CSLB Class A — General Engineering (Trade Exam) — All Questions

A typical section on the plans shows 8 inches of base, but a written note on the same sheet says 10 inches. Which applies?

• a.Whichever the base supplier prefers
• b.9 inches, splitting the difference
• c.8 inches, from the drawn section
• d.10 inches, from the written note✓

Written numbers and notes on a drawing govern over graphics. A drawn thickness can be distorted by scaling or reproduction; the written value was entered deliberately.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 5-1.02

The standard specifications require one pipe material, but the project's special provisions require another. Which governs?

• a.The standard plans
• b.The standard specifications
• c.The special provisions✓
• d.The cheaper material

Caltrans ranks special provisions above the project plans and the standard specifications. They were written for this project.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 5-1.02

How far is it from station 6+80 to station 14+05?

• a.825 feet
• b.7.25 feet
• c.2,085 feet
• d.725 feet✓

Stations count hundreds of feet: 1,405 − 680 = 725 feet. Adding the stations or treating them as feet gives the wrong answers.Station arithmetic

A culvert 180 feet long falls from invert 96.40 to invert 95.50. What is its grade?

• a.5.0%
• b.0.05%
• c.0.50%✓
• d.0.90%

Fall = 0.90 foot over 180 feet; 0.90 ÷ 180 × 100 = 0.50%. The 0.90 option is the fall itself, not the grade.Grade arithmetic

A pad 36 feet by 18 feet is 9 inches thick. About how many cubic yards of concrete is that?

• a.18 cubic yards✓
• b.54 cubic yards
• c.162 cubic yards
• d.5.8 cubic yards

36 × 18 × 0.75 = 486 cubic feet; ÷ 27 = 18 cubic yards. Using 9 as feet or dividing by 9 produces the larger figures.NIST Handbook 44, App. C

A 5-acre site is how many square feet?

• a.43,560 square feet
• b.24,200 square feet
• c.217,800 square feet✓
• d.2,178,000 square feet

One acre is 43,560 square feet; 5 × 43,560 = 217,800.NIST Handbook 44, App. C

A scraper moves 110 bank cubic yards per hour. How many hours to move 2,970 bank cubic yards?

• a.270 hours
• b.2.7 hours
• c.11 hours
• d.27 hours✓

Hours = quantity ÷ production = 2,970 ÷ 110 = 27.Estimating

Soil swells 20% when excavated. How many loose cubic yards come from 600 bank cubic yards?

• a.720 loose cubic yards✓
• b.600 loose cubic yards
• c.480 loose cubic yards
• d.500 loose cubic yards

Loose volume = bank × 1.20 = 720. Dividing by 1.20 reverses the swell.Estimating

An estimator needs 2,000 lineal feet of pipe in place and allows 3% for waste. How much should be ordered?

• a.1,940 lineal feet
• b.2,003 lineal feet
• c.2,060 lineal feet✓
• d.2,300 lineal feet

Order = 2,000 × 1.03 = 2,060 lineal feet. Subtracting the waste (1,940) leaves the job short.Estimating

During excavation the crew finds groundwater far higher than the soils report showed. What protects a differing-site-condition claim?

• a.Finishing the work, then filing a claim
• b.Notifying the engineer at job closeout
• c.Promptly notifying the engineer before disturbing it✓
• d.Photographing it and continuing

The contractor must promptly notify the engineer; disturbing the condition before the engineer investigates waives the claim.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 4-1.06

An excavator notifies the center on a Tuesday. With no holidays that week, which days count as the two-working-day notice?

• a.Tuesday and Wednesday
• b.Wednesday only
• c.Thursday and Friday
• d.Wednesday and Thursday✓

The date of notification does not count, so the two working days are Wednesday and Thursday.Gov. Code 4216.2

How far ahead may an excavator notify the regional center at the most?

• a.28 calendar days
• b.14 calendar days✓
• c.2 working days
• d.30 working days

Notice is at least two working days and not more than 14 calendar days before the excavation begins. Twenty-eight days is how long a ticket stays valid.Gov. Code 4216.2

A contractor will use a standalone 1.2-acre area only to stockpile excavated soil, with no grading. Does the permit's definition of construction activity reach it?

