NYC NYCHA Maintenance Worker Exam
—Questions and Answers With Verified
Answers and Detailed Rationales
This practice test covers the core knowledge areas commonly assessed for the NYCHA Maintenance Worker
civil service exam: arithmetic and measurement, hand tools and equipment, plumbing, electrical, heating/HVAC,
workplace safety, reading comprehension and following written instructions, and NYCHA procedures /
professional conduct.
Format: Questions and multiple-choice options appear first, organized by section. A complete answer key with
rationale explanations for every question follows in the final section of this document.
, Section 1: Arithmetic & Measurement
1. A maintenance worker replaces 3 ceiling tiles that cost $8.25 each. What is the total cost?
A. $16.50
B. $22.75
C. $24.75
D. $27.25
2. A pipe measures 7 feet 4 inches. How many total inches is this?
A. 82 inches
B. 84 inches
C. 88 inches
D. 90 inches
3. If a work order requires 2 3/4 gallons of paint and each can holds 1 gallon, how many full
cans are needed to have enough paint?
A. 2 cans
B. 3 cans
C. 4 cans
D. 5 cans
4. A storage room is 12 feet long and 9 feet wide. What is its area?
A. 21 sq ft
B. 54 sq ft
C. 108 sq ft
D. 120 sq ft
5. A worker starts a task at 9:15 AM and finishes at 11:50 AM. How long did the task take?
A. 2 hours 5 minutes
B. 2 hours 25 minutes
C. 2 hours 35 minutes
D. 3 hours 5 minutes
6. A box of light bulbs contains 24 bulbs. If 5 boxes are delivered, how many bulbs are there in
total?
A. 100
B. 110
C. 120
D. 125
7. A ladder must reach a window 18 feet above the ground. The base of the ladder is placed 6
feet from the wall. Roughly how long must the ladder be (using the Pythagorean relationship,
rounded)?
, A. 17 feet
B. 19 feet
C. 21 feet
D. 24 feet
8. A supply closet has 3/4 of a case of cleaning solution left. If a full case holds 20 bottles, how
many bottles remain?
A. 12
B. 15
C. 16
D. 18
9. A worker's shift is 8 hours long with one 30-minute unpaid lunch break. If the shift starts at
7:00 AM, when does it end?
A. 3:00 PM
B. 3:30 PM
C. 3:45 PM
D. 4:00 PM
10. A gallon of primer covers approximately 350 square feet. How many gallons are needed to
cover a 1,000 square foot wall?
A. 2 gallons
B. 3 gallons
C. 4 gallons
D. 5 gallons
11. A worker uses 3 feet of pipe from a 10-foot length. How much pipe is left?
A. 6 feet
B. 7 feet
C. 8 feet
D. 9 feet
12. If a filter needs to be replaced every 90 days, approximately how many times per year
should it be replaced?
A. 2 times
B. 3 times
C. 4 times
D. 6 times
13. A worker mixes cleaning solution at a ratio of 1 part concentrate to 4 parts water. How
many ounces of concentrate are needed for 20 ounces of water?
A. 4 ounces
B. 5 ounces
C. 6 ounces
D. 8 ounces
—Questions and Answers With Verified
Answers and Detailed Rationales
This practice test covers the core knowledge areas commonly assessed for the NYCHA Maintenance Worker
civil service exam: arithmetic and measurement, hand tools and equipment, plumbing, electrical, heating/HVAC,
workplace safety, reading comprehension and following written instructions, and NYCHA procedures /
professional conduct.
Format: Questions and multiple-choice options appear first, organized by section. A complete answer key with
rationale explanations for every question follows in the final section of this document.
, Section 1: Arithmetic & Measurement
1. A maintenance worker replaces 3 ceiling tiles that cost $8.25 each. What is the total cost?
A. $16.50
B. $22.75
C. $24.75
D. $27.25
2. A pipe measures 7 feet 4 inches. How many total inches is this?
A. 82 inches
B. 84 inches
C. 88 inches
D. 90 inches
3. If a work order requires 2 3/4 gallons of paint and each can holds 1 gallon, how many full
cans are needed to have enough paint?
A. 2 cans
B. 3 cans
C. 4 cans
D. 5 cans
4. A storage room is 12 feet long and 9 feet wide. What is its area?
A. 21 sq ft
B. 54 sq ft
C. 108 sq ft
D. 120 sq ft
5. A worker starts a task at 9:15 AM and finishes at 11:50 AM. How long did the task take?
A. 2 hours 5 minutes
B. 2 hours 25 minutes
C. 2 hours 35 minutes
D. 3 hours 5 minutes
6. A box of light bulbs contains 24 bulbs. If 5 boxes are delivered, how many bulbs are there in
total?
A. 100
B. 110
C. 120
D. 125
7. A ladder must reach a window 18 feet above the ground. The base of the ladder is placed 6
feet from the wall. Roughly how long must the ladder be (using the Pythagorean relationship,
rounded)?
, A. 17 feet
B. 19 feet
C. 21 feet
D. 24 feet
8. A supply closet has 3/4 of a case of cleaning solution left. If a full case holds 20 bottles, how
many bottles remain?
A. 12
B. 15
C. 16
D. 18
9. A worker's shift is 8 hours long with one 30-minute unpaid lunch break. If the shift starts at
7:00 AM, when does it end?
A. 3:00 PM
B. 3:30 PM
C. 3:45 PM
D. 4:00 PM
10. A gallon of primer covers approximately 350 square feet. How many gallons are needed to
cover a 1,000 square foot wall?
A. 2 gallons
B. 3 gallons
C. 4 gallons
D. 5 gallons
11. A worker uses 3 feet of pipe from a 10-foot length. How much pipe is left?
A. 6 feet
B. 7 feet
C. 8 feet
D. 9 feet
12. If a filter needs to be replaced every 90 days, approximately how many times per year
should it be replaced?
A. 2 times
B. 3 times
C. 4 times
D. 6 times
13. A worker mixes cleaning solution at a ratio of 1 part concentrate to 4 parts water. How
many ounces of concentrate are needed for 20 ounces of water?
A. 4 ounces
B. 5 ounces
C. 6 ounces
D. 8 ounces
