NCCER Basic Safety Practice Questions
NCCER Core module 00101 · 13 of the 89 Core Level Test items
89 questions across the eight required Core modules in 3 hours, with a score for Basic Safety so you know where you stand.
Free Basic Safety drillWhat is a sign that the noise around you is loud enough to need hearing protection?
Basic Safety (Construction Site Safety Orientation) in NCCER Core
Basic Safety (Construction Site Safety Orientation), module 00101, is 13 of the 89 items on the NCCER Core Level Test and the longest required module at 12.5 hours. Questions ask about the OSHA rules that keep construction workers alive: heights, ladders, trenches, electricity, PPE and chemicals.
- Core Level Test
- 13 of the 89 items (NCCER specification, 6th edition)
- Instruction time
- 12.5 hours in the 6th edition
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 50 Basic Safety questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
Study notes
- Fall protection starts at 6 feet above a lower level on most walking and working surfaces, and at 10 feet on scaffolds. Guardrail top rails sit at 42 inches, plus or minus 3.
- A personal fall arrest system uses a full-body harness, limits free fall to 6 feet and ties off to an anchorage that holds 5,000 pounds per worker (or one designed by a qualified person).
- Extension ladders reach 3 feet past the landing and are set at a 4-to-1 angle. Face the ladder, keep three points of contact and never use a metal ladder near power lines.
- OSHA’s Focus Four are falls, struck-by, caught-in or -between and electrocution. Overhead power lines and missing ground-fault protection are the classic electrical hazards.
- Lockout/tagout keeps equipment from being energized while someone works on it. Each worker applies a personal lock, and only that worker removes it.
- Trenches 5 feet deep or more need sloping, shoring or a trench box; spoil stays 2 feet back; a way out sits within 25 feet of travel in trenches 4 feet or deeper.
- Hazard communication: every chemical has a label and a 16-section safety data sheet. Fire extinguishers are classed A (ordinary combustibles), B (liquids), C (electrical) and D (metals); use PASS.
Take the full practice test under the clock
89 questions across the eight required Core modules in 3 hours, with a score for Basic Safety so you know where you stand.
Free Basic Safety drillWhat basic safety questions test
- Recognizing hazards and the safe action in a job-site situation
- The OSHA numbers trainees are expected to know: 6 feet, 10 feet, 3 feet, 4 to 1, 42 inches, 5 feet, 25 feet, 5,000 pounds
- PPE choices and the ANSI marks on hard hats (Z89.1) and eye protection (Z87.1)
- Reporting injuries, near misses and unsafe conditions
How to study it
- Make a card for each OSHA number with the hazard it controls.
- For scenario questions, ask what stops the hazard before it hurts someone: that is usually the answer.
- Take the basic safety drill until you score 80% or better, then mix it with power tools, which repeats many of the same rules.
Common questions
How many basic safety questions are on the NCCER Core Level Test?
13 of the 89 items, about 15% of the test.
At what height is fall protection required in construction?
Six feet above a lower level for most walking and working surfaces (29 CFR 1926.501), and above 10 feet for workers on scaffolds (1926.451).
89 questions across the eight required Core modules in 3 hours, with a score for Basic Safety so you know where you stand.
Free Basic Safety drillThe other NCCER Core modules
- Introduction to Construction Math
- Introduction to Hand Tools
- Introduction to Power Tools
- Introduction to Construction Drawings
- Introduction to Basic Rigging
- Basic Communication Skills
- Basic Employability Skills
- Introduction to Materials Handling
- NCCER Core practice test (89 questions, 3 hours)
- Mixed drill: all nine modules
Sources
- NCCER: Core Level Test specifications, 6th edition, updated March 2024 (89 items, 3 hours, closed book, passing score 70, items per module)
- NCCER: Core: Introduction to Basic Construction Skills, 6th edition (modules and electives)
- NCCER: News brief, Core Level Test now available (online only, no section retakes, fee per attempt)
- NCCER: 2024 catalog (module hours and prices)
- NCCER: Accreditation process (in-person test administration and remote proctoring)
- NCCER: Accreditation standards and test specifications
- NCCER: 2025 Annual Report (credentials earned in 2025)
Original practice questions written to the module list NCCER publishes for its Core Level Test (6th edition); they are not NCCER test questions and contain no NCCER curriculum text. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by NCCER (the National Center for Construction Education and Research). NCCER is a trademark of the National Center for Construction Education and Research.