• a.Yes, stockpiling counts✓
• b.No, only grading counts
• c.No, stockpiles are temporary
• d.Only if the soil is imported

The State Water Board's definition of construction activity includes clearing, grading and disturbances to the ground such as stockpiling or excavation; a 1.2-acre disturbance needs coverage.State Water Board, Order 2022-0057-DWQ

What is the stated purpose of a Cal/OSHA permit for permit-required work?

• a.To give the Division notice of the work✓
• b.To collect a trench excavation tax
• c.To certify the competent person
• d.To replace the 811 ticket

Title 8 section 341 says a permit provides notice to the Division that an employer will undertake permit-required activity, so the Division can ensure it is done safely.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 341

A path of activities has 6 days of float. One activity on it is delayed 4 days. What happens to completion?

• a.No change to completion✓
• b.Completion slips 10 days
• c.Completion slips 2 days
• d.Completion slips 4 days

Float is the time an activity can slip without moving the finish. A 4-day delay within 6 days of float does not extend completion.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) definitions

A general specification says all storm drain pipe is PVC. A specific specification section for this storm drain says reinforced concrete pipe. Which governs?

• a.The cheaper pipe, because price decides between conflicting specifications
• b.Whichever the plans omit
• c.The general specification, because it covers more work
• d.The specific section, as the narrower requirement controls✓

A specific specification governs over a general specification. Not "The general specification, because it covers more work": a specific specification governs over a general one. Not "The cheaper pipe, because price decides between conflicting specifications": price does not rank specifications. Not "Whichever the plans omit": omission on the plans does not decide the conflict.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 5-1.02

A section of the specifications requires 3 days of curing. A different section it refers to says 5 days for the same work. Which governs?

• a.The referenced section, written in more detail than the first
• b.The standard plans, drawn to scale for the whole job
• c.The requirement in the referring section, which controls over the one it cites✓
• d.The longer period, the safer figure for the work done

A specification in a section governs over a specification referenced by that section. Not "The longer period, the safer figure for the work done": the contract ranks documents; it does not default to the stricter figure. Not "The referenced section, written in more detail than the first": the rule runs the other way: the referring section controls. Not "The standard plans, drawn to scale for the whole job": plans do not outrank a specification section in this ranking.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 5-1.02

A contractor finds two conflicting dimensions that the ranking rules cannot settle. What do the Caltrans specifications direct?

• a.Wait for the inspector to notice and correct it
• b.Price the more expensive option and proceed
• c.Submit a written request for information to the Engineer✓
• d.Build to the smaller dimension and note it on the as-builts

The specifications say that if a discrepancy is found or confusion arises, an RFI is submitted. Not "Build to the smaller dimension and note it on the as-builts": building first removes the chance to resolve it in writing. Not "Wait for the inspector to notice and correct it": the contractor is told to raise the discrepancy, not wait. Not "Price the more expensive option and proceed": pricing does not settle which dimension the owner intends.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 5-1.02

On a plan sheet drawn at 1 inch = 40 feet, a pipe run scales 3.5 inches long. About how long is the run?

• a.1,400 feet
• b.140 feet✓
• c.11.4 feet
• d.43.5 feet

Each inch is 40 feet, so 3.5 inches times 40 feet is 140 feet. Not "11.4 feet": divides 40 by 3.5 instead of multiplying. Not "43.5 feet": adds the scale and the measurement. Not "1,400 feet": shifts the decimal one place.Scale arithmetic

A pipeline centerline passes station 18+75. What station is 340 feet farther along the alignment?

• a.15+35
• b.21+15
• c.22+15✓
• d.52+75

Station 18+75 is 1,875 feet; adding 340 gives 2,215 feet, written 22+15. Not "21+15": adds only 240 feet. Not "15+35": subtracts 340 feet instead of adding. Not "52+75": adds 340 as if it were 3,400 feet.Station arithmetic

A requirement to test and video-inspect a storm drain appears only in the special provisions, with nothing drawn on the plans. What does it mean for the bid?

