21 Appliances, Locks & Keys Practice Questions & Answers

Every Appliances, Locks & Keys practice question from the CAMT Apartment Maintenance Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.

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1. A refrigerator does not create cold; it moves heat out of the cabinet. Which component reduces the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant just before it reaches the evaporator?
- A.The condenser coil at the back of the cabinet
- B.The compressor in the machine compartment
- C.The evaporator fan behind the rear panel
- D.The metering device, such as a capillary tube✓ Answer
Refrigerant leaves the condenser as a warm, high-pressure liquid. The metering device restricts the flow so pressure drops sharply, which lets the liquid boil at a low temperature in the evaporator and absorb heat from inside the box. The compressor raises pressure, the condenser rejects heat, and the fans only move air.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, refrigeration cycle componentsReport a problem with this question
2. A resident reports the refrigerator is warm inside. The compressor runs almost continuously, the freezer is only slightly cold, and the condenser coils are matted with dust and pet hair. What is the most likely cause?
- A.Coils so dirty that the unit cannot reject heat✓ Answer
- B.A defrost timer that has stopped advancing
- C.A cold control switch that failed closed
- D.A door gasket that no longer seals at the top
The condenser must hand its heat to the room air; a blanket of dust and hair insulates it, so head pressure and run time climb while the box still warms up. Cleaning the coils is a basic preventive task and is done before any component is condemned.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, refrigerator preventive maintenanceReport a problem with this question
3. The fresh-food compartment is warming while the freezer still feels cold, and the evaporator coil behind the rear freezer panel is packed solid with frost. Which system should the technician suspect first?
- A.The compressor, which is losing pumping ability
- B.The door gasket, which draws in humid air
- C.The defrost system, its heater or its timer✓ Answer
- D.The condenser fan, which seized in its bracket
Air is cooled at the evaporator and blown to both compartments, so a coil buried in frost blocks that airflow and starves the fresh-food side first. Frost that never clears points to the defrost heater or the control that calls for defrost, not to the sealed system.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, refrigerator defrost systemReport a problem with this question
4. Diagnosis shows that a refrigerator's compressor has failed and the sealed refrigerant system must be opened. The technician is not certified to handle refrigerant. What is the correct action?
- A.Replace the start relay and overload first
- B.Refer the work to a certified technician✓ Answer
- C.Recover the charge and change the compressor
- D.Add refrigerant with a piercing valve for now
Opening a sealed system requires EPA Section 608 certification, so an uncertified technician may not recover or charge refrigerant at all. Because a compressor job often costs more than the appliance is worth, the repair-or-replace call goes to management under company policy on cost and downtime.
Source: EPA Section 608 technician certification; NAAEI CAMT scope of appliance repairReport a problem with this question
5. One surface element on an electric range never heats while the other three work normally. After shutting off power at the breaker and verifying the range is dead, what should the technician check first?
- A.The terminal block where the supply cord lands
- B.The oven temperature sensor inside the cavity
- C.The element itself and the receptacle it plugs into✓ Answer
- D.The oven selector switch behind the control panel
Because the other three elements heat, the supply and the terminal block are proving themselves good, so the fault lies in the branch that serves only that burner. Swapping in a known-good element and inspecting the plug-in receptacle for burned or loose terminals isolates it quickly, with the infinite switch as the next suspect.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, electric range surface elementsReport a problem with this question
6. A resident says the oven burns everything and must be running hot. What is the correct way to confirm the complaint before adjusting or replacing anything?
- A.Read a thermometer at the oven center over several cycles✓ Answer
- B.Turn the calibration screw down a notch and ask again
- C.Bake a test item and compare it with the resident's
- D.Replace the thermostat, since it is the usual failure
An oven cycles above and below its set point, so one reading proves nothing; a thermometer at the center, read at cut-off over several cycles and averaged, gives a number that can be compared with the dial. Only after that comparison does the manufacturer's calibration adjustment or a sensor replacement make sense.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, oven thermostat calibrationReport a problem with this question
7. A resident phones to say the kitchen smells strongly of gas. The technician arrives at the door of the occupied apartment. What is the correct first action?
- A.Shut the range gas valve and check the pilot flame
- B.Open the windows and switch on the range hood fan
- C.Get everyone out and call the utility from outside✓ Answer
- D.Find the leak with soapy water at the range fittings
A gas concentration heavy enough to smell is an ignition hazard, and any switch, fan motor, or doorbell can arc and set it off. Occupants leave, the electrical system is left alone, and the gas utility or fire department is called from outside; leak testing waits until responders have cleared the unit.
Source: NAAEI CAMT gas appliance safety; gas utility emergency response practiceReport a problem with this question
8. During the wash cycle, water runs down the outside of a dishwasher door onto the kitchen floor, while nothing is wet under the machine. Where should the technician look first?
