Certified Pool Operator Handbook Practice Test Questions and Answers Updated 2026/2027 Version | Verified Answers

Certified Pool Operator Handbook Practice Test Questions and Answers Updated 2026/2027 Version | Verified Answers 1. To determine the level of chloramines in the water, you should do which of the following? - ANSWER test for total chlorine and free chlorine, then subtract the free chlorine number from the total chlorine 2. You operate a 45,000 gallon indoor pool, and upon doing your hourly chemical tests you observe the following readings:Total available chlorine is 2.2 Free available chlorine is 1.4 and pH is 7.6 What is the level of chloramines in this pool? - ANSWER 0.8 3. You are the operator of a 330,000 gallon outdoor pool. Your local health department requires you to perform a water balance calculation once monthly. Upon performing the water tests necessary to perform this calculation, you observe the following readings in your pool: Total alkalinity is 50 ppm pH is 7.2 Calcium Hardness is 150 ppm Temperature is 76 degrees F Total Dissolved Solids is 500 ppm Using these readings, what is the Saturation Index for this pool? - ANSWER -0.8 4. . To adjust the tested Total Alkalinity in the pool in question #7 to an acceptable level, which chemical would be most appropriate? - ANSWER Sodium Bicarbonate 5. To adjust the tested pH in the pool in question #7 to an acceptable level, which chemical would be most appropriate? - ANSWER Sodium Carbonate 6. You are the CPO for a 28,000 gallon hotel pool. You perform a water balance chemical test, and to your surprise, the Calcium Hardness is only 100 ppm. How much calcium chloride (77%) would be required to increase this to 400 ppm?" - ANSWER 100.8 lbs. 7. You are the CPO for a 100 foot long, 50 foot wide country club pool. The average depth of this pool is 7 feet. You return to the pool on Monday morning, after a rare weekend off, and find that the auto-fill feature has failed to work, and the pool water level is four inches too low. How many gallons of water must be added to return the water to the proper level? - ANSWER 12,495 gallons 8. You are the operator of a 3,000 gallon health club spa, which has an average of 100 users per day. According to the CPO Handbook, how often should the water in this spa be changed? - ANSWER 10 days 9. Spas and hot tubs require a higher level of chlorine than in swimming pools. The free available chlorine concentration should be maintained at ppm with hourly checks during heavy use. - ANSWER 3 0-5.0 10. According to the Certified Pool - Spa Operator Handbook, filtration and recirculation pumps should operate _______________ hours continuously for public spas and therapy pools. - ANSWER 24 11. The addition of Trichlor Tables to a swimming pool has what effect of the pH level? - ANSWER lowers pH 12. Heat loss to the ground from a pool through its sides, bottom, pipes and filters is called . - ANSWER conduction 13. Water clarity is measured in units of . - ANSWER turbidity 14. A valve has a vertical disc or wedge attached to a long threaded stem that when rotated either seals or unblocks the flow of water. - ANSWER gate 15. According to the Certified Pool - Spa Operator Handbook, cyanuric acid levels shall not exceed local health codes. In many cases the limit is ppm. - ANSWER 100 ppm 16. What is the name of the area of a centrifugal pump that converts water energy from velocity to pressure? - ANSWER volute 17. How much sodium bicarbonate should be added to a 2,000 gallon spa to increase the total alkalinity by 14ppm? - ANSWER 6.27 oz 18. Pools of similar surface area located in the same geographical region, but with differing water depths will have the same . - ANSWER surface heat loss 19. According to The Certified Pool - Spa Operator Handbook, pressure head is calculated by multiplying the psi by . - ANSWER 2.31 20. 1 pound per square inch (psi) is the pressure created by a column of water feet high. - ANSWER 2.31 21. In a pool containing 35,000 gallons which is 15 x 40 ft with the temp of 65 degrees F, BTU's would be required to raise the water temperature to 75 degrees F if the air temp is 65 degrees F. - ANSWER 2,915,500 22. To raise FC in a 20,000 gallon pool by 2.0 ppm would require ounces of calcium hypochlorite. - ANSWER 8 23. Pool surface area accounts for percent of heat loss. - ANSWER 50 24. Green water that is transparent is usually due to . - ANSWER copper ions in the water 25. The most widely accepted flow rate for rapid rate sand filters in a public pool is per sq. ft. - ANSWER 3 gpm 26. You are the CPO for a large municipal swimming pool. This pool has a volume of 560,000 gallons of water,and has an average daily bather load of 1300 people. The pool is operated using high rate pressure sand filters. How often should you backwash the filters?" - ANSWER When the influent and effluent gauges are 10 to 20 psi apart 27. In testing for Chlorine/Bromine in a commercial pool, DPD is preferred over OTO because: - ANSWER OTO only tests for Total Chlorine 28. Safety and rescue equipment should always be: - ANSWER Kept easily accessible around the pool