What Are Ramsay Mechanical Tests?
There are many mechanical tests offered by Ramsay Corporation. Some of these are on aptitude. Aptitude is the ability to learn mechanical and electrical ideas and apply them to different problems. These aptitude tests are meant for apprentice-level applicants with little to no experience. Other Ramsay exams test your mechanical knowledge. These are mainly for more experienced applicants or workers already employed. Some tests like the Ramsay Mechanical Aptitude Test, which tests mechanical aptitude, can be taken in English, Spanish, and French. Other Ramsay tests are only offered in English and Spanish. Many Ramsay tests are available online and in pencil and paper. But some are only available in pencil and paper.
There are five tests that you may need to know. All of them are popular tests for pre-employment in production and maintenance jobs. The five tests are: Mechanical Aptitude Test, MultiCraft Aptitude Test, MultiCraft Entry, MultiCraft Trainee, and the MecTest. The test you take will depend on your skill level. The Ramsay Corporation sets experience levels like this:
- Aptitude (Apprentice): The position requires no previous training. It measures a person’s ability to learn concepts and principles.
- Entry: The applicant has 1-2 years of training or experience, but needs an additional 2-3 years of training.
- Trainee: The applicant has 2-3 years of training or experience, but needs another 1-2 years of training.
- Journey: The applicant has 2-5 years of training and experience.
- Advanced Journey-Level: The applicant has more than 5 years of experience, and is required to test for starting (C-Level), intermediate (B-Level), or advanced (A-Level) positions.
If you are an apprentice or entry-level applicant you will probably take the Mechanical Aptitude Test or the MultiCraft Aptitude Test. These tests do NOT test complicated knowledge. They simply measure your ability to learn and apply mechanics in many problems. If you have experience and some years in production and maintenance work, you will probably take the MultiCraft Entry, MultiCraft Trainee, or MecTest. These tests DO test your knowledge in areas like mechanics, electricity, repair, and maintenance. There are many more tests offered by Ramsay Corporation that are used by employers. This is not the full list. We will focus on just these five main ones.
Topics on the Ramsay Mechanical Tests
Here are the topic areas on the tests:
Topics on Mechanical Aptitude Tests:
Topic |
Aptitude Test |
Topics Tested |
Mechanical Aptitude Test |
MultiCraft Aptitude Test |
Household Objects |
X |
X |
Work: Production and Maintenance |
X |
X |
School: Science and Physics |
X |
X |
Hand and Power Tools |
X |
X |
Electrical Mathematics |
|
X |
Process Flow |
|
X |
Signal Flow |
|
X |
Electrical Sequences |
|
X |
Topics on Mechanical Knowledge Tests:
Topic |
Knowledge Test |
Topics Tested |
MultiCraft Entry |
MultiCraft Trainee |
MecTest |
Basic AC/DC Theory |
|
X |
|
Combustion |
|
X |
|
Computers & PLCs |
|
X |
|
Control Circuits |
|
X |
|
Digital & Analog Electronics |
|
X |
|
Electrical Maintenance |
X |
X |
|
Hydraulics & Pneumatics |
X |
X |
X |
Lubrication |
X |
X |
X |
Mechanical Maintenance |
|
X |
X |
Motors |
|
X |
|
Power Distribution |
|
X |
|
Power Transmission |
X |
X |
X |
Power Supplies |
|
X |
|
Pumps & Piping |
X |
X |
X |
Schematics & Print Reading |
X (just Print Reading) |
X |
X (just Print Reading) |
Shop Machines & Tools & Equipment |
X (just Hand & Power tools) |
X |
X |
Test Instruments |
|
X |
|
Welding & Cutting & Rigging |
|
X |
X (just Welding & Rigging) |
Important Side Note:
It is important to know that when you take your exam, the person who gives you the exam will assign you to an account. This account is set up with other test takers of a similar background. The account may be used for the position you are applying for. This account allows you to see how well you did among the entire group.
General Tips for Ramsay Mechanical Tests
- Review the basics – This goes for all the tests that we mention. The basics include important physics laws, principles, and information. This is really important for aptitude exams where you are tested on your ability to apply basic mechanical ideas. Some examples of laws include Newton’s Laws of Motion, the Laws of Thermodynamics, and Ohm’s Law.
