CIVIL ENGINEERING CERTIFICATION
NICET SOILS LEVEL 1 EXAM (ANSWERED) CORRECTLY TO
PASS 2026/2027!!
Complete Blueprint Coverage
A+
A+ 5 100%
QUESTIONS VERIFIED EXAM DOMAINS COVERED RATIONALES INCLUDED
CATEGORIES
Soil Classification and Identification
Compaction and Density Testing
Sampling, Moisture Content, and Laboratory Procedures
Field Testing and Equipment
Safety, Documentation, and Basic Engineering Properties
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
, SECTION 1: SOIL CLASSIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION
Q1.
A field technician receives a bag of soil from a proposed roadway embankment site. Visual examination shows the
material is coarse-grained, more than half the particles are larger than the No. 200 sieve, and the fine fraction is
non-plastic. According to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), the soil is best classified as:
A. CL – lean clay
B. GW – well-graded gravel
C. SP – poorly graded sand
D. ML – silt
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
When more than 50 percent of particles are retained on the No. 200 sieve the soil is coarse-grained. Non-plastic fines and lack of
well-graded particle distribution indicate a poorly graded sand (SP). GW requires gravel-sized particles that are well graded; CL and ML
are fine-grained soils.
Q2.
During a soil investigation the laboratory reports a liquid limit of 55 and a plasticity index of 28 for a fine-grained
sample. Plotting these values on the Casagrande plasticity chart places the soil above the A-line. The USCS group
symbol is:
A. MH – elastic silt
B. CL – lean clay
C. CH – fat clay
D. ML – silt
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
A liquid limit of 55 (≥ 50) places the soil in the high-plasticity range. Position above the A-line indicates clay behavior, producing the
group symbol CH (fat clay). MH would plot below the A-line; CL and ML have liquid limits below 50.
Q3.
A technician performs a visual-manual procedure on a soil sample and observes that the dry strength is high, the
toughness is high, and the dilatancy is none. These observations most strongly indicate the presence of:
A. Clean sand with little or no fines
B. High-plasticity clay
C. Organic silt
D. Well-graded gravel
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
High dry strength, high toughness, and absence of dilatancy are classic indicators of high-plasticity clay minerals. Clean sands show low
dry strength and rapid dilatancy; organic soils usually have lower toughness and distinctive odor.
NICET SOILS LEVEL 1 EXAM | 2026/2027 STUVIAACTUALEXAM
, Q4.
A grain-size distribution curve shows 8 percent fines, a coefficient of uniformity Cu = 7.2, and a coefficient of
curvature Cc = 1.4. The soil is predominantly sand-sized. The correct USCS classification is:
A. SW – well-graded sand
B. SP – poorly graded sand
C. SM – silty sand
D. SC – clayey sand
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
With less than 12 percent fines the soil is clean. Cu ≥ 6 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 satisfy the well-graded criteria for sand, producing the symbol
SW. SP would apply if either Cu or Cc fell outside the well-graded range.
Q5.
A sample of residual soil from a weathered granite profile contains angular particles of various sizes and a
noticeable amount of mica. When classifying this material for engineering purposes the technician should pay
special attention to:
A. The presence of mica, which can reduce shear strength and increase compressibility
B. The angular particle shape, which always improves compaction characteristics
C. The residual origin, which automatically classifies the soil as rock
D. The granite parent material, which guarantees high bearing capacity
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Mica particles are platy and weak; even modest percentages can significantly lower shear strength and increase compressibility.
Angular shape may aid interlocking, but mica content is the dominant concern for residual soils derived from granite.
Q6.
A soil sample is described as having 35 percent gravel, 55 percent sand, and 10 percent fines. The fines plot
below the A-line on the plasticity chart. The dual USCS symbol is:
A. GW-GM
B. SP-SM
C. SW-SM
D. GP-GC
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
The coarse fraction is predominantly sand (55 percent > 35 percent gravel). With 5–12 percent fines that are non-plastic or low-plasticity
silt, the dual symbol is SW-SM when the sand is well graded, or SP-SM when poorly graded. Given typical well-graded residual or
alluvial sands, SW-SM is the appropriate dual classification.
