Practice Test Geeks(CST) Certified Scale Technicians Practice Test
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Weights & Measures Certification 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 Weights & Measures Certification flashcards as text

  1. What is the NIST Handbook 44 requirement for the 'warm-up' period of an electronic scale before it is used for commercial weighing?

    Answer: The device must meet its specifications after the manufacturer's specified warm-up period

    Handbook 44 requires that a device conform to its performance requirements after the warm-up period specified by the manufacturer, not a fixed universal time.

  2. A crane scale used to weigh scrap metal has a 10,000 lb capacity with 5 lb divisions. An inspector places certified test weights totaling 5,000 lb and records an indication of 5,025 lb. What is the most likely outcome of this inspection?

    Answer: Condemned — the 25 lb error exceeds the MAE of 5–10 lb for this scale

    For a Class III scale with 5 lb divisions, the MAE at mid-range is typically 1–2 scale divisions (5–10 lb), making a 25 lb error (5 divisions) clearly out of tolerance.

  3. Under NIST Handbook 130, what is the purpose of the 'Uniform Regulation for the Method of Sale of Commodities'?

    Answer: To establish consistent rules nationwide for how commodities must be sold and labeled by quantity

    Handbook 130 provides model regulations including the Method of Sale regulation, which establishes uniform requirements for the quantity declaration and sale of commodities across U.S. jurisdictions.

  4. When is it appropriate to use 'substitution weighing' during a scale calibration?

    Answer: When the scale capacity exceeds the available certified test weights

    Substitution weighing allows a technician to test a high-capacity scale by using certified weights up to their available total, then substituting calibrated material weights to reach the full test load.

  5. Which of the following is a 'non-automatic' weighing instrument as defined in NIST Handbook 44?

    Answer: A retail counter scale that requires an operator to initiate and stabilize each weighing

    A non-automatic weighing instrument requires human intervention to place the load, initiate the weighing, and read the result, as opposed to automatic scales that operate without an operator.

  6. A CST technician notices the indicating element of a scale 'creeps' — the display slowly changes even with a constant load. What Handbook 44 requirement does this violate?

    Answer: The motion detection and stability requirement

    Handbook 44 requires that once a scale stabilizes, the indication must remain constant; a drifting or creeping display indicates the scale fails the motion/stability requirement.

  7. What is the role of the 'National Conference on Weights and Measures' (NCWM) in U.S. weights and measures regulation?

    Answer: To develop and recommend model laws, regulations, and standards adopted voluntarily by states

    NCWM is a non-governmental organization that brings together federal, state, and local officials to develop model laws and standards (like Handbook 44 and 130) which states may adopt into law.