• a.It can be ignored when the plans do not show it
• b.The testing is contract work and belongs in the price✓
• c.It is the owner's cost until the plans add it
• d.It is optional until the engineer repeats it on a drawing

A component in one contract part applies as if appearing in each, and the special provisions rank highest. Not "It can be ignored when the plans do not show it": contract parts are complementary; a requirement in any part applies. Not "It is optional until the engineer repeats it on a drawing": no second statement is needed for it to bind. Not "It is the owner's cost until the plans add it": nothing in the contract shifts a specified test to the owner.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 5-1.02

The Building Standards Commission says the 2025 California Building Standards Code was published July 1, 2025. When does it take effect?

• a.July 1, 2026
• b.January 1, 2025
• c.July 1, 2025
• d.January 1, 2026✓

The Commission lists an effective date of January 1, 2026 for the 2025 triennial edition. Not "July 1, 2025": that is the publication date, not the effective date. Not "January 1, 2025": the edition's year is not its effective date. Not "July 1, 2026": no six-month delay follows the January date.California Building Standards Commission, 2025 Triennial Edition

An employer will dig a trench 6 feet deep that workers must enter. What does Cal/OSHA's permit rule require before starting?

• a.An annual or project permit held before work starts✓
• b.A permit if the soil is classified Type C
• c.A permit if the trench is deeper than 20 feet
• d.No permit, because trenches under 10 feet are exempt

Trenches or excavations 5 feet or deeper that a person must descend into need an annual or project permit. Not "No permit, because trenches under 10 feet are exempt": the trigger is 5 feet or deeper, not 10. Not "A permit if the trench is deeper than 20 feet": 20 feet is where sloping design changes, not the permit trigger. Not "A permit if the soil is classified Type C": the permit depends on depth and entry, not soil type.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 341

A contractor will erect falsework planned to stand 40 feet high when complete. What does the permit rule say?

• a.A permit is required because it is over 36 feet✓
• b.A permit only when traffic passes beneath the falsework
• c.A permit only when the spans exceed 16 feet
• d.No permit, because falsework is temporary

Scaffolding, vertical shoring or falsework intended to be more than 36 feet high is a permit-required activity. Not "No permit, because falsework is temporary": temporary status does not exempt falsework. Not "A permit only when the spans exceed 16 feet": 16 feet is an engineering-design trigger, not the permit trigger. Not "A permit only when traffic passes beneath the falsework": traffic through falsework affects design, not the permit.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 341

A utility crew must dig an emergency repair on a buried water pipe in a 7-foot trench. Does the Cal/OSHA excavation permit apply?

• a.Yes, unless the pipe is under 12 inches in diameter
• b.Yes, because the trench is deeper than 5 feet at the repair
• c.No, but the trench must be sloped back at the sides
• d.No, emergency repair of underground facilities is excepted✓

Section 341(e) excepts trenches built to perform emergency repair work to underground facilities. Not "Yes, because the trench is deeper than 5 feet at the repair": depth alone does not override the stated exception. Not "Yes, unless the pipe is under 12 inches in diameter": pipe size is not part of the exception. Not "No, but the trench must be sloped back at the sides": the exception turns on emergency repair, not on the protective system.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 341

Which activity is not counted as construction activity under the State Water Board's construction stormwater permit?

• a.Clearing of vegetation and grubbing of stumps and roots across the project area
• b.Excavation of soil for a building pad, basin or utility trench on the site
• c.Routine maintenance that restores a facility's original line, grade or capacity✓
• d.Grading of the site to final contours and slopes

The permit's construction activity covers clearing, grading, stockpiling and excavation, but not regular maintenance to restore the original line, grade or capacity. Not "Clearing of vegetation and grubbing of stumps and roots across the project area": clearing is listed as construction activity. Not "Grading of the site to final contours and slopes": grading is listed as construction activity. Not "Excavation of soil for a building pad, basin or utility trench on the site": excavation is listed as construction activity.State Water Resources Control Board, construction stormwater program

Which document governs temporary traffic control layout for work in a California public road?

