Course Content

COURSE CONTENT

Now I will provide a brief outline of the entire course content. This overview will give you an idea of what to expect. I hope the outline gets you excited about the prospects of what you will learn. I also hope it shows how valuable this audio course can be to your success and motivates you to get started!

I will begin this course with a basic overview of the CAST exam in chapter two. I will go over the application process, who is eligible to take the test, and the exam schedule. In this chapter, you will also learn some basic tips that will help with your preparation. You'll hear about rules to keep in mind on exam day. I will also explain how the test is graded, along with results and retake policies.

As we proceed into specific topics, it is important that you remember the CAST exam is a battery of four aptitude tests. They are:

• One: The Graphic Arithmetic section,

• Two: Mechanical Concepts

• Three: Reading for Comprehension,

• And four: Mathematical Usage.

In the subsequent chapters of this course, I will cover all four exam sections or tests. I will familiarize you with the structure and format of each section and how to answer the questions presented on them.

Chapter three deals with the Graphical Arithmetic and Mathematical Usage tests. These are the first and fourth subtests, but we’ve combined them in this chapter to keep all the math sections together.

I will explain how these subjects are presented on the exam. I will also highlight and explain the calculations that you need to understand to succeed on the math portions. Math is generally a two part process of memorizing formulas and then applying them. The CAST exam tests how fast you can apply formulas under strict time constraints.

The topics you can expect on the Mathematical Usage section are ratios, rates and proportions, and one/two/three/four operations. I will also talk about percentages, lowest values, and number series. This section also includes word problems.

In the following chapters, I will discuss the topics under the Mechanical Concepts part of the exam. This section is most relevant to the construction industry. You still need to pass it, though, no matter the field or trade job you are applying for. The Mechanical Concepts section, as the name implies, tests your understanding of basic mechanical concepts. This is the most extensive section of the exam. To effectively cover the Mechanical Concepts topics, we have split the content up over six chapters.

Chapter four is an introduction to the Mechanical Concepts section. I will explain what you can expect on this part of the exam. Then I will present a brief breakdown of some basic mechanical concepts: for example, units and systems of units, vectors, and scalers. I will also go over the concepts of forces.

In subsequent chapters, I will cover additional mechanical concepts, beginning with work, energy, power, and buoyancy. After that, I will discuss acoustics and optics. I will also explain thermodynamics and pressure.

The fourth part of the mechanical concepts section is mainly about electricity. I will discuss electric power, and series and parallel connection of electrical circuits. Part five of mechanical concepts involves gas pressure, circular motion, ballistics, and an introduction to simple machines.

Next, I will talk about various types of simple machines, beginning with springs, pulley systems, gears, wheels, and belts.

I'll cover the final section of the exam in chapter nine. This is the reading comprehension section. As the name implies, this section will evaluate your reading and comprehension skills. I will explain how this is tested on the CAST exam along with several examples.

The last part of this audio course is somewhat of a bonus chapter. It covers all you need to know after you complete this course. I will wrap things up with a summary of what you must do after you pass your CAST exam. Here you will find information about what

to do to advance your career in the construction and utilities industry now that you have passed your exam and have demonstrated your value. This chapter also provides you with the practice final exam for the course. Again, it’s a great way to prepare for the real thing. You'll use everything you learned in the lectures when you take the test. The feedback you get from what you got right and what you miss will be very helpful.

As you can tell, we have quite a lot to cover. Still, I encourage you to take everything in stride. Don’t rush it. Work at a comfortable pace to get the most from this course. As I mentioned earlier, you may have to listen to each chapter a couple of times to fully digest the wealth of information. And remember, taking the quizzes at the end of each chapter, along with the final exam, will help you prepare better as well. Time yourself so you get used to working quickly but accurately. If you are constantly running short on time, you've identified an issue. Try to determine what is taking up your time. Is it material you do not remember? Are you not understanding the questions? Are you a slow reader? Fix this before the real exam. You'll go in with more confidence and will spend less time and energy on questions.

If you go through this audio course and follow all the recommendations I provide, you will be as prepared as anyone can be for this test. The more information you can acquire and retain, the more prepared you will be. This will serve as a real confidence boost ahead of the exam.