- A.The drain hose where it meets the disposal
- B.The water inlet valve under the toe panel
- C.The circulating pump seal below the tub
- D.The door gasket and the tub corner seals✓ Answer
Water escaping at the face of the door has to pass the door seal, so the gasket and the corner seals at the bottom of the tub opening are the first suspects, along with sink dish soap poured in by the resident, which foams over the seal. A drain hose, inlet valve, or pump leak shows up as water under the machine instead.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, dishwasher door gasket and corner sealsReport a problem with this question
9. A dishwasher installed last week never drains; a pool of water stands in the bottom at the end of every cycle, and the garbage disposal it drains through is new as well. What should the technician check first?
- A.Whether the disposal knockout plug was removed✓ Answer
- B.Whether the drain solenoid coil is open circuit
- C.Whether the wash impeller is jammed with debris
- D.Whether the sump strainer is packed with food
A new disposal ships with a cast plug closing its dishwasher inlet, and if the installer never knocks it out the dishwasher pumps against a dead end and its water stays in the tub. On a new installation that is checked before any part is condemned; the air gap or a high drain loop only stops sink water from siphoning back and will not drain a blocked outlet.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, dishwasher drain and disposal connectionReport a problem with this question
10. A top-load washer fills very slowly and takes far longer than it should to start agitating. The valves at the wall are open and the hoses are not kinked. What is the most likely cause?
- A.A pump blocked by a sock or a coin
- B.A lid switch that has failed to close
- C.A worn drive belt slipping on the pulley
- D.Clogged screens in the water inlet valve✓ Answer
Both the hot and the cold ports of the inlet valve carry fine screens that trap rust and grit from the supply, and when they load up the flow drops and the fill step drags on. Cleaning the screens is a simple check that belongs before replacing the valve, the water level switch, or the timer.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, clothes washer fill systemReport a problem with this question
11. A washer bangs and walks across the floor during the spin cycle. The resident says it started after the machine was loaded with a single large comforter. What should the technician do first?
- A.Tighten the drive pulley on the motor shaft
- B.Order a new transmission for the machine
- C.Replace the suspension springs in the tub
- D.Redistribute the load and level the cabinet✓ Answer
A single heavy item balls up on one side of the basket and throws the tub out of balance, and a cabinet that is not level lets the machine rock and travel. Correcting the load and setting the front legs solves most walking complaints, and explaining load size to the resident keeps the same call from repeating.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, clothes washer vibration and levelingReport a problem with this question
12. During a routine visit a technician finds the washer's rubber supply hoses bulging near the couplings and slightly soft. Why does this finding matter more than most?
- A.The hoses can siphon dirty water back to the supply
- B.The hoses hold line pressure at all times and can burst✓ Answer
- C.The hoses will overheat and crack the inlet valve
- D.The hoses will slow the fill and lengthen the cycle
Unlike a drain line, a supply hose sits under full water pressure around the clock, so a failure floods the apartment and everything below it until somebody finds the shut-off. Bulging or soft hoses are replaced on sight, and the supply valves are closed before any washer service begins.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, washer supply hose inspectionReport a problem with this question
13. Why is smooth-wall rigid metal duct preferred over flexible foil or plastic duct for a clothes dryer exhaust?
- A.Metal duct removes the need for periodic cleaning
- B.Metal duct lets the dryer vent into the crawl space
- C.Smooth metal walls trap less lint and will not burn✓ Answer
- D.Metal duct carries a longer run without any elbows
Ribbed flexible duct catches lint at every corrugation and sags into low spots where it piles up, and plastic or foil adds fuel if it ignites. Lint is the leading fuel in dryer fires, so the duct is kept smooth, non-combustible, as short and straight as the layout allows, and terminated outdoors.
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission dryer fire guidance; NAAEI CAMT dryer ventingReport a problem with this question
14. A resident reports that clothes now need two or three cycles to dry and the top of the dryer is hot to the touch. Which finding best explains both symptoms at once?
- A.A door switch that opens and closes at random
- B.A thermal fuse that has opened from heat
- C.A drive belt that has stretched and slips
- D.A lint-clogged duct or blocked outside flap✓ Answer
Moisture leaves the drum only if the blower can push the air out of the building, so a restricted duct traps that moist air and drying drags on cycle after cycle while heat builds inside the cabinet. The same restriction is what eventually opens the thermal fuse or starts a lint fire, so the duct is cleared before any part is replaced.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, clothes dryer exhaust restrictionReport a problem with this question
15. An electric dryer hums and the motor clearly runs, but the drum does not turn and the wet clothes stay in place. What is the most likely cause?
- A.A thermal fuse opened by a blocked exhaust
- B.A drive belt that has broken or slipped✓ Answer
- C.A door switch that never closes when latched
- D.A heating element that has burned open inside
