1st yr machinist exam question

[wildcat111]

hello just wondering if anyone here has written the 1st yr exam for machinist and if they could point me in the right direction as to what i should concentrate my studying towards, thanks

[WCTHEMI]

Probably all the stuff you learned in classes.

[wildcat111]

Originally Posted by WCTHEMI

Probably all the stuff you learned in classes.

haha funny guy, but seriously there is alot of info i just want to make sure i concentrate my efforts in the right direction

[Iron Brew]

The instructors give a breakdown of where/what areas are worth on the exam - ie - math 17
- lathe 12
- mill 13

That is prolly the best way to go. This should have been given to you towards the beginning of the schooling term...

[Scotty454]

...Are you taking the technical training classes, or challenging the exam?

If you're taking the class, just pay attention. EVERYTHING that is in the modules is on the T.Q., completely randomized. From the name of a specific type of file, to the parts of a slotting machine, to the types and bonding agents of a grinding wheel. If you study the modules and do well on the self tests in the back, you should be alright. Listen to what you're taught, take notes, and do the homework.

If you're challenging the exam... Good luck. I'd bet you won't pass. If you have access to the first year modules, you might have a fighting chance if you study them inside and out.

Source- Journeyman Red Seal Machinist, as of 2010. Went through the course recently enough to remember it.

[winged1]

And if your challenging, head down to Nait/Sait and pick up the first year modules. Challenged my first three years electrical in a similar fashion.

[Bushleague]

When I took first year millwright I was told that it was very similar to first year Machinist, until this year a millwright could write off his first year of machinist. If its anything like first year millwright than I am here to tell all the wize guys that there is simply way too much information to actually learn and retain all of it, a good instructor will let you know what to concentrate on, even still its still possible to come up with a disappointing grade when tested on a subject you have a good handle on.

Back to the final, for what its worth, the Millwright exam which was mostly machine theory and if I remember correctly had...

Lots of questions involving reading vernier scales on various tools, remember which ones have the scale backwards, your inside mic and hole gauge I think? That always throws a bunch of people for a loop.

The parts of the lathe, different methods of cutting tapers.

Using trig to figure out how large of a round stock you would need to make various shapes and vice versa, usually a square or octagon.

Various taper and thread questions and calculations. Lots of thread calculations.

The different types of milling machines, drill presses and their uses.

Fits and tolerances, make sure you've got a good understanding of all the terms and calculations around these.

Not sure if you guys cover grinding or not but I remember there being some stuff on the various types of abrasives.

And for some reason I remember always being surprized by how much I didn't know about drilling holes.

I'm wrapping up my second trade at this point, through going on 7 years of trade school I have always done well on the math sections by simply having a good grasp on how to set up a ratio and proportion properly. While classmates try to remember and manipulate all kinds of formulas I can generally get by without having to do very much of this.

[Kim473]

First year is easy-peasy. Just pay attention in class and you will pass with no problem. Watch out for any trick questions or answers. If you have time left, go over the xam a second time and, you may have misunder stood the question the first time because of nerves. You will do fine.

[Dick284]

Here ya go:
http://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/SOURC...15_outline.pdf

See the hour breakdown.
That pretty much equates to how many question on the exam.
Just work it out as a ratio.

Your instructor should have provided this for you!?!?!

[twofifty]

Wildcat, at some point you'll need to decide which guy you want to be:

a) the competent machinist who is respected for his full body of knowledge and skills, or

b) that other guy who crammed what was needed to pass the exam.

If you chose b) prepare to soon be an expert on cleaning out your locker and going down the road.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by twofifty

Wildcat, at some point you'll need to decide which guy you want to be:

a) the competent machinist who is respected for his full body of knowledge and skills, or

b) that other guy who crammed what was needed to pass the exam.

If you chose b) prepare to soon be an expert on cleaning out your locker and going down the road.

Meh, I cram to pass exams, everybody crams for exams, and I usually ace them. Last year I scored a 98% on the AIT which to me wasn't even that big of a deal. I'm also smart enough to know exactly what that means... absolutely nothing. Scoring high and acing school doesn't automatically make you good in the field, what makes a good tradesman involves a whole bunch of intagables as well as a good work ethic and a wide variety of field experience.. Some of the best apprentices I've worked with and attended school with barely passed the AIT's.

A very important trait of any good tradesman is good time management and prioritising skills. Guys that cant do that and spend all sorts of time picking at minor details are hard to make money off of, they clean out a lot of lockers in my experience. Figuring out what to spend most of your time studying IMO is just what any good tradesman will try to do, not necisarily an indication that this guy hasn't been paying attention or studying hard enough.

