Cement Finisher Examination - Applicable untill January 15

The examination is 3 hours long. It contains 60 questions and each question is worth 1 point. The required passing grade is 60%. The materials for your use during the examination are provided to you. They are: a pencil, a sheet of paper, a calculator and an eraser. No other material or reference document is allowed during the examination.

Skill Content on Which Questions May Be Based

Section 1 – Placing Concrete (25%)

Preparing the placement of concrete
- Determine what materials are needed (perform different materials calculations)
- Verify the infrastructure and the substrate
Applying concrete in different contexts
- Understand the different concrete mixes appropriate to placement and the desired characteristics
- Pour concrete in different contexts
- Apply concrete in different types of projects (sidewalks, borders, stairs, slabs, etc.)
- Describe the different types of joints
- Consolidate the concrete
Levelling concrete
- Find the benchmarks
- Level (flatten) the concrete

Section 2 – Finishing and Protecting Concrete (30%)

Finishing a concrete surface
- Float concrete
- Execute different finishes on a concrete surface (smoothing, broom finish, etc.)
- Apply different finishing techniques (exposure of aggregates stamping surfaces, etc.)
Curing concrete
- Use different curing techniques (with humidification, chemicals)
Protecting concrete
- Control cracking by using joints
- Apply surface treatment products (sealer)
Finishing completely dry concrete
- Use a diamond polishing method
- Finish using epoxy products
- Interpret the application specifications for different products
- Decorate concrete using different products

Section 3 – Placing Concrete on Existing Surfaces (30%)

Preparing to repair a surface
- Identify problems with the concrete
- Withdraw materials
- Prepare the surface for the repair
Repairing concrete
- Use the repair methods and products appropriate to the context
- Perform a resurfacing (topping)
Applying parging to concrete
- Prepare a surface for application of the roughcast
- Prepare the parging mix
- Apply parging on a surface
Covering surfaces with gunite
- Know the different techniques for spraying concrete and finishing surfaces

Section 4 – Installing Waterproofing Membranes and Other Specialized Coatings (15%)

Preparing to place the membrane and specialized coatings
- Have general knowledge of different membranes
- Clean the surface
- Create a proper profile
- Apply a primer
Installing different types of membranes
- Install a prefabricated membrane (single layer and double layer)
- Install gussets and braces
- Hot-apply a rubberized membrane

Samples questions for the provincial qualification examination.