• 50 questions

NOCTI Engineering Practice Test

Unofficial practice for NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology: safety, design, manufacturing, materials, circuits, fluid power, heat and reports.

A bench grinder throws chips. Where flying objects are a hazard, what must eye protection provide?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 50 questions, 51 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with NOCTI. Bank checked October 16, 2026.

Next step Another NOCTI test: Architectural DraftingAnother NOCTI test: Industrial Maintenance

All 50 questions

Safety 4

  • A bench grinder throws chips. Where flying objects are a hazard, what must eye protection provide? OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.133. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Safety
  • A machine shop wants to know who sets and enforces the federal standards for its working conditions. Which agency does? OSHA, About OSHA. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Safety
  • Before personal protective equipment is selected, what must the employer do under 29 CFR 1910.132? OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.132. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Safety
  • Lockout/tagout rules cover servicing a machine when which event could injure the worker? OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.147. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Safety
Show all 50 questions (46 more)

Design Process/Problem Solving 9

  • A 3D printer starts with 800 grams of filament and uses 25 grams for each part. Which equation gives the grams G left after n parts? Arithmetic worked on this page for the blueprint competency "Translate word problems into mathematical statements". Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • A lighter frame would cost more to make. Giving up low cost to gain low weight is an example of what? Wikipedia, Trade-off. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • A shelf must hold 3 crates that weigh w pounds each and one 40-pound pallet. Which expression gives the total load in pounds? Arithmetic worked on this page for the blueprint competency "Translate word problems into mathematical statements". Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • A small, incomplete build made only to show that an idea is feasible is called what? Wikipedia, Proof of concept. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • A team scores four concepts against weighted criteria in a grid and ranks them. Which method is this? Wikipedia, Decision-matrix method. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • After test data comes in, a team goes back and changes an earlier design decision. Which word describes a design process that works this way? Wikipedia, Engineering design process. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • Students 3D-print a rough first version of a phone stand to see whether the idea works. What is that first version called? Wikipedia, Prototype. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • Which analysis reviews components and assemblies to find how each could fail and what each failure would cause? Wikipedia, Failure mode and effects analysis. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving
  • Which stage of the engineering design process is sometimes termed problem definition? Wikipedia, Engineering design process. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Design Process/Problem Solving

Manufacturing 7

  • A drawing gives a slot width as 2 inches. What is that in millimeters? NIST, SI Units: Length. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Manufacturing
  • A shaft is dimensioned 25.00 mm with a tolerance of plus or minus 0.05 mm. Which measured diameter is out of tolerance? Wikipedia, Engineering tolerance. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Manufacturing
  • An engine block takes its shape when liquid metal fills a hollow mold and hardens there. Which process is this? Wikipedia, Casting. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Manufacturing
  • Brazing and soldering flow a filler metal into a joint. What does welding do that those two do not? Wikipedia, Welding. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Manufacturing
  • Which automated system is a vehicle that follows marked lines or wires on the floor? Wikipedia, Automated guided vehicle. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Manufacturing
  • Which fastener is permanent once set, because its tail is flattened to hold the joint? Wikipedia, Rivet. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Manufacturing
  • Which measuring tool uses a calibrated screw to measure the size of a component accurately? Wikipedia, Micrometer (device). Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Manufacturing

Assembly and Fabrication 3

  • A firm that paid a supplier to build its housings brings the work back into its own plant. What is this called? Wikipedia, Outsourcing. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Assembly and Fabrication
  • How is a product built on an assembly line? Wikipedia, Assembly line. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Assembly and Fabrication
  • Why can one bracket from a production run replace another in an assembly with no hand fitting? Wikipedia, Interchangeable parts. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Assembly and Fabrication

Materials 3

  • Steel is an alloy of iron and which other element? Wikipedia, Steel. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Materials
  • Which kind of plastic becomes moldable when heated and solidifies again on cooling? Wikipedia, Thermoplastic. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Materials
  • Which property lets a metal sustain large plastic deformation in tension before it fractures? Wikipedia, Ductility. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Materials

Engineering Systems 18

  • A 50 N force acts at a right angle to a wrench, 0.3 m from the pivot. What torque does it produce? NASA Glenn Research Center, Torque (Moment). Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • A 100-ohm, a 220-ohm and a 330-ohm resistor are connected one after another in a single path. What is the total resistance? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume I, chapter 5. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • A coolant warms by 10 Celsius degrees. By how many Fahrenheit degrees does it warm? NIST, SI Units: Temperature. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • A drive shaft is twisted by a torque applied at one end. Which kind of loading is this? Wikipedia, Torsion (mechanics). Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • A sensor's output voltage varies smoothly over a continuous range. What kind of signal is it? Wikipedia, Analog signal. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • A small motor runs on 12 volts and draws 3 amps. What power does it take? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume I, chapter 2. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • The hot tip of a soldering iron touches a copper pad, and heat moves into the pad through the metal. Which kind of heat transfer is this? NOAA JetStream, The Transfer of Heat Energy. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • In a parallel circuit, which quantity is equal across every component? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume I, chapter 5. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • Two cables pull on a bracket at right angles to each other, one with 6 N and one with 8 N. What is the magnitude of the resultant force? NASA Glenn Research Center, Vector Addition. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • Under Pascal's law, what follows a pressure increase at one point in a confined fluid? NASA Glenn Research Center, Pascal's Principle and Hydraulics. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • Water flows through a pipe. What happens to the pressure drop when the flow velocity rises? Wikipedia, Pressure drop. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • Water has a specific heat capacity of 4,184 joules per kilogram per kelvin. How much heat raises 2 kg of water by 10 K? Wikipedia, Specific heat capacity. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • What current flows when 24 volts is applied across a 480-ohm relay coil? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume I, chapter 2. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • What does Kirchhoff's Current Law say about the currents at a node? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume I, chapter 6. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • What sets a pneumatic system apart from a hydraulic system? NASA Glenn Research Center, Pascal's Principle and Hydraulics. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • Which component lets current move through it in one direction with far greater ease than in the other? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume III, chapter 3. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • Which group lists only electrical insulators? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume I, chapter 1. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems
  • Which kind of electricity does a battery produce? Lessons In Electric Circuits (Kuphaldt), Volume II, chapter 1. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Engineering Systems

