Free Forklift Practice Test With Answers

Forklift test questions and answers

Here are 10 questions from our practice bank with the right answer and the reason for it. The full 30-question mock exam is above. Each reason cites the paragraph of OSHA's forklift rule, 29 CFR 1910.178, that the answer comes from.

1. 1. What should an operator do before using a forklift at the start of a shift?

   • A. Start work right away if the last operator reported no issues
   • B. Perform a pre-operation inspection of the forklift (correct)
   • C. Check the fuel level and nothing else
   • D. Wait for a supervisor to inspect the forklift

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7) says trucks must be examined before being placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift where they run around the clock. Most employers have each operator do this check at the start of every shift, and any defect must be reported right away.

2. 2. If a forklift will be left unattended, what must the operator do?

   • A. Leave the forks raised so no one trips over them
   • B. Fully lower the forks, neutralize the controls, shut off the power, and set the brakes (correct)
   • C. Leave it running in case someone else needs it
   • D. Set the parking brake and nothing else

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(5)(i) lists exactly these steps, plus blocking the wheels if the truck is on an incline. Under (m)(5)(ii), a truck is unattended when you are 25 feet or more away, or whenever it is out of your view.

3. 3. What should a forklift operator do when approaching a blind corner or intersection?

   • A. Speed up to get through quickly
   • B. Assume no one is there if they don't hear anything
   • C. Slow down, sound the horn, and look before going ahead (correct)
   • D. Flash the headlights and keep going at normal speed

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(n)(4) requires the driver to slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and other places where vision is obstructed, and (n)(6) requires looking in the direction of travel with a clear view of the path.

4. 4. A pallet has a broken board and the boxes are leaning. What should you do?

   • A. Move it quickly before it falls
   • B. Don't move it until the load is made stable, for example restacked or wrapped (correct)
   • C. Carry it with the forks raised high
   • D. Tilt the forks forward to balance it

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(o)(1): only stable or safely arranged loads shall be handled. OSHA's eTool adds that damaged goods should not be carried unless secured by wrapping or banding.

5. 5. Which statement about carrying passengers on a forklift is correct?

   • A. Passengers may ride on the forks if they hold on tightly
   • B. One extra person may ride standing on the counterweight
   • C. No one may ride unless riding is authorized and the truck has a safe place to ride (correct)
   • D. Passengers are fine in the operator compartment on short trips

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(3): unauthorized personnel may not ride on powered industrial trucks, and a safe place to ride must be provided where riding is authorized. Forks, pallets, and counterweights are not a safe place to ride.

6. 6. When driving a loaded forklift up a ramp, which way should the load face?

   • A. Downhill
   • B. Uphill, so you drive forward up the ramp (correct)
   • C. Sideways across the ramp
   • D. It doesn't matter if the load is raised high

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(n)(7)(i) says loaded trucks on grades over 10 percent are driven with the load upgrade. Going up, that means driving forward. Coming down, drive in reverse so the load still points uphill.

7. 7. Which precaution is required when charging an electric forklift battery?

   • A. Charge the battery wherever is convenient
   • B. Charge in a designated area with ventilation, an eyewash, and fire protection (correct)
   • C. Keep the battery compartment sealed during charging
   • D. Charging areas need no special equipment

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(g)(1) and (g)(2) require a designated charging area with facilities for flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolyte, fire protection, and ventilation for battery gases. Where eyes can be exposed to battery acid, 1910.151(c) requires quick-flush facilities such as an eyewash. Under (g)(9) the battery cover stays open to let heat escape.

8. 8. Under OSHA's rule, how often must each forklift operator's performance be evaluated?

   • A. Every 6 months
   • B. Every year
   • C. At least once every 3 years (correct)
   • D. Only once, when first hired

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(4)(iii) requires an evaluation of each operator at least once every three years. Under (l)(4)(ii), refresher training is also due, whenever it happens, after unsafe operation, an accident or near miss, a failed evaluation, a move to a different type of truck, or a workplace change.

