Mining Engineering Board Exam Review

Mining Engineering I
Exploration and Mining Methods

1. A system of bearing down coal by which compressed air, generated locally by a portable
compressor at 10,000 psi, is used in releasing cylinder, which is placed in a hole drilled in the
coal.
a. Hydrox
b. Clorox
c. Cardox
d. Airdox
Airdox-A system for breaking down coal by which compressed air, generated locally by a
portable compressor at 10,000 psi cylinder, which is placed in a hole drilled in the coal.
Hydrox - A permitted device, used in some English coal mines, that resembles Cardox in
that a steel cylinder with a thin shearing disk is used
Clorox –A brand of bleach
Cardox - Trade name for an explosive device used principally in coal mining.

2. In coal mine subsidence, this angle is assumed to bisect the angle of repose of material.
a. Angle of repose
b. Angle of Draw
c. Pit slope
d. Bench slope
Angle of draw- In coal mine subsidence, this angle is assumed to bisect the angle of repose of
material.
Angle of repose - The maximum angle from horizontal at which a given material will rest on a given
surface without sliding or rolling.
Pit slope - Is the angle from the horizontal which the wall of a open pit stands as measured
from crest to toe
Bench slope - The angle, measured in degrees of deviation from the horizontal at which the
earthy or rack material will stand in an excavated terrace-like out in an open pit or quarry
mine.

3. The maximum slope at which a heap of any loose material will stand without sliding or
come to rest when poured on dumped in a pile or on a slope.
a. Angle of draw
b. Working slope
c. Angle of repose
d. Gradient slope

Angle of repose - The maximum angle from horizontal at which a given material will rest on a given
surface without sliding or rolling.
Angle of draw - In coal mine subsidence, this angle is assumed to bisect the angle between the
vertical and the angle of repose of the material and is 20° for flat seams.
Working slope -
Gradient slope - Is a measure of how steep a slope is. The greater the gradient the steeper a slope
is. The smaller the gradient the shallower a slope is.

4. It is the portion or remainder of shot-hole found in a face often a blast has been fired.
a. Bootleg
b. Misfire
c. Hang-fire
d. Mine-fire
Bootleg-The part of a drilled blasthole that remains when the force of the explosion does
not break the rock completely to the bottom of the hole.
 Misfire - The complete or partial failure of a blasting charge to explode as planned.
Hang-fire - The detonation of an explosive charge at some nondetermined time after its
normally designed firing time.
Mine-fire - (in coal seams containing sulfur), blasting, and some internal combustion
engines produce SO2.
5. Underground mining method frequently used by small-scale gold miners:
a. Sublevel caving
b. Top slicing
c. Cut-and-fill
d. Gophering

Gophering- A method of breaking up a sandy, medium-hard overburden where blastholes tend

to cave in.
Sublevel caving - Relatively thin blocks of ore are caused to cave by successively undermining
small panels.
Top slicing - Is applied to the method of mining whereby the ore is extracted by excavating a
series of horizontal (sometimes inclined) timbered slices alongside each other, beginning at
the top of the ore body and working progressively downward; the slices are caved by
blasting out the supporting timbers or allowing them to crush, bringing the capping or
overburden down upon the bottoms of the slices, which have previously been covered with a
floor or timber mat to separate the cave from the solid ore beneath and prevent admixture of
waste with the ore.
Cut-and-fill - A method of stoping in which ore is removed in slices, or lifts, and then the
excavation is filled with rock or other waste material (backfill), before the subsequent slice
is extracted.

6. Sinking a number of boreholes each in different horizontal or vertical direction from a single
drill set-up.
a. Auger drilling
b. Fan drilling
c. Diamond drilling
d. Deep well drilling

Fan drilling- A method of breaking up a sandy, medium-hard overburden where blastholes tend to
cave in.
Auger drilling - Is the simplest form of drilling. It involves the manual rotation of a helical screw
into the ground, usually by two people although auger drills can also be mounted to small
vehicles.
Diamond drilling - A rotary type of rock drill that cuts a core of rock that is recovered in long
cylindrical sections, two cm or more in diameter.
Deep well drilling - Is the process of creating holes in the Earth's crust using a drilling rig for oil
extraction under the deep sea.

7. The process of injecting grout into crevices of rock, usually through a borehole drilled into
the rock.
a. Spraying
b. Grouting
c. Guniting
d. Shotcreting

Grouting- The injection of grout into fissured, jointed, or permeable rocks in order to reduce their
permeability or increase their strength.
Spraying - Is a main technique means for the prevention and control of coal dust in coal mines.
 Guniting - Pneumatically applied portland cement mortar, or gunite. The spraying of mine
openings with concrete to provide ground support, present a smooth surface to the air current,
and prevent weathering with the mortar.
Shotcreting - Is another process that sprays/injects concrete/mortar with high pneumatic velocity
through the nozzle of a hosepipe onto the loose fractured surface.

8. The rising of the floor of the mine caused by its being too soft to resist the weight on the
pillar.
a. Roof
b. Floor
c. Heave
d. Crown

Heave- A rising of the floor of a mine caused by its being too soft to resist the weight on
the pillars
Roof - The stratum of rock of other material above a coal seam; the overhead surface of a
coal working place. Same as “back” or “top”.
Floor - That part of any underground working upon which a person walks or upon which
haulage equipment travels; simply the bottom or underlying surface of an
underground excavation.
Crown - The upper portion or the top of a diamond.

