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ASVAB Shop Information practice test
10 free questions · scored as you go · every answer explained
Tools, fasteners, materials and shop practices. Reported together with Auto as the AS score. On the computer-based ASVAB you get 10 Shop Information questions in 6 minutes, about 36 seconds per question. It does not count toward your AFQT, but the services use it to qualify you for certain jobs.
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Practice scores from original questions, not official ASVAB scores. ASVAB Test is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense.
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SIShop Information1 of 10
A hacksaw is designed to cut:
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Answer: C. Metal
A hacksaw's fine-toothed, replaceable blade is made for metal pipe, rod and bolts. Wood saws have larger teeth; tile is cut with abrasive or scoring tools.
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SIShop Information2 of 10
A Phillips screwdriver fits screws with what kind of head?
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Answer: C. A cross-shaped recess
Phillips heads have a cross (+) recess that centers the driver and resists slipping. Straight slots take flat-blade drivers, hex sockets take Allen keys, and square recesses take Robertson drivers.
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SIShop Information3 of 10
Which tool tells you whether a shelf is perfectly horizontal?
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Answer: D. A level
A level's bubble centers between its marks when the surface is horizontal. A plumb bob gives true vertical, calipers measure thickness, and protractors measure angles.
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SIShop Information4 of 10
A torque wrench is used to:
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Answer: D. Tighten fasteners to a specified tightness
A torque wrench reads or limits the twisting force applied, so critical fasteners like lug nuts and head bolts are tight enough but not stretched or stripped. Taps cut new threads — a different tool.
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SIShop Information5 of 10
Soldering joins metal parts by:
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Answer: A. Melting a softer filler metal that bonds the parts without melting them
In soldering (and brazing), only the filler melts and flows into the joint; the base metals stay solid. Welding is different: it fuses the base metals themselves.
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SIShop Information6 of 10
Before driving a large wood screw near the end of a board, you should drill a pilot hole to:
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Answer: D. Prevent the wood from splitting
A pilot hole slightly smaller than the screw's core lets the threads bite without wedging the wood fibers apart. Near an edge or end, skipping it commonly splits the board.
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SIShop Information7 of 10
When should safety glasses be worn in the shop?
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Answer: A. Whenever grinding, cutting, drilling or striking tools are in use nearby
Chips and sparks fly unpredictably, and eyes don't heal like skin. Any operation that throws particles — yours or at the next bench — calls for eye protection. Welding needs more: a shaded face shield.
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SIShop Information8 of 10
Compared with an open-end wrench, a box-end wrench:
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Answer: C. Grips all corners of the nut, so it is less likely to slip and round them
The closed loop of a box end contacts all six corners, spreading force and protecting the nut. Open ends slip onto fasteners sideways where a loop can't reach but grip only two flats.
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SIShop Information9 of 10
Plywood is strong for its weight because it is made of:
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Answer: B. Thin wood layers glued with the grain alternating direction
Each veneer layer's grain runs perpendicular to its neighbors, so the sheet resists bending and splitting in every direction. Sawdust pressed with resin describes particleboard, a weaker material.
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SIShop Information10 of 10
A metal file cuts:
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Answer: B. Only on the forward (push) stroke
File teeth angle forward, cutting on the push and dulling if dragged back under pressure. Push with light pressure, lift slightly on the return — the same discipline as a hand saw.
What Shop Information covers
The facts and methods behind the questions, from the app's study notes. Questions on test day are different, but they test the same things.
Tools and measurement
Tools and measurement: which tool does which job, and how precisely each measures.
- Cutting and shaping. Hacksaw cuts metal; rip saws cut along grain, crosscut across. The kerf is the slot the blade removes. Files cut on the push. Chisels take a soft mallet, never a steel hammer.
- Drilling and threading. Pilot holes stop splitting. Taps thread holes; dies thread rods; countersinks let flat heads sit flush. Big bits in steel: slow speed, steady feed, cutting oil.
- Fastening tools. Phillips = cross, Allen = hex socket. Box-end wrenches grip all corners; torque wrenches hit the spec; locking pliers hold hands-free. Pull a wrench, don’t push.
- Measuring. Tape for length, square for 90° (equal diagonals = square frame), level for horizontal, plumb for vertical, calipers and micrometers for thousandths of an inch.
Materials and processes
Materials and processes: fasteners and joints, wood and metal, joining with heat, and staying safe.
- Fasteners. Righty-tighty. Washers spread load; bolt-head marks show strength grade; rivets are permanent; screws need two-thirds of their length in the receiving piece. Nails hold in studs, not bare drywall.
- Materials. Plywood alternates grain for strength; particleboard is pressed sawdust. Ferrous = contains iron (magnetic, rusts). Galvanizing coats steel with sacrificial zinc. Higher sandpaper grit = finer. Primer makes paint stick.
- Joining. Soldering and brazing melt only filler; welding fuses the metals (arc = electric, oxy = flame). Flux cleans oxide so solder flows. Clean rust to bright metal before welding or painting. Glued joints clamp until cured.
- Safety. Eyes: glasses near anything that throws chips; shaded lens for arcs (UV burns corneas). Ears: tool noise destroys hearing permanently. Oily rags self-ignite — sealed metal can. Cords sized to the load; cut away from yourself.
Read next: Should you guess on the ASVAB?
Keep going in the app. All 45 Shop Information questions, practice that brings back the ones you miss, and full exams timed subtest by subtest like the real test.
Practice the other subtests
Or take the full free practice test: 30 questions from all 10 subtests, with a rough AFQT estimate at the end.
These are original practice questions; real ASVAB items are confidential. Practice scores are estimates, not official ASVAB scores. ASVAB Test is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense or any military branch.