Sample Entrance Examination for [Link].

Program in Road &

Instruction: Some questions are multiple choices while others are fill in the blank. Circle all multiple
choice questions and attempt fill in the blank questions in the space provided.

Maximum Time Allowed: 90 mins

1. According to Marshall Mix Design for Asphalt Concrete, an optimum mix must have an air void in
the range of _____ to _____ %.
2. What type of a surface treatment is recommended for the construction of a new road with
moderate level of traffic?
_____________________________________
3. List the potential layers of conventional flexible pavements
a. _________________________________
b. _________________________________
c. _________________________________
d. _________________________________
4. Which of the following is NOT the main use of a sub-base course in road pavements?
a. Construction platform for heavy construction machinery
b. As a drainage and filter layer
c. Wearing surface for the movement of vehicles
d. None of the above
5. Which of the following is TRUE about the design methodologies of AASHTO and ERA (TRL) for
flexible pavements?
a. AASHTO design uses analytical design where as ERA uses empirical design
b. AASHTO is a probabilistic design where as ERA is a deterministic design
c. Both AASHTO and ERA calculate the truck factor in the same way
d. Both AASHTO and ERA use CBR to characterize subgrade material
6. A soil sample test for CBR gave the following result
Penetration 2.54 5.08
Load (Mpa) 0.69 1.13
If the standard load at 2.54mm and 5.08mm penetration are 6.9Mpa and 13Mpa respectively,
what is the CBR value of the soil sample?
_______________________________
7. According to the AASHTO soil classification system, a soil sample generally classified as A-7-1 is
a. Granular
b. Sand
c. Expansive
d. Boulder
8. Which of the following is not the advantage of rigid pavement over flexible pavement?
 a. Longer design life
b. Lower comfort
c. Lower thickness
d. Lower life cycle cost
9. Based on ERA Geometric Design Manual, the maximum super-elevation used for rural & urban
road sections is _________ and __________ respectively.
10. If the design speed of a road is 100km/hr on a flat terrain with maximum super-elevation of 10%
and friction of 0.12, what is the minimum radius of a horizontal curve that should be provided to
overcome the centrifugal force?
_________________________________________
11. Which of the following statements is NOT correct about Mis-phasing of Horizontal and vertical
curves during the geometric design of roads?
a. Mis-phasing occurs when horizontal and vertical curves completely overlap/ Coincide
with each other
b. Mis-phasing can be avoided by separating horizontal and vertical curves
c. Mis-phasing can result in shorter sight distances and potential accidents
d. None of the above
12. If the algebraic difference of two intersecting vertical alignment tangents is less than 0.5%, the
recommended length of vertical curve to avoid driving discomfort is
a. 10m
b. 200m
c. 500m
d. 1000m
13. According to the ERA geometric design manual, the four major terrain classifications with their
respective trasverse slope categories are:
Terrain class Transverse Slope Range
a.
b.
c.
d.
14. Which of the following is the appropriate design standard for a road with total AADT of 1000
vehicles?
a. DS1
b. DS2
c. DS3
d. DS4
15. What is the minimum gradient of roads recommended at cut sections for drainage purposes?
___________________________
16. Which type of the horizontal curves is not recommended in the design of horizontal curves due
its lack of psychological expectation of drivers?
a. Circular curves
b. Switch back curves
 c. Reverse Curves
d. Broken Back Curves
17. Which one is the most widely used traffic count procedure for the design of roadways?
a. A One month 24 hrs count
b. A 7 day 24 hrs count
c. A 7 day count of which two days are for 24 hrs and 5 days for 12 hrs
d. A 7 day count of which two days are for 24 hrs and 5 days for 16 hrs
18. If a two lane highway is congested and operating over its capacity, its level of service (LOS) is
graded as __________
19. For high volume of traffic coming from all legs of a 4 legged intersection, which control
mechanism is recommended?
a. Signals
b. Roundabouts
c. Stop signs
d. Self trafficking
20. In the four step of the urban transport demand modeling i.e. Trip Distribution, Mode Choice,
Traffic Assignment and Trip generation, what is the logical order of the four steps?
a. ________________________________
b. ________________________________
c. ________________________________
d. ________________________________
21. If the density on a road is 100veh/km and the average speed for the section is 20km/hr, what is
the flow of vehicles passing a point in the road section?
_________________________________
22. An axle load survey is conducted for a 3-axle heavy truck to give the following result:
Axle 1 2 3
Weight in Kg 8160 10250 10250

What is the truck factor of the vehicle if the fourth power rule is used to calculate the
equivalency factor for a standard axle load of 8160kg?
___________________________________
23. Which mode of transport is the most effective to transport bulk goods from ports to hinterland?
___________________________________
24. List the five core steps of any transport planning activity in their logical order
a. ___________________________________
b. ___________________________________
c. ___________________________________
d. ___________________________________
e. ___________________________________
25. Compute the derivative of (x)(x+1) for x=0
____________________
26. At the end of the GTP, How much KM of road is envisaged for Ethiopia to have?
 a. 50,000km
b. 135,000km
c. 180,000km
d. 500,000km
27. If the average rate of fatal accidents occurring on a street is 1 accident per week and the
probabilistic distribution of the accidents is considered uniform, what is the chance of an
accident occurring in any particular week?
_________________________
28. According to latest vehicle registration, how many vehicles are estimated to be running on the
streets of Ethiopia?
a. 1,000,000
b. 100,000
c. 400,000
d. 200,000
29. If the base year AADT of a road in 2014 is 165, what will be the opening year traffic if the growth
rate of traffic is estimated to be 8% and construction is assumed to take 3 years?
____________________________
30. Name three machineries that can be used for the construction of roads
a. ____________________________________
b. ______________________________________
c. ______________________________________