9. The line defining the area in which open pit operation may be conducted to obtain maximum
amount of ore material and minimum amount of waste material.
a. Optimum pit limit
b. Bench slope
c. Working slope
d. Gradient

Optimum pit limit-The overall optimal pit limit, with the economic profit, ecological
costs and social benefits simultaneously considered, is a result of balancing conflicting
goals of maximizing economic profit, minimizing ecological cost, and maximizing social
benefit.
Bench slope - The angle, measured in degrees of deviation from the horizontal at which
the earthy or rack material will stand in an excavated terrace-like out in an open pit or
quarry mine.
Working slope -
Gradient - Rate of rise or fall, as "5% gradient," meaning a 5-foot vertical rise in a 100-
foot horizontal distance (also recorded as 0.05).
10. The cubic feet of ore per ton in deposit.
a. Tonnage factor
b. Swell factor
c. Mine head
d. Mill head

Tonnage factor- Cubic feet of ore per ton in deposit.

Swell factor - The ratio of the volume of a material in its solid state to that when broken.
Mine head - In a mine ventilation system, the cumulative energy consumption is called
the mine head. A head is in reality a pressure difference, determined in accordance
with Bernoulli's principle.
Mill head - Metal content of mined ore going into a mill for processing. Recovered grade :
actual metal content of ore determined after processing. Reserve grade : estimated
metal content of an orebody, based on reserve calculations.
11. A smooth blasting method in which cracks for the final contour are created by blasting
prior to the drilling of the rest of the holes for the blast pattern.
a. Perimeter blasting
b. Pre-splitting
c. Smooth blasting
d. Secondary Blasting

Pre-splitting- A smooth blasting method in which cracks for the final contour are created by
blasting prior to the drilling of the rest of the holes for the blast pattern.
Perimeter blasting - A method of blasting in tunnels, drifts, and raises, designed to minimize
overbreak and leave clean-cut solid walls.
Smooth blasting - Refers to lightly loaded holes that have been drilled along excavation limits and
are shot after the main excavation is removed. Typically, such holes are shot instantaneously or
with little delay, leaving a smooth wall with minimum overbreak.
Secondary Blasting - Using explosives to break up larger rock masses resulting from the primary
blasts. These are the rocks that are too large for easy handling.

12. Failure of a charge to explode when expected.

a. Bootleg
b. Misfire
c. Hang-fire
d. Explosion

Misfire- An explosive charge in a drill hole that has partly or completely failed to explode
as planned.
Bootleg - The part of a drilled blasthole that remains when the force of the explosion does
not break the rock completely to the bottom of the hole.
Hang-fire - The detonation of an explosive charge at some nondetermined time after its
normally designed firing time.
Explosion - A chemical reaction involving an extremely rapid expansion of gases, usually
associated with the liberation of heat.

13. Lowering of strata, including the surface due to underground excavation.

a. Rock failure
b. Subsidence
c. Sinking
d. Mud-rush

Subsidence- The sudden sinking or gradual downward settling of the Earth's surface with
little or no horizontal motion.
Rock failure - Is a major hazard in mining, as it can lead to roof collapse, wall instability,
equipment damage, and worker injury.
Sinking - The process by which a shaft is driven.
Mud-rush - Is a sudden inflow of mud from drawpoints or other underground openings
inside the mine (Butcher et al., 2005). Mudrushes can cause damage to equipment,
ore dilution, production delays, injuries, and fatalities.

14. A horizontal opening driven across the course of a vein or in general across the direction of
the main workings.
a. Ramp
b. Tunnel
c. Dog-hole
d. Crosscut
 Crosscut- A small passageway driven at right angles to the main entry to connect it with a
parallel entry or air course
Ramp - A secondary or tertiary inclined opening, driven to connect levels, usually driven
in a downward direction, and used for haulage.
Tunnel - A horizontal underground opening, open to the atmosphere at both ends.
Dog-hole - Name applied to small coal mines that employ fewer than 15 miners.

15. A distinct pause or pee-determined time between detonation or initiation impulses, to

permit the firing of explosives charges separated.
a. Delay blasting
b. Delay detonator
c. Delay
d. Delay element

Delay- A distinct pause of predetermined time between detonation or initiation pulses, to permit the
firing of explosive charges separately
Delay blasting - The practice of initiating individual explosive decks, boreholes, or rows of
boreholes at predetermined time intervals using delay detonators, as compared to instantaneous
blasting where all holes are fired essentially simultaneously.
Delay detonator - An electric or nonelectric detonator used to introduce a predetermined lapse of
time between the application of a firing signal and the detonation of the base charge.
Delay element - The device in a delay detonator that produces the predetermined time lapse between
the application of a firing signal and detonation.

16. An explosive material containing substantial amounts of oxidizers dissolved in waste,

surrounded by an immiscible fuel.
a. Glycerin
b. Fuel oil
c. Ammonia
d. Emulsion

Emulsion- An explosives material containing substantial amounts of oxidizers suspended

in water droplets surrounded by an immiscible fuel.
Glycerin - Marble wastes, Mineral fillers, Dry grinding, Grinding aid, Recycling.
Fuel oil - Complex and variable mixtures of alkanes and alkenes, cycloalkanes and
aromatic hydrocarbons, containing low percentages of sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen
compounds.
Ammonia - A colorless, gaseous alkaline compound; NH3 ; lighter than air; pungent
smell and taste. Byproduct of gas and coke production. Used in making fertilizers and
explosives.

17. A designation given to a delay detonator to show its relative or absolute delay time in a
given series.
a. Delay interval
b. Delay element
c. Delay period
d. Delay series

Delay period- A designation given to a delay detonator to show its relative or absolute delay
time in a given series.
Delay interval - The nominal time between the detonations of delay detonators of adjacent
periods in a delay series; the nominal time between successive detonations in a blast.
Delay element - The device in a delay detonator that produces the predetermined time lapse
between the application of a firing signal and detonation
 Delay series - A series of delay detonators designed to satisfy specific blasting requirements.
There are basically two types of delay series: millisecond (MS ) with delay intervals on
the order of milliseconds, and long period (LP) with delay times on the order of seconds.

