Try SteamTicket free: 20 practice questions, no signup. Finish a sample and unlock a welcome discount. Pick your class →

4B practice exam › Unit B-4

4B B-4: Boiler Plant Operation and Management

96 practice questions in this unit. Each practice set pulls 20 at a time, so you keep seeing new questions as you go.

What this unit covers: Starting auxiliaries and boilers, operating checks, shutdown and lay-up, what to log.

Exam theme: Boiler safety devices and operation. Commonly reported share of the 100-question 4B exam: about 14 questions (unofficial; SOPEEC and ABSA do not publish per-unit counts). See the 4B exam breakdown.

2 free 4B B-4 questions, explained

Original exam-style questions written to the public syllabus, from our free public sample. They are not questions from a real exam.

1. While walking down a fuel oil system that is being placed in service, an operator discovers an oil leak. What is the first correct action?

  • A. Record the small leak and leave the oil cleanup until the end of the shift.
  • B. Stop and isolate the fuel pumps, then lock out, tag out, and drain that section.
  • C. Raise the fuel supply pressure to flush the fitting and stop the weeping.
  • D. Keep the pumps running and simply tighten the leaking fitting while oil flows.
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: B. If fuel oil is leaking while the system is being put into service, stop and isolate the fuel pumps first. Then lock out and tag out that section, drain it, repair the leaking fittings, and clean up the oil. Leaving the pumps running, waiting to clean up, or raising the pressure keeps a live oil hazard in the plant.

Question ID KE-B04-C01-Q001 · Unit B-4: Boiler Plant Operation and Management · Report an error

2. During an accumulation test, a power boiler with an MAWP of 2415 kPa and a safety valve set at 2070 kPa stabilizes at 2200 kPa while the valve is fully discharging. Is the safety valve capacity adequate?

  • A. Yes; 2200 kPa is below 6% above the MAWP (about 2560 kPa)
  • B. No; any pressure above the 2070 kPa set point means inadequate capacity
  • C. Yes; 2200 kPa is still well below the MAWP of 2415 kPa
  • D. No; 2200 kPa exceeds 6% above the set pressure (about 2194 kPa)
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: D. ASME I PG-67 allows the pressure to rise no more than 6% above the highest set pressure; 6% above 2070 kPa is about 2194 kPa, and the stabilized 2200 kPa exceeds it, so capacity is inadequate. Comparing only to the MAWP or to MAWP plus 6% is incorrect, and some accumulation above the set point is permitted, so claiming that any pressure above the 2070 kPa set point means inadequate capacity is also wrong.

Why the other options are not the answer

  • A. Using 6% above the MAWP (about 2560 kPa) applies the wrong reference pressure.
  • B. Some accumulation above the set point is permitted; the limit is 6% above the set pressure.
  • C. Accumulation is judged against the safety valve set pressure, not only the MAWP.

Question ID KE-B04-C06-Q017 · Unit B-4: Boiler Plant Operation and Management · Report an error

Try 20 free 4B questions 4B practice exam overview

← B-3: Boiler Safety Devices · B-5: Energy Plant Maintenance →

All 4B units