Communication and Teamwork 6

  • A report must show what share of a budget each of five departments receives. Which chart, cut into slices, illustrates proportion? Wikipedia, Pie chart. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Communication and Teamwork
  • A technician wants to check whether cutting speed and tool wear are related. Which plot fits? NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook of Statistical Methods, 1.3.3.26 Scatter Plot. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Communication and Teamwork
  • Which chart illustrates a project schedule as bars along a time scale? Wikipedia, Gantt chart. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Communication and Teamwork
  • Which document lists the raw materials, sub-assemblies, parts and quantities needed to make a product? Wikipedia, Bill of materials. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Communication and Teamwork
  • Which drawing technique shows a three-dimensional object as a standardized series of two-dimensional views? Wikipedia, Multiview orthographic projection. Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Communication and Teamwork
  • Which part of a technical report is a brief summary that helps a reader quickly learn its purpose? Wikipedia, Abstract (summary). Written to NOCTI Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (3475), Communication and Teamwork

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the competency list of the Job Ready Credential Blueprint for Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology (code 3475, version 01, original release 2018, content review 2025) that NOCTI publishes at https://www.nocti.org/wp-content/uploads/Blueprints/JRPreEngTech3475.pdf , read 2026-10-16: a written assessment of 175 questions in 3 hours over seven areas (Safety 7%; Design Process/Problem Solving 18%; Manufacturing 15%; Assembly and Fabrication 5%; Materials 7%; Engineering Systems 36%; Communication and Teamwork 12%), plus a performance assessment of two jobs. This bank holds 50 in those proportions. NOCTI also posts a Teacher blueprint, code 5955 (169 questions over the same seven areas); this bank follows 3475. Every rule and definition was read on 2026-10-16 on the public page named under its question: OSHA general industry standards in 29 CFR 1910 on osha.gov, NIST pages on SI units and the NIST/SEMATECH e-Handbook of Statistical Methods, NASA Glenn Research Center, NOAA JetStream, Lessons In Electric Circuits by Tony R. Kuphaldt in the copy at ibiblio.org, and Wikipedia. Every voltage, force and length is made up for the drill, and each computed answer is arithmetic that was worked twice. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site. Lessons In Electric Circuits is copyright Tony R. Kuphaldt and released under the CC BY License, and no question or example is copied from it.

How it works

Fifty questions of our own for the NOCTI engineering test, sorted by the seven areas of the Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology blueprint, code 3475. This free practice test is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by NOCTI.

Read the full guide

Seven areas, and Engineering Systems is over a third

Engineering Systems is 36% of the written assessment: forces and vectors, Ohm's, Watt's and Kirchhoff's laws, circuits, fluid power, heat and unit conversion. Design Process/Problem Solving is 18%, Manufacturing 15%, Communication and Teamwork 12%, Safety and Materials 7% each, and Assembly and Fabrication 5%. The 50 questions here split 18, 9, 7, 6, 4, 3 and 3.

The clock

Taken as a timed exam, the 50 questions get 51 minutes, the pace of the written assessment. The blueprint prints no pass mark, so a round ends in a score alone.

Left to the classroom

The two performance jobs take 3 hours and 30 minutes: a technical report on a problem you identify and solve (60%) and an oral presentation of that report with slides (40%).

  • Ohm's law: voltage is current times resistance. Power is current times voltage.
  • Resistances in series add. In parallel, every branch sits at the same voltage.
  • One inch is exactly 25.4 mm, and one Celsius degree is 1.8 Fahrenheit degrees.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the NOCTI engineering test?

The Pre-Engineering/Engineering Technology blueprint, code 3475, lists 175 written questions in 3 hours, given in one, two or three sessions.

Is there a NOCTI engineering study guide?

NOCTI's own guide is the blueprint, a free PDF at nocti.org/credentials/blueprints. It lists every competency, the weight of each area and ten sample questions. Those ten are not used here: every question on this page was written for it.

What does a NOCTI pre-engineering exam study guide need to cover?

Besides Engineering Systems: OSHA's role and safety equipment; the steps of the design process and prototypes; casting, welding, fasteners, measuring tools and tolerances; insourcing, outsourcing and assembly order; the properties of materials; technical reports, presentations, tables and charts.

Is this also practice for the NOCTI Teacher test in engineering technology?

It covers the same ground. The Teacher assessment, code 5955, has 169 questions in 3 hours over the same seven areas: Engineering Systems 35%, Design Process/Problem Solving 18%, Manufacturing 14%, Communication and Teamwork 13%, Safety 8%, Materials 7% and Assembly and Fabrication 5%.

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