How this practice test works
Pick a topic or leave it on "All topics", choose how many questions you want, and decide whether to run a timer at one minute per question. When you submit, every question shows the correct answer, a one- or two-sentence explanation, and the section of 29 CFR it comes from, so you can read the actual rule if something surprises you.
The questions are original. We wrote them from the OSHA standards, not from any course provider's final exam. Course exams change and are not public, and copying them would not help you learn. What does help is understanding the numbers and the reasoning that keep showing up in the 30-hour material: trigger heights, distances, inspection duties and who counts as a competent person.
Answer order is shuffled every time you start, so you can't pass on memorized letters.
What the OSHA 30 final exam usually looks like
OSHA does not require a test at all. Its Outreach FAQ says testing "is not a requirement" and that trainers decide whether a student has completed the class. In practice, almost every online 30-hour provider ends each module with a short quiz and gives a final exam at the end. Common patterns:
- multiple-choice questions drawn from all modules,
- a pass mark around 70%,
- a limited number of attempts (often three) before you must repeat material,
- a time limit on the final.
Test time does not count toward the 30 contact hours, and the 7.5-hour daily cap still applies, so the course takes at least four days whatever happens on the exam.
The topics that carry the most weight
Fall protection (Subpart M)
Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, so expect several questions. Know these:
- 6 feet is the general trigger height in construction (1926.501(b)(1)).
- Guardrail top rails sit at 42 inches ± 3 and must withstand 200 pounds of force.
- Personal fall arrest anchorages hold 5,000 pounds per worker unless a qualified person designs the system with a safety factor of two.
- Hole covers carry twice the maximum intended load, are secured, and are marked "HOLE" or "COVER".
- A written fall protection plan is allowed only for leading-edge, precast and residential work where the employer can show conventional protection is infeasible or creates a greater hazard (1926.502(k)).
Scaffolds (Subpart L)
The scaffold trigger is 10 feet, not 6. A scaffold must hold four times its maximum intended load, and a competent person supervises erection, moving and dismantling.
Excavations (Subpart P)
- A protective system is required at 5 feet or deeper unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock.
- A registered professional engineer designs systems for excavations deeper than 20 feet.
- A safe means of egress must be within 25 feet of lateral travel once the trench reaches 4 feet.
- Spoil piles stay at least 2 feet from the edge.
- A competent person inspects before each shift and after rain or other events that increase hazards.
Electrical (Subpart K) and power lines
GFCIs, or an assured equipment grounding conductor program, protect temporary 120-volt receptacles on construction sites. Ten feet is the baseline clearance from overhead lines up to 50 kV. The 30-hour course also stresses that working de-energized and locked out is the default, not the exception.
Health hazards
Silica (PEL 50 µg/m³, action level 25), noise (hearing conservation at 85 dBA as an 8-hour TWA), respirators (medical evaluation and fit test before a tight-fitting respirator), and heat illness are all common question sources.
Managing safety
This is the part that separates OSHA 30 from OSHA 10. Expect questions on the hierarchy of controls (elimination first, PPE last), the definition of a competent person (able to identify hazards and authorized to fix them promptly), recordkeeping (OSHA 300 log, 300A posting from February 1 to April 30, the partial exemption for employers with 10 or fewer employees) and severe-injury reporting (fatalities within 8 hours, inpatient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye within 24 hours).
A study plan that works
- Run a 20-question mixed test cold. The topic breakdown in your result shows where you are weak.
- Filter by your two weakest topics and run 10-question sets until you pass both twice in a row.
- Turn the timer on for a final full-length run. If you pass at 70% under time, you are ready.
- Read the cited regulation for any question you missed twice. The explanations name the section, and reading one paragraph of the actual rule fixes a fact better than rereading notes.
If you are an employer sending several supervisors through the 30-hour course, the OSHA card tracker keeps each person's completion date, trainer and card photo in one place. That way the 5-year windows used in Nevada, NYC and Philadelphia never catch you off guard.
OSHA 30 Construction vs General Industry questions
This bank leans toward construction because that is where most 30-hour students come from. General Industry topics such as lockout/tagout, machine guarding, exit routes, bloodborne pathogens and forklift evaluations are included too. If you are taking the General Industry course, filter by "Machines & lockout", "Exits & fire" and "Hazard communication" for focused practice. The OSHA 10 practice test adds more General Industry fundamentals.
Practicing in Spanish
The same bank is available in Spanish at Examen de práctica OSHA 30. Several authorized online providers offer the 30-hour course in Spanish. A worker who studies in the language they will test in usually does better on the final.
Worked examples: how to think through tricky questions
Example 1: scaffold fall protection. "At what height must workers on a supported scaffold be protected from falls?" Candidates often choose 6 feet because that is the general construction trigger. Scaffolds have their own rule in Subpart L: 10 feet. When a question names specific equipment, think about which subpart covers it before you answer.
Example 2: excavation protective systems. "A trench is 4 feet deep in Type C soil, and the competent person sees signs of a possible cave-in. Is a protective system required?" The 5-foot rule is the default, but trenches shallower than 5 feet still need protection when a competent person finds indications of a potential cave-in. Read every condition in the question.
Example 3: the competent person. OSHA defines a competent person as someone who can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authorization to take prompt corrective measures. An answer that mentions only knowledge, or only authority, is incomplete.
Example 4: crane power-line clearance. Under Subpart CC, the default for equipment near lines up to 350 kV is 20 feet unless the employer determines the line voltage and uses Table A. Know that this differs from the 10-foot figure for general work near lines up to 50 kV.
Supervisor responsibilities you will be tested on
OSHA 30 is aimed at people who direct work, so expect questions on:
- Recordkeeping: which injuries go on the OSHA 300 log, that the 300A summary is posted from February 1 to April 30, and that records are kept for five years.
- Reporting: fatalities within 8 hours, and inpatient hospitalizations, amputations and losses of an eye within 24 hours.
- Inspections: the inspection priorities (imminent danger first), and the employee right to a representative during a walkaround.
- Safety programs: management commitment, worker participation, hazard identification and correction, and training.