Forklift Truck Practical Test: Unofficial United States Practice Sheet

Type 1 for each step an operator does right, though only the employer's own training and evaluation count.

Forklift Practical Evaluation Practice Sheet (unofficial)

United States, 29 CFR 1910.178(l)

United States, 29 CFR 1910.178(l): a column for each operator. Totals fill in as scores are typed.
Operator 1
Operator 2
Operator 3
Operator 4
Operator 5
Operator 6
Truck examined before use
Defect reported at once
Load within rated capacity
Looks along path of travel
Slows, sounds horn at aisles
Load trailing if view blocked
Three truck lengths behind
Speed allows a safe stop
Slow, smooth turns
Grades: slow, load upgrade
Nobody under raised forks
Arms and legs kept inside
Load stable, safely arranged
Forks far under the load
Mast tilted back to steady it
Forward tilt only at the stack
Just enough back tilt
Forks fully lowered
Controls neutral, power off
Brakes set, blocked on incline
Fire aisles, stairs left clear
Steps done right

Type a score and the totals fill in.

Scoring key

Unofficial, United States
This website's practice sheet, from 29 CFR 1910.178. Not an employer's or an agency's form and not proof of training.
1 or 0
1: step done as the rule words it. 0: step missed.
Who decides
The employer certifies that an operator has been trained and evaluated: 1910.178(l)(6). The rule sets no pass mark.
What the employer certifies
Operator's name, date of training, date of evaluation, and who trained or evaluated: 1910.178(l)(6). This sheet is not that record.
Evaluated again
At least once every three years: 1910.178(l)(4)(iii).

Names and marks stay in this browser until you press Start a new sheet.

Next step Another practice score sheet: CDL road test

How it works

This unofficial forklift truck practical test sheet restates operating rules of 29 CFR 1910.178, the United States rule on powered industrial trucks, read October 5, 2026. The employer trains, evaluates and certifies each operator; this sheet does not.

Read the full guide

How to mark a practical evaluation

1. Press Print blank sheet, or keep the page open on a phone or tablet.

2. Type the operator's name at the top of the column.

3. As the operator works, type 1 for each step done as the rule words it and 0 for a step missed.

4. Steps done right adds up the column. Press the + beside the column for the next person; a sheet holds six.

  • A row that does not come up in your workplace, grades for one, can stay empty. The total counts only the 1s.
  • Every row names its paragraph in the list under the sheet, so a step can be read in the rule itself.

Questions and answers

Is this a forklift certification form?

No. Under 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6) the employer certifies that each operator has been trained and evaluated, naming the operator, both dates and who trained or evaluated. This sheet holds practice marks only, and a filled copy is not proof of training.

What is on a forklift truck practical test?

The federal rule lists no test steps. It requires practical training and an evaluation of the operator's performance in the workplace: 1910.178(l)(2)(ii). The rows here are operating rules from paragraphs (m) to (q) that an evaluator can watch for.

What is the pass mark for a forklift practical evaluation?

The rule sets none. The employer must ensure each operator is competent, as shown by completing the training and evaluation: 1910.178(l)(1)(i). The total on this sheet counts the steps marked 1 and decides nothing.

How often is a forklift operator evaluated?

At least once every three years: 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii). Paragraph (l)(4)(ii) also requires refresher training after unsafe operation, an accident or near miss, a poor evaluation, a move to a different type of truck, or a workplace change affecting safe operation.

Does this sheet cover forklift tests outside the United States?

No. Every row comes from the United States rule, 29 CFR 1910.178. A test run under another country's training scheme follows that scheme's own rules, which this page neither quotes nor follows.

All 27 lines

Before the truck moves 3

  • Defect reported at once A defect found is immediately reported and corrected, and a truck found unsafe is taken out of service until it is restored: 1910.178(q)(7) and (p)(1).
  • Load within rated capacity Only loads within the rated capacity of the truck are handled: 1910.178(o)(2).
  • Truck examined before use Examined before being placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift where trucks run around the clock: 1910.178(q)(7).

