CALIFORNIA CUSTODIAN CERTIFICATION
EXAMINATION COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS
YEAR JUST RELEASED
Exam Coverage
1. Custodial Safety and Hazard Communication — PPE, SDS, chemical labels, hazard
communication, exposure prevention, and safe work practices.
2. Cleaning Chemicals and Disinfectants — Proper selection, dilution, storage, compatibility,
contact time, and safe handling of cleaning agents.
3. Floor Care and Maintenance — Sweeping, mopping, stripping, waxing, burnishing, carpet care,
and treatment of different flooring surfaces.
4. Restroom Cleaning and Sanitation — Toilets, urinals, sinks, fixtures, partitions, floors, odor
control, and infection-prevention practices.
5. Infection Control and Bloodborne Pathogens — Universal precautions, bodily-fluid cleanup,
sharps hazards, contaminated materials, and exposure response.
6. Waste Management and Recycling — Proper collection, segregation, disposal, recycling
procedures, and handling of potentially hazardous waste.
7. Building and Facility Cleaning — Dusting, vacuuming, glass cleaning, high-touch surfaces,
walls, ceilings, furniture, and common areas.
8. Equipment Operation and Maintenance — Vacuums, auto scrubbers, buffers, burnishers,
extractors, pressure washers, and routine equipment care.
9. Workplace Organization and Professional Practices — Work schedules, prioritization,
security, key control, customer service, documentation, and communication.
10. California-Specific Workplace Practices — Safe custodial operations in California public and
private facilities, environmental considerations, injury prevention, and regulatory awareness.
1. Which practice is most important when a custodian prepares to use a
chemical cleaning product for the first time?
A. Assume the product is safe because another employee used it previously
B. Read the product label and applicable Safety Data Sheet before use
C. Mix the product with another cleaner to increase its effectiveness
D. Use the strongest available concentration regardless of manufacturer
instructions
,Answer: B
Rationale: The label provides required directions and precautions, while the SDS
provides hazard, handling, storage, PPE, and emergency information. Custodians
should never assume a chemical is safe without reviewing the appropriate
information.
2. A custodian discovers an unlabeled spray bottle containing an unknown liquid
in a janitorial closet; what should happen next?
A. Smell the liquid carefully to identify it
B. Pour it into the nearest sink
C. Use it only on heavily soiled floors
D. Do not use it and report the unidentified container according to workplace
procedures
Answer: D
Rationale: Unknown chemicals should never be smelled, handled unnecessarily,
mixed, or used. Proper identification and labeling are essential for preventing
accidental exposure and chemical reactions.
3. Why should custodians avoid mixing bleach-containing products with acidic
cleaners or ammonia-based products?
A. The mixture always becomes ineffective
B. Dangerous toxic gases or hazardous chemical reactions can occur
C. The mixture permanently stains all floors
D. The combination makes the products more expensive
Answer: B
,Rationale: Mixing incompatible chemicals can produce toxic gases or other
dangerous reactions. Bleach should only be used according to its label and never
mixed with incompatible cleaning products.
4. Which item provides workers with information about chemical hazards,
protective measures, and emergency response procedures?
A. Daily attendance sheet
B. Building floor plan
C. Safety Data Sheet
D. Equipment inventory list
Answer: C
Rationale: The Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, provides standardized information
about chemical hazards, safe handling, PPE, storage, first aid, and spill or
exposure procedures.
5. A custodian must clean a restroom floor contaminated with potentially
infectious bodily fluids; which approach is most appropriate?
A. Clean it immediately with bare hands to save time
B. Use appropriate PPE and follow established bodily-fluid cleanup procedures
C. Spray air freshener over the area
D. Cover the contamination with a dry towel and leave it overnight
Answer: B
Rationale: Potentially infectious materials require appropriate precautions, PPE,
cleaning, and disinfection procedures. Custodians should follow employer
protocols and applicable exposure-control procedures.
, 6. Which statement best explains why custodians should follow the
manufacturer's recommended dilution ratio for concentrated cleaning
chemicals?
A. Proper dilution helps ensure effectiveness while reducing unnecessary
chemical exposure
B. Stronger solutions are always safer and more effective
C. Dilution ratios only matter for products used outdoors
D. Dilution is unnecessary when cleaning heavily soiled surfaces
Answer: A
Rationale: Using the correct dilution helps achieve the intended cleaning
performance while minimizing waste, surface damage, and unnecessary worker
exposure.
7. When operating a powered floor machine, what should a custodian do before
beginning the cleaning operation?
A. Remove all warning signs from the area
B. Inspect the machine, cord, plug, guards, and operating condition
C. Add extra chemical directly to the motor
D. Operate the machine at maximum speed immediately
Answer: B
Rationale: A pre-use inspection helps identify damaged cords, plugs, guards, or
other hazards before the equipment is operated.
