Mechanical aptitude test

Fifteen drawn questions on gears, belts, levers, pulleys, ramps and fluids: the topics of the Bennett, Wiesen and ASVAB mechanical tests. Every set is new, and every answer comes with the one-line rule that solves it.

15
questions
12 min
time limit
Free
score and answers

No sign-up. Every answer is explained at the end.

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 14 October 2026 · How we check facts · How the questions are made

8
rules answer most questions: 27 s
per question on the BMCT-II: 15
questions in this test: New
set of questions every time

What a mechanical aptitude test measures

A mechanical aptitude test checks whether you can predict how simple machines behave: which way a gear turns, how much force a lever saves, what a pulley costs you in rope. You do not need formulas from a physics class. You need about eight rules and the habit of reading the picture before the question.

Employers use these tests for maintenance, manufacturing, utilities, aviation and skilled-trade apprenticeships, where a wrong guess about a mechanism is expensive. The military uses the same idea in the ASVAB Mechanical Comprehension subtest, which counts towards several Army job line scores (see the ASVAB line score calculator).

Formats from prep and reference sites listed under Sources, not from the publishers. Your employer or recruiter can confirm the version you will sit.
Test	Format (as commonly reported)	Where you meet it
Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test (BMCT-II), Pearson TalentLens	55 questions, 25 minutes, online	Technical and maintenance hiring
Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude (WTMA)	60 questions, 30 minutes	Employment testing and vocational programs
ASVAB Mechanical Comprehension (MC)	About 15 questions, 22 minutes on the computer version	Military job qualification (line scores)
Ramsay mechanical tests	Varies by test; one prep source lists 36 questions in 20 minutes	Maintenance and craft roles

The eight rules that answer most questions

Ideal machines, no friction: that is what these tests assume unless they say otherwise. Learn the rule, then the shortcut in the last column.

Topic	Rule	Shortcut
Gear direction	Meshing gears turn opposite ways	Count meshes from the driver: odd flips, even matches. Three gears in a closed loop lock.
Gear speed	Teeth × speed is equal on both gears	Small gear fast, big gear slow. An idler between them changes direction only.
Belts	Open belt keeps direction; crossed belt reverses it	Count the crossed belts.
Levers	Load × load arm = effort × effort arm	Longer effort arm, less force.
Pulleys	Force = load ÷ supporting rope segments	Rope pulled = lift × segments. Less force always costs more rope.
Ramps	Force × ramp length = weight × height	Twice as long, half the force.
Hydraulics	Pressure (force ÷ area) is the same everywhere	Area ratio = force ratio.
Springs	In series stretches add; side by side they share	Two in series stretch twice as far; two side by side, half as far.

Worked examples

Four questions of the kind the test above generates, with the working. Cover the answer and try each one first.

Example 1 · Gear speed

Gear A has 12 teeth and turns at 45 rpm. It drives gear B, which has 30 teeth. How fast does gear B turn?

A. 112.5 rpm
B. 36 rpm
C. 45 rpm
D. 18 rpm

Answer D. Teeth passing the contact point are shared, so teeth × speed is the same for both gears: 12 × 45 = 30 × 18. A smaller gear turns faster, a larger one slower.

Example 2 · Lever

A 8 ft bar rests on a pivot 2 ft from a 180 lb load. What force at the other end of the bar lifts the load? Ignore the weight of the bar.

A. 180 lb
B. 60 lb
C. 540 lb
D. 90 lb

Answer B. Moments balance about the pivot: load × load arm = effort × effort arm. 180 × 2 = 360, and 360 ÷ 6 = 60 lb. The longer the effort arm, the less force you need.

Example 3 · Pulley force

A 80 lb load hangs from a pulley block held by 2 rope segments, as shown. Ignoring friction and the weight of the pulleys, what force on the rope holds the load?

A. 50 lb
B. 26.7 lb
C. 80 lb
D. 40 lb

Answer D. Count the rope segments holding up the moving block: 2. Each carries an equal share, so the force is 80 ÷ 2 = 40 lb. The rope you pull counts only if it holds up the moving block.

