NICET Construction Materials Testing – Soils
Level II (2026) EXAM PREP | 200+ Practice
Questions & Detailed Solutions | Latest
Updated Study Guide | CMT Soils Level 2
Certification Pack
NICET CMT SOILS LEVEL II — 2026 EXAM PREP
200 Practice Questions & Detailed Solutions
• This study pack covers all NICET CMT Soils Level II exam domains with 200
carefully crafted practice questions, detailed correct answers, and clear EXPERT
RATIONALE to reinforce your understanding of each concept.
• Work through each question independently before checking the answer — this
active recall method is proven to boost retention and exam performance
significantly.
SECTION 1: SOIL CLASSIFICATION & IDENTIFICATION
1. According to ASTM D2487, a soil with more than 50% retained on the No.
200 sieve and more than 50% of the coarse fraction retained on the No. 4
sieve is classified as:
A. Sand
B. Gravel
C. Silt
D. Clay
E. Organic soil
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Gravel
,EXPERT RATIONALE: Per ASTM D2487 (USCS), coarse-grained soils have more than 50%
retained on the No. 200 sieve. Within coarse-grained soils, if more than 50% of the
coarse fraction is retained on the No. 4 sieve, the soil is classified as gravel.
2. The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) designates a well-graded
gravel with the symbol:
A. GW
B. GP
C. GM
D. GC
E. GW-GM
CORRECT ANSWER: A. GW
EXPERT RATIONALE: In USCS, G = Gravel and W = Well-graded. GW denotes a well-
graded gravel meeting Cu ≥ 4 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 criteria with little to no fines.
3. A soil classified as CH under USCS is best described as:
A. Sandy clay of low plasticity
B. Inorganic clay of high plasticity
C. Silty clay of medium plasticity
D. Organic clay of low plasticity
E. Poorly graded sand with clay fines
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Inorganic clay of high plasticity
EXPERT RATIONALE: CH = Clay (C) with High plasticity (H). These soils plot above the A-
line on the plasticity chart and have a liquid limit of 50 or more.
,4. The A-line on the Casagrande plasticity chart is described by the equation:
A. PI = 0.73 (LL − 10)
B. PI = 0.73 (LL − 20)
C. PI = 0.63 (LL − 10)
D. PI = 0.83 (LL − 20)
E. PI = 0.73 (LL + 10)
CORRECT ANSWER: A. PI = 0.73 (LL − 20)
EXPERT RATIONALE: The A-line equation per ASTM D2487 is PI = 0.73(LL − 20). Soils
plotting above the A-line are clays (C); those below are silts (M) or organic soils (O).
5. Under the AASHTO classification system, a soil classified as A-7-6 indicates:
A. A well-graded gravel
B. A silty soil with high plasticity
C. A clayey soil with high swelling potential
D. A poorly graded sand
E. An organic silt
CORRECT ANSWER: C. A clayey soil with high swelling potential
EXPERT RATIONALE: A-7-6 soils are highly plastic clays where PI > LL − 30. They have
significant volume change potential and are considered poor subgrade materials.
6. What does the coefficient of uniformity (Cu) measure in soil classification?
A. The curvature of the grain size distribution curve
B. The ratio of D60 to D10 particle sizes
C. The ratio of D30 to D60 particle sizes
D. The uniformity of compaction effort
, E. The degree of soil saturation
CORRECT ANSWER: B. The ratio of D60 to D10 particle sizes
EXPERT RATIONALE: Cu = D60/D10. A Cu ≥ 4 is required for well-graded gravels (GW)
and Cu ≥ 6 for well-graded sands (SW) per ASTM D2487.
7. A soil has 8% passing the No. 200 sieve, and the fines are non-plastic. Under
USCS, this soil would be classified as:
A. SW-SM
B. GW-GM
C. SM
D. ML
E. SP-SM
CORRECT ANSWER: E. SP-SM
EXPERT RATIONALE: When 5–12% of a sand passes the No. 200 sieve and the fines are
non-plastic (silt-like), the soil receives a dual symbol. SP indicates poorly graded sand
and SM indicates silty sand, resulting in SP-SM.