18. The wall or rock under a vein.

a. Host rock
b. Country rock
c. Footwall
d. Hanging wall

Footwall- The underlying side of a fault, orebody, or mine working; esp. the wall rock beneath
an inclined vein or fault
Host rock - The rock surrounding an ore deposit.
Country rock - Loosely used to describe the general mass of rock adjacent to an orebody. Also
known as the host rock.
Hanging wall - The wall or rock on the upperside of an inclined vein. It is called the roof in
bedded deposits.
19. Explosives that are permitted for fuse in gassy and dusty atmosphere.
a. ANFO
b. Ammoniac dynamite
c. Permissible explosives
d. Commercial explosives

Permissible explosives- Explosive that has been tested for safety in handling and
approved for use in mines by the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration
ANFO - Acronym for ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, a mixture used as a blasting agent in
many mines.
Ammoniac dynamite - Dynamite in which part of the nitroglycerin is replaced by
ammonium nitrate; used in mining.
Commercial explosives - Explosives designed, produced, and used for commercial or
industrial applications rather than for military purposes.

20. A profitability index used by project evaluators to ascertain the selling price and sales
volume of the mineral to which no profit or loss will be incurred by the proponent company.
a. Net present value analysis
b. Regression analysis
c. Sensitivity analysis
d. Break-even analysis

Break-even analysis- A financial calculation that weighs the costs against the unit sell
price to determine the point at which you will break even.
Net present value analysis - Used to determine whether or not an investment, project, or
business will be profitable down the line.
Regression analysis - Is a set of statistical methods used for the estimation of
relationships between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.
Sensitivity analysis - Is a form of risk assessment which is applied to the financial
analysis of any mining project.

21. It is a time-based cost being incurred continuously regardless of mining activity and being
extinguished only by complete capital repayment:
a. Royalties
b. Depreciation
c. Depletion
d. Interest
 Interest- It is a time-based cost being incurred continuously regardless of mining activity
and being extinguished only by complete capital repayment
Royalties - The payment of a certain stipulated sum on the mineral produced.
Depreciation - The periodic, systematic charging to expense of plant assets reflecting the
decline in economic potential of the assets.
Depletion - An accounting device, used primarily in tax computations. It recognizes the
consumption of an ore deposit, a mine's principal asset.

22. A square set whose members are not framed at their intersections and the timbers used are
smaller than those of the square set.
a. Spilling
b. Bastard set
c. Top lagging
d. Bearing set

Bastard set- A square set whose members are not framed at their intersections and the
timbers used are smaller than those of the square set.
Spilling - Oil spillage can be defined as the release of crude oil hydrocarbons into the environment.
Top lagging - the uppermost layer of material, typically composed of timber or steel, used to
cover and protect the roof of an underground mine tunnel or shaft.
Bearing set - In a mine shaft, a specially substantial set of timbers used at intervals to support the
linings and ordinary bearers. They are tied into the surrounding rock to give extra strength.

23. A fuse composed of an explosive core within a textile or plastic covering. It detonates
every explosive that in direct contact with it.
a. Cordtex
b. Primacord
c. Ignitacord
d. None of the above

Primacord- A fuse composed of an explosive core within a textile or plastic covering. It detonates
every explosive that is in direct contact with it
Cordtex - A detonating fuse suitable for opencast and quarry mining. It consists of an explosive
core of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) contained within plastic covering.
Ignitacord - A cord-like thermite fuse that burns progressively along its length with an external
flame at the zone of burning and is used for lighting a series of safety fuses in sequence. Burns
with a spitting flame similar to a Fourth of July sparkler.

24. The angle, measured in degrees of deviation from the horizontal at which the earthly or
rack material will stand in an excavated terrace-like out in an open pit mine or quarry.
a. Angle of draw
b. Pit slope
c. Angle of repose
d. Bench slope

Bench Slope The angle, measured in degrees of deviation from the horizontal, at which the earthy
or rock material will stand in an excavated, terracelike cut in an open-pit mine or quarry.
Angle of draw - In coal mine subsidence, this angle is assumed to bisect the angle between the
vertical and the angle of repose of the material
Pit slope - Is the angle from the horizontal which the wall of a open pit stands as measured from
crest to toe.
Angle of repose - The maximum angle from horizontal at which a given material will rest on a
given surface without sliding or rolling.
25. The explosive cartridge into which the detonator has been inserted.
a. ANFO
 b. Permissible explosive
c. Gelatin dynamite
d. Primer Cartridge

Primer Cartridge- small explosive device containing a sensitive explosive compound,

used to initiate the detonation of larger explosives in mining, construction, and
demolition applications
ANFO - Acronym for ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, a mixture used as a blasting agent
in many mines.
Permissible explosive - Are generally modified types of emulsions, water-gels, or
ammonia dynamites, all in cartridge or chub form.
Gelatin dynamite - A powerful water-resistant blasting explosive consisting of a jellylike
mass of nitroglycerin and lower-nitrated cellulose nitrate incorporated with a base (as
wood pulp mixed with sodium nitrate) compare ammonia gelatin, blasting gelatin.

26. A technique of measuring expected profitability through the basic concepts cash flow and
time value of money.
a. Hoskold formula
b. Pay back period
c. Accounting rate of return
d. Discounted cash flow rate of return

Pay back period- The payback period is the time required for an investment to recoup
its initial cost through generated cash flows
Hoskold formula - Two-rate valuation formula, once much used to determine present
value (Vp) of mining properties or shares, with redemption of capital invested.
Accounting Rate of Return - The average net income an asset is expected to generate
divided by its average capital cost, expressed as an annual percentage.
Discounted Cash Flow Rate of Return - A measure of the maximum interest rate that a
project could afford just by paying the TCI at the end of its life.

27. The operation of drilling and blasting a detached boulder or masses of rock, the purpose of
which is to reduce the mass to sizes suitable for handling.
a. Mud-capping
b. Block holing
c. Master shooting
d. Bootleg

Mud-capping- A practice used to break up large boulders of ore or rock in a work area
such as a stope or pillar. A capped piece of explosive is laid on the boulder and is
"capped" with either mud or wet muck to somewhat contain the force
Block holing - The breaking of boulders by loading and firing small explosive charges in
small-diameter drilled holes.
Master shooting - controlled detonation of a primary explosive charge, typically used to
initiate a series of secondary charges in a predetermined sequence for efficient and safe
rock fragmentation in mining and construction operations.
Bootleg - The part of a drilled blasthole that remains when the force of the explosion does
not break the rock completely to the bottom of the hole.

28. A baked mixtures of soda and lime, used in the container or regeneration of self-contained
mine rescue or oxygen breathing apparatus to absorb the exhaled CO2.
a. Airdox
b. Cardox
c. Cardoxide
 d. Clorox

Cardox- Trade name for an explosive device used principally in coal mining; A baked
mixtures of soda and lime, used in the container or regeneration of self-contained mine
rescue or oxygen breathing apparatus to absorb the exhaled CO2.
Air dox - A system for breaking down coal by which compressed air, generated locally by
a portable compressor at 10,000 psi (69.0 MPa), is used in a releasing cylinder, which
is placed in a hole drilled in the coal. Thus, slow breaking results, with no flame, in
producing a larger percentage of lump coal than is made by using explosives. Its
principal advantage is that it may be used with safety in gaseous and dusty mines.
Cardoxide - A baked mixtures of soda and lime, used in the container or regeneration of
self contained mine rescue oxygen breathing apparatus to absorb the exhaled CO2.
Clorox – A famous brand of bleach

29. Mine opening over haulage level through which ore from the slope above is drawn to the
waiting truck as planning is moved.
a. Ramp
b. Ore pass
c. Chinaman’s chute
d. Drift

Chinaman’s chute- Mine opening over haulage level through which ore from the slope
above is drawn to the waiting truck as planning is moved.
Ramp - A secondary or tertiary inclined opening, driven to connect levels, usually driven
in a downward direction, and used for haulage.
Ore pass - Vertical or inclined passage for the downward transfer of ore connecting a
level with the hoisting shaft or a lower level.
Drift - A horizontal underground opening that follows along the length of a vein or rock
formation as opposed to a crosscut which crosses the rock formation.

30. A hollow cylinder used to contain and preserve a continuous section, or core of the rocks
penetrated in drilling.
a. Core barrel
b. Core-it-lap
c. Core lifter
d. None of the above

Core barrel- A hollow cylinder attached to a specially designed bit and which is used to obtain
and to preserve a continuous section, or core, of the rocks penetrated in drilling.
Core-it-lap -
Core lifter - Are used to break off the core sample at the end of a coring run and then to retain the
sample within the core barrel to the surface.

31. Explosive decomposition that moves through the reactants at a speed greater than the speed
of sound in the reactants to produce shock waves and significant over pressure regardless of
confinement.
a. Detonation
b. Delay
c. Electric blasting cap
d. Deflagration

Detonation- An explosives reaction that consists of the propagation of a shock wave through the
explosive, accompanied by a chemical reaction that furnishes energy to sustain the shock wave
propagation in a stable, sustained manner, with gaseous formation and pressure expansion following
shortly thereafter.
 Delay - A distinct pause of predetermined time between detonation or initiation impulses, to permit
the firing of explosive charges separately.
Electric blasting cap - A detonator containing a charge of detonating compound, which is ignited by
electric current or the spark of a fuse and used for detonating explosives.
Deflagration - An explosive reaction such as a rapid combustion that moves through an explosive
material at a velocity less than the speed of sound in the material.

32. Positive ore reserve is synonymous to:

a. Measured ore
b. Probable ore
c. Possible Ore
d. Inferred ore

Measured ore- Positive ore reserve

Probable ore - The economically mineable part of an Indicated, and in some circumstances, a
Measured Mineral Resource.
Possible Ore - An obsolete term for inferred reserves.
Inferred ore - For which estimates are based on an assumed continuity beyond measured and/or
indicated ore.

33. When did the tailings leak incident at Philex Mining Corporation happened?
a. July 30, 2012
b. July 31, 2012
c. August 1, 2012
d. August 2, 20212

34. A mineral that has either blue or green outcrop, and exist as carbonates, silicates, sulphates,
oxides and in native form is
a. Iron sulphides
b. Copper
c. Nickel
d. Mercury

Copper- Has symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal
with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.
Iron sulphides - Can refer to range of chemical compounds composed of iron and sulfur.
Nickel - Is a silvery-white metal found naturally in the earth's crust.
Mercury - As a metal is used for extraction of gold and silver, as a catalyst for chlor-alkali
production, in manometers for measuring and controlling pressure, in thermometers,
in electrical and electronic switches, in fluorescent lamps, and in dental amalgam
fillings.

35. What particular mineral that exhibits a color anomaly of yellow, brown, or red at the
outcrop of ore body?
a. Arsenic
b. Iron Sulphides
c. Manganese
d. Antimony

Arsenic- A metallic, steel-gray to dark-gray, brittle element. Oxidises slowly in air and is
then covered with a thin crust of tiny arsenolite crystals.
Iron Sulphides - Can refer to range of chemical compounds composed of iron and sulfur.
Manganese - One of the silvery white, hard, brittle metals of Group 7 (VIIb) of the
periodic table.
 Antimony - Metallic antimony is an extremely brittle metal with a flaky, crystalline
texture. Symbol, Sb. Sometimes found native, but more frequently as the sulfide,
stibnite (Sb2 S3 ).
36. A drilling technique that uses either air and water as flushing medium and both cuttings of
ore can be recovered, very useful in reserve calculation of soft formations:
a. Percussion drilling
b. Auger drilling
c. Reserved circulation
d. Diamond drilling

Reserved circulation- A drilling technique that uses either air and water as flushing
medium and both cuttings of ore can be recovered, very useful in reserve calculation of
soft formations
Percussion drilling - A drill, usually air powered, that delivers its energy through a
pounding or hammering action.
Auger drilling - Is the simplest form of drilling. It involves the manual rotation of a
helical screw into the ground, usually by two people although auger drills can also be
mounted to small vehicles.
Diamond drilling - A rotary type of rock drill that cuts a core of rock that is recovered in
long cylindrical sections, two cm or more in diameter.

37. What is the particular phase in regional mineral prospecting and behavior of rocks when
subjected to force field:
a. Phase 1
b. Phase 3
c. Phase 2
d. Phase 4
38. Filed of study concerned with checking the properties and behavior of rocks when
subjected to force field:
a. Slope stability
b. Rock mechanics
c. Ground control
d. Soil mechanics

Rock mechanics- The theoretical and applied science of the physical behavior of rocks,
representing a branch of mechanics concerned with the response of rock to the force fields
of its physical environment
Slope stability - Refers to the condition of inclined soil or rock slopes to withstand or
undergo movement;
Ground control - The regulation and final arresting of the closure of the walls of a mined
area. The term generally refers to measures taken to prevent roof falls or coal bursts.
Soil mechanics - Principles can be successfully applied to many of the problems
encountered in underground mining.

39. This material is used as both lubricant and flushing medium:

a. Mud
b. Clays
c. Soapstone
d. Bentonite

Bentonite- An impure clay, primarily montmorillonite

Mud - Generated from sedimentation of treated mine wastewater needs to be dewatered so it can
be stored away in a site disposal and not interfering with any other.
Clays - A fine-grained material composed of hydrous aluminum silicates.
 Soapstone - a soft metamorphic rock with a smooth greasy feel which could easily be carved; a
generic term used to describe carving stone.

40. A standard practice in diamond drilling wherein the core is recovered by pulling the barrel
to the surface inside the connecting drill rods using a thin steel cable, thus eliminating the need
to pull the entire length of the drill rod to the surface.
a. Core drilling
b. Diamond drilling
c. Wire-line drilling (Q series)
d. Conventional drilling

Wire-line drilling (Q series)- The drilling of boreholes with wire-line core-barrel drill-
string equipment.
Core drilling - The process of obtaining cylindrical rock samples by means of annular-
shaped rock-cutting bits rotated by a borehole-drilling machine. Long b. Drilling with
a hollow bit and a core barrel to obtain a rock core.
Diamond drilling - A rotary type of rock drill that cuts a core of rock that is recovered in
long cylindrical sections, two cm or more in diameter.
Conventional drilling - Typical vertical drilling used to retrieve oil and gas from the
earth. Conventional drilling usually does not utilize directional drilling or hydraulic
fracturing, but it may.

41. What type opening is most suitable considering the following conditions: a deposit outcrop
in an area of high relief and shallow cover, it dips steeply and can be interested at relatively
shallow depth.
a. Decline
b. Slope
c. Vertical shaft
d. Adit

Decline- A sloping tunnel or roadway used for access to underground mining operations
at progressively deeper levels
Slope - Primary inclined opening, connection the surface with the underground workings.
Vertical shaft - A shaft sunk at an angle of 90 degrees with the horizon or directly
downward toward the center of the Earth.
Adit - An opening driven horizontally into the side of a mountain or hill for providing
access to a mineral deposit.

42. A new method of hoisting that is design for every deep shaft extending more than 6,000 ft.
In depth.
a. Drum
b. Friction-sheave
c. Koepe
d. Multi-drum

Friction-sheave- A new method of hoisting that is design for every deep shaft extending
more than 6,000 ft. In depth.
Drum - For haulage to the surface through a mine shaft, the surface gear includes a winding
drum of cylindrical or cylindroconical form on which the winding rope (hoisting rope)
is coiled as the cage, or skip or kibble, is raised, and from which it is paid off as the
return journey is made.
Koepe - Winders may be designed to be floor-mounted at pit bank level (surface level of the
shaft) or as a shaft-head-mounted machine right above the shaft.
Multi-drum -A system in mining using multiple drums or winches to lift materials in
vertical or inclined shafts, enhancing hoisting capacity and efficiency.
43. ___________ in the direction of the mine entrance.
a. Entry
b. Portal
c. In by
d. Out by

In by- Toward the working face, or interior, of the mine; away from the shaft or entrance;
Entry - An underground horizontal or near-horizontal passage used for haulage,
ventilation, or as a mainway;
Portal - The surface entrance to a tunnel or adit.
Out by - Nearer to the shaft, and hence farther from the working face. Toward the mine
entrance. The opposite of inby.

44. It is any division or branch of the ventilation circuit:

a. Air split
b. Split
c. Airway
d. Air course

Air split- The division of the main current of air in a mine into two or more parts
Split - Any division or branch of the ventilating current. Also, the workings ventilated by
one branch. Also, to divide a pillar by driving one or more roads through it.
Airway - Any passage through which air is carried. Also known as an air course.
Air course - An entry or a set of entries separated from other entries by stoppings,
overcasts, other ventilation control devices, or by solid blocks of coal or rock so that
any mixing of air currents between each is limited to leakage.

45. The total area around an airway is called

a. Regulator
b. Surface area
c. Rubbing surface
d. Resistance surface

Surface area- Calculated from data obtained by a specified method, such as: (1) adsorption
measurement, (2) calculation, (3) permeability measurement, (4) microscopic observation, or (5)
close screening and averaging from study of a number of particles.
Regulator - Device (wall, door) used to control the volume of air in an air split.
Rubbing surface - The total area (top, bottom, and sides) of an airway.
Resistance surface - is the electrical resistance of a surface layer to a current.

46.In coal mining, this is the creation of a strong, inflexible beam by bolting or otherwise fastening
together several weaker layers:
a. Beam building
b. barrier pillars
c.bolting
d. grouting

Beam building- A process of rock bolting in flat-lying deposits where the bolts are installed in
bedded rock to bind the strata together to act as a single beam capable of supporting itself and thus
stabilizing the overlying rock.
Barrier Pillars- A solid block or rib of coal, etc., left unworked between two collieries or mines
for security against accidents arising from an influx of water.
Bolting- Separation of particles of different sizes by means of vibrating sieves.
 Grouting- The injection of grout into fissured, jointed, or permeable rocks in order to reduce their
permeability or increase their strength.
47. Solid blocks of coal or rock left between two miners or sections of a mine to prevent accidents due
to inrushes of water or gas, or to protect pillars in headings against crushing.
a.Beam building
b. barrier pillars
c.gob
d.fillings

Beam building- A process of rock bolting in flat-lying deposits where the bolts are installed in
bedded rock to bind the strata together to act as a single beam capable of supporting itself and thus
stabilizing the overlying rock
Barrier Pilar- A solid block or rib of coal, etc., left unworked between two collieries or mines for
security against accidents arising from an influx of water.
Gob- The space left by the extraction of a coal seam into which waste is packed or the immediate
roof caves
Fillings- The waste material used to fill up old stopes or chambers; Backfill

48. These are special air courses developed and maintained as part of the mine ventilation system that
are design to continuously move air-methane mixtures emitted by the gob away from active workings
and into mine -return-air courses:
a. Airways
b. Air courses
c. bleeder entries
d. overcasts

Airways - Any underground gallery or passage through which a portion of the ventilation passes;
i.e., the air is carried.
Air courses - A passage through which air is circulated, particularly a long passageway driven
parallel to the workings to carry the air current
bleeder entries - Special air courses developed and maintained as part of the mine ventilation
system that are design to continuously move air-methane mixtures emitted by the gob away from
active workings and into mine -return-air courses
overcasts - An enclosed airway that permits an air current to pass over another one without
interruption.

49. Fuels and oxidizers are the principal reacting ingredients in explosives. Which do you think is not a
fuel?
a. TNT
b. aluminum
c. carbon
d. NaNO3

TNT-trinitrotoluene, is a powerful explosive compound commonly used in military and industrial

applications due to its stability and high explosive power.
Aluminum- Lightweight, corrosion-resistant metal widely used across industries for its
conductivity and versatility.
Carbon- Carbon is a versatile chemical element essential for life and found in various forms,
widely utilized across industries
NaNO3-Sodium nitrate, is a chemical compound commonly used as a fertilizer, food preservative,
and ingredient in pyrotechnics due to its oxidizing properties.
50. These are specially formulated mixtures that are safe to use in flammable atmospheres in
underground coal mines:
a. ANFO
b. NG explosives
c. permissible
d. black powder

ANFO-An explosive material consisting of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil

NG explosives - Explosives that typically consist of nitroglycerin mixed with an absorbent
material to stabilize the compound
permissible - An explosive approved by the U.S. Bureau of Mines for controlled heat and duration
of detonation flame and allowed for use in underground work
black powder - A deflagrating or low-explosive granular compound of sulfur, charcoal, and an
alkali nitrate, usually potassium or sodium nitrate

51. Rope fleet angle is the angle subtended by the hoist rope and the centerline from the drum to reduce
abrasion in the sheave groove, the fleet angle should be restricted to:
a. 2-5/2o
b. 3o
c. 1-2o
d. 1-3/2o
52. A wire rope that is suitable for any system (drum hoist or friction-sheave) at depths of over 3,200 ft
is
a.Flattened strand
b. round stand
c. locked-coil
d.all of the above

Flattened strand-type of wire rope where the individual wires are flattened rather than cylindrical,
providing increased surface area and flexibility, often used in lifting and hoisting applications.
Round strand-individual wires are cylindrical in shape, commonly used in various lifting and
hoisting applications due to its strength and durability.
Locked-coil- individual wires are arranged in a helical pattern around a central wire, with each
layer being locked into place by neighboring wires. This design provides high strength, flexibility,
and resistance to crushing, making it suitable for heavy lifting and hoisting applications, such as
crane operations and mining.

53. If you are a draw control engineer in a block caving operation and you are required to have at least a
subsidence of 1 meter of the caved ore from each draw raise, compute for the amount of draw you
should get from each finger raise (each with a diameter of 3 meters) considering that the insitu density
of the ore is 2 MT/cu. M. with a swell factor of 17% upon caving.
a. 14.10MT/m
b. 19.47MT/m
c. 12.10MT/m
d. 15.22MT/m
54. What type of access will you choose for deep horizontal (<300), vertical, steeply inclined (<700)
deposit?
a. Slope with haulage
b. Decline tunnel with conveyor
c. Vertical shaft with hoisting
d. Inclined shaft with hoisting
55. An effective way to operate a mine with conventional haulage methods in an inclined seam or bed is
to drive all openings cross-pitch, that is:
a. At an angle to the dip of the deposit
b. At an angle to the strike of the deposit
 c. At an angle half the dip of the deposit
d. At an angle 45o to the dip of the deposit
56. Multiple openings are necessary in coal mines because they provide
a. Good access to the coal
b. Adequate ventilation
c. Good recovery of coal
d. Minimal distances
57. Excessive spacing or deficient spacing of draw points causes weight problems on:
a. Undercuts
b. sill pillars
c. crown pillars
d. barrier pillars

Undercuts - formed by the remove a horizontal section of kerf in the bottom of a block of coal to
facilitate its fall
sill pillars - Sill pillars are structural supports left in underground mines to maintain stability and
prevent roof collapses.
crown pillars - An ore pillar at the top of an open stope left for wall support and protection from
wall sloughing above.
barrier pillars - A solid block or rib of coal, etc., left unworked between two collieries or mines
for security against accidents arising from an influx of water.
58. In actual caving, it is this action which dilutes the ore with waste during drawing:
a. Draw control
b. ellipsoid of motion
c. Funneling
d. Barrier plans

Draw control - Management of the extraction process to control the flow of fragmented ore from
the caving zone to the extraction level. This involves regulating the rate and timing of ore
extraction to optimize the recovery of valuable minerals while maintaining stability and safety
within the cave.
Ellipsoid of motion - the trajectory or path traced by a point on a rigid body as it moves in space.
Funneling - Directing material flow, such as ore or waste rock, through a confined passage or
chute to a specific location for processing, transportation, or disposal.
Barrier plans - strategies outlining the placement and construction of physical barriers to manage
risks and hazards on-site, ensuring worker safety and environmental protection.

59. In a typical mining bench operation, 1 ft of ore face must be exposed for each 4 to 5 tons of required
daily production. Supposing the required is 20,000 tons, the advance stripping of the bench face must
continue until:
a. 4,000 - 5,000 ft.
b. 10, 000- 12,000 ft.
c. 2,000 - 3,000 ft.
d. 6,000 - 7,000 ft.

60. Supplements the pit design and reserve estimation work that is usually done for feasibility and
budget studies and is an important element of the decision making process:
a. Long range mine planning
b. Short range mine planning
c. Long range production planning
d. Short range production planning
61. For paper cycle balance in hauling, the cycle time for trucks must be:
a. Half the time required to spot and loads the entire truck fleet.
b. Equal to the time required to spot and load the entire truck fleet.
c. Greater than the times required to spot and load the entire truck fleet.
 d. Less than the time required to spot and load the entire truck fleet.
62. In an open pit mine design, these are located on each section so that the ore grade line supports a
stripping ratio corresponding to the break-even stripping ratio or allowable stripping ratio:
a.Cut-off grade
b. pit slope angle
c. pit limits
d. bank slopes

Cut-off grade- The lowest grade of mineralized material that qualifies as ore in a given deposit;
rock of the lowest assay included in an ore estimate.
pit slope angle- The angle at which the wall of an open pit or cut stands as measured along an
imaginary plane extended along the crests of the berms or from the slope crest to its toe.
pit limits- Either the vertical or lateral extent to which the mining of a mineral deposit by open
pitting may be economically carried. The cost of removing overburden or waste material versus the
minable value of the ore so exposed is usually the factor controlling the limits of a pit.
bank slopes- The angle, measured in degrees of deviation from the horizontal, at which the earthy
or rock material will stand in an excavated, terracelike cut in an open-pit mine or quarry.
63. Road-grades are based on the following criterion;
a.From trucks performance charts on breaking and speeding
b. Soil cohesion
c. Pit stability
d. All of the above

Soil cohesion-soil particles' ability to stick together and resist shear forces, crucial for assessing
slope stability and designing safety measures
Pit stability-structural integrity of open-pit mine excavations, ensuring walls and benches remain
stable to prevent collapses and ensure safety.
64.The best road gradient is between the ranges of:
a.7-12%
b. 8-15%
c. 8-12%
d. 7-15%
65. A failure that occurs below the toe of the bank:
a. Base failure-
b. slip circle failure -
c. slope failure-
d. toppling -

Base failure - Failure of the mass of soil beneath a natural slope or a slope of an embankment by
the formation of a slide.
slip circle failure -soil or rock slides along a curved surface, often leading to landslides or slope
instability
slope failure -collapse or movement of soil or rock along a sloped surface
toppling -rotation or tilting of rock masses due to gravitational forces

66. A failure that occurs intermediate between the crest and the toe:
a. base failure
b. slip circle failure
c. slope failure
d. toppling

Base failure - Failure of the mass of soil beneath a natural slope or a slope of an embankment by
the formation of a slide.
slip circle failure -soil or rock slides along a curved surface, often leading to landslides or slope
instability
 slope failure -collapse or movement of soil or rock along a sloped surface
toppling -rotation or tilting of rock masses due to gravitational forces
67. The recommended pit slope for the solid country rock is:
a. a.60-80o
b. 63-72o
c. 45o
d. 50o
68. The recommended pit slope for gravel is:
a. 22o
b. 35o
c. 16o
d. 37o
69.Hole patterns used only in soft to moderately hard rock (coal, potash, salt,etc.) to provide an
additional free face for blasting. They lower the risk of explosion in a flammable atmosphere, such as in
coal mines:
a. Pyramid cut
b. burn cut
c. kerfs
d. V-cut

Pyramid cut- pattern of shotholes drilled so that the middle holes converge and outline a pyramid-
shaped volume of rock. These holes are fired first, and thus create a free face or relieving cut.
burn cut- Type of parallel hole or holes cut for tunnel blasting; centrally located and not
containing explosives. Outer loaded holes are designed to break the cut.
kerfs -A horizontal cut in a block of coal, as opposed to a shearing, which is a vertical cut.
V-cut- In underground blasting, a type of cut employed in which the cut holes meet in a V to pull
the cut to the bottom of the holes properly. A single pair of holes may do in one kind of rock, but in
another, two or three sets of V-holes entirely across the face may be needed.

70.What is the most important factor in designing blasting grounds?

a. Property of rock
b. Drill hole diameter
c. hole pattern
d. type of explosive
71.In underground mines, which of the following is classified as continuous mining?
a. Shaft mocker
b. loader
c. slushier
d. boring machine

Shaft mocker-device used in mining to simulate the conditions of a shaft or tunnel during testing
or training exercises, aiding in the development of safety protocols and emergency response
procedures.
loader -A mechanical shovel or other machine for loading coal, ore, mineral, or rock.
slushier -A mobile drag scraper with a metal slide to elevate the bucket to dump point
boring machine -a specialized piece of equipment used to excavate tunnels or shafts by
mechanically drilling through rock or soil

72. Which of the following is classified as continuous mining?

a. Shovel
b. dredging
c. scraper
d. dragline
 Shovel - Any bucket-equipped machine used for digging and loading earthy or fragmented rock
materials
Dredging- Removing solid matter from the bottom of an area covered by water.
scraper-A digging, hauling, and grading machine having a cutting edge, a carrying bowl, a
movable front wall (apron), and a dumping or ejecting mechanism.
dragline - A type of excavating equipment that casts a rope-hung bucket a considerable distance,
collects the dug material by pulling the bucket toward itself on the ground with a second rope,
elevates the bucket, and dumps the material on a spoil bank, in a hopper, or on a pile.

73.Which of the following is classified as both excavating and rock fragmentation method?
a. Ripping
b. hydraulicking
c. blasting
d. both b and c

Ripping- The act of breaking, with a tractor-drawn ripper or long-angled steel tooth, compacted
soils or rock into pieces small enough to be economically excavated or moved by other equipment
such as a scraper or bulldozer.
hydraulicking - Excavating alluvial or other mineral deposits by means of high-pressure water
jets.
blasting- controlled use of explosives to break or fragment rock, soil, or other materials for
excavation, construction, or demolition purposes.

74. Diameter holes in underground mines are generally:

a.10-20 in.
b. 1-4 in.
c.2-24 in.
d. 5-10 in.
75. Diameter holes in surface mines are generally:
a. 10-20 in.
b. 6-18 in.
c. 12-24 in.
d. 5-10 in.
76.It is considered the most important explosives parameter in breaking and displacing rock in blasting
or otherwise known as explosion pressure:
a. Borehole pressure
b. High explosive pressure
c. detonating pressure
d. high velocity pressure
77.An explosive produces toxic fumes when:
a. Excess fuel
b. excess oxygen
c. fuel shortage
d. balanced-oxygen content
78.A small gold sluicing operation gets water supply from a dam with a dimension of 72ft x 25ft x 12ft.
The mine foreman wants to discharge the water at 100ft per minute using a 6-inch pump with 80%
efficiency. How long will it take to drain the pump?
a.21 hours
b.18 hours
c. 20 hours
d. 22.96 hours
79.A mechanized cut and fill stoping
a. Cut-and-fill stopping with LHD
b. Horizontal cut-and-fill stopping
c. rill stopping
 d. resuing
Cut-and-fill stopping with LHD- A mechanized cut and fill stoping
Horizontal cut-and-fill stopping- Horizontal cut-and-fill stopping is a mining technique where
horizontal tunnels are driven into a deposit, and successive horizontal slices are excavated and
filled as mining progresses.
rill stopping- narrow trenches or channels, known as rills, are excavated along the ore body's dip
or strike direction to access and extract ore.
Resuing- process of reworking or reprocessing previously mined material or waste to extract
additional valuable minerals or materials.

80. Which do you think is a fuel?

a. CaCO3
b. AN
c. TNT
d. NG

CaCO3-A chemical compound commonly found in rocks, shells, and minerals, used in various
industrial applications
AN-chemical compound with the formula NH4NO3, commonly used explosive in mining
TNT- An explosive compound commonly used in military applications and as a high explosive in
blasting operations due to its stability and power.
NG-A naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbon gases, primarily methane, extracted from
underground reservoirs and used as a fuel for heating, electricity generation, and various industrial
processes.

81.Sublevel block caving is a hybrid between sublevel caving and block caving introduced to counter
a. Drilling and blasting problems in sublevel caving.
b. Draw control problems in block caving.
c. Problems in sublevel caving due to dilution and mining at depth
d. Problems in block caving regarding stability, reinforcement and secondary blasting
problems.
82.The sublevel shrinkage method is a variant of sublevel caving and shrinkage stooping developed to
reduce
a. Drawbacks due to mechanization of operation
b. Drawbacks due to mining at depth
c. Drawbacks in sublevel caving such as stability problem as mining goes deeper and
minimizing dilution
d. Drawbacks in shrinkage stooping such as dilution
83.Sublevel caving layout depends primarily on the size and shape of the ore body, for steeply dipping
and narrow ore bodies, the appropriate layout is:
a. Longitudinal layout
b. perpendicular layout
c. cross-section layout
d. traverse layout
84.Sublevel caving method is applicable to:
a. Competent ore body characteristics enclosed by strong wall rocks
b. Weak ore body and wall rock characteristics
c. Reasonably competent ore body characteristics enclosed by incompetent wall rocks
d. Strong ore body and wall rock characteristics
85.The optimum yield from the ore body in sublevel caving depends on:
a. The drilling and blasting technique
b. Attitude of the ore body
c. The country rock overlying the ore body
 d. The gravitational flow of the granular material produced by blasting and the caving waste
rock
86.Sublevel caving is a method that:
a. Is applicable to a tabular ore body with 3 meters height
b. Involves the formation of the in-situ ore into a mechanically mobile state by drilling and
blasting and subsequently recovered.
c. Is applicable to low plunging vein type deposit
d. Rely on the caving of the ore
87.Sublevel caving method remains to be called so due to the fact that:
a. The characteristics of the ore and country rocks have high capability index
b. The ore and country rock caves
c. The ore caves
d. The country rock (hanging wall and foot wall) caves.
88.Front caving method is a special version of sublevel caving introduced by Jane lid (1975) that was
based on:
a. Tests that good control of the gravity flow can be achieved when production drifts are wide
and low
b. Stability
c. The size or area of contact surface between blasted ore and caving waste rock
d. Recovery and waste rock dilution
89.Sublevel caving and block caving are methods that are:
a. Naturally supported
b. Unsupported
c. Artificially supported
d. None of the above
90.Who developed large scale mining methods, especially hydraulic mining?
a. Romans
b. Greeks
c. Egyptians
d. Indians