Free NCCCO practice test: Core and load chart questions

What the Core written test covers

The Core exam is 95 questions in 90 minutes, and you work it without a calculator. Every mobile crane candidate sits it, whatever the crane type. It has four published domains:

Load Charts has only five listed tasks but carries more than a quarter of the test, so one weak chart skill costs more than one weak operations topic. The weights come from the candidate handbook; the question column is our arithmetic. For fees, retakes and the 12-month window, read the Core written exam guide.

3 sample questions with answers

These are original practice questions written to the Core outline. They are not exam items. Cover the answer, pick one, then read why.

1. Site

A crane is set up beside a freshly backfilled trench. Before the first lift, what do you do first?

• A. Extend the outriggers fully and start the lift, since full extension covers any ground
• B. Confirm the ground can support the crane and its load, and add mats or cribbing where it can't
• C. Ask the rigger to estimate the soil by eye
• D. Rely on the crane's level indicator once the load is off the ground

Answer: B. The setup is only as good as what is under it, and fresh fill beside an excavation is the classic weak spot. Full outriggers (A) spread load but do not make soft ground firm. An eyeball estimate (C) is a guess, not an assessment. By the time a level indicator (D) shows a problem, the ground is already moving. See OSHA 1926.1402 on ground conditions.

2. Operations

During a lift, someone on the ground gives you a stop signal and you can't see why. What do you do?

• A. Finish the swing, then stop
• B. Ask the signal person to repeat it over the radio while you keep moving
• C. Stop the load, then sort out the reason
• D. Stop only if the signal came from the designated signal person

Answer: C. The operator can stop first and ask questions after. Finishing the swing (A) or continuing while you ask (B) puts the unknown hazard on the load path. Restricting stops to one person (D) is the mistake that gets people hurt. See OSHA 1926.1418 on authority to stop operation.

3. Load charts

On an invented practice chart, the gross capacity at your radius and boom length is 18,000 lb. The hook block is 550 lb and the rigging is 350 lb. What is the net capacity, and can you lift a 16,800 lb payload?

• A. 17,100 lb net, and the lift is within it
• B. 17,100 lb net, and the lift is over it
• C. 17,450 lb net, and the lift is over it
• D. 18,000 lb net, and the lift is within it

Answer: A. Add the deductions first: 550 + 350 = 900 lb. Then subtract: 18,000 − 900 = 17,100 lb. A payload of 16,800 lb is under that, with 300 lb to spare. Option C subtracts only the hook block. Option D forgets the deductions, which is the most common chart mistake. Do this by hand: the Core exam has no calculator.

NCCCO practice questions by domain

Where can you get free NCCCO practice questions? Right here, and in a handful of free tools that each drill a different part of the Core outline. Every question is original and written for Boom Angle, so none of it comes from NCCCO. Pick the domain that cost you points on the check and start there.

• Site (22%): the free 10-question check scores Site on its own line. The free sample lesson and practice set has an explained Site question on setup and ground conditions, and Question 1 above is another.
• Operations (28%): the crane hand signals drill has you name the 19 standard signals from OSHA's Appendix A on sight. The sample set adds a signals question, and question 2 above covers authority to stop.
• Technical Knowledge (23%): the sample set has a question on which way a crane tips, and the flashcards give you quick recall of crane components and terms. Print them from the flashcards PDF if you study away from a screen.
• Load Charts (27%): load chart practice works radius, configuration, gross capacity, deductions and net capacity on invented charts. The sample set has two chart questions with a worked answer, and question 3 above is a third.
• All four at once: the 25-question timed mini-mock mixes the domains so you can feel the pace, and the free daily question keeps one in front of you each day. For a printable list of what to be able to do under each domain, use the study checklist PDF.

Taking a specialty exam as well (LAT, TLL or TSS)? There is no separate question bank for each one. Load charts are about 35% of each specialty exam, so load chart practice is where to spend the time, and the specialty exams comparison shows how they differ from Core. Signalperson and Rigger have their own written exams, covered in what they cover.

Load chart practice

Load charts are 27% of Core and about 35% of each specialty exam, and they are the skill that improves fastest with repetition. Work radius, configuration, gross capacity, deductions and net capacity end to end on clearly invented charts in load chart practice. Not sure where to start? How to read a crane load chart walks through a full lookup.

Free vs paid NCCCO practice

A lot of the free NCCCO practice tests and PDFs you will find are scraped lists with no explanations. Some were built on an older handbook: the January 2024 revision listed 90 questions and different domain weights than the current outline. If a test quotes 90 questions, it was not written to the exam you will sit. Practice that matches the current format, with every miss explained, is what moves your score.

FAQ

Is there a free NCCCO practice test?

Yes. The free 10-question check scores you by Core domain with no signup, and this page has 3 sample questions with explained answers. For more, use the sample lesson and practice set, the flashcards, the 25-question timed mini-mock, the daily question, load chart practice and the hand signals drill. None needs a card.

Is there a free NCCCO practice test PDF?

Yes, as flashcards. Print our free NCCCO written flashcards (PDF): cut-out cards for quick recall of crane components and terms, with no email. The study checklist (free PDF) lists what to be able to do under each domain. For scored questions, take the free 10-question check and see your score by Core domain.

What is on the NCCCO test?

The NCCCO written test for mobile crane operators starts with Core: 95 questions in 90 minutes, with no calculator, across four domains (Site 22%, Operations 28%, Technical Knowledge 23%, Load Charts 27%). Each mobile crane candidate also passes at least one specialty written exam (LAT, TLL or TSS: 28 questions in 60 minutes, calculator allowed) and the matching practical exam. The specialty exams comparison has the full table.

Is a crane certification practice test the same as an NCCCO practice test?

For mobile crane operators certified through NCCCO, yes. The written part is Core plus your specialty, so a crane operator certification practice test should drill the Core domains and load charts. The practical exam is done on a crane and cannot be practiced on a screen. For what certification takes end to end, read the crane operator certification requirements.

Is there a full-length NCCCO practice exam?

The free mini-mock is 25 timed questions mixed across the four domains, so you can feel the Core pace. The course adds full timed practice exams that match the Core format of 95 questions in 90 minutes, plus a 28-question specialty-format exam, with every answer explained at the end.

What score do I need to pass the NCCCO written exam?

The current candidate handbook does not print a numeric written passing score. The scoring and testing locations guide explains what older handbooks said and why a practice percentage is not a passing score.

Where can I get free NCCCO practice questions?

On this page, which carries 3 original sample questions with explained answers, and in Boom Angle's free tools, listed under NCCCO practice questions by domain above. Load chart practice is the place to spend extra time, since load charts are 27% of Core.

Where do your practice questions come from?

Every question is original and written to NCCCO's published Core outline. Use practice to find your weak domain, then check that domain's tasks in the candidate handbook.

Is free practice enough to pass?

Free practice shows you where you lose points. Take the free 10-question check to see your score by Core domain, with no signup. The course adds full timed exams in the Core format, so you can work a whole sitting before exam day. To compare paid options first, see what an NCCCO exam prep course should include.

Take the free 10-question check

Take the free 10-question check and see your score by Core domain in minutes, with no signup. The course adds full timed exams that match the Core format, explained answers on every question, and a plan built from your weakest domain.

Sources

Show the list

• Mobile Crane Operator Candidate Handbook, CCO. Core outline and weights, printed pages 2 to 3.
• 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC: Cranes and Derricks in Construction, OSHA.