Counterbalance lift trucks — based on CSA B335 & Ontario Reg 851 (OHSA)
About the certification
In Ontario, operating a forklift is governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation 851 (Industrial Establishments), which require that a lift truck be operated only by a competent person. Training across Canada follows the CSA B335 Safety Standard for Lift Trucks.
Unlike the G1 driver's test, there is no single government forklift exam. Certification is delivered by employers and accredited training providers, and always has two parts: a written or oral knowledge (theory) test and a hands-on practical evaluation on the specific equipment you'll use. The common industry pass mark is 80% on both.
This free practice quiz covers the theory portion for counterbalance lift trucks — the most common warehouse forklift. It has 138 original questions across 10 topic areas, written from CSA B335-23, Ontario Reg 851, the OHSA, and CCOHS guidance, and every question cites the instrument the rule comes from. It is study practice, not a substitute for certified training.
What's covered
Try a few
Five questions pulled from the full bank, with the answer shown — use the quiz above for the real timed experience.
Why: Three points define the truck's stable base: each front wheel, and the centre pivot of the rear steer axle. Because the rear axle pivots, the effective base narrows toward the back of the truck, which is why lateral tip-overs happen so readily.
Why: Loaded, the load always stays uphill: drive forward going up, reverse going down. If the load points downhill, the combined centre of gravity moves ahead of the front axle and the truck can pitch forward or simply shed the load down the ramp.
Why: The check is done at the start of every shift, and again whenever a different operator takes the truck over. It is the last opportunity to find a defect before it appears under a raised load in a busy aisle.
Why: Stay in the seat. Brace your feet, grip the wheel and lean away from the direction of the fall so your body stays inside the frame. Operators who jump are struck by the overhead guard as it comes down — that is how most tip-over fatalities happen.
Why: Reg 851 prohibits loading a lifting device beyond its rated capacity, and there is no supervisory override. The plated figure is not a conservative estimate to be eaten into: exceeding it lifts the steer wheels, overstresses the mast and front axle, and invites a forward tip-over.
FAQ
No single one. Unlike the G1, forklift operation is governed by the OHSA and Regulation 851, which require a 'competent person,' and by the CSA B335 standard. The actual theory test is set by each employer or accredited training provider, so content varies — but it maps back to these same sources.
Most providers use an 80% pass mark on the written knowledge test, plus a separate hands-on practical evaluation. ExamHub's Test Me mode uses the same 80% threshold.
It varies by provider — commonly 20 to 30 multiple-choice questions. ExamHub's Test Me mode draws 30 random questions from a bank of 138.
No. Certification requires in-person training and a practical evaluation on the specific equipment and workplace you'll operate in, delivered by a qualified trainer. This quiz is study practice for the theory portion only.
The counterbalance lift truck — the most common warehouse and dock forklift. Other classes (reach trucks, order pickers, powered pallet trucks) share much of this theory but have their own specific handling rules.