Mechanical reasoning test measure your knowledge of
straightforward mechanical and physical concepts. They do not
measure your underlying mechanical aptitude in the same way that
abstract reasoning questions measure your underlying intellectual
ability. For example, you could sit an abstract reasoning test
without having seen one before and still get a reasonable score.
The same is not true of mechanical reasoning where your score will
depend significantly on your knowledge of:
You may have come across: levers, pulleys, gears, springs and
simple circuits in elementary science and the questions on these
topics are fairly straightforward. If elementary science classes
seem like a long time ago then you may need to refresh your memory
before attempting these questions.
If you are taking a mechanical reasoning test as part of the
selection process for the emergency services or the military then
the questions you can expect will tend to concentrate on
principles rather than on making calculations. For example, you
may be shown 3 diagrams of a lever and asked which one is the most
efficient. If however, you are taking a test for a craft or
technical job then you may be expected to calculate the actual
force required to move a particular lever. In this case, knowing
the principle is not enough, you need to know the formula.
Example Mechanical Reasoning Test Questions
1) How much weight is required to balance the lever?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
15kg |
5kg |
10kg |
7.5kg |
20kg |
2) How much weight is required to balance the lever?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
30lbs |
25lbs |
28lbs |
40lbs |
35lbs |
3) Approximately how much force is needed to lift the weight?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
24lbs |
10lbs |
48lbs |
12lbs |
18lbs |
4) If gear X turns clockwise at a constant speed of 10 rpm. How
does gear Y turn?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
anti c/w 10 rpm |
c/w 10 rpm |
c/w 5 rpm |
anti c/w 5 rpm |
c/w 20 rpm |
5) If drive wheel X rotates clockwise at a speed of 10 rpm. How
does wheel Y turn?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
anti c/w faster |
c/w slower |
c/w faster |
anti c/w slower |
anti c/w same |
6) A force of 5 Kg compresses the springs in series 10cm. What
will be the total distance that the springs in parallel are
compressed?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
10 cms |
5 cms |
20 cms |
7.5 cms |
15 cms |
7) In the circuit shown, how many switches need to be closed to
light up one bulb?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
None |
One |
Two |
Three |
Four |
8) Which is the most suitable tool for breaking up concrete?
9) Which tool or combination of tools would be most useful for
general woodwork?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
4 & 2 |
3,5 & 7 |
2 ,4 & 6 |
4 & 7 |
3 &
6 |
10) The sketch shows the floor plan of a bathroom. The shower
tray is 2'6" square and is fixed to the floor. The toilet and
washbasin are both wall mounted. Allowing for 15% wastage,
approximately how many square yards of floor tiles should be
ordered?
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
7.25 |
6.25 |
9.25 |
5.50 |
8.50 |
The answers to these questions are given at the bottom of the
page.
Many of the questions in mechanical aptitude tests are ‘industry’
specific. For example, tests used by the fire service tend to
frame the questions in terms of fire-fighting whereas tests used
to select for an aircraft maintenance job would tend to frame the
questions in aviation industry terms. It doesn’t matter if the
questions you practice on aren’t specific to the industry you are
applying for. It is the substance of the question that is
important – the scenario is incidental.
These sample question papers each contain 40 questions and have a
suggested time limit of 30 minutes each. The questions are
presented in Letter/A4 format for easy printing and self-marking.
Answers to
sample mechanical reasoning questions.
Download sample mechanical reasoning Questions.
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