CSLB General Building (B) Trade Practice Test
Frequently asked questions
How many GED practice questions are here?+
A full bank of original GED practice questions across the official content areas, weighted like the real exam, with explanations. Free, no signup.
What is the GED exam like?+
About 120 questions. Practice by topic here, then take the full timed mock exam to gauge readiness.
Are these the real exam questions?+
No. Every question is 100% original, written from public primary sources with explanations. We never copy real exam questions or paid prep material.
Can I study in Chinese or Spanish?+
PrepPass practice is in English, 中文 and Español. The official exam is in English — switch the question language to English any time to rehearse the exact terminology you'll see on test day.
Sample practice questions
A few real questions from this free bank, with full explanations. Use the practice tool above for the whole set.
- 1. Language Arts
Choose the sentence that is written correctly.
- a.Neither the manager nor the employees were ready for the audit.
- b.Neither the manager nor the employees was ready for the audit.
- c.Neither the manager or the employees were ready for the audit.
- d.Neither the manager nor the employees is ready for the audit.
Answer: a
Explanation: With 'neither/nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which is 'employees' (plural), so 'were' is correct. The correlative conjunction requires 'nor,' not 'or.' This is a standard subject-verb agreement rule for compound subjects.
- 2. Language Arts
Which sentence corrects the misplaced modifier: 'Running down the street, the backpack fell off her shoulder'?
- a.As she ran down the street, the backpack fell off her shoulder.
- b.The backpack, running down the street, fell off her shoulder.
- c.Running down the street, the backpack slipped away.
- d.Running down the street off her shoulder, the backpack fell.
Answer: a
Explanation: A modifier must clearly describe the right noun; a backpack cannot run down a street. Rewriting so 'she' performs the running fixes the dangling modifier. The corrected version makes the action logically belong to a person.
- 3. Language Arts
Which sentence is in the active voice?
- a.The storm broke the window.
- b.The report was written by the committee.
- c.The window was broken by the storm.
- d.Mistakes were made during the process.
Answer: a
Explanation: In active voice, the subject performs the action: 'The storm broke the window.' In passive voice, the subject receives the action, as in the other choices. Active voice is usually clearer and more direct.
- 4. Mathematical Reasoning
Simplify the fraction 18/24 to lowest terms.
- a.3/4
- b.2/3
- c.6/8
- d.9/12
Answer: a
Explanation: The greatest common factor of 18 and 24 is 6, and dividing both by 6 gives 3/4. A fraction is in lowest terms when the numerator and denominator share no common factor other than 1. Forms like 6/8 and 9/12 are equal in value but not fully reduced.
- 5. Mathematical Reasoning
What is the area of a triangle with a base of 10 cm and a height of 6 cm?
- a.30 cm²
- b.16 cm²
- c.60 cm²
- d.24 cm²
Answer: a
Explanation: Area of a triangle is one-half the base times the height: (1/2)(10)(6) = 30 cm². The factor of one-half distinguishes a triangle from a rectangle of the same base and height. Area is measured in square units.
- 6. Mathematical Reasoning
If a triangle has angles measuring 40° and 75°, what is the third angle?
- a.65°
- b.55°
- c.75°
- d.115°
Answer: a
Explanation: The angles of a triangle sum to 180°, so 180 − 40 − 75 = 65°. This triangle-angle-sum rule holds for every triangle. The missing angle measures 65 degrees.
- 7. Science
What force pulls objects toward the center of the Earth?
- a.Gravity
- b.Magnetism
- c.Friction
- d.Electricity
Answer: a
Explanation: Gravity is the force that attracts objects toward Earth's center, giving them weight. Friction resists motion between surfaces, and magnetism acts on certain metals. Gravity keeps us and objects on the ground.
- 8. Science
Which of the following is a chemical property of a substance?
- a.Its ability to rust
- b.Its color
- c.Its mass
- d.Its shape
Answer: a
Explanation: The ability to rust describes how a substance reacts chemically with oxygen, so it is a chemical property. Color, mass, and shape are physical properties observable without changing the substance. Chemical properties involve how matter transforms into new substances.
- 9. Social Studies
In an economy, what does the term 'supply' refer to?
- a.The amount of a good producers offer for sale
- b.The desire of consumers to buy a good
- c.The total money in a bank
- d.The tax on a product
Answer: a
Explanation: Supply is the quantity of a good or service that producers are willing to offer at various prices. Demand, by contrast, is what consumers want to buy. Together, supply and demand influence market prices.
- 10. Social Studies
The idea that government power comes from the consent of the people is called—
- a.popular sovereignty
- b.monarchy
- c.isolationism
- d.federal supremacy
Answer: a
Explanation: Popular sovereignty is the principle that a government's authority derives from the will of the people. It underlies democratic systems and appears in the phrase 'We the People.' Citizens express consent largely through voting.