than a guarantee that the wood itself is harder than every softwood.

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Question 10Not answered

A screwdriver with a flat, single blade tip is called a
1. Phillips screwdriver
2. Torx screwdriver
3. flathead (or slotted) screwdriver
4. Allen screwdriver
Correct answer: flathead (or slotted) screwdriver

The flathead, or slotted, screwdriver has a simple flat blade that fits a single straight slot cut across a screw head.

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Question 11Not answered

The headlights are bright but the engine only clicks when the key is turned. The most likely cause is
1. an empty fuel tank
2. a battery too weak to supply cranking current
3. a blown headlight fuse
4. a catalytic converter that has failed completely
Correct answer: a battery too weak to supply cranking current

Lights draw a few amps and a starter draws hundreds, so a battery can look healthy and still be unable to crank. The click is the starter solenoid engaging without enough current behind it. Corroded terminals or a bad earth strap produce the same symptom.

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Question 12Not answered

A combination square is used chiefly to
1. check and mark 90 and 45 degree angles
2. measure the diameter of a hole
3. find whether a surface is horizontal
4. scribe a circle of a given radius
Correct answer: check and mark 90 and 45 degree angles

Its sliding head registers against an edge to mark square or mitre lines, and it doubles as a depth gauge and a marking gauge. Many carry a small spirit level, but levelling is not what the tool is for.

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Question 13Not answered

A mortise and tenon is a type of
1. woodworking joint
2. metal fastener
3. measuring tool
4. wood finish
Correct answer: woodworking joint

The tenon is a tongue cut on one piece and the mortise is the matching hole in the other. It is one of the oldest and strongest joints in furniture and timber framing.

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Question 14Not answered

Which two parts does the head gasket seal between?
1. the oil pan and the block
2. the exhaust manifold and the down pipe
3. the cylinder head and the block
4. the radiator and its upper hose
Correct answer: the cylinder head and the block

It has to hold combustion pressure in while keeping the oil and coolant passages separate. A blown head gasket lets these mix, which is why white exhaust smoke or oil that looks like milk points straight at it.

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Question 15Not answered

A badly clogged air filter is most likely to cause
1. a fuel-rich mixture and poor fuel economy
2. a fuel-lean mixture and engine overheating
3. a loss of oil pressure at idle
4. a failure of the charging system
Correct answer: a fuel-rich mixture and poor fuel economy

Restricting the air while the fuel supply stays the same tilts the mixture toward too much fuel, which wastes fuel and can foul the plugs. Too little fuel, not too little air, is what makes a mixture lean.

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Question 16Not answered

Stroke refers to
1. the angle between two cylinder banks
2. the diameter of the cylinder bore
3. the distance the piston travels between top and bottom of the cylinder
4. the number of cylinders in the engine
Correct answer: the distance the piston travels between top and bottom of the cylinder

Stroke is the length of piston travel from top dead center to bottom dead center, set by the throw of the crankshaft.

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Question 17Not answered

A grinding noise each time a gear is selected in a manual vehicle points to
1. worn synchronisers or a clutch not fully releasing
2. a low level of engine oil
3. badly worn brake pads on the front axle
4. an exhaust leak near the manifold
Correct answer: worn synchronisers or a clutch not fully releasing

Synchronisers match the shaft speeds before the gear teeth meet, so when they wear the teeth clash. The same noise appears if the clutch does not release fully, because the gearbox input shaft is still being driven. Both causes sit in the same part of the drivetrain, which is why the noise alone does not identify which.

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Question 18Not answered

An oil labeled 5W-30 is described using
1. a multi-viscosity rating covering cold and hot performance
2. the engine size it is intended for
3. the brand of additive package used
4. the color the oil should appear when fresh
Correct answer: a multi-viscosity rating covering cold and hot performance

The number before the W rates cold-flow behavior for winter starting, and the number after rates viscosity at normal operating temperature, so one oil performs well across a range of conditions.

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Question 19Not answered

The component that converts rotation of the steering wheel into side-to-side motion of the front wheels is the
1. sway bar
2. control arm bushing
3. tie rod end
4. steering rack (or steering gear)
Correct answer: steering rack (or steering gear)

The rack and pinion, or an equivalent steering gear, takes the rotary input from the steering column and turns it into the linear motion that pivots the front wheels.

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Question 20Not answered

A single rapid click from under the hood when the key is turned, with no cranking, often points to
1. a clogged air filter
2. a weak battery or a failing starter solenoid
3. a blown headlight bulb
4. a leaking radiator hose
Correct answer: a weak battery or a failing starter solenoid

The click is the solenoid trying to engage, but if the battery cannot supply enough current, or the solenoid's contacts are worn, the starter motor never turns.

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Question 21Not answered

A tyre run persistently under-inflated will wear most
1. in the centre of the tread
2. on one edge only
3. evenly across the whole tread
4. on both outer edges of the tread
Correct answer: on both outer edges of the tread

Too little pressure lets the middle of the tread lift away from the road so the shoulders carry the load. Over-inflation does the reverse and wears the centre, and one-edge wear means an alignment fault.

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Question 22Not answered

A carburettor meters fuel into the engine mainly by relying on
1. a vacuum created by air flowing through a narrowed throat
2. an electric pump timed by a computer
3. the alternator's electrical output
4. exhaust backpressure pushing fuel forward
Correct answer: a vacuum created by air flowing through a narrowed throat

Air speeding up through the carburettor's narrowed venturi drops in pressure, and that vacuum draws fuel from a jet into the passing airstream.

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Question 23Not answered

A micrometer is used to
1. apply an exact amount of turning force
2. check whether a surface is level
3. mark a straight line across metal
4. measure small dimensions very precisely
Correct answer: measure small dimensions very precisely

A micrometer reads to a thousandth of an inch or better, which is the accuracy needed for things like brake disc thickness or piston clearance. A calliper is quicker but less precise.

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Question 24Not answered

Softwoods such as pine and fir generally come from
1. broad-leafed deciduous trees only
2. trees found only in tropical rainforests
3. coniferous, cone-bearing trees
4. trees that never produce lumber
Correct answer: coniferous, cone-bearing trees

Softwood refers to lumber from coniferous trees, which typically grow faster and are widely used in construction framing.

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Question 25Not answered

An engine that overheats in slow traffic but runs at normal temperature on the open road most likely has
1. a stuck thermostat
2. a failed cooling fan
3. a low oil level
4. a blocked exhaust
Correct answer: a failed cooling fan

At speed, air is forced through the radiator by motion alone, so a dead fan goes unnoticed. In traffic there is no airflow and the fan is the only thing moving air, so the temperature climbs. A stuck thermostat would overheat the engine at any speed.

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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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