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Confined Space Practice Test 2026 – Free Confined Space Questions

Original questions written from the official Canada (national) handbook, with an explanation for every answer.

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  • 153 questions
  • 7 practice tests
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What is blanking?

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All Confined Space practice tests

7 sets of 25 questions. Each set is fixed, so you can repeat it until you score 100%.

Exam facts

Key facts: Confined Space Entry Awareness Test — Canada

  • No government examOfficial examNo central exam or government certification for confined space trainers, workers or programs; the employer must ensure adequate trainingOntario confined spaces guideline — Training
  • Set by your trainerWritten test formatQuestion count, pass mark and time are not set by any government; our mock uses 40 questions and 32 to pass as a practice standardNot officially published · Ontario confined spaces guideline — Training
  • 19.5–23 %Acceptable oxygen (Ontario)Oxygen must be at least 19.5 % and not more than 23 % by volumeO. Reg. 632/05, s. 1
  • 25 / 10 / 5 % LELFlammable gas limits (Ontario)Below 25 % of the LEL for inspection only, 10 % for cold work, 5 % for hot workO. Reg. 632/05, s. 19
  • Every entryEntry permit (Ontario)A separate entry permit for each time work is done in the space, verified by a competent person before each shiftO. Reg. 632/05, s. 10
  • At least yearlyTraining review (Ontario)Outside construction projects, training is reviewed at least once a year and whenever circumstances changeO. Reg. 632/05, s. 8
  • Within 20 minutesPre-entry testing (B.C.)Pre-entry tests are completed not more than 20 minutes before entry, and repeated if all workers have been out for over 20 minutesWorkSafeBC OHS Regulation, s. 9.25

Free confined space practice tests for workers, attendants and supervisors in Canada. Every question is original, explains the rule behind the answer and cites the regulation or government guidance it comes from. Use it to prepare for the written test in your employer's or trainer's confined space awareness course. No sign-up, no limits, and your progress stays on your device.

Important: these questions are written from free official sources, not copied from any training company's course. We used Ontario's Confined Spaces Regulation (O. Reg. 632/05) and the ministry's guideline for working in confined spaces, WorkSafeBC's Part 9 on confined spaces, and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) fact sheets.

What the test covers

Topics and question bank

Every question is tagged to one topic from the official handbook. Pick a topic to drill just that area.

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Sample Confined Space questions

Tap a question to see the answer. The full interactive test is at the top of the page.
  1. 1What is blanking?
    • A. Painting a pipe white so it is easy to see from the hatch
    • B. Inserting a solid metal plate between two pipe flanges
    • C. Turning a valve handle a quarter turn closed
    • D. Wrapping a pipe in tape to stop small leaks

    The guideline defines blanking as inserting a solid metal barrier, called a blank, between the flanges of two sections of pipe.

  2. 2A worker cleans the inside of a tank with a solvent. How can this change the space's atmosphere?
    • A. It cannot change the air, since the tank was tested before entry
    • B. It adds oxygen to the space, since solvents release oxygen
    • C. The work itself can create solvent vapours inside the space
    • D. It removes every hazard, since cleaning makes the tank safer

    The guideline lists activities done in the space, such as solvent cleaning that creates vapours and welding that creates fumes, as sources of atmospheric hazards. That is why testing continues during the work.

  3. 3Which topic must the confined space plan include?
    • A. The company's sales targets
    • B. Parking rules for visitors
    • C. On-site rescue procedures
    • D. Workers' vacation schedules

    The plan covers worker duties, co-ordination, on-site rescue, rescue equipment and communication, PPE, isolation of energy, attendants, entry and exit, testing, flammable substances, and ventilation and purging.

  4. 4In Ontario's regulation, what is the difference between a "sample" and a "test"?
    • A. There is no difference; the two words mean the same thing
    • B. A sample is for oxygen only; a test is for toxic gases only
    • C. A sample is taken by a lab; a test is done by the attendant
    • D. A sample is one reading; a test is a collection of samples

    Section 18(7) defines a sample as an individual reading of the atmosphere and a test as a collection of samples.

  5. 5When is continuous monitoring required under Ontario's rules?
    • A. Only when the confined space is larger than a standard shipping container
    • B. During hot work where flammable gas may be present, or in an inerted space
    • C. Only when the attendant has fewer than five years of experience
    • D. Only on weekends, when fewer supervisors are on site to check

    Continuous monitoring is required for hot work in a space that contains or may contain flammable gas or vapour, when the space has been made inert, and whenever the plan requires it.

  6. 6Which task is an example of cold work?
    • A. Grinding a steel plate
    • B. Cutting with a torch
    • C. Welding a cracked pipe joint
    • D. Adjusting a valve by hand

    The guideline gives valve adjustment and brush painting as cold work. Welding, grinding and torch cutting can produce ignition sources, so they are hot work.

  7. 7Which atmospheric information goes on the entry permit?
    • A. The results of the atmospheric tests
    • B. Only the brand of the gas monitor used
    • C. Only a note saying the air smelled fine
    • D. Nothing; test results are kept secret

    Atmospheric test results under section 18 are one of the required items on the permit, so everyone can see the conditions measured.

