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Leaving Cert Engineering: Benchwork, drilling & grinding

How often Benchwork, drilling & grinding comes up on the Engineering papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 6 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

OL Asked on 9 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

June 2028 is the first exam on the new Engineering course. These come from the 2016–2025 papers, so read them as a guide.

Benchwork, drilling & grinding, Higher Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Benchwork, drilling & grinding.

(a)Tap used last to cut a full thread to the bottom of a blind hole?
  1. Taper (first) tap
  2. Plug (bottoming) tap
  3. Second (intermediate) tap
(b)The tapping-size drill for a thread is roughly equal to the thread's?
  1. Pitch
  2. Major diameter
  3. Minor (root) diameter
(c)Why drill a pilot hole before a large-diameter hole?
  1. To guide the large drill and reduce cutting force
  2. To make the finished hole slightly oversize
  3. To cool the drill by letting coolant reach the tip
Show the answers

(a) Plug (bottoming) tap

(b) Minor (root) diameter

(c) To guide the large drill and reduce cutting force

Your turn: Higher Level questions on Benchwork, drilling & grinding.

Higher Level

Asked on 6 of the last 9 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q8
2024Not asked
2023Q8
2022Q8
2021Q1(h), Q8
2019Not asked
2018Q7
2017Q7
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 9 of the last 9 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2025. banker

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2025Q1(i), Q1(l)
2024Q1(j), Q1(m)
2023Q1(c), Q1(f), Q1(j), Q1(l)
2022Q1(i)
2021Q1(e), Q1(l), Q1(m)
2019Q1(i), Q1(l)
2018Q1(m)
2017Q1(i)
2016Q1(l), Q1(m)

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Benchwork, drilling & grinding questions

Benchwork, drilling & grinding, 3 marks

Why is a taper tap used first when cutting a thread?

  1. It cuts to the bottom of a blind hole
  2. It cuts an outside thread
  3. Its long taper makes it easy to start straight
Show the answer

Its long taper makes it easy to start straight

Its first teeth are ground down so it enters gradually and square. A second tap follows, then a plug tap reaches the bottom of a blind hole. