Practice Test Geeks(CST) Certified Scale Technicians Practice Test
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PM & Calibration Schedules Flashcards

7 cards from real CST practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 PM & Calibration Schedules flashcards as text

  1. A CST technician is asked to set a calibration frequency for a scale used only for internal process monitoring (non-commercial, non-regulated). What is the primary factor that should determine the interval?

    Answer: Risk analysis based on the consequences of inaccuracy, usage frequency, and historical drift data

    For non-regulated scales, calibration intervals should be determined by risk assessment, usage patterns, and the scale's historical performance rather than a fixed rule.

  2. A PM procedure requires a 'warm-up period' before calibration checks are performed on an electronic scale. Why?

    Answer: To allow electronic components and load cells to reach thermal equilibrium for stable readings

    Electronic components and strain-gauge load cells exhibit thermal drift; allowing a warm-up period ensures readings are stable before calibration verification begins.

  3. Which document serves as the primary national standard for commercial weighing and measuring devices in the United States?

    Answer: NIST Handbook 44

    NIST Handbook 44 establishes specifications, tolerances, and technical requirements for commercial weighing devices used in the United States.

  4. A calibration PM on a high-resolution analytical balance requires checking 'sensitivity' using small incremental weights. Sensitivity is defined as:

    Answer: The minimum load change that causes a detectable change in the indicated value

    Sensitivity (or minimum detectable change) is the smallest increment of mass that produces a measurable change in the balance reading.

  5. During a scheduled PM, a technician discovers that a truck scale's junction box has standing water inside. What is the most likely long-term effect on calibration if not corrected?

    Answer: Corrosion of summing card connections causing signal imbalance and calibration drift

    Water ingress corrodes junction box connections and the summing card, causing resistance changes that unbalance the load cell network and shift calibration.

  6. A PM record requires documenting the 'as-left' condition after calibration. What does this entry represent?

    Answer: The scale's performance after all adjustments and verification tests are complete

    The as-left condition documents how the scale was performing after all PM work and calibration adjustments were completed, confirming it meets specifications.

  7. A Class F (field standard) test weight set used by a CST technician must itself be calibrated traceable to what?

    Answer: National standards maintained by NIST or an accredited laboratory traceable to NIST

    All reference standards used in calibration must maintain an unbroken traceability chain to NIST or an accredited laboratory that links to NIST.