← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions
Water retentivity for brick masonry should not be less than
A)
50%
B)
60%
C)
70%
D)
80%
Water retentivity is the ability of bricks to retain water so that the mortar does not dry out too quickly and proper bond develops in masonry. For good brick masonry, the water retentivity of bricks should not be less than 70%. Hence option (c) is correct. Options 50%, 60%, and 80% are not the standard minimum requirement for brick masonry.
If the quantity of earth filling is 250 cum. Height of earth filling in plinth is 30cm and the height of sand filling is 15cm. Then, the quantity of sand filling in plinth is
A)
100cum
B)
120cum
C)
125 cum
D)
130cum
In plinth filling, quantities are proportional to the thickness of each layer. Total filling thickness = 30 cm earth + 15 cm sand = 45 cm. If total earth filling quantity for 30 cm is 250 cum, then sand filling for 15 cm is:
Sand quantity = 250 × (15/30) = 125 cum.
So the correct answer is 125 cum. The other options do not match the proportional calculation.
A joint parallel to the face of the masonry wall is called
A)
Bed joint
B)
Cross joint
C)
Wall joint
D)
None of these
In masonry, a joint parallel to the face of the wall is called a bed joint. It runs horizontally along the length of the wall. A cross joint (or head joint) is generally perpendicular to the face of the wall. Therefore, the correct answer is Bed joint.
Compaction piles for ground improvement technique are found to be more effective in densifying
A)
Partially saturated granular soils
B)
Saturated granular soils
C)
Partially saturated cohesive soils
D)
Saturated cohesive soils
Compaction piles work by driving a pile into the ground, which displaces and densifies the surrounding soil. This technique is most effective in granular soils that are not fully saturated, because the soil particles can rearrange into a denser state. In saturated soils, especially cohesive soils, the presence of water and low permeability reduces the immediate densification effect. Therefore, compaction piles are more effective in partially saturated granular soils.
The yard where trains and other loads are received, sorted out, trains formed and dispatched onwards are known as
A)
Station yard
B)
Marshalling yard
C)
Locomotive yard
D)
Goods yard
A marshalling yard is the railway yard where wagons/trains are received, sorted according to destination, formed into new trains, and dispatched onward. A station yard is a general yard at a station, a locomotive yard is for engine maintenance/servicing, and a goods yard is mainly for loading and unloading goods.
The length of an Engineer’s chain should be
A)
100 ft
B)
66 ft
C)
30m
D)
20m
An Engineer’s chain is the standard surveying chain used in engineering surveys, and its length is 100 ft. The other options are incorrect because 66 ft is the length of a Gunter’s chain, while 30 m and 20 m are not the standard length of an Engineer’s chain.
If super-elevation is not provided on a horizontal curve of a highway, then on which portion of the road are pot holes likely to develop?
A)
Outer edge of the road
B)
Inner edge of the road
C)
Centre of the road
D)
Shoulder of the road
On a horizontal curve, super-elevation is provided to counteract the centrifugal force and reduce the tendency of vehicles to move outward. If it is not provided, the outer side of the pavement carries greater lateral stress and wheel load effects, so potholes are most likely to develop at the outer edge of the road. The inner edge is less stressed in this case, while the centre and shoulder are not the primary locations caused by the missing super-elevation.
Pick out the odd. Airports are classified on the basis of
A)
Runway length
B)
Pavement strength
C)
Expected air traffic
D)
None of these
Airports are commonly classified on the basis of factors like runway length, pavement strength, and expected air traffic. Since all three listed factors are valid bases of classification, there is no odd one out among options (a), (b), and (c). Therefore, the correct answer is (d) None of these.
Soils containing organic matters
A)
are of spongy nature
B)
swell with decrease of moisture
C)
shrink with increase of moisture content
D)
none of these
Soils containing organic matter are generally light, compressible, and spongy in nature because the organic content reduces soil strength and increases voids. They do not typically swell on decrease of moisture or shrink on increase of moisture; those behaviors are opposite of normal moisture-volume relations. Hence, option (a) is correct.
The colour of landing direction lights in heliports is
A)
White
B)
Red
C)
Yellow
D)
Green
In heliport lighting, the landing direction lights indicate the landing direction and are green. White is commonly used for general illumination/approach aids, while red is typically used for warning/obstruction lighting. Therefore, the correct option is Green.
Pick out the cohesionless soil from the following
A)
Sand
B)
Silt
C)
Clay
D)
Clay and silt
Cohesionless soils are those whose particles do not have significant interparticle attraction. Sand is a classic cohesionless soil because its grains are coarse and do not stick together. Silt has very little cohesion but is not the standard answer here, while clay and clayey silt are cohesive soils due to electrochemical attraction between fine particles.
If the chain is too long in surveying work, the measured length is
A)
Less than its true length
B)
Greater than its true length
C)
Negligibly greater than its true length
D)
None of these
In chain surveying, if the chain is too long, each measured chain length covers a distance greater than the standard length. Therefore, the number of chain lengths counted becomes fewer, and the computed measured distance is less than the actual true distance. Hence, the measured length is less than its true length.
The dock that projects into the ship basin at right angles or oblique from shore is called
A)
Wharves
B)
Quay
C)
Jetty
D)
Cat walk
A jetty is a dock or structure that projects from the shore into the water, often at right angles or obliquely, to provide berthing or loading facilities. A quay and wharf are generally parallel to the shoreline, while a cat walk is not a dock structure.
