At Grade 2 the largest block is Inspection, Maintenance, Installation and Repair (29% of the exam).
For the technicians who keep pumps, blowers, motors, drives and mechanical plant equipment running.
Start studying Grade 2| Content area | % of the exam | |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection, Maintenance, Installation and Repair | 29 | |
| Tools and Equipment | 21 | |
| Records, Reports and SCADA | 12 | |
| Safety | 18 | |
| Administration and Communication | 10 | |
| Math | 10 |
Maintenance: pump affinity laws · an original practice item written only from publicly available sources, not a real exam question
A centrifugal pump delivers 800 gallons per minute (gpm) at 1,780 rpm. A variable frequency drive slows it to 1,335 rpm. Approximately what flow should you expect?
D. 600 gpm
Flow varies directly with speed: 800 × 1,335 ÷ 1,780 = 800 × 0.75 = 600 gpm. 450 applies the square of the speed ratio (the head law) and 338 the cube (the power law); 200 is the reduction in flow, not the new flow.
Free, no account, and progress stays in your browser.
Topic coverage follows Mechanical Technologist Candidate Handbook, Version 2026.01 (California Water Environment Association, effective May 2026). Practice questions are written only from publicly available sources (that outline and the regulations and references it cites); they are not real exam questions, which are confidential. Check current application requirements, fees and exam dates on the certifying body's own page: official certification page.
Questions, flashcards, and explanations are AI-written from publicly available sources only: the exam content outlines and candidate materials each certifying body publishes without restriction, and the regulations and technical references they cite. No confidential material is used, including actual exam questions, recollections of any exam sat by the author, or any handbook or document released under a confidentiality agreement. Content is then put through repeated review — regulatory values checked against primary sources, every calculation recomputed, and errors corrected — plus spot checks by the author, who holds California water operator certifications and a California civil engineering licence. Those spot checks are sampling, not a professional review: nothing here is stamped, sealed, or offered as engineering advice, and not every item has been individually verified, so mistakes can still slip through.