Example 4 · Belt drive

Pulley A turns clockwise. Which way does pulley B turn?

A. Clockwise
B. Counterclockwise
C. It cannot turn

Answer B. An open belt keeps the direction the same; a crossed belt reverses it. There is 1 crossed belt between A and B, so B turns counterclockwise.

Timing: how fast you need to be

At 55 questions in 25 minutes, the BMCT-II gives you about 27 seconds a question; the WTMA, 30 seconds; the ASVAB computer version, closer to a minute and a half. On the fast tests there is no time to calculate everything, so:

Read the drawing first, then the question. Half the questions are about direction or comparison ("which needs less force?"), and those need no arithmetic at all.
When numbers are needed, write the rule as a one-line equation (load × arm = effort × arm) and only then put the numbers in.
Skip a question that stalls you past 40 seconds and come back if the test allows it. A skipped question costs one mark; a stuck minute costs two or three.
Guess rather than leave a blank, unless your test says it deducts marks for wrong answers.

Six mistakes that cost the most marks

Counting the rope you pull as a supporting segment when it runs down from a fixed pulley. Only segments that hold up the moving block count.
Thinking an idler gear changes the speed of the last gear. It changes direction only; speed depends on the first and last gears.
Assuming the bigger gear turns faster. It turns slower and with more force.
Measuring a lever arm from the end of the bar instead of from the pivot.
Using the ramp's length where the height belongs. The work done lifting is weight × height, whatever the ramp.
Answering "which moves further" as if it were "which needs less force". The two are opposites in every simple machine.

A study plan for the days you have

Our suggestion from the way these tests are built, not an official plan. Publishers do not release pass marks; employers set their own.
Days to the test	What to do
3 days	Day 1: take two sets above and learn the eight rules. Day 2: two more sets, re-read every explanation you missed. Day 3: one timed set, then rest.
7 days	One set a day. Keep a list of the rule behind every miss and read it before each new set. Aim for 13 of 15 inside the time by day 6.
14 days	Week 1: one topic a day (gears, belts, levers, pulleys, ramps, fluids, springs) plus a set. Week 2: two timed sets a day, then cut the time by a fifth to build speed.

Taking the ASVAB? Practise the subjects that decide if you can enlist

The AFQT is built from arithmetic, math, word knowledge and reading, not mechanics. Our free ASVAB practice test covers those four: 50 questions, 40 minutes, estimated AFQT.

Start the free ASVAB test

Frequently asked questions

What is on a mechanical aptitude test?

Pictures of simple machines and physical situations: gears, belts and pulleys, levers, ramps, springs, fluids and pressure, sometimes electricity and tools. You choose what happens next, which way something turns, or which setup needs less force.

Is this the real Bennett test?

No. Every question here is generated by our own code in a similar style. It is not the BMCT, the Wiesen test or the ASVAB, and LifeScore is not affiliated with their publishers.

What is a good score on a mechanical aptitude test?

There is no public pass mark. Employers compare you with a norm group and set their own cut-off for the job. As a practice target, getting 13 or more of 15 right inside the time here means the rules are automatic.

How can I improve my mechanical aptitude quickly?

Learn the eight rules in the table above, then practise until you apply them without thinking. Most people gain the most from pulleys (count the supporting segments) and gear trains (count the meshes).

Can I use a calculator?

Usually not. The arithmetic is designed to be simple: halving, doubling and small ratios. This practice test assumes no calculator.

Do the questions repeat?

No. Each set is generated from random numbers and drawings, and the answer is computed from the same numbers, so you can practise as many sets as you like.

Sources

LifeScore is not affiliated with Pearson, Wiesen, Ramsay, the U.S. Department of Defense or any employer. Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test and other test names are trademarks of their owners. Every question here is generated by our own code. Reviewed 14 October 2026 by the LifeScore Editorial Team.