Tractor Operator Examination
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 paper sheet, a calculator and an eraser. No other material or reference document is allowed during the examination.
Skill content on which questions may be based
Operating a tractor includes operation of a loader, a backhoe and a bulldozer.
Section 1 - Equipment operation and maintenance (30 %)
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Conduct pre-departure checks
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Inspect tractor
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Apply start-up and stopping procedures
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Clean and lubricate appropriate parts
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Interpret dashboard symbols
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Handle utilities like standpipes and storm drains
Section 2 - Apply loading techniques (20 %)
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Prepare loading area with loader and backhoe
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Load or pile material
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Handle control levers
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Pick up and transport material
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Load truck
Section 3 - Apply site levelling and finishing grade techniques (25 %)
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Assess site
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Remove stumps and rip hard surfaces with Bulldozer
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Shape terrain
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Spread material
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Level a site with drainage, a road structure or a parking lot
Section 4 - Apply excavation techniques (25 %)
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Interpret survey data
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Recognize picket types
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Interpret plans and survey measurements
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Dig ditches, trenches and hollows
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Fill and cut excavation
Samples of questions for provincial qualification examination.
Suggested documentation
The suggested documents are an important tool to help you prepare for the examination. However, your best asset to write the exam successfully are the quality and diversity of the skills you have acquired during your apprenticeship.
- HUMAN RESOURCES AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CANADA (HRSDC); TRADES AND APPRENTICESHIP DIVISION; LABOUR MARKET INTEGRATION DIRECTORATE.
Heavy Equipment Operator, Gatineau, HRSDC, 2012, 90 p. (Red Seal HS42-1/47-2012E)
www.publications.gc.ca
- SOCIÉTÉ DE L’ASSURANCE AUTOMOBILE DU QUÉBEC (SAAQ). Inspect Before You Go – Daily Pre-Trip Inspection Guide, Québec, SAAQ, 2002, 65 p.
www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca
Websites of heavy equipment (Tractors) suppliers (the list is not exhaustive):