  8. 8What must the attendant be provided with?
    • A. A second job to do while the entrants are working
    • B. A ladder to climb in and help whenever it is needed
    • C. A device for summoning an adequate rescue response
    • D. A key to lock the hatch while workers are inside

    Section 15(1)(d) requires the attendant to have a device for summoning an adequate rescue response.

  9. 9Which statement about the size of confined spaces is correct?
    • A. A confined space must be smaller than a car
    • B. A confined space is not necessarily small
    • C. A confined space must have one opening
    • D. A confined space must be underground

    CCOHS stresses that despite its name, a confined space is not necessarily small and can be above or below ground, such as a large tank, silo or ship's hold.

  10. 10Where should the fresh-air supply and the exhaust be placed?
    • A. Both at the very bottom
    • B. As far apart as possible
    • C. Side by side at the hatch
    • D. In the same small opening

    The guideline says air supply and exhaust points should be separated as far as possible so fresh air sweeps through the whole space instead of short-circuiting.

About the test

About the Confined Space Entry Awareness Test — Canada

Every Canadian jurisdiction regulates work in confined spaces, but none runs a central government exam. Employers must train every worker who enters a confined space or supports the work from outside, such as attendants and rescuers. Ontario's guideline says there is no government certification for confined space trainers, workers or programs; the employer must make sure the training is adequate. Most courses end with a written test set by the trainer.

In Ontario, a confined space is a fully or partially enclosed space that is not both designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy, and where atmospheric hazards may occur. Tanks, silos, vats, sewers, pits and manholes are common examples. B.C. adds that entry or exit is limited in a way that could complicate rescue. CCOHS estimates that about 60 per cent of confined space deaths are would-be rescuers, which is why training stresses planning and rescue so heavily.

Our eleven topics follow what the law expects workers to know: recognizing confined spaces and their hazards, the written program, hazard assessment and plan, entry permits, atmospheric testing, flammable atmospheres and hot work, ventilation and purging, isolation and lockout, the attendant, rescue, and training, access and records. Key numbers include the 19.5 to 23 per cent oxygen range, the 25, 10 and 5 per cent lower explosive limit thresholds for inspection, cold work and hot work, and B.C.'s 20-minute pre-entry testing rule.

Where provinces differ, each explanation says which rule it comes from. Ontario's regulation is used for most questions because it is detailed and free; B.C. rules appear where they add something useful, such as standby person duties by hazard level. Always follow your own province's regulation and your employer's written plan.

This site is independent. It is not affiliated with any government, safety association or training company, and our practice tests do not give you a certificate. Only your employer's training and authorization do that. Use these questions to learn the rules well enough that the real written test feels familiar, and so you know when to stop and get out.

Study plan

How to prepare

  1. 1Ask your employer which province's rules apply and get a copy of the confined space program and plan for the spaces you will enter.
  2. 2Read the free Ontario guideline for working in confined spaces and the CCOHS confined space fact sheets.
  3. 3Memorize the oxygen range: 19.5 to 23 per cent is acceptable; normal air is about 21 per cent.
  4. 4Learn the flammable limits: below 25 per cent of the LEL for inspection only, 10 per cent for cold work, 5 per cent for hot work.
  5. 5Know what goes on an entry permit and that a new permit is needed for each entry.
  6. 6Learn the attendant's duties by heart, especially that the attendant never enters the space.
  7. 7Take one topic test at a time and read every explanation for questions you miss. Each one names the regulation or guidance behind the answer.
  8. 8When you score 34 or more out of 40 on two different mock exams, you are well prepared for most awareness course tests.

FAQ

Confined Space test questions people ask

Is there an official government confined space test?

No. No Canadian government runs a central confined space exam, and Ontario's guideline says there is no certification for trainers, workers or programs. Employers must provide adequate training, and most trainers end their course with their own written test.

How many questions are on a confined space awareness test?

It depends on the trainer, since no government sets the format. Our mock exams use 40 questions with a pass mark of 32 (80 per cent) as a practice standard, not as an official rule.

What is the safe oxygen range in a confined space?

In Ontario, the acceptable range is at least 19.5 per cent and not more than 23 per cent oxygen by volume. Below 19.5 per cent is oxygen-deficient; above 23 per cent is oxygen-enriched and a fire hazard.

Can the attendant go into the confined space to help?

Not in Ontario. The regulation says the attendant must not enter the confined space at any time. The attendant stays outside, keeps constant contact, and summons rescue.

Is calling 911 enough as a rescue plan?

No. Ontario's guideline says 911 is not an on-site rescue procedure. Employers need written rescue procedures and trained people ready to act immediately before anyone enters.

How often does confined space training need to be renewed?

Ontario requires employers outside construction projects to review training at least once a year and whenever circumstances change, and to retrain if the review shows the training is not adequate. Other provinces set their own rules.

Are these the real confined space test answers?

No. Each trainer writes its own test, and copying it would be cheating. Every question here is original and written from Canadian regulations and government guidance.

Is there a confined space practice test in French?

Yes. Every question is available in Canadian French with the same answers and explanations. Use the language switch at the top of the page.

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