9. 9. A coworker wants to walk past your truck while the forks are raised. What is the rule?

   • A. They may walk under the forks if the forks are empty
   • B. They may pass under if they wear a hard hat
   • C. They may pass under while you hold the lift lever still
   • D. No one may stand or pass under raised forks, loaded or empty (correct)

   Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(m)(2): no person shall be allowed to stand or pass under the elevated portion of any truck, whether loaded or empty.

10. 10. What must an employer's forklift certification record include?

    • A. The operator's driver's license number
    • B. Only the operator's name and signature
    • C. The operator's name, the training date, the evaluation date, and who did the training or evaluation (correct)
    • D. The operator's test score and the course price

    Why: 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(6) lists exactly these items: the name of the operator, the date of the training, the date of the evaluation, and the identity of the person or people performing the training or evaluation.

Want the reasoning in more depth? The daily check is laid out item by item in our forklift inspection checklist, and the tip-over questions make more sense after the stability triangle diagram.

Practice tests by truck type

OSHA's rule requires training on the types of truck you will be authorized to drive, 1910.178(l)(3)(i)(A), so a stand-up or walk-behind truck has its own questions. Each of these tests has 15 questions: 12 on that truck and 3 on rules for every truck.

Forklift written test vs driving test

The written test is the knowledge check for formal instruction. The driving test is the practical evaluation in 29 CFR 1910.178(l)(2)(ii), where someone qualified watches the operator run the real truck in the real workplace. You need both before you operate on your own.

The employer handles the driving test. Under (l)(2)(iii), the person doing the evaluation must have the knowledge, training, and experience to judge competence. The evaluation happens in the workplace, on the type of truck the operator will actually drive.

An online course can cover the written half and nothing more. Ours includes the formal instruction and the written exam. It never includes the driving test, and no online course can. See the full list of OSHA forklift certification requirements for how the two halves fit together.

Is there an official OSHA forklift test?

No. OSHA does not write a forklift test, does not give one, and does not issue a card or license. There is no such thing as an "OSHA card" for forklift operators.

Any test sold as an "OSHA forklift test" is a provider's own test on the topics OSHA lists in 1910.178(l)(3). The certification itself comes from the employer, who signs off under (l)(6) that the operator was trained and evaluated.

Is there a forklift test cheat sheet?

No shortcut beats knowing the ten rules the test keeps coming back to. Each one below is a single line with its paragraph in 29 CFR 1910.178. Know these and the reason behind them, and most questions answer themselves.

1. Inspect the truck before it goes into service, at least daily, and after every shift if it runs around the clock. 1910.178(q)(7)
2. A truck that is defective or unsafe comes out of service until it is repaired by authorized personnel. 1910.178(p)(1), (q)(1)
3. Handle only loads within the rated capacity on the nameplate, and keep the nameplate legible. 1910.178(o)(2), (a)(6)
4. Handle only stable or safely arranged loads. 1910.178(o)(1)
5. Slow down and sound the horn at cross aisles and blind spots. If the load blocks your view, travel with it trailing. 1910.178(n)(4)
6. On grades over 10 percent, drive a loaded truck with the load upgrade. 1910.178(n)(7)(i)
7. No riders unless riding is authorized and the truck has a safe place to ride. 1910.178(m)(3)
8. No one stands or walks under raised forks, loaded or empty. 1910.178(m)(2)
9. Leaving the truck unattended (25 feet or more away, or out of view): forks fully down, controls neutral, power off, brakes set. 1910.178(m)(5)
10. Each operator is evaluated at least every 3 years, and gets refresher training whenever there is an accident or near miss, unsafe driving, a failed evaluation, a new type of truck, or a workplace change. 1910.178(l)(4)

For capacity questions where the load sits farther out than the rated load center, try the numbers in our load capacity calculator. For the full rule in plain English, read our guide to OSHA forklift regulations.

Frequently Asked Questions