22 Rigging Hardware & Lifting Devices Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A single sling eye is connected to a shackle. Where should that eye bear, and why?

   • A.Against the shackle shoulder, so the pin threads carry part of the load and share the stress.
   • B.In the bow, so the load stays centered and the shackle is loaded along its strongest axis.✓ Answer
   • C.Anywhere in the body, since a shackle carries its rated load equally in any direction of pull.
   • D.On the pin, so the sling eye can slide freely and center itself as the load takes tension.

   A shackle is built to carry its rated load through the bow, with the pin serving as a removable closure rather than a bearing surface. Centering the eye in the bow keeps the pull in line with the shackle's axis, which avoids side loading the body and bending the pin.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

2. 2. Two sling legs must be connected to one shackle. How should they be arranged in the shackle?

   • A.Both eyes on the pin, spread apart so that each eye bears near one end of the pin.
   • B.Both eyes in the bow, with the included angle between the legs at least 150 degrees.
   • C.Both eyes in the bow, with the included angle between the legs not over 120 degrees.✓ Answer
   • D.One eye on the pin and one eye in the bow, so the two legs cannot crowd each other.

   Sling legs belong in the bow, where the shackle is designed to be loaded, and the pin should not be used as a spreader bar for multiple eyes. As the included angle between the legs opens up, the outward force trying to spread the shackle body grows, so the rigging standard caps that angle at 120 degrees.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A wire rope sling is rigged in a choker hitch and a shackle is used at the choke. How should the shackle be connected?

   • A.The pin goes through the choking eye, so the sling body bears in the bow rather than on the pin.✓ Answer
   • B.Either way is correct, because a shackle carries the same rated load through the pin and the bow.
   • C.The bow goes around the choking eye, so the pin carries the standing part of the sling body.
   • D.The pin goes through both eyes at once, so the choke tightens directly against the pin threads.

   In a choker hitch the shackle pin is placed in the choking eye so that the running sling body rides in the bow, which is the part designed to take load. Putting the moving sling body against the pin lets it bear on and rotate the pin, which can unscrew a screw-pin shackle while the load is on.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

4. 4. A shackle will remain installed on a lifting lug for several weeks, and the sling attached to it can rotate as loads are handled. Which shackle should be selected?

   • A.A round-pin shackle, whose pin is free to turn and therefore cannot be backed out by rotation.
   • B.A screw-pin shackle tightened hand tight, so the pin can seat itself each time it is loaded.
   • C.A bolt-type shackle with nut and cotter pin, which a rotating sling cannot unscrew.✓ Answer
   • D.A screw-pin shackle with the pin backed off a half turn, so the sling eye can swing freely.

   A bolt-type shackle is held by a nut and a cotter pin, so nothing the sling does can back the pin out; that is why it is the selection for long-term or semi-permanent installations. A screw-pin shackle relies on thread friction alone and must never be rigged where load movement or a rotating sling could unscrew the pin.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

5. 5. A shackle is marked with a rated load of 10 tons and will be loaded 45 degrees off its in-line axis. Applying the side-loading reduction of 30 percent that ASME B30.26 gives for 6 to 45 degrees, what load may the shackle take?

   • A.5 tons, because angular loading always cuts a shackle's rated load in half.
   • B.3 tons, because the shackle keeps only 30 percent of its marked rated load at that angle.
   • C.10 tons, because side loading changes the direction of pull but not the rated load.
   • D.7 tons, because a 30 percent reduction leaves 70 percent of the marked rated load.✓ Answer

   The shackle table is written as a percent reduction, not as a percent remaining, so a 30 percent reduction of 10 tons removes 3 tons and leaves 7 tons. Confusing 'reduce by' with 'reduce to' is the classic error, and side loading is derated at all because the pull no longer runs along the shackle's strongest axis.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

6. 6. What is the purpose of the latch on a lifting hook?

   • A.It acts as a wear indicator and takes the load whenever the hook is loaded at an angle.
   • B.It increases the rated load of the hook by closing the throat and carrying part of the load.
   • C.It retains the sling eye in the hook if the rigging goes slack, and is not a load-bearing part.✓ Answer
   • D.It allows the hook to be tip loaded, because the latch backs up the point of the hook.

   The latch is a retaining device: it keeps the sling eye or fitting from coming out of the throat when the rigging slackens, swings, or is bumped. It carries no rated load, so it can never justify tip loading the hook or be counted on to hold the load.

   Source: ASME B30.10 HooksReport a problem with this question

7. 7. A sling eye is placed on a hook so that it bears near the tip instead of down in the bowl (saddle). Why is that incorrect?

