Tower Crane Operator - Exam Information

Self-Assessment
Exam Breakdown
Types of Exam Questions
Math Formulas
Acronyms

Self-Assessment

This tool can be used to reflect on your own experience and knowledge in the trade compared with what is on the exam.

Exam Breakdown

Each Red Seal exam's questions are developed to assess the activities laid out in the Red Seal Occupational Standard. This trade's Red Seal exam has 100 questions^{Footnote *}, which are distributed as follows:

Major Work Activity A - Performs common occupational skills - 9 questions

Task 1 Performs safety-related functions

4 questions

Task 2 Uses communication and mentoring techniques

5 questions

Major Work Activity B - Inspects and maintains crane - 13 questions

Task 3 Performs pre-operational checks and regular inspections

4 questions

Task 4 Performs continual checks

4 questions

Task 5 Performs minor crane maintenance

5 questions

Major Work Activity C - Performs crane set-up, hoisting calculations and lift planning - 20 questions

Task 6 Participates in tower crane assembly, disassembly and transportation

8 questions

Task 7 Participates in tower crane climbing and reconfigurations

4 questions

Task 8 Plans lifts

8 questions

Major Work Activity D - Performs rigging - 17 questions

Task 9 Inspects, maintains and stores rigging equipment

10 questions

Task 10 Follows rigging procedures

7 questions

Major Work Activity E - Operates crane - 23 questions

Task 11 Performs pre-lift (warm-up) activities

8 questions

Task 12 Operates tower cranes

6 questions

Task 13 Performs specialty tower crane operations

5 questions

Task 14 Shuts down and secures tower cranes

4 questions

Types of Exam Questions

All Red Seal exam questions are written in multiple-choice format. A multiple-choice question consists of question followed by four possible responses (A, B, C, D). Every question has exactly one correct answer and three incorrect options. They are not misleading or trick questions, but the incorrect options are not always obvious.

There are three types of questions that you will see on Red Seal Exams:

Knowledge and Recall
Procedural and Application
Critical Thinking

Knowledge and Recall

This type of question tests your ability to recall and understand definitions, facts and principles.

For this trade, between 45 and 55% of questions that are this type.

Example of a Knowledge and Recall Question:

What is the purpose of a slip ring?

Prevents the turntable from slipping.
Prevents loosening of turntable bolts.
Allows the crane to slew freely without damaging the power supply.
Allows height to be added to the crane without damage to the power supply.

Answer: C

Procedural and Application

This type of question tests your ability to apply your knowledge of procedures to a situation.

For this trade, between 25 and 35% of questions are this type.

Example of a Procedural and Application Question:

What is the procedure to mount the climbing collars to the floor when preparing for a bottom-climbing procedure?

Level, bolt, then grout the collars.
Grout, bolt, then level the collars.
Level, grout, then bolt the collars.
Bolt, grout, then level the collars.

Answer: A

Critical Thinking

This type of question tests your ability to interpret data, solve problems and arrive at valid conclusions.

For this trade, between 15 and 25% of questions are this type.

Example of a Critical Thinking Question:

When lifting a heavy load at maximum radius, boom and tower deflection occurs. What is the result?

The tower compresses and damages the turntable.
Radius increases causing the load to swing out.
A side load occurs and the boom fails.
The crane tilts forward causing swing brakes to apply.

Answer: B

Math Formulas

Formulas [PDF, 103 KB]

The following formulas used in this trade may be needed to answer some questions on its Red Seal exam. They will also be provided with the exam sitting.

Constants

$π = 3.14$

Formulas

Formulas
Descriptions	Full	Abbreviated
Cube	$length \times width \times height \times unit weight$	$L \times w \times H \times U.W.$
Cylinder	$π \times \frac{{diameter}^{2}}{4} \times length \times unit weight$	$π \times \frac{D^{2}}{4} \times L \times U.W.$
Hollow ball	$π \times diameter \times diameter \times thickness \times unit weight$	$π \times D \times D \times T \times U.W.$
Load	$\frac{y}{z} \times weight$	$\frac{y}{z} \times W$
Pipe	$π \times diameter \times length \times thickness \times unit weight$	$π \times D \times L \times T \times U.W.$
Pipe	$π \times mean diameter \times length \times thickness \times unit weight$	$π \times M.D. \times L \times T \times U.W.$
Plate steel	$length \times width \times thickness \times unit weight$	$L \times w \times T \times U.W.$
Solid cylinder	$π \times {radius}^{2} \times length$	$π r^{2} \times L$
Stress	$\frac{width}{number of slings} \times \frac{length}{height}$	$\frac{w}{# slings} \times \frac{L}{H}$
Tandem lift	$weight \times diameter = weight \times diameter$	$W \times D = W \times D$
Tension	$\frac{number of lines \times safe load}{2 \times height}$	$\frac{# lines \times S.L.}{2 \times H}$
Wedge	$width \times \frac{length}{2} \times height \times unit weight$	$w \times \frac{L}{2} \times H \times U.W.$

Acronyms

Acronyms [PDF, 92 KB]

The following acronyms used in this trade may be on its Red Seal exam. They will also be provided with the exam sitting.

°C: degree Celsius
ANSI: American National Standards Institute
ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
COG: centre of gravity
CSA: Canadian Standards Association
EIPS: extra improved plough steel
FLHA: field level hazard assessment
fpm: feet per minute
ft.: foot
ft²: square foot
ft³: cubic foot
HP: horsepower
ID: identification
in.: inch
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
IWRC: independent wire rope core
kg: kilogram
kg/m³: kilograms per cubic metre
kVA: kilovolt-ampere
kW: kilowatt
lb.: pound
lb./ft³: pounds per cubic foot
lb./m³: pounds per cubic metre
LMI: load moment indicator
m: metre
m³: cubic metre
m/min: metres per minute
mm: millimetre
NDT: non-destructive testing
No.: number
OHS: Occupational Health and Safety
PPE: personal protective equipment
psi: pounds per square inch
PSLP: permissible single line pull
rpm: revolutions per minute
t: imperial ton
UV: ultraviolet
w/o: without
WLL: working load limit

Try more sample questions for this trade and check out the Exam Preparation Guide. It will give you practical insights on what goes into Red Seal exams, and how you can best prepare yourself to do well.

For more information about exam preparation materials contact your provincial/territorial apprenticeship office.

Tower Crane Operator - Exam Information

Table of Contents

Knowledge and Recall

Procedural and Application

Critical Thinking

Constants

Formulas