[troutbug]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Meh, I cram to pass exams, everybody crams for exams, and I usually ace them. Last year I scored a 98% on the AIT which to me wasn't even that big of a deal. I'm also smart enough to know exactly what that means... absolutely nothing. Scoring high and acing school doesn't automatically make you good in the field, what makes a good tradesman involves a whole bunch of intagables as well as a good work ethic and a wide variety of field experience.. Some of the best apprentices I've worked with and attended school with barely passed the AIT's.

A very important trait of any good tradesman is good time management and prioritising skills. Guys that cant do that and spend all sorts of time picking at minor details are hard to make money off of, they clean out a lot of lockers in my experience. Figuring out what to spend most of your time studying IMO is just what any good tradesman will try to do, not necisarily an indication that this guy hasn't been paying attention or studying hard enough.

Spot on!

A journey man I worked under was one of the best mechanics I worked with and he was the guy everyone came to when stuck on something. He went to school and failed his 3rd year 3 times he said. Good or bad marks dont mean quat. Some mechanics I work with are Journeymen and I still have no idea how they have a ticket.
I know many that have challenged exams and passed and are great mechanics.

[nekred]

When you go in for surgery do you want:

A) guy who crammed and aced the exams but could not spread butter without cutting toast...

B) the guy who barely passed exams and practical training

C) the guy that did really well and was top of his class in both exam and practical training because he took pride in what he does...

or just a guy with really small hands.....

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by nekred

When you go in for surgery do you want:

A) guy who crammed and aced the exams but could not spread butter without cutting toast...

B) the guy who barely passed exams and practical training

C) the guy that did really well and was top of his class in both exam and practical training because he took pride in what he does...

or just a guy with really small hands.....

I'd want the best one, which may or may not fall in to any of those catagories. IMO the learning curve gets steepest once you actually have your ticket.

The world is full of guys who ace school and figure they know it all, then proceed to continue "knowing it all" and as a result their continuing education when it matters most suffers. All the best tradesmen (or any profession really) I've ever worked with are humble enough to listen to the advice of people with a fraction of their experience right up until the day they retire. Quite often these aren't the guys who scored highest in school. One man can only ever have so much experience, the real education comes from observing and learning everything you can from the people you work with. This is what makes you good at what you do.

[wildcat111]

thanks guys i will be challenging the exam, my employer bought me all the modules 6 months ago , i also had to write a entrance exam which i did really well on. been working in the shop now for the last 3 yrs, i can do everything on the cncs from set ups to program changes, just the lathe, i always worked on mills so learning the lathe may take a bit, i notice in alot of the modules that they are dated and doesn't really applied to today's machine shops, just wanted to make sure they if they were going to throw in a bunch of questions that seem obsolete, thanks again everyone, i will make sure my math skills are top notch and learn that lathe inside and out.

[1bluZebec]

I find most CNC operators in today's shops usually have no skills at all in manual machining. Just read the module s front to back and do the tests at the back it term tests and if you do well on those you will do fine on final. Like previously stated a lot of questions seem almost like trick questions and a lot seem like there could be two answers that fit the bill. Watch their wording don't rush and go with your first instinctive answer,it's usually right. Good luck. I've been manual machining for 16yrs now and love it!

[Wolfish]

Originally Posted by troutbug

Spot on!

A journey man I worked under was one of the best mechanics I worked with and he was the guy everyone came to when stuck on something. He went to school and failed his 3rd year 3 times he said. Good or bad marks dont mean quat. Some mechanics I work with are Journeymen and I still have no idea how they have a ticket.
I know many that have challenged exams and passed and are great mechanics.

When I did my apprenticeship (so many years ago!) there were 2 Asian guys there that had already failed their first year and were going a second time around. As English wasn't their first language, they had a really difficult time with the classrooms. It's an absolute shame that I'm pretty sure they didn't get their tickets very quickly, as everything they did in shop was amazing. They were fast and accurate every time. I'll take a guy with skills over book smarts every day of the week.

[Wolfish]

Originally Posted by 1bluZebec

I find most CNC operators in today's shops usually have no skills at all in manual machining. Just read the module s front to back and do the tests at the back it term tests and if you do well on those you will do fine on final. Like previously stated a lot of questions seem almost like trick questions and a lot seem like there could be two answers that fit the bill. Watch their wording don't rush and go with your first instinctive answer,it's usually right. Good luck. I've been manual machining for 16yrs now and love it!

Manual machining is going the way of the Dodo. There will always be the need for manual machinists, but they'll be difficult to find in about 5-10 years. I think I'm in one of the few shops in town that are strictly manual.

[1bluZebec]

Me too bud and your 100% right. Production is one thing but repairs are another ;-)