Building and Home Maintenance Services

Specific Competencies and Skills Tested in this Assessment:

Written Assessment:

Administration Time: 3 hours
Number of Questions: 162

Areas Covered:

16% Floor Stripping, Refinishing, and Buffing
5% Carpet Care
15% General Electricity and Repair
25% Plumbing
15% General Cleaning
4% Building Security/Fire Prevention/Records
7% Employee Supervision/Relations
7% Heating
6% Painting

Sample Questions:

All facets of stripping a tile floor are important. However, of the following, which one is the most critical to obtain a chalk-free finish?
A. mixing of the stripping solution
B. letting the stripping solution work prior to scrubbing
C. double scrubbing
D. rinsing as many times after stripping as needed to insure a film-free floor

To insure the best professional results in cleaning carpet, you should
A. use the extraction method
B. use the shampoo method
C. use the dry or spin clean method
D. alternate methods

The minimum size service entrance for residential wiring is ___________ amperes.
A. 100
B. 125
C. 150
D. 200

When we speak of “head” as a plumbing term, we are referring to the
A. cross section of pipe run
B. amount of incoming water pressure
C. amount of outgoing water pressure
D. height of the plumbing run

Fires generally burn
A. downward and inward
B. downward and outward
C. upward and inward
D. upward and outward

Performance Assessment:

Administration Time: 5 hours
Number of Jobs: 7

Areas Covered:

25% General Cleaning of Office or Classroom and a Restroom or Shower/Locker Room Area
Given a specific office area or typical classroom with desks, chairs, ledges, shelves, tile or carpet
floor, the participant will clean the area for use the following day, insuring every surface is
checked or cleaned from top to bottom: sills, corners, cobwebs, dusting, polishing, vacuuming,
trash removal, floor care, desks, chairs, glass, door jambs and kick plates.

16% Floor Stripping, Refinishing, and Buffing
Given a tile floor in need of stripping and refinishing, the participant will scrub, rinse, seal/wax, and/or buff the area assigned so that the floor is refinished and ready for use with a degree of shine.

17% Carpet Care
The participant is to clean a soiled carpet area using one or a combination of extraction, shampooing, or spin cleaning methods. Participant should move furniture, pre-test chemicals for bleeding and proceed to use one of the methods so that the carpet is free of spots, soil or wet residue.

12% Welding or Soldering
Given the task of gas/arc welding, the participant will strike an arc, run a bead, light a torch and weld a given piece of steel, observing all safety precautions and special instructions where necessary.

14% Electrical Repair
Participant will, as assigned, repair or replace a faulty ballast, switch, or duplex outlet. Participant will lock out breaker box prior to making necessary repairs, switch outlet or ballast, and, upon replacement, restore electrical service.

5% Small Hand/Power Tools
Given a wide variety of hand tools and power equipment, the participant will demonstrate their correct and safe use: 1) circular and/or table saw – cut a board to size; 2) screwdrivers, hammers, measuring tapes, nails, screws, etc. – will measure and join two boards together.

11% Interior/Exterior Painting
The participant will scrape, sand, putty, clean and protect all surfaces to be painted prior to actual application. Participant will proceed to apply coating with brush or roller to give even, non-running coatings. Attention should be given to proper surface preparation and application. Cleanup is also essential.

Sample Job: General Cleaning of an Office or Classroom and a Restroom or Shower/Locker Room
Estimated Job Time: 45 minutes
Participant Activity: The participant will be given a specified office area or typical classroom with desks, chairs, ledges, shelves, tile or carpet floor. The participant will clean the area for use the following day, insuring every surface is checked or cleaned from top to bottom: sills, corners, cobwebs, dusting, polishing, vacuuming, trash removal, floor care, desks, chairs, glass, door jambs, and kick plates.