If the scale of a map in surveying is 1cm= 100m, the representative fraction will be
A)
1/100
B)
1/1000
C)
1/10000
D)
1/100000
Representative fraction (RF) = map distance / ground distance in the same units. Here, 1 cm on map = 100 m on ground = 10,000 cm. So RF = 1/10,000. Hence option (c) is correct. The other options correspond to much larger scales and do not match the given conversion.
The roads connecting capitals for states is known as
A)
National highway
B)
Provincial highway
C)
State highway
D)
Express highway
Roads connecting the capital city of a state with important district headquarters and other important towns within the state are called State Highways. National Highways connect major cities across states, Provincial Highways is not the standard classification here, and Express Highways are high-speed access-controlled roads.
The compulsory test conducted for rails is
A)
Hammer test
B)
Falling weight test
C)
Tensile test
D)
Impact test
Rails are subjected to repeated dynamic loads from moving trains, so their toughness and resistance to sudden shocks are important. The compulsory test for rails is the impact test. Hammer test and falling weight test are not the standard compulsory tests for rails, and tensile test is used to determine strength properties but is not the compulsory test specifically asked here.
If the contour interval is 2m, the distance between the point on the first contour line and that on the next contour line in a gradient of 1:30 will be
A)
15m
B)
30m
C)
60m
D)
90m
A gradient of 1:30 means a rise of 1 m in 30 m horizontal distance. The contour interval is 2 m, so the horizontal distance between two successive contour lines is 2 × 30 = 60 m? Wait, the question asks the distance between the point on the first contour line and that on the next contour line in a gradient of 1:30. For a contour interval of 2 m, the horizontal distance = contour interval / gradient = 2 × 30 = 60 m. However, among the given options, 60 m is option (c). Therefore the correct answer is 60 m.
An imaginary surface in an airport extending outward and upward from the periphery of the horizontal surface at a slope of 20 to 21 for a horizontal distance of 4000 ft is known as
A)
Primary surface
B)
Horizontal surface
C)
Conical surface
D)
Transitional surface
In airport zoning/obstruction limitation surfaces, the surface that extends outward and upward from the periphery of the horizontal surface at a slope of 20:1 for a horizontal distance of 4000 ft is the **conical surface**. The **horizontal surface** is flat, the **primary surface** lies along the runway, and the **transitional surface** rises beside the runway edges and approach areas, not from the periphery of the horizontal surface.
The taxiway is the strip of pavement which connects
A)
The city to the airport
B)
The runway to the apron
C)
The terminal building to taxi stand
D)
None of these
A taxiway is the paved path used by aircraft to move between the runway and the apron/terminal area. It connects the runway with the apron, allowing aircraft to taxi before takeoff and after landing. Option (a) refers to road access, and (c) is not an airport pavement term. Therefore, the correct answer is (b).
A survey in which observations of the heavenly bodies such as sun or any other fixed star is done is known as
A)
Celestial survey
B)
Astronomical survey
C)
Photographic survey
D)
Astrological survey
A survey that uses observations of heavenly bodies like the sun or fixed stars is called an astronomical survey. It is used to determine latitude, longitude, and azimuth. Celestial survey is not the standard surveying term here, photographic survey uses photographs, and astrological survey is unrelated to science.
For a waterbound macadam road, the recommended camber is
A)
1 in 24 to 1 in 30
B)
1 in 30 to 1 in 48
C)
1 in 60 to 1 in 80
D)
1 in 80 to 1 in 120
Waterbound macadam (WBM) roads require a moderate camber to ensure quick drainage without making the surface too steep. The recommended camber for WBM roads is about 1 in 30 to 1 in 48. Option (a) is too steep and is more suitable for earthen roads, while options (c) and (d) are too flat for proper drainage on a WBM surface.
A survey in which horizontal and vertical locations of points are fixed by linear and angular measurement is known as
A)
Geodetic survey
B)
Cadastral survey
C)
Topographical survey
D)
City survey
A topographical survey determines the horizontal and vertical positions of points on the earth’s surface by linear and angular measurements, and it also represents natural and man-made features. Hence, the correct answer is Topographical survey. Geodetic survey deals with large areas and curvature of the earth, cadastral survey is for property boundaries, and city survey is for urban planning and municipal purposes.
The specific gravity of sand is approximately
A)
1.6
B)
2.0
C)
2.4
D)
2.6
The specific gravity of common sand (quartz-based soil particles) is approximately 2.65, which is closest to 2.6. Options 1.6 and 2.0 are too low for mineral soil solids, and 2.4 is still below the usual value for sand.
For earthquake resistant masonry buildings, the vertical distance between openings one above the other in a load bearing wall shall not be less than
A)
50cm
B)
60cm
C)
75cm
D)
100 cm
For earthquake-resistant masonry buildings, the recommended minimum vertical distance between two openings one above the other in a load-bearing wall is 75 cm. This helps maintain sufficient masonry pier/clear wall height between openings to improve wall strength and seismic performance. Hence, option (c) is correct. The other values (50 cm, 60 cm, and 100 cm) do not match the standard minimum requirement asked in this context.
The lateral earth pressure on retaining walls
A)
Is equal to mass of the soil retained
B)
Proportional to the depth of the soil
C)
Proportional to the square of the depth of the soil
D)
Proportional to the internal friction of the soil
For a retaining wall, lateral earth pressure increases linearly with depth, so the total resultant earth pressure is the area of a triangular pressure diagram. Hence, the total lateral earth pressure is proportional to the square of the soil depth (H^2). Option (a) is incorrect because it is not equal to the mass of soil retained. Option (b) describes pressure intensity at a given depth, not the total pressure. Option (d) is incorrect because internal friction affects the magnitude of earth pressure, but it is not directly proportional to it.