Concrete Former Examination

The examination is 3 hours long. It contains 51 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, a ruler 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 – Work organization (20%)

Planning the formwork:
- Interpreting installation plans, specifications, sketches and drawings
- Calculating bedding length
- Determining necessary formwork types and components
- Planning the work sequence
- Estimating the necessary materials, equipment and tools
- Calculating the concrete volume
- Layout
- Handling techniques
- Communicating with crane and concrete pump operators
- Preventing health and safety hazards on a construction site
Finalizing the structure:
- Checking and adjusting formwork
- Evaluating how concrete pouring, vibration, smoothing and sealing impacts the formwork
- Aligning the walls
- Procedure to finalize the structure
- Equipment maintenance and cleaning

Section 2 – Footing and foundations (35%)

Erecting footing forms:
- Appreciation of the soil condition
- Establishing the type and position of footings
- Installing footing formwork panels
- Installing steel reinforcement guides
- Putting the key in place
- Installing water stops
Erecting concrete foundation and wall formwork:
- Assembling panels, tie rods, shores and walers
- Installing resists in the formwork
- Putting false frames in place
- Installing nailing keys
- Installing drop panels
- Installing bracings
- Putting walkways in place
- Formwork alignment method
- Installing anchors
- Installing pour and expansion joints

Section 3 – Support, road and layout components (25%)

Erecting concrete pillar and column forms:
- Building and installing formwork panels
- Putting collars in place
- Building the cleaning trap door
- Assembling lowered panels and capitals
- Squareness and verticality of formwork panels
- Form dams and braces
- Erecting pavement, sidewalk, curb and other landscaping element forms:
- Appreciation of the soil condition
- Interpreting the layout plan
- Calculating the concrete for various geometric shapes
- Assembling formwork panels for particular shapes
- Installing expansion joints
- Technical prescriptions for sidewalks

Section 4 – Slabs, beams and staircases (20%)

Erecting concrete slab, beam and staircase forms:
- Installing supports and scaffolds
- Putting small beams or walers in place
- Assembling the floor panels of beams and contours
- Checking panel alignment, squareness and levelling
- Assembling resists
- Installing accessories and tie rods
- Putting pour and expansion joints in place
- Calculating the height, depth and number of treads or risers for staircase formwork
- Developing a template for staircase formwork
- Methods of assembling a staircase’s slab formwork
- Methods of assembling the formwork of staircase risers
- Construction standards

Samples of questions for provincial qualification examination.