• a.The Standard Plans for pipe trenches
• b.Part 6 of the California MUTCD✓
• c.The contractor's own Code of Safe Practices
• d.The geotechnical report for the site

CSLB's study guide lists the California MUTCD, Part 6, Temporary Traffic Control, as a resource for this subject. Not "The Standard Plans for pipe trenches": those plans detail trenches, not traffic zones. Not "The contractor's own Code of Safe Practices": that is a company program, not a traffic standard. Not "The geotechnical report for the site": it describes soils and groundwater, not traffic.California MUTCD 2026, Part 6 (temporary traffic control)

During a site visit, a contractor sees an old footing running along the planned trench line. What does Cal/OSHA allow for excavation below the base of an adjacent footing that could pose a hazard?

• a.Digging if the competent person sees no movement of the footing
• b.Digging if the trench is under 8 feet deep at that point
• c.Only with underpinning, stable rock or an engineer's approval✓
• d.Anything beyond 2 feet from the footing

Excavation below a foundation base needs a support system such as underpinning, stable rock, or an approving registered engineer. Not "Anything beyond 2 feet from the footing": distance alone does not remove the hazard test. Not "Digging if the competent person sees no movement of the footing": no judgment-only exception appears in the rule. Not "Digging if the trench is under 8 feet deep at that point": depth is not the test for foundations.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 1541(i)

A trench will interrupt a natural drainage channel. What does Cal/OSHA call for?

• a.A second ladder at each end of the trench at the channel
• b.Diversion ditches, dikes or similar means to keep water out✓
• c.Backfilling the channel before digging begins on the site
• d.Waiting for the channel to dry before the crew enters

Where excavation interrupts natural drainage, diversion ditches, dikes or other suitable means must keep surface water out. Not "A second ladder at each end of the trench at the channel": ladders address egress, not surface water. Not "Backfilling the channel before digging begins on the site": that would not keep surface water out of the open trench. Not "Waiting for the channel to dry before the crew enters": the rule requires controls, not a calendar wait.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 1541(h)(3)

A bid walk shows overhead power lines along the haul road. What is the clearance for any part of a crew or equipment from energized lines of 600 to 50,000 volts under the general rule in Table 1 of section 2946?

• a.3 feet
• b.10 feet
• c.15 feet
• d.6 feet✓

Table 1 sets a 6-foot general clearance for 600 to 50,000 volts; booms and material storage use the larger Table 2 figure. Not "3 feet": less than the table's minimum. Not "10 feet": that is the boom and storage figure in Table 2. Not "15 feet": not the table value for this voltage range.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 2946

Which action by the contractor does the Caltrans specification say waives a differing-site-condition claim?

• a.Notifying the engineer promptly, within a day of the discovery
• b.Disturbing the site after discovery and before the engineer's investigation✓
• c.Pausing work in that area until the engineer has made a decision
• d.Photographing the condition before anyone touches it on site

Disturbing the site after discovery and before the engineer investigates waives the differing-site-condition claim. Not "Notifying the engineer promptly, within a day of the discovery": prompt notice preserves the claim, it does not waive it. Not "Photographing the condition before anyone touches it on site": documenting does not disturb the site. Not "Pausing work in that area until the engineer has made a decision": stopping protects the condition and the claim.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 4-1.06B

A planner lists site items to check before bidding. Which one helps the estimate most for earthwork cost?

• a.Haul distance to a legal dump or borrow site✓
• b.The owner's logo and title block layout on the plan sheets
• c.The color of the existing fence along the property line
• d.The brand of the total station the surveyor uses

Haul distance sets truck cycles and cost per cubic yard, so it belongs in the site evaluation. Not "The color of the existing fence along the property line": appearance has no effect on hauling cost. Not "The brand of the total station the surveyor uses": survey equipment brand does not drive earthwork cost. Not "The owner's logo and title block layout on the plan sheets": it has no bearing on quantities or haul.Estimating practice

A bid walk finds a valve box and a patched pavement strip crossing the planned trench line, but no utility is shown on the plans. How should the estimator treat them?

