Free EIAT Mechanical Comprehension practice
Mechanical comprehension (NEIEP calls it mechanical aptitude) is 35 of the EIAT's 100 questions. NEIEP names the ground it covers: levers and fulcrums, pulleys, gears, and hydraulics. Its example questions share a shape, and so do ours — a diagram, then a choice between two possibilities with a “no difference” third. You are not asked to work out a number, you are asked which way something turns, which way it moves, or which of two arrangements takes less effort.
Read the full mechanical comprehension guide →
Try a free timed sample
6 questions against a 4-minute clock. The timing is our own practice pace — NEIEP does not publish a time limit for the EIAT.
Gear A is turned in the direction shown. Which way does gear B turn?
Worked examples
Two more mechanical comprehension questions with the answer and explanation. Try each before opening the answer. For a longer set across every section, see our free EIAT sample questions.
Question 1. Gear A is turned in the direction shown. Which way does gear B turn?
- Clockwise
- Counterclockwise
- It cannot turn
Show the answer
A: Clockwise. Meshed gears turn opposite ways, so the direction flips at every gear along the row. Gear B is an odd number of gears from A, so it turns the opposite way — clockwise. The number of teeth changes the speed, never the direction.
Question 2. The same load is lifted to the same height by the two arrangements shown. For which one do you have to pull more rope?
- Arrangement A
- Arrangement B
- Both need the same length of rope
Show the answer
A: Arrangement A. Count the rope sections holding the load: A has 2 and B has 1. Every section has to shorten by the full lift, so the arrangement with more sections needs 2 times as much rope pulled. That is the price of needing less force.
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These are original practice questions written to reflect the publicly described format of the Elevator Industry Aptitude Test (EIAT). They are not the official questions, and this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by NEIEP, the IUEC or any elevator company — always follow the guidance issued with your own recruitment.