- Rely on your experience – Your experience is the best thing to help you on the test. If you worked in repair/maintenance, HVAC, Automation, or any other physical and mechanical job, then it will help you on the tests. This means it is good to remember your basic training and day-to-day skills. This is especially true on Ramsay knowledge tests meant for higher-level applicants/workers.
- Read the question carefully – The wording of the question is important. Be sure to read carefully. If you do not understand exactly what is being asked, read it again. If you are taking a fast exam like the Mechanical Aptitude Test, do not read extremely fast. You may misunderstand what is being asked and put an incorrect answer.
- Answer every question – You do not get penalized for missing a question or marking an incorrect answer. You should give an answer for each question to increase your chance of a high score.
- Use practice tests and questions – Take a practice test or some practice questions to help you get familiar with the test. Some of these tests are very long. Some are only about 20 minutes long. You want to be ready for how these tests will feel when you take it.
Scores and Ramsay’s Score Reports
After you take a Ramsay mechanical test you or your employer will be sent scores of your performance. Here are two reports that we believe are important to understand. Also, please note that these reports may or may not be sent to you after the test.
Individual Score Report
The first report is called the Individual Score Report. It has your raw score and percentile rank. Your raw score is the number of questions you answered correctly on the test. This can be from all of the questions on the test or from questions in a single topic area. For example, you may see your score from the Hydraulics section on the test or from the Electrical Maintenance section. Your scores from these sections add up to your total raw score. In addition to raw scores, the Individual Score Report gives your percentile rank. This is the percentage of people that scored at or below your level on the exam. These people are from the testing account that was assigned to you. These people can also be everyone who took the test nationally. This means there are actually two types of percentile ranks given to you: local and national. A local rank of 46% means you scored better than 46% of the people in the account set up by your employer. A national rank of 46% means you scored better than 46% of the test-takers across the nation. People believe you should score higher than 80% in your percentile ranks to be competitive. Although this is a good rank, your employer will be the one to decide what cutoff scores works for them.
Qualification Report
Another report that might be sent to you is the Qualification Report. This report shows if you qualify for different skills and positions. The Ramsay Corporation decides cutoff scores for these skills in each of its tests. If you score at or higher than this cutoff score for your position, then you will be marked as “qualified.” If you score lower than the cutoff, then you will be given an “unqualified” rating. Your employer will probably use these Ramsay cutoff scores to determine whether or not you are truly qualified for the role.
Scores Summary
There are many score reports beyond these, but you do not have to worry about them. Just know that you will be compared with others based on your performance on topic areas and the test overall. We believe that good preparation for these tests will improve your chances to be competitive. We hope that with our preparation materials you will be able to make the cutoff for your position.
Summary of Ramsay’s Mechanical Tests
The Ramsay Corporation has created tests for mechanical aptitude and knowledge. Mechanical aptitude and knowledge are important for many employers and companies in manufacturing, energy, and more. Besides the ones we showed, there are many other tests that you can take from the Ramsay Corporation according to your experience level. Just keep in mind that aptitude tests do not test knowledge and are meant to test your ability to learn a concept. Aptitude tests are meant for early-stage applicants. Other tests like the MultiCraft Entry, MultiCraft Trainee, and Mechanical Technician (MecTec) test are meant for more experienced applicants or workers and do test your knowledge. Regardless of what test you take, studying basic physical/ mechanical material and taking practice questions will always help you in your performance on these tests. The table below shows a summary of the five mechanical Ramsay tests we have shown you.
Summary of Ramsay Mechanical Tests:
Test Name |
Applicant Level |
Questions and Time |
Forms and Languages** |
Test Content |
Mechanical Aptitude Test |
Apprentice |
36 multiple-choice items; 20 minutes |
MAT-4 (E/S) MAT-B2 (E) MAT-3 (F) |
Mechanical aptitude |
MultiCraft Aptitude Test |
Apprentice |
40 multiple-choice items; 24 minutes |
A6 (E/S) B (E) |
Mechanical and Electrical aptitude |
MultiCraft Entry |
Entry |
60 multiple-choice items; untimed |
A (E) |
Mechanical and electrical knowledge |
MultiCraft Trainee |
Trainee |
60 multiple-choice items; untimed |
A3 (E/S) B (E) |
Mechanical and electrical knowledge |
MecTest |
Journey |
60 multiple-choice items; untimed |
A1 (E/S) B3 (E) |
Advanced mechanical knowledge |
**Forms and Languages: E = English, S = Spanish, F= French