Machinist and CNC

About this practice suite

This suite prepares candidates for machinist and cnc selection in the skilled trades and apprenticeships sector with 4 skill areas: technical reasoning, mechanical comprehension, safety judgment and spatial reasoning. Every question was written by Novus editors for this suite — none are taken from live or leaked exams — and the full bank holds 52 scored questions across three modes, plus 8 reserve questions used to vary repeat attempts. Answer keys never ship to the browser: your answers are scored server-side, and results stay on your device.

Skills this suite practises

• Technical reasoning — Applied technical principles, diagrams, tools, systems, measurements, and troubleshooting.
• Mechanical comprehension — Forces, motion, gears, pulleys, levers, fluids, pressure, and basic machines.
• Safety judgment — Hazard recognition, safe sequencing, escalation, and risk controls.
• Spatial reasoning — Rotation, folding, views, orientation, maps, and three-dimensional visualization.

Sample questions from the guided bank

Two of the 10 guided-practice questions, shown exactly as they appear in a session. Answers and explanations are not printed here — keys stay on the server — so open guided practice to answer them and see how you did.

1. Before clearing chips from a lathe chuck while it is set up for work, what is the safest action?

   • A. Wrap a rag around the chuck and spin it by hand quickly
   • B. Stop the spindle, lock out if required, and use a brush or hook
   • C. Blow chips away with unregulated air while the belt is tight
   • D. Reach through the chuck jaws while the foot brake is released

2. What does a work coordinate system on a CNC mill define?

   • A. The shop's daily production quota
   • B. The colour of coolant in the sump
   • C. The invoice cost of indexable inserts
   • D. The program origin location relative to the fixture or part

Practice modes and timing

Guided practice is untimed-feeling and instructional; the mini-test is a short timed check; the full simulation mirrors a complete sitting. All three draw on separate question sets, so moving up a mode never repeats what you practised.

Study outline

Read the study outline for this suite’s skills, timings, and recommended lessons on one printable page, or download its standalone HTML file. The printable page can also be saved as a PDF from your browser.