Traveling 9

  • Arms and legs kept inside Not placed between the uprights of the mast or outside the running lines of the truck: 1910.178(m)(4).
  • Grades: slow, load upgrade Goes up and down grades slowly. On a grade over 10 percent a loaded truck is driven with the load upgrade, and on every grade the load is tilted back, if applicable, and raised only as far as needed to clear the surface: 1910.178(n)(7).
  • Load trailing if view blocked If the load being carried obstructs the forward view, travels with the load trailing: 1910.178(n)(4).
  • Looks along path of travel Looks in the direction of travel and keeps a clear view of the path: 1910.178(n)(6).
  • Nobody under raised forks No person stands or passes under the elevated portion of the truck, loaded or empty: 1910.178(m)(2).
  • Slow, smooth turns Reduces speed to a safe level for a turn and turns the hand steering wheel in a smooth, sweeping motion: 1910.178(n)(15).
  • Slows, sounds horn at aisles Slows down and sounds the horn at cross aisles and other places where vision is obstructed: 1910.178(n)(4).
  • Speed allows a safe stop Runs at a speed that lets the truck be brought to a stop in a safe manner, and slows for wet and slippery floors: 1910.178(n)(8) and (n)(10).
  • Three truck lengths behind Observes the plant speed limits and keeps about three truck lengths from the truck ahead: 1910.178(n)(1).
Show all 27 lines (15 more)

Picking up and carrying a load 3

  • Forks far under the load The load engaging means is placed under the load as far as possible: 1910.178(o)(5).
  • Load stable, safely arranged Only stable or safely arranged loads are handled, with caution for an off-center load that cannot be centered: 1910.178(o)(1).
  • Mast tilted back to steady it The mast is carefully tilted backward to stabilize the load: 1910.178(o)(5).

Stacking and unstacking 2

  • Forward tilt only at the stack An elevated load is not tilted forward except in a deposit position over a rack or stack: 1910.178(o)(6).
  • Just enough back tilt When stacking or tiering, only enough backward tilt to stabilize the load: 1910.178(o)(6).

Parking and shutting down 5

  • Brakes set, blocked on incline Brakes set, and the wheels blocked if the truck is parked on an incline: 1910.178(m)(5)(i).
  • Controls neutral, power off Controls neutralized and power shut off: 1910.178(m)(5)(i). Unattended means the operator is 25 feet or more away, or the truck is out of view: (m)(5)(ii).
  • Fire aisles, stairs left clear Fire aisles, access to stairways and fire equipment are kept clear: 1910.178(m)(14).
  • Forks fully lowered Before the truck is left unattended the load engaging means is fully lowered: 1910.178(m)(5)(i).
  • Steps done right Adds the 1s in the column, one total for each operator. The sheet has 21 step rows.

Scoring key 5

  • 1 or 0 1: step done as the rule words it. 0: step missed.
  • Evaluated again At least once every three years: 1910.178(l)(4)(iii).
  • Unofficial, United States This website's practice sheet, from 29 CFR 1910.178. Not an employer's or an agency's form and not proof of training.
  • What the employer certifies Operator's name, date of training, date of evaluation, and who trained or evaluated: 1910.178(l)(6). This sheet is not that record.
  • Who decides The employer certifies that an operator has been trained and evaluated: 1910.178(l)(6). The rule sets no pass mark.

How this list was compiled: From 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered industrial trucks, the United States federal workplace rule, read on 2026-10-05 in the eCFR text dated 2026-09-30 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/section-1910.178). Paragraph (l)(6) was read for what an employer's certification includes: the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person or persons performing the training or evaluation. The sheet has a name box over each column and no lines for the other three, because it is a practice sheet and not that record. Every step row restates, in our own words, one operating rule of paragraphs (m) Truck operations, (n) Traveling, (o) Loading, (p) Operation of the truck and (q) Maintenance, and its line names the paragraph. Paragraph (l)(4)(iii) was read for the evaluation at least once every three years, and paragraph (l)(2)(iii) for who conducts training and evaluation. The rule sets no pass mark, no point values and no list of steps for a practical evaluation, so the sheet prints none: which rules were chosen for one page, the order of the rows and what a 1 means are our own work. Nothing is taken from a training provider's marking sheet or from any scheme outside the United States. This is an unofficial practice sheet. It is not an employer's or an agency's form, and a filled copy is not a record or proof of training. Licence: own work

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