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100+ Free NM CID GS-8 Practice Questions

Prepare for the New Mexico CID GS-8 Earthmoving, Excavation and Ditching Examination exam with instant access — no signup required.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: NM CID GS-8 Exam

75%

Passing Score

PSI NM Contractor Bulletin 4/3/2026

40 Q

Official Exam Questions

PSI NM Contractor Bulletin 4/3/2026

125 min

Time Allowed

PSI NM Contractor Bulletin 4/3/2026

USD 68.88

PSI Exam Fee

PSI NM Contractor Bulletin 4/3/2026

NM CID GS-8 is a 40-question PSI earthmoving, excavation, and ditching exam, 75% pass, 125 minutes, USD 68.88 (bulletin 4/3/2026).

Sample NM CID GS-8 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your NM CID GS-8 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1When converting an excavated volume from cubic feet to cubic yards, what divisor must be used?
A.9
B.12
C.27
D.36
Explanation: A cubic yard is 3 feet on each side, so 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet per cubic yard. Earthwork takeoffs are typically computed in cubic feet from plan dimensions and then divided by 27 to report bank, loose, or compacted cubic yards.
2On a civil plan, station 8+50 is how many feet from station 0+00?
A.8.50 feet
B.85 feet
C.850 feet
D.8,500 feet
Explanation: Highway and utility stationing uses 100-foot stations. The number before the plus sign is full 100-foot stations and the number after it is additional feet, so 8+50 = (8 × 100) + 50 = 850 feet from the beginning station.
3On grade stakes used for earthmoving, what does a cut (C) mark indicate relative to the reference elevation?
A.The finished grade is higher than the existing ground
B.The finished grade is lower than the existing ground, so material must be excavated
C.The stake marks a property corner only
D.The soil has already been compacted to specification
Explanation: A cut means existing ground is above the design grade, so the contractor must excavate down to the reference. A fill (F) means existing ground is below design grade and material must be placed. Roberts treats cut and fill as the two primary survey notes the operator uses to grade to the hub.
4A rectangular excavation is 60 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 4 feet 6 inches deep. What is the bank volume in cubic yards?
A.200 cubic yards
B.540 cubic yards
C.74 cubic yards
D.5,400 cubic yards
Explanation: Depth is 4.5 feet. Volume = 60 × 20 × 4.5 = 5,400 cubic feet. Divide by 27 to convert: 5,400 / 27 = 200 cubic yards. That bank volume is the in-place quantity before swell or shrink is applied.
5A contractor must excavate 800 bank cubic yards (BCY) of soil that swells 25 percent when loaded. How many loose cubic yards (LCY) will the trucks haul?
A.640 LCY
B.800 LCY
C.1,000 LCY
D.1,600 LCY
Explanation: Loose volume = bank volume × (1 + swell). 800 × 1.25 = 1,000 LCY. Swell is the increase from bank (undisturbed) volume to loose (excavated and loaded) volume and is what you use to size the haul fleet.
6In earthwork estimating, what does the load factor do?
A.Converts compacted cubic yards to loose cubic yards
B.Converts loose cubic yards to bank cubic yards
C.Converts stationing to contour interval
D.Converts slope ratio to degrees
Explanation: Load factor is bank volume divided by loose volume, or 1 / (1 + swell). Multiplying a loose-yard production rate or truck load by the load factor converts it back to bank cubic yards so the estimate matches plan quantities. Roberts uses load factor specifically to convert loose yards to bank yards.
7A ditch invert drops 6 feet over a 50-foot run. What is the slope expressed as a percent?
A.6 percent
B.8 percent
C.12 percent
D.50 percent
Explanation: Percent slope is (rise / run) × 100. (6 / 50) × 100 = 12 percent. Roberts states the vertical rise as units compared with a 100-unit horizontal distance; 12 feet of fall in 100 feet of run is a 12 percent grade.
8On a topographic plan, what do closely spaced contour lines indicate?
A.A flat area with little grade change
B.A steep slope
C.The location of underground utilities
D.The compaction specification
Explanation: Each contour is a line of equal elevation. When contours are packed together, elevation changes rapidly over a short horizontal distance, which is a steep slope. Widely spaced contours indicate flat ground. Contours do not by themselves locate utilities or state compaction criteria.
9Using the average-end-area method, two successive cross sections 90 feet apart have end areas of 48 square feet and 60 square feet. What is the volume between them?
A.180 cubic yards
B.108 cubic yards
C.4,860 cubic yards
D.54 cubic yards
Explanation: Average-end-area volume = length × (A1 + A2) / 2. 90 × (48 + 60) / 2 = 90 × 54 = 4,860 cubic feet. Divide by 27: 4,860 / 27 = 180 cubic yards. This is the standard method for ditch and roadway earthwork between stations.
10A fill requires 3,000 compacted cubic yards (CCY). The borrow soil shrinks 15 percent from bank to compacted state. How many bank cubic yards (BCY) must be excavated?
A.2,550 BCY
B.3,000 BCY
C.3,450 BCY
D.About 3,529 BCY
Explanation: Bank quantity = compacted quantity / (1 − shrink). 3,000 / 0.85 = 3,529 BCY. You must over-excavate the borrow because compacted fill occupies less volume than the same soil in the bank. Adding 15 percent (3,450) understates the borrow needed.

About the NM CID GS-8 Exam

The New Mexico CID GS-8 examination covers earthmoving, excavation, and ditching. The official open-book PSI exam has 40 scored questions, a 75% passing standard (30 points), and 125 minutes allowed. Allowed references are OSHA 29 CFR 1926, Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Dave Roberts, 2011), and IBC 2021. PSI lists the fee at USD 68.88 (bulletin updated 4/3/2026). This English-language MCQ bank is a study aid, not an official PSI form.

Questions

40 scored questions

Time Limit

125 minutes

Passing Score

75% (30 of 40 points)

Exam Fee

USD 68.88 (PSI Services LLC (for New Mexico Construction Industries Division))

NM CID GS-8 Exam Content Outline

10%

Estimating and Plan Reading

Estimating and plan reading (4 items)

15%

Equipment and Technique

Equipment and technique (6 items)

25%

Compaction

Compaction (10 items)

25%

Soil Types

Soil types (10 items)

15%

Specialty Work (Blasting, Shoring)

Blasting and shoring (6 items)

10%

Safety

Safety (4 items)

How to Pass the NM CID GS-8 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 75% (30 of 40 points)
  • Exam length: 40 questions
  • Time limit: 125 minutes
  • Exam fee: USD 68.88

Keys to Passing

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

NM CID GS-8 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Compaction and soil types are 10 items each. Study OSHA 1926 Subpart P excavation with Roberts excavation contracting.
2This bank is an English-language MCQ study aid, not an official PSI form

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the NM GS-8 exam?

The official PSI examination has 40 scored questions. Passing is 75% (30 points) within 125 minutes (bulletin updated 4/3/2026).