• a.As surface litter to be removed first with the pavement strip
• b.As signs of an underground facility to locate before digging✓
• c.As irrelevant because the plans omit them
• d.As proof the line is abandoned and can be cut without checking

Cal/OSHA requires the approximate location of subsurface installations that reasonably may be encountered to be determined before opening an excavation, and surface clues are part of that. Not "As surface litter to be removed first with the pavement strip": valve boxes and patches mark buried lines, they are not litter. Not "As irrelevant because the plans omit them": plans can be incomplete; surface clues point to buried facilities. Not "As proof the line is abandoned and can be cut without checking": nothing in a valve box shows abandonment.Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8, 1541(b)

In a typical sequence for a street improvement, which of these comes first?

• a.Placing the asphalt surface
• b.Setting the final curb height
• c.Striping the lanes on the new surface
• d.Installing the deepest utility✓

Deeper utilities go in first so later trenches do not undermine or cross them, and paving follows last. Not "Placing the asphalt surface": paving comes last, after trenches are backfilled and compacted. Not "Setting the final curb height": curbs follow the underground work. Not "Striping the lanes on the new surface": striping is a finishing step.Construction sequencing

A schedule has a 15-day storm drain activity and an 8-day lighting conduit activity that can run in parallel, both required before paving. Lighting has what float?

• a.8 days
• b.7 days✓
• c.23 days
• d.0 days

Float is the longer chain minus the shorter: 15 minus 8 is 7 days. Not "0 days": the lighting activity is not the longest chain. Not "8 days": that is its duration, not its float. Not "23 days": that adds the two durations, which would apply only in sequence.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 1-1.07B (definition of float)

Caltrans defines the critical path as the longest continuous chain of activities with what feature?

• a.The most subcontractors
• b.The largest dollar value
• c.The least total float of all chains✓
• d.The earliest start date among the activities

The specifications define it as the longest continuous chain with the least total float of all chains. Not "The largest dollar value": cost is not the definition. Not "The most subcontractors": the number of trades does not define it. Not "The earliest start date among the activities": start date does not define it.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 1-1.07B (definition of critical path)

A contractor sees a drawing conflict and wants to raise it with the owner's engineer. How does the Caltrans specification treat a request for information?

• a.An RFI must wait until the end of the job, when the Engineer reviews all open questions
• b.RFIs come from the owner's staff, and a contractor's questions go to the inspector by phone
• c.Requests from the contractor, including RFIs, must be in writing and sequentially numbered✓
• d.A phone call to the inspector is enough, since the Engineer reads the inspector's daily notes

The specification lists requests, including RFIs, sequentially numbered, among the items from the contractor that must be in writing. Not "A phone call to the inspector is enough, since the Engineer reads the inspector's daily notes": contractor requests are required to be in writing. Not "RFIs come from the owner's staff, and a contractor's questions go to the inspector by phone": the contractor submits them. Not "An RFI must wait until the end of the job, when the Engineer reviews all open questions": the RFI is meant to resolve questions before the work is built.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 1-1.01

A utility owner's relocation must finish before a trench can be dug. The relocation date slips. What does the planner do first?

• a.Add overtime to unrelated activities so the crews stay busy while waiting
• b.Remove the relocation from the schedule, since the owner controls it
• c.Check whether the relocation is on the critical path or has float✓
• d.Move the paving to an earlier date to make up for the lost time on site

Only delay beyond an activity's float, or on the critical path, moves completion, so float is the first check. Not "Move the paving to an earlier date to make up for the lost time on site": paving cannot move earlier when its predecessor slips. Not "Remove the relocation from the schedule, since the owner controls it": dependencies stay visible so their float is known. Not "Add overtime to unrelated activities so the crews stay busy while waiting": this does not address the delayed predecessor.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 1-1.07B (definition of float)

On a job with electrical, fencing and landscaping subcontractors, why does the general engineering contractor usually coordinate them?