8. According to ASTM D2488, visual-manual classification of soils is considered:
A. A standard test method with precise results
B. A practice for description and identification only
C. Equivalent to laboratory classification
D. Applicable only to coarse-grained soils
E. A method for determining Atterberg limits in the field
CORRECT ANSWER: B. A practice for description and identification only
Level II (2026) EXAM PREP | 200+ Practice
Questions & Detailed Solutions | Latest
Updated Study Guide | CMT Soils Level 2
Certification Pack
NICET CMT SOILS LEVEL II — 2026 EXAM PREP
200 Practice Questions & Detailed Solutions
• This study pack covers all NICET CMT Soils Level II exam domains with 200
carefully crafted practice questions, detailed correct answers, and clear EXPERT
RATIONALE to reinforce your understanding of each concept.
• Work through each question independently before checking the answer — this
active recall method is proven to boost retention and exam performance
significantly.
SECTION 1: SOIL CLASSIFICATION & IDENTIFICATION
1. According to ASTM D2487, a soil with more than 50% retained on the No.
200 sieve and more than 50% of the coarse fraction retained on the No. 4
sieve is classified as:
A. Sand
B. Gravel
C. Silt
D. Clay
E. Organic soil
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Gravel
,EXPERT RATIONALE: Per ASTM D2487 (USCS), coarse-grained soils have more than 50%
retained on the No. 200 sieve. Within coarse-grained soils, if more than 50% of the
coarse fraction is retained on the No. 4 sieve, the soil is classified as gravel.
2. The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) designates a well-graded
gravel with the symbol:
A. GW
B. GP
C. GM
D. GC
E. GW-GM
CORRECT ANSWER: A. GW
EXPERT RATIONALE: In USCS, G = Gravel and W = Well-graded. GW denotes a well-
graded gravel meeting Cu ≥ 4 and 1 ≤ Cc ≤ 3 criteria with little to no fines.
3. A soil classified as CH under USCS is best described as:
A. Sandy clay of low plasticity
B. Inorganic clay of high plasticity
C. Silty clay of medium plasticity
D. Organic clay of low plasticity
E. Poorly graded sand with clay fines
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Inorganic clay of high plasticity
EXPERT RATIONALE: CH = Clay (C) with High plasticity (H). These soils plot above the A-
line on the plasticity chart and have a liquid limit of 50 or more.
,4. The A-line on the Casagrande plasticity chart is described by the equation:
A. PI = 0.73 (LL − 10)
B. PI = 0.73 (LL − 20)
C. PI = 0.63 (LL − 10)
D. PI = 0.83 (LL − 20)
E. PI = 0.73 (LL + 10)
CORRECT ANSWER: A. PI = 0.73 (LL − 20)
EXPERT RATIONALE: The A-line equation per ASTM D2487 is PI = 0.73(LL − 20). Soils
plotting above the A-line are clays (C); those below are silts (M) or organic soils (O).
5. Under the AASHTO classification system, a soil classified as A-7-6 indicates:
A. A well-graded gravel
B. A silty soil with high plasticity
C. A clayey soil with high swelling potential
D. A poorly graded sand
E. An organic silt
CORRECT ANSWER: C. A clayey soil with high swelling potential
EXPERT RATIONALE: A-7-6 soils are highly plastic clays where PI > LL − 30. They have
significant volume change potential and are considered poor subgrade materials.
6. What does the coefficient of uniformity (Cu) measure in soil classification?
A. The curvature of the grain size distribution curve
B. The ratio of D60 to D10 particle sizes
C. The ratio of D30 to D60 particle sizes
D. The uniformity of compaction effort
, E. The degree of soil saturation
CORRECT ANSWER: B. The ratio of D60 to D10 particle sizes
EXPERT RATIONALE: Cu = D60/D10. A Cu ≥ 4 is required for well-graded gravels (GW)
and Cu ≥ 6 for well-graded sands (SW) per ASTM D2487.
7. A soil has 8% passing the No. 200 sieve, and the fines are non-plastic. Under
USCS, this soil would be classified as:
A. SW-SM
B. GW-GM
C. SM
D. ML
E. SP-SM
CORRECT ANSWER: E. SP-SM
EXPERT RATIONALE: When 5–12% of a sand passes the No. 200 sieve and the fines are
non-plastic (silt-like), the soil receives a dual symbol. SP indicates poorly graded sand
and SM indicates silty sand, resulting in SP-SM.
8. According to ASTM D2488, visual-manual classification of soils is considered:
A. A standard test method with precise results
B. A practice for description and identification only
C. Equivalent to laboratory classification
D. Applicable only to coarse-grained soils
E. A method for determining Atterberg limits in the field
CORRECT ANSWER: B. A practice for description and identification only