   • A.Tip loading applies the load far from the hook's bearing point and tends to spread the throat.✓ Answer
   • B.Tip loading raises the hook's capacity by shortening the moment arm across the hook's throat.
   • C.Tip loading matters only with chain slings, because wire rope eyes seat themselves in the bowl.
   • D.Tip loading is acceptable when the latch is closed, because the latch carries the added leverage.

   A hook's rated load assumes the load sits in the bowl, in line with the hook's shank. Moving the bearing point out toward the tip creates a long lever arm that bends the hook open, and the latch is not built to resist that force.

   Source: ASME B30.10 HooksReport a problem with this question

8. 8. What is the difference between a plain (non-shouldered) eyebolt and a shoulder-type eyebolt?

   • A.The two are rated alike; the shoulder is only a machining feature that helps in tightening it.
   • B.A plain eyebolt is forged and a shouldered one is cast, so only the plain type may be rigged.
   • C.A plain eyebolt takes angular pull, while a shouldered one is limited to straight in-line pull.
   • D.A plain eyebolt is rated for in-line pull only, while a shouldered one may take angular pull.✓ Answer

   A plain eyebolt has nothing but its threads to resist a sideways pull, so any angular load bends the shank at the first engaged thread and it is rated for in-line lifting only. The shoulder of a shoulder-type eyebolt bears against the mounting surface and reacts that side force, which is why only the shouldered type may be loaded at an angle, and then only at a reduced rating.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

9. 9. A shoulder-type eyebolt is marked with a rated load of 4,000 lb and will be pulled at 45 degrees to its axis. The angular-loading table for shoulder eyebolts leaves 25 percent of the rated load from 16 to 90 degrees. What load may it take?

   • A.1,000 lb, because only 25 percent of the marked rated load remains at that angle.✓ Answer
   • B.3,000 lb, because the table reduces the marked rated load by 25 percent at that angle.
   • C.2,000 lb, because angular loading of a shoulder eyebolt always halves the rated load.
   • D.4,000 lb, because the shoulder restores the full rated load at any angle up to 90 degrees.

   The eyebolt table is written as percent of rated load remaining, so 25 percent of 4,000 lb is 1,000 lb. This is the mirror image of the shackle side-load table, which is written as percent reduction, and mixing the two readings is the most common way candidates lose this item.

   Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

10. 10. An eyebolt is threaded into a tapped blind hole in a steel machine base. What makes up a correct installation?

    • A.Thread engagement of about half the bolt diameter, with a lock washer under the shoulder.
    • B.Thread engagement of one bolt diameter, with a spacer under the shoulder to raise the eye.
    • C.Thread engagement of at least 1.5 times the bolt diameter, with the shoulder seated flush.✓ Answer
    • D.Thread engagement until the eye lines up with the pull, with the shoulder a half turn high.

    In steel, effective thread engagement of at least 1.5 times the bolt diameter is needed so the threads, not the bolt, are the stronger part of the joint. The shoulder must also sit flush and tight against the surface, because a shoulder held off the work by a washer stack or spacer cannot react any side force and the eyebolt is then loaded like a plain one; steel flat washers may be used under the shoulder only to orient the plane of the eye with the pull.

    Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

11. 11. Why is a swivel hoist ring often selected instead of a shoulder eyebolt where the sling will pull at an angle?

    • A.It needs no thread engagement rule, because the swivel absorbs any misalignment at the hole.
    • B.Its bail pivots and swivels to line up with the pull, keeping the load in line with the bail.✓ Answer
    • C.Its bail is fixed and heavier, so it resists the bending that angular pull puts into the shank.
    • D.It lets the load spin under tension, so the sling legs can be untwisted while load is hanging.

    A swivel hoist ring solves the angular-loading problem by moving: the bail pivots up and the body swivels around the bolt, so the pull ends up in line with the bail instead of bending the shank. The mounting rules still apply, including at least 1.5 times bolt diameter of thread engagement in steel, tightening to the manufacturer's torque, and full contact of the bushing flange with the mounting surface with no spacers underneath.

    Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

12. 12. A portable A-frame gantry with a beam trolley will be used to lift a machine and move it along the beam. Which practice is correct?

    • A.Match the trolley to the beam flange width and keep the load hanging plumb under the trolley.✓ Answer
    • B.Drag the load sideways along the beam with a tag line while the gantry legs sit on soft fill.
    • C.Push the load to the far end of the beam so the trolley rides against the beam's end stop.
    • D.Set the gantry on a grade and let the slope roll the trolley to the far end on its own.

