Free NCCCO practice test: Core and load chart questions
Practice NCCCO written-exam questions free, with every answer explained. Start with the 10-question check to see which Core domain is costing you points, then use this page to drill the rest.
What the Core written test covers
The Core exam is 95 questions in 90 minutes, and you work it without a calculator. Every mobile crane candidate sits it, whatever the crane type. It has four published domains:
| Domain | Weight | Approx. questions at 95 |
|---|---|---|
| Site | 22% | about 21 |
| Operations | 28% | about 27 |
| Technical Knowledge | 23% | about 22 |
| Load Charts | 27% | about 26 |
Load Charts has only five listed tasks but carries more than a quarter of the test, so one weak chart skill costs more than one weak operations topic. The weights come from the candidate handbook; the question column is our arithmetic. For fees, retakes and the 12-month window, read the Core written exam guide.
Try one question
Question 1 of the free 10-question check on NCCCO written. No signup.
Operations
Which action creates side loading on a crane boom?
Choose an answer to begin
3 sample questions with answers
These are original practice questions written to the Core outline. They are not exam items. Cover the answer, pick one, then read why.
1. Site
A crane is set up beside a freshly backfilled trench. Before the first lift, what do you do first?
- A. Extend the outriggers fully and start the lift, since full extension covers any ground
- B. Confirm the ground can support the crane and its load, and add mats or cribbing where it can't
- C. Ask the rigger to estimate the soil by eye
- D. Rely on the crane's level indicator once the load is off the ground
Answer: B. The setup is only as good as what is under it, and fresh fill beside an excavation is the classic weak spot. Full outriggers (A) spread load but do not make soft ground firm. An eyeball estimate (C) is a guess, not an assessment. By the time a level indicator (D) shows a problem, the ground is already moving. See OSHA 1926.1402 on ground conditions.
2. Operations
During a lift, someone on the ground gives you a stop signal and you can't see why. What do you do?
- A. Finish the swing, then stop
- B. Ask the signal person to repeat it over the radio while you keep moving
- C. Stop the load, then sort out the reason
- D. Stop only if the signal came from the designated signal person
Answer: C. The operator can stop first and ask questions after. Finishing the swing (A) or continuing while you ask (B) puts the unknown hazard on the load path. Restricting stops to one person (D) is the mistake that gets people hurt. See OSHA 1926.1418 on authority to stop operation.
3. Load charts
On an invented practice chart, the gross capacity at your radius and boom length is 18,000 lb. The hook block is 550 lb and the rigging is 350 lb. What is the net capacity, and can you lift a 16,800 lb payload?
- A. 17,100 lb net, and the lift is within it
- B. 17,100 lb net, and the lift is over it
- C. 17,450 lb net, and the lift is over it
- D. 18,000 lb net, and the lift is within it
Answer: A. Add the deductions first: 550 + 350 = 900 lb. Then subtract: 18,000 − 900 = 17,100 lb. A payload of 16,800 lb is under that, with 300 lb to spare. Option C subtracts only the hook block. Option D forgets the deductions, which is the most common chart mistake. Do this by hand: the Core exam has no calculator.
Load chart practice
Load charts are 27% of Core and about 35% of each specialty exam, and they are the skill that improves fastest with repetition. Work radius, configuration, gross capacity, deductions and net capacity end to end on clearly invented charts in load chart practice. Not sure where to start? How to read a crane load chart walks through a full lookup.
Free vs paid NCCCO practice
A lot of the free NCCCO practice tests and PDFs you will find are scraped lists with no explanations. Many were built on an older handbook: the January 2024 revision listed 90 questions and different domain weights than the current outline. If a test quotes 90 questions, it was not written to the exam you will sit. Practice that matches the current format, with every miss explained, is what moves your score.
Take the free 10-question check
Take the free 10-question check and see your score by Core domain in minutes, with no signup. The course adds full timed exams that match the Core format, explained answers on every question, and a plan built from your weakest domain.
Sources
Show the list
- Mobile Crane Operator Candidate Handbook, CCO. Core outline and weights, printed pages 2 to 3.
- 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC: Cranes and Derricks in Construction, OSHA.
Ready to see where you stand on NCCCO written?
Free, untimed and scored by domain. No signup.
Start the free 10-question checkFacts checked 23 October 2026 against the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.
Know the requirements? Test the knowledge.Take a free check weighted to the published outline and see your score by domain.