EXAMINATION COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
DETAILED SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE THIS
YEAR JUST RELEASED
Exam Coverage
1. Custodial Safety and Hazard Communication — PPE, SDS, chemical labels, hazard
communication, exposure prevention, and safe work practices.
2. Cleaning Chemicals and Disinfectants — Proper selection, dilution, storage, compatibility,
contact time, and safe handling of cleaning agents.
3. Floor Care and Maintenance — Sweeping, mopping, stripping, waxing, burnishing, carpet care,
and treatment of different flooring surfaces.
4. Restroom Cleaning and Sanitation — Toilets, urinals, sinks, fixtures, partitions, floors, odor
control, and infection-prevention practices.
5. Infection Control and Bloodborne Pathogens — Universal precautions, bodily-fluid cleanup,
sharps hazards, contaminated materials, and exposure response.
6. Waste Management and Recycling — Proper collection, segregation, disposal, recycling
procedures, and handling of potentially hazardous waste.
7. Building and Facility Cleaning — Dusting, vacuuming, glass cleaning, high-touch surfaces,
walls, ceilings, furniture, and common areas.
8. Equipment Operation and Maintenance — Vacuums, auto scrubbers, buffers, burnishers,
extractors, pressure washers, and routine equipment care.
9. Workplace Organization and Professional Practices — Work schedules, prioritization,
security, key control, customer service, documentation, and communication.
10. California-Specific Workplace Practices — Safe custodial operations in California public and
private facilities, environmental considerations, injury prevention, and regulatory awareness.
1. Which practice is most important when a custodian prepares to use a
chemical cleaning product for the first time?
A. Assume the product is safe because another employee used it previously
B. Read the product label and applicable Safety Data Sheet before use
C. Mix the product with another cleaner to increase its effectiveness
D. Use the strongest available concentration regardless of manufacturer
instructions
,Answer: B
Rationale: The label provides required directions and precautions, while the SDS
provides hazard, handling, storage, PPE, and emergency information. Custodians
should never assume a chemical is safe without reviewing the appropriate
information.
2. A custodian discovers an unlabeled spray bottle containing an unknown liquid
in a janitorial closet; what should happen next?
A. Smell the liquid carefully to identify it
B. Pour it into the nearest sink
C. Use it only on heavily soiled floors
D. Do not use it and report the unidentified container according to workplace
procedures
Answer: D
Rationale: Unknown chemicals should never be smelled, handled unnecessarily,
mixed, or used. Proper identification and labeling are essential for preventing
accidental exposure and chemical reactions.
3. Why should custodians avoid mixing bleach-containing products with acidic
cleaners or ammonia-based products?
A. The mixture always becomes ineffective
B. Dangerous toxic gases or hazardous chemical reactions can occur
C. The mixture permanently stains all floors
D. The combination makes the products more expensive
Answer: B
,Rationale: Mixing incompatible chemicals can produce toxic gases or other
dangerous reactions. Bleach should only be used according to its label and never
mixed with incompatible cleaning products.
4. Which item provides workers with information about chemical hazards,
protective measures, and emergency response procedures?
A. Daily attendance sheet
B. Building floor plan
C. Safety Data Sheet
D. Equipment inventory list
Answer: C
Rationale: The Safety Data Sheet, or SDS, provides standardized information
about chemical hazards, safe handling, PPE, storage, first aid, and spill or
exposure procedures.
5. A custodian must clean a restroom floor contaminated with potentially
infectious bodily fluids; which approach is most appropriate?
A. Clean it immediately with bare hands to save time
B. Use appropriate PPE and follow established bodily-fluid cleanup procedures
C. Spray air freshener over the area
D. Cover the contamination with a dry towel and leave it overnight
Answer: B
Rationale: Potentially infectious materials require appropriate precautions, PPE,
cleaning, and disinfection procedures. Custodians should follow employer
protocols and applicable exposure-control procedures.
, 6. Which statement best explains why custodians should follow the
manufacturer's recommended dilution ratio for concentrated cleaning
chemicals?
A. Proper dilution helps ensure effectiveness while reducing unnecessary
chemical exposure
B. Stronger solutions are always safer and more effective
C. Dilution ratios only matter for products used outdoors
D. Dilution is unnecessary when cleaning heavily soiled surfaces
Answer: A
Rationale: Using the correct dilution helps achieve the intended cleaning
performance while minimizing waste, surface damage, and unnecessary worker
exposure.
7. When operating a powered floor machine, what should a custodian do before
beginning the cleaning operation?
A. Remove all warning signs from the area
B. Inspect the machine, cord, plug, guards, and operating condition
C. Add extra chemical directly to the motor
D. Operate the machine at maximum speed immediately
Answer: B
Rationale: A pre-use inspection helps identify damaged cords, plugs, guards, or
other hazards before the equipment is operated.