    A trolley must fit the flange it runs on so the wheels stay on the flange and cannot spread or climb off, and the load must hang plumb beneath it because a side pull turns the trolley into a lever on the beam. End stops are a last-resort safeguard, not a place to park the load, and the gantry needs firm, level footing for its legs.

    Source: ASME B30.11 Monorails and Underhung CranesReport a problem with this question

13. 13. A turnbuckle is used as adjustable hardware in a rigging assembly. Which practice is correct?

    • A.The assembly is given a deliberate side pull so the body cannot rotate and lose adjustment.
    • B.One end fitting is left backed out several turns so the assembly can absorb load movement.
    • C.A bar is passed through the body for leverage in tightening and is left in place as a lock.
    • D.Both end fittings are threaded fully into the body, which is then secured against unscrewing.✓ Answer

    A turnbuckle carries its rated load only when both end fittings are fully threaded into the body, and pipe-body turnbuckles hide the engagement so it must be verified before loading. Vibration and load movement can back the body off, so the assembly is secured against unscrewing, loaded in line and in tension, and adjusted with a wrench on the body's flats rather than a bar through the body, which can distort it.

    Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A swivel is part of a rigging assembly. What governs whether it may be turned while it is carrying the load?

    • A.A swivel may be turned under load whenever the load is below half of the swivel's rated load.
    • B.A swivel turned under load must be one built for that duty; others are positioning fittings.✓ Answer
    • C.Any swivel may be turned under load, since its bearing exists precisely to turn under tension.
    • D.A swivel may be turned under load as long as it is lubricated and turns freely by hand first.

    Rigging swivels come in two families: bearing-equipped swivels designed to rotate under load, and plain swivels meant only to take twist out of an assembly before the load is applied. Turning a positioning swivel under load galls and destroys the bearing surfaces of a load-bearing component, so the design duty of the specific swivel, not how easily it spins, decides the question.

    Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

15. 15. A rigging block is rigged into a lift. What should be confirmed before the block takes the load?

    • A.Confirm the rope is seated in the sheave groove and the block is aligned in line with the pull.✓ Answer
    • B.Confirm the load line fittings rest against the sheave to keep the rope from jumping out.
    • C.Confirm the block hangs at an angle to the pull so the sheave can find its own alignment.
    • D.Confirm the rope rides on the block's side plate, which spreads the load across both plates.

    A block carries load through the sheave and its pin, so the rope must be in the groove and the block must be free to line up with the pull; a rope pinched between the sheave and a side plate or a block cocked to the line is side loaded and can fail. Remember also that the load on the block itself is the line load multiplied by the block load factor for the included angle of the lines, and that result must stay within the block's rated load.

    Source: ASME B30.26 Rigging HardwareReport a problem with this question

16. 16. A lever (ratchet) puller will not move the load with normal hand effort on its lever. What is the correct action?

    • A.Have a second worker pull on the lever with you, which stays within the puller's rated load.
    • B.Stop and check the load weight and rigging, because the standard lever matches the rated load.✓ Answer
    • C.Shorten the chain and take a fresh bite, so the same hand effort produces more pull.
    • D.Slip a length of pipe over the lever for more leverage, since the chain has capacity to spare.

    The handle supplied with a lever hoist is sized so that one person's effort produces about the rated load and no more, which makes the lever itself part of the overload protection. A cheater bar or a second person defeats that design and can overload the hoist, its chain, or the anchor point, so resistance is a signal to stop and find out why the load will not move.

    Source: ASME B30.21 Lever HoistsReport a problem with this question

17. 17. A manual chain hoist is being rigged to lift a machine. Which practice is correct?

    • A.Run the load chain over the machine's edge to a low anchor, using the edge as a bearing.
    • B.Attach a rated sling to the machine and hook the hoist to the sling, keeping the chain straight.✓ Answer
    • C.Twist the load chain a few turns before hoisting so the load cannot spin as it lifts off.
    • D.Wrap the load chain around the machine and hook it back on itself instead of rigging a sling.

    A hoist's load chain is a lifting medium matched to the load sheave, not a sling: wrapping it around a load bends links over corners, twists them so they cannot enter the pockets of the sheave, and side loads the hook. The correct method is a properly rated sling on the load with the hoist hooked to it, and the load chain hanging straight and untwisted through the hoist.

    Source: ASME B30.16 Overhead Hoists (Underhung)Report a problem with this question

18. 18. A beam clamp will be attached to a structural steel beam to hang a hoist. Which selection and setup is correct?

    • A.A clamp rated for the load but tilted on the flange so the hoist hangs plumb over the load.
    • B.A clamp sized to the flange width and thickness, centered on the beam and within its rating.✓ Answer
    • C.A clamp wider than the flange, shimmed with plate on one side so it grips as load comes on.
    • D.A clamp set close to one end of the flange so the load hangs clear of the beam's midspan.