The motor drives the drum through a belt looped around the drum and an idler pulley, so when the belt breaks the motor and blower still run but nothing turns the drum, and with the power off the drum spins freely by hand. A failed door switch, element, or thermal fuse gives a dryer that will not start or will not heat, not one that runs without turning.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, clothes dryer drive belt and drumReport a problem with this question
16. A garbage disposal hums but will not turn when the switch is thrown. What is the correct sequence for clearing it?
- A.Reach in with a gloved hand to pull the object out
- B.Run cold water and hold the switch on to break it loose
- C.Lock out the power, then free the plate from below✓ Answer
- D.Press the reset button and try the switch again
A humming disposal has power but a seized impeller plate, so the stalled motor is heating up and the circuit must be de-energized and locked out before anything goes near the chamber. The plate is then turned free with the service wrench in the bottom hub, the debris is removed, and only afterward is power restored and the reset button pressed; hands never enter the disposal.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, garbage disposal service and lockout/tagoutReport a problem with this question
17. The fan in a ducted range hood runs at full speed, yet smoke and cooking odors still hang in the kitchen. What should the technician check first?
- A.The blower motor capacitor in the housing
- B.The fan speed switch on the hood control
- C.The grease filter and the exhaust duct✓ Answer
- D.The light socket wiring behind the shroud
A hood can only remove what it can pull through the filter and push out the duct, so a grease-loaded mesh or a blocked, disconnected, or capped duct kills capture even at full fan speed. Cleaning or replacing the filter and confirming that the duct actually discharges outdoors comes before any electrical part is suspected.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Appliance Maintenance and Repair, kitchen exhaust hood maintenanceReport a problem with this question
18. Why must an apartment's entry lock be changed or re-keyed between residents rather than simply collecting the old keys back?
- A.Because no one can prove every copy was returned✓ Answer
- B.Because a new key code is needed for the rent file
- C.Because lock cylinders wear out after one tenancy
- D.Because insurance requires a new lock set each year
Keys can be duplicated at any hardware counter, so a returned key is no evidence that no other working key exists; changing or re-pinning the lock is the only way to guarantee that the incoming resident is the only person with a key. That makes re-keying a security duty owed to the resident, and the property logs which lock went where so a key is never reused on the same apartment.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Interior and Exterior course material, lock changing at make-readyReport a problem with this question
19. Which practice best protects a property's keys from being used by an unauthorized person?
- A.Leaving the master key with the on-call technician
- B.Coding the key tags and locking the key cabinet✓ Answer
- C.Tagging each key with its apartment number
- D.Storing spare keys in the unit's kitchen drawer
A key tagged with its unit number tells anyone who steals or finds it exactly which door it opens, so keys carry a code instead and the cross-reference is kept separately. Keys live in a locked cabinet inside a locked room and are signed out and back in by employees and vendors so every key can be accounted for at any moment.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Interior and Exterior course material, key control and key securityReport a problem with this question
20. A person knocks at the maintenance office after midnight, says they are locked out of an apartment, and asks the on-call technician to open the door. What should the technician do?
- A.Refuse and tell them to call a private locksmith
- B.Open the door if the person names the unit
- C.Open the door and ask for identification inside
- D.Verify the person is the resident, per policy✓ Answer
Opening a door for the wrong person hands an intruder a resident's home, so entry is granted only after the person is verified against the lease or resident record by whatever method company policy sets, and the call is then documented. A lockout is a policy decision before it is a hardware task, and knowing the unit number proves nothing.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Interior and Exterior course material, after-hours lockout policyReport a problem with this question
21. An entry door's deadbolt throws fully, yet the door was forced open at the jamb and the strike plate tore loose with its short screws still in it. What repair restores the security of the opening?
- A.Repair the jamb and anchor the strike to the framing✓ Answer
- B.Replace the deadbolt with a heavier cylinder
- C.Add a surface chain guard above the existing lock
- D.Reset the door closer so the door latches harder
A deadbolt is only as strong as what its strike is fastened to, and short screws hold nothing but the thin jamb trim, so the whole assembly tears out under a kick. Repairing or replacing the split jamb and running screws long enough to reach the structural framing behind it puts the load on the building, which is why door frame repair is part of lock service.
Source: NAAEI CAMT Interior and Exterior course material, door frame repair and strike plate installationReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the published NAAEI CAMT domains — Essential Trade Skills, Compliance, Facilities Operations, and Professional Development & Collaboration — and on standard trade practice. CAMT and NAAEI are marks of the National Apartment Association; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by NAA or NAAEI. Code requirements, licensing boundaries and permit rules vary by jurisdiction and revise on a cycle, so none is tested here as a recalled figure — always verify the code having jurisdiction and use a licensed contractor where the work requires one. Confirm current program requirements with NAAEI before testing. About the CAMT credential →

1. A refrigerator does not create cold; it moves heat out of the cabinet. Which component reduces the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant just before it reaches the evaporator?

2. A resident reports the refrigerator is warm inside. The compressor runs almost continuously, the freezer is only slightly cold, and the condenser coils are matted with dust and pet hair. What is the most likely cause?

3. The fresh-food compartment is warming while the freezer still feels cold, and the evaporator coil behind the rear freezer panel is packed solid with frost. Which system should the technician suspect first?

4. Diagnosis shows that a refrigerator's compressor has failed and the sealed refrigerant system must be opened. The technician is not certified to handle refrigerant. What is the correct action?

5. One surface element on an electric range never heats while the other three work normally. After shutting off power at the breaker and verifying the range is dead, what should the technician check first?

6. A resident says the oven burns everything and must be running hot. What is the correct way to confirm the complaint before adjusting or replacing anything?

7. A resident phones to say the kitchen smells strongly of gas. The technician arrives at the door of the occupied apartment. What is the correct first action?

8. During the wash cycle, water runs down the outside of a dishwasher door onto the kitchen floor, while nothing is wet under the machine. Where should the technician look first?

9. A dishwasher installed last week never drains; a pool of water stands in the bottom at the end of every cycle, and the garbage disposal it drains through is new as well. What should the technician check first?

10. A top-load washer fills very slowly and takes far longer than it should to start agitating. The valves at the wall are open and the hoses are not kinked. What is the most likely cause?

11. A washer bangs and walks across the floor during the spin cycle. The resident says it started after the machine was loaded with a single large comforter. What should the technician do first?

12. During a routine visit a technician finds the washer's rubber supply hoses bulging near the couplings and slightly soft. Why does this finding matter more than most?

13. Why is smooth-wall rigid metal duct preferred over flexible foil or plastic duct for a clothes dryer exhaust?

14. A resident reports that clothes now need two or three cycles to dry and the top of the dryer is hot to the touch. Which finding best explains both symptoms at once?

15. An electric dryer hums and the motor clearly runs, but the drum does not turn and the wet clothes stay in place. What is the most likely cause?

16. A garbage disposal hums but will not turn when the switch is thrown. What is the correct sequence for clearing it?

17. The fan in a ducted range hood runs at full speed, yet smoke and cooking odors still hang in the kitchen. What should the technician check first?

18. Why must an apartment's entry lock be changed or re-keyed between residents rather than simply collecting the old keys back?

19. Which practice best protects a property's keys from being used by an unauthorized person?

20. A person knocks at the maintenance office after midnight, says they are locked out of an apartment, and asks the on-call technician to open the door. What should the technician do?

21. An entry door's deadbolt throws fully, yet the door was forced open at the jamb and the strike plate tore loose with its short screws still in it. What repair restores the security of the opening?