Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Tests
The Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test demonstrates your ability to understand mechanical concepts and apply them to solve problems. It has been used for more than 60 years in various forms as a screening and capability test for military, engineering and other technical roles.
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Free practice mechanical questions
As with all other aptitude tests, one of the most important things you can do to improve your score is to practice.
With the practice questions below, you will be able to see the layout and check that you are comfortable with the way you need to answer. Solutions follow beneath the questions.
Mechanical practice question 1
What force is required to lift this weight?
- A) 30kg
- B) 50kg
- C) 100kg
- D) 150kg
Mechanical practice question 2
If two cogs are turning together, one with 30 teeth and the other with 20, how many revolutions would the smaller cog have turned if the larger cog had rotated 15 times?
- A) 21
- B) 21.5
- C) 22
- D) 22.5
Mechanical practice question 3
Which container is being represented in this graph as it is filled with water?
Solutions
Question 1: There are 6 sections of rope supporting the weight, meaning we must divide the total weight by 6. 300 / 6 = 50kg (B).
Question 2: The smaller cog rotates 1.5 times quicker than the larger as there are 1.5 times more teeth on the latter cog. This means that is the cog with 30 teeth has rotated 15 times, the smaller cog will have turned 1.5 times more. So 15 x 1.5 = 22.5 (D).
Question 3: The steepest lines on the graph represent the thinnest part of the container, as this is the part of the container that would become fuller quicker. This graph represents a container that starts thin, gradually becomes wider and then becomes thin again at the top. The answer is B.

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Is the BMCT hard?
The structure and language of the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test is not designed to be difficult. In fact, it is aimed at a sixth-grade level. The difficulty of the BMCT comes from the application of this relatively basic knowledge to answer questions – and doing it quickly.
What are basic mechanical skills?
Some of the basic principles that you might need to understand include: pulleys; force and movement (Newton’s three laws of motion, friction and gravity); fluids (hydraulics, the ideal gas law, Bernoulli’s principle); thermodynamics (heating, cooling, evaporation and condensation); electricity (Ohm’s Law, circuits); wheels (rotational and linear velocity, the relationship between wheel size and speed); gears (direction of rotation, gear ratio); acoustics (refraction, reflection, the Doppler effect, attenuation); optics (principles of light, reflection and sight).
Where can I practice mechanical reasoning tests?
To get started, you can practice some free mechanical comprehension tests on our mechanical reasoning tests page.
What are mechanical reasoning tests used for?
Mechanical reasoning tests are generally used to assess how well the test taker can apply mechanical principles to solve problems in a practical environment. As part of the recruitment process, these tests can show whether an applicant has a natural affinity for mechanics and would be successful in a role where this is needed.
Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Tests Tips
1Read the question
The questions are usually not complicated, so take some time to read them thoroughly and it will help you to understand how best to answer.
2Use the graphics
Each question is accompanied with a graphic or image that demonstrates the mechanical law that is being assessed. The answer is in the image – you just need to apply the correct mechanical reasoning.
3Practice
It might seem obvious, but the best way to prepare and succeed in a mechanical reasoning test is to practice. Pearson has stated that those who practice regularly can increase their score by 4 points on average – and while that might not seem like much, it could be the difference between a pass and a fail.
4Be quick
With 55 questions to answer in just 25 minutes, there is not a lot of time to spend on each one. This means that you need to be able to answer quickly as well as accurately to be successful.
5Use your knowledge
Unlike some other types of aptitude tests that require you to use only the information in front of you, the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test makes use of your prior knowledge and also your competence at physics and mechanics.
Mechanical Reasoning Video Tutorials
Try Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Tests for Free
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Free
Mechanical Reasoning 01
20 Questions|20 Minutes
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Mechanical Reasoning 02
20 Questions|20 Minutes
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Mechanical Reasoning 03
20 Questions|20 Minutes
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