• a.So the owner pays fewer inspection fees to the permitting agency each month
• b.Because the plans forbid separate trades from working on the same site at once
• c.Because subcontractors are not licensed to work without the general contractor present
• d.Their work must fit into the overall sequence of the fixed work✓

Specialty work depends on the grading, utilities and structures around it, so the prime sequences it. Not "So the owner pays fewer inspection fees to the permitting agency each month": coordination is about sequence, not fees. Not "Because subcontractors are not licensed to work without the general contractor present": subcontractors hold their own classifications. Not "Because the plans forbid separate trades from working on the same site at once": nothing forbids separate trades; they simply need coordinating.Construction coordination

A bid item lists 3,200 lineal feet of pipe at a unit price of $38.50 per lineal foot. What is the extended price?

• a.$123,200✓
• b.$1,232,000
• c.$3,238.50
• d.$12,320

Quantity times unit price: 3,200 x $38.50 = $123,200. Not "$12,320": shifts the decimal one place. Not "$3,238.50": adds the quantity and the unit price. Not "$1,232,000": adds a zero to the product.Estimating practice; Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 9-1.06

A curb and gutter section has a cross-section area of 5.4 square feet and runs 500 feet. How many cubic yards of concrete is that?

• a.100 cubic yards✓
• b.300 cubic yards
• c.900 cubic yards
• d.2,700 cubic yards

Volume is 5.4 x 500 = 2,700 cubic feet, and 2,700 divided by 27 is 100 cubic yards. Not "2,700 cubic yards": leaves the volume in cubic feet. Not "300 cubic yards": divides by 9, the square-foot conversion. Not "900 cubic yards": divides by 3 instead of 27.Estimating, NIST Handbook 44 App. C

A markup of 25 percent is applied to $80,000 of cost. What is the price?

• a.$105,000
• b.$96,000
• c.$100,000✓
• d.$20,000

$80,000 times 1.25 is $100,000; the profit of $20,000 is 20 percent of the price. Not "$96,000": applies 20 percent, the margin that results, to the cost. Not "$105,000": adds 25 percent twice in a rolled-up step. Not "$20,000": gives the markup amount rather than the price.Estimating practice

A crew lays 90 feet of pipe per day. How many working days does a 700-foot line need if partial days are rounded up?

• a.7 days
• b.8 days✓
• c.63 days
• d.9 days

700 divided by 90 is 7.78, which rounds up to 8 working days. Not "7 days": rounds 7.78 down. Not "9 days": adds an extra day beyond the rounding. Not "63 days": multiplies instead of divides.Estimating practice

A parking lot is paved 30 feet by 500 feet, 0.25 foot thick, with asphalt at a compacted 145 pounds per cubic foot. About how many tons are needed, at 2,000 pounds per ton?

• a.About 272 tons✓
• b.About 544 tons
• c.About 3,750 tons
• d.About 136 tons

Volume is 30 x 500 x 0.25 = 3,750 cubic feet; times 145 is 543,750 pounds; divided by 2,000 is about 272 tons. Not "About 544 tons": uses 1,000 pounds per ton. Not "About 3,750 tons": treats cubic feet as tons. Not "About 136 tons": uses 4,000 pounds per ton.Estimating practice

A unit-price bid item for base is overrun far beyond the quantity on the Bid Item List. Under Caltrans section 9-1.06B, at what point may the engineer adjust the unit price for the excess quantity?

• a.When the contractor requests it in writing to the engineer
• b.When the total is more than a quarter above the bid quantity✓
• c.When the total exceeds 100 percent of the bid quantity on the list
• d.When the total exceeds 150 percent of the bid quantity on the list

If a bid item's total quantity exceeds 125 percent of the Bid Item List quantity, the engineer may adjust the unit price for the excess. Not "When the total exceeds 100 percent of the bid quantity on the list": small overruns are paid at the bid unit price. Not "When the total exceeds 150 percent of the bid quantity on the list": the stated trigger is 125 percent. Not "When the contractor requests it in writing to the engineer": the engineer may adjust the price for the excess without a request.Caltrans Standard Specifications (2025) 9-1.06B