The Mechanical-Technical Reasoning Test is one of the most challenging parts of the DOST-SEI Undergraduate Scholarship Examination. This section measures your ability to understand physical and mechanical concepts that apply to real-world situations. It assesses how well you can visualize forces, motion, machines, and systems — skills that are useful in engineering, technology, and science-related fields.
In this Mechanical-Technical Practice Test, you will encounter a variety of questions that will test your understanding of basic physics and mechanical principles. These questions will require you to analyze how machines, forces, or circuits behave under specific conditions.
The test includes multiple-choice questions with diagrams, illustrations, or situations that involve simple machines, motion, pulleys, gears, levers, or circuits. After choosing your answer, the correct answer will be highlighted in green, while the incorrect one will appear in red for easier review.
Click the START QUIZ button below to begin and challenge your understanding of fundamental mechanical and technical principles.
Coverage of the Mechanical-Technical Test
This part of the DOST-SEI exam focuses on practical understanding of how things work. Expect questions from these main topics:
1. Forces and Motion
Covers basic laws of motion, inertia, friction, acceleration, and how forces act on objects. You may also encounter problems involving pulleys, inclined planes, or balance.
2. Simple Machines
Tests your knowledge of levers, gears, pulleys, and other simple mechanisms. You’ll determine how these devices provide mechanical advantage or transmit motion efficiently.
3. Work, Power, and Energy
Assesses your grasp of how energy is transformed and transferred in mechanical systems. Questions may involve calculating or comparing efficiency and power output.
4. Fluid Mechanics and Pressure
Includes basic ideas about buoyancy, air and water pressure, and how these forces interact with objects in liquids or gases.
5. Electrical and Electronic Concepts
You’ll analyze basic circuit diagrams, understand current flow, voltage, and resistance, and interpret how components like switches, resistors, and bulbs function together.
6. Technical Analysis and Visualization
Some items measure your ability to mentally visualize how a system operates, predict the outcome of changes, or determine which part will move and in what direction.
Tips for Answering Mechanical-Technical Questions
1. Visualize the problem.
Draw quick sketches or mentally imagine the movement or direction of force. Visualization helps in understanding how systems behave.
2. Remember the basics of physics.
Simple principles like “force equals mass times acceleration” (F = ma) or “energy cannot be created nor destroyed” are often enough to solve most problems.
3. Look for symmetry and balance.
In lever or pulley problems, balanced systems have equal torques or weights. Checking both sides can help you find the correct answer faster.
4. Understand how machines simplify work.
Each type of simple machine (lever, pulley, screw, wedge, gear) is designed to make work easier. Identify what advantage it provides — speed, distance, or force.
5. Analyze circuits logically.
In electrical questions, remember that series circuits share the same current, while parallel circuits share the same voltage. This helps determine which component lights up or fails.
6. Eliminate impossible options.
If a choice contradicts a known physical principle (for example, perpetual motion or energy increase without input), it’s automatically wrong.
Final Reminders
The Mechanical-Technical Reasoning Test measures how well you understand and apply basic scientific principles to practical problems. Read each question carefully, observe diagrams closely, and think logically before answering.