Minnesota Aggregate Technician
Certification Practice Exam 2026| 250
Most Tested Questions Collection &
Verified Detailed Answers | Tutor Verified
Success Exam) Graded A+
1. What is the primary purpose of aggregate in a pavement
mixture?
A. To provide color
B. To provide bulk, stability, and load distribution
C. To increase water content
D. To eliminate binder
Answer: B.
Aggregate makes up most of the volume of many pavement
materials and provides structural stability and load distribution.
2. Which property describes the resistance of aggregate to being
crushed under load?
A. Absorption
B. Soundness
C. Crushing resistance
D. Plasticity
Answer: C.
Crushing resistance indicates how well aggregate withstands
compressive forces.
3. What is aggregate gradation?
A. Aggregate color distribution
B. Distribution of particle sizes
C. Aggregate moisture content
D. Particle mineral hardness only
,Answer: B.
Gradation describes the proportions of particles of different sizes in
an aggregate sample.
4. Which sieve generally has the largest opening?
A. No. 200
B. No. 100
C. No. 40
D. No. 4
Answer: D.
As sieve number increases, the opening generally decreases; No. 4 is
much larger than No. 200.
5. What does a No. 200 sieve primarily separate?
A. Coarse gravel from cobbles
B. Fine material from larger aggregate particles
C. Sand from gravel only
D. Rock from asphalt
Answer: B.
The No. 200 sieve is commonly used to determine the amount of
material passing the 75-µm sieve.
6. Why is aggregate sampling important?
A. To make the aggregate look uniform
B. To obtain a representative portion of the material
C. To increase sample weight
D. To remove all fines
Answer: B.
A representative sample is necessary for test results to accurately
characterize the aggregate being produced or used.
7. A sample that is not representative can result in:
A. More accurate testing
B. Misleading test results
C. Automatic specification compliance
,D. Reduced testing requirements
Answer: B.
Sampling bias can cause laboratory results to misrepresent the actual
material.
8. Which aggregate shape generally provides good interlock in
pavement mixtures?
A. Highly rounded particles
B. Angular particles
C. Perfect spheres
D. Flat glass beads
Answer: B.
Angular particles tend to interlock more effectively than rounded
particles.
9. What is particle texture?
A. The surface characteristics of an aggregate particle
B. The particle's moisture content
C. Its sieve size
D. Its specific gravity only
Answer: A.
Texture refers to whether a particle surface is smooth, rough,
polished, porous, or otherwise characterized.
10. What is absorption in aggregate testing?
A. Water retained in aggregate pores after a defined saturation
procedure
B. Water chemically bonded to asphalt
C. Water evaporated during drying
D. Total rainfall
Answer: A.
Absorption represents water entering permeable pores within
aggregate particles.
, 11. Which aggregate condition generally contains the greatest
amount of absorbed water without free surface water?
A. Oven dry
B. Air dry
C. Saturated surface dry
D. Wet
Answer: C.
SSD aggregate has its permeable pores filled while the particle
surface is dry.
12. What does SSD stand for?
A. Standard sieve distribution
B. Saturated surface dry
C. Surface sample density
D. Sieve-size determination
Answer: B.
SSD means saturated surface dry.
13. Oven-dry aggregate has:
A. No permeable-pore moisture
B. Maximum surface moisture
C. Free water on its surface
D. A saturated surface
Answer: A.
Oven drying removes essentially all moisture that can be removed
under the specified drying conditions.
14. Why is aggregate cleanliness important?
A. Dirt and undesirable materials can adversely affect performance
B. It only affects color
C. It eliminates the need for gradation testing
D. It makes all aggregates equivalent
Answer: A.
Clay, organic matter, and other deleterious substances can interfere
with bonding and performance.
Certification Practice Exam 2026| 250
Most Tested Questions Collection &
Verified Detailed Answers | Tutor Verified
Success Exam) Graded A+
1. What is the primary purpose of aggregate in a pavement
mixture?
A. To provide color
B. To provide bulk, stability, and load distribution
C. To increase water content
D. To eliminate binder
Answer: B.
Aggregate makes up most of the volume of many pavement
materials and provides structural stability and load distribution.
2. Which property describes the resistance of aggregate to being
crushed under load?
A. Absorption
B. Soundness
C. Crushing resistance
D. Plasticity
Answer: C.
Crushing resistance indicates how well aggregate withstands
compressive forces.
3. What is aggregate gradation?
A. Aggregate color distribution
B. Distribution of particle sizes
C. Aggregate moisture content
D. Particle mineral hardness only
,Answer: B.
Gradation describes the proportions of particles of different sizes in
an aggregate sample.
4. Which sieve generally has the largest opening?
A. No. 200
B. No. 100
C. No. 40
D. No. 4
Answer: D.
As sieve number increases, the opening generally decreases; No. 4 is
much larger than No. 200.
5. What does a No. 200 sieve primarily separate?
A. Coarse gravel from cobbles
B. Fine material from larger aggregate particles
C. Sand from gravel only
D. Rock from asphalt
Answer: B.
The No. 200 sieve is commonly used to determine the amount of
material passing the 75-µm sieve.
6. Why is aggregate sampling important?
A. To make the aggregate look uniform
B. To obtain a representative portion of the material
C. To increase sample weight
D. To remove all fines
Answer: B.
A representative sample is necessary for test results to accurately
characterize the aggregate being produced or used.
7. A sample that is not representative can result in:
A. More accurate testing
B. Misleading test results
C. Automatic specification compliance
,D. Reduced testing requirements
Answer: B.
Sampling bias can cause laboratory results to misrepresent the actual
material.
8. Which aggregate shape generally provides good interlock in
pavement mixtures?
A. Highly rounded particles
B. Angular particles
C. Perfect spheres
D. Flat glass beads
Answer: B.
Angular particles tend to interlock more effectively than rounded
particles.
9. What is particle texture?
A. The surface characteristics of an aggregate particle
B. The particle's moisture content
C. Its sieve size
D. Its specific gravity only
Answer: A.
Texture refers to whether a particle surface is smooth, rough,
polished, porous, or otherwise characterized.
10. What is absorption in aggregate testing?
A. Water retained in aggregate pores after a defined saturation
procedure
B. Water chemically bonded to asphalt
C. Water evaporated during drying
D. Total rainfall
Answer: A.
Absorption represents water entering permeable pores within
aggregate particles.
, 11. Which aggregate condition generally contains the greatest
amount of absorbed water without free surface water?
A. Oven dry
B. Air dry
C. Saturated surface dry
D. Wet
Answer: C.
SSD aggregate has its permeable pores filled while the particle
surface is dry.
12. What does SSD stand for?
A. Standard sieve distribution
B. Saturated surface dry
C. Surface sample density
D. Sieve-size determination
Answer: B.
SSD means saturated surface dry.
13. Oven-dry aggregate has:
A. No permeable-pore moisture
B. Maximum surface moisture
C. Free water on its surface
D. A saturated surface
Answer: A.
Oven drying removes essentially all moisture that can be removed
under the specified drying conditions.
14. Why is aggregate cleanliness important?
A. Dirt and undesirable materials can adversely affect performance
B. It only affects color
C. It eliminates the need for gradation testing
D. It makes all aggregates equivalent
Answer: A.
Clay, organic matter, and other deleterious substances can interfere
with bonding and performance.