NICET SOILS LEVEL 1 EXAM | 2026/2027 STUVIAACTUALEXAM
NICET SOILS LEVEL 1 EXAM (ANSWERED) CORRECTLY TO
PASS 2026/2027!!
Complete Blueprint Coverage
A+
A+ 5 100%
QUESTIONS VERIFIED EXAM DOMAINS COVERED RATIONALES INCLUDED
CATEGORIES
Soil Classification and Identification
Compaction and Density Testing
Sampling, Moisture Content, and Laboratory Procedures
Field Testing and Equipment
Safety, Documentation, and Basic Engineering Properties
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
, SECTION 1: SOIL CLASSIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION
Q1.
A field technician receives a bag of soil from a proposed roadway embankment site. Visual examination shows the
material is coarse-grained, more than half the particles are larger than the No. 200 sieve, and the fine fraction is
non-plastic. According to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), the soil is best classified as:
A. CL – lean clay
B. GW – well-graded gravel
C. SP – poorly graded sand
D. ML – silt
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
When more than 50 percent of particles are retained on the No. 200 sieve the soil is coarse-grained. Non-plastic fines and lack of
well-graded particle distribution indicate a poorly graded sand (SP). GW requires gravel-sized particles that are well graded; CL and ML
are fine-grained soils.
Q2.
During a soil investigation the laboratory reports a liquid limit of 55 and a plasticity index of 28 for a fine-grained
sample. Plotting these values on the Casagrande plasticity chart places the soil above the A-line. The USCS group
symbol is:
A. MH – elastic silt
B. CL – lean clay
C. CH – fat clay
D. ML – silt
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
A liquid limit of 55 (≥ 50) places the soil in the high-plasticity range. Position above the A-line indicates clay behavior, producing the
group symbol CH (fat clay). MH would plot below the A-line; CL and ML have liquid limits below 50.
Q3.
A technician performs a visual-manual procedure on a soil sample and observes that the dry strength is high, the
toughness is high, and the dilatancy is none. These observations most strongly indicate the presence of:
A. Clean sand with little or no fines
B. High-plasticity clay
C. Organic silt
D. Well-graded gravel
Correct Answer: B
Rationale:
High dry strength, high toughness, and absence of dilatancy are classic indicators of high-plasticity clay minerals. Clean sands show low
dry strength and rapid dilatancy; organic soils usually have lower toughness and distinctive odor.
NICET SOILS LEVEL 1 EXAM | 2026/2027 STUVIAACTUALEXAM
, Q4.
A grain-size distribution curve shows 8 percent fines, a coefficient of uniformity Cu = 7.2, and a coefficient of
curvature Cc = 1.4. The soil is predominantly sand-sized. The correct USCS classification is:
A. SW – well-graded sand
B. SP – poorly graded sand
C. SM – silty sand
D. SC – clayey sand
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
With less than 12 percent fines the soil is clean. Cu ≥ 6 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 satisfy the well-graded criteria for sand, producing the symbol
SW. SP would apply if either Cu or Cc fell outside the well-graded range.
Q5.
A sample of residual soil from a weathered granite profile contains angular particles of various sizes and a
noticeable amount of mica. When classifying this material for engineering purposes the technician should pay
special attention to:
A. The presence of mica, which can reduce shear strength and increase compressibility
B. The angular particle shape, which always improves compaction characteristics
C. The residual origin, which automatically classifies the soil as rock
D. The granite parent material, which guarantees high bearing capacity
Correct Answer: A
Rationale:
Mica particles are platy and weak; even modest percentages can significantly lower shear strength and increase compressibility.
Angular shape may aid interlocking, but mica content is the dominant concern for residual soils derived from granite.
Q6.
A soil sample is described as having 35 percent gravel, 55 percent sand, and 10 percent fines. The fines plot
below the A-line on the plasticity chart. The dual USCS symbol is:
A. GW-GM
B. SP-SM
C. SW-SM
D. GP-GC
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:
The coarse fraction is predominantly sand (55 percent > 35 percent gravel). With 5–12 percent fines that are non-plastic or low-plasticity
silt, the dual symbol is SW-SM when the sand is well graded, or SP-SM when poorly graded. Given typical well-graded residual or
alluvial sands, SW-SM is the appropriate dual classification.
NICET SOILS LEVEL 1 EXAM | 2026/2027 STUVIAACTUALEXAM