    A beam clamp develops its rating only when its jaws match the flange width and thickness and it sits square and centered, so the grip is symmetrical and the load runs down the web. Shims, an off-center bite, or a tilted clamp turn the flange into a lever arm and can spring the jaws open or bend the flange; the beam itself must also be capable of carrying the load at the point chosen.

    Source: ASME B30.20 Below-the-Hook Lifting DevicesReport a problem with this question

19. 19. A vertical plate lifting clamp is used to upend and lift a steel plate. Which practice is correct?

    • A.Stack two plates of equal thickness in the throat, since the pair is within the rated load.
    • B.Apply a side pull with a second sling so the plate stays flat while the clamp lifts it.
    • C.Seat the plate fully into the throat of the clamp and lift one plate within the rated load.✓ Answer
    • D.Grip the plate at the lip of the throat so the clamp can roll as the plate is upended.

    A plate clamp grips by cam action that increases with load, and that action only works when the plate is pushed all the way to the back of the throat and the thickness is inside the clamp's range. One plate at a time is the rule, because a second plate has nothing gripping it and can slide out, and side pulls unload the cam and let the clamp release.

    Source: ASME B30.20 Below-the-Hook Lifting DevicesReport a problem with this question

20. 20. How does a spreader beam arrangement differ from an equalizer beam arrangement?

    • A.A spreader holds the lift points apart to keep compression out of the load; an equalizer balances tension.✓ Answer
    • B.A spreader pivots to balance the tension between two lines; an equalizer holds the lift points apart.
    • C.Both devices are fixed at the bail; the only difference is that an equalizer is used with wire rope.
    • D.Both devices pivot at the bail; the only difference is that a spreader is rated for heavier loads.

    A spreader arrangement pushes the sling legs apart so they hang closer to vertical, which keeps inward compression and crushing force out of a long or fragile load. An equalizer arrangement instead pivots about its center attachment so that it can rock and share the load between two attachment points or two hoist lines, which is what keeps one line from taking more than its share.

    Source: ASME B30.20 Below-the-Hook Lifting DevicesReport a problem with this question

21. 21. A machine is being moved across a shop floor on machinery rollers (skates). Which practice keeps the move under control?

    • A.Place all the rollers under one end so the load pivots easily around its trailing corner.
    • B.Guide the load by hand from the leading end, walking ahead of it so the path stays in view.
    • C.Use a downgrade so gravity supplies the push, and check the speed at the bottom of the run.
    • D.Keep the center of gravity low and centered over the rollers, and move on a level, clear path.✓ Answer

    A load on rollers is stable only while its center of gravity stays low and inside the footprint of the rollers supporting it, and while the path is level, clean, and strong enough. Grades, debris, and floor joints stop a roller suddenly while the load's momentum keeps going, which tips the load, and no one should walk or stand in the direction of travel where a shifting load could pin them.

    Source: ASME B30.1 Jacks, Industrial Rollers, Air Casters, and Hydraulic GantriesReport a problem with this question

22. 22. A hydraulic jack raises one corner of a heavy machine so work can be done beneath it. What is required before anyone reaches under the load?

    • A.The jack is rated above the machine's total weight, which lets it hold the load on its own.
    • B.The jack's release valve is closed and a second jack is set alongside to hold the load up.
    • C.The jack is set on a wood wedge that matches the floor slope and is left holding the load.
    • D.The jack sits on a firm, level base and the raised load is blocked and cribbed separately.✓ Answer

    A jack is a lifting device, not a holding device: a seal can pass, a valve can creep, and a jack on soft or sloped footing can slide or punch in, so the raised load is always transferred to blocking or cribbing before anyone goes underneath. The jack also needs a firm, level base sized to spread its reaction, and the jack head must bear on a solid part of the load.

    Source: ASME B30.1 Jacks, Industrial Rollers, Air Casters, and Hydraulic GantriesReport a problem with this question

Practice questions built from the published NCCCO Rigger Level I written examination outline and the consensus rigging practices of the ASME B30 series and the OSHA rigging regulations. CCO and NCCCO are marks of the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by NCCCO. This bank covers the WRITTEN examination only — Rigger Level I certification also requires a hands-on practical examination that no multiple-choice question can prepare you for, and there is no substitute for supervised practice with real gear. Capacity always comes from the identification tag and the manufacturer's rating for the specific sling, shackle or device in your hands, never from a practice question. Confirm current requirements with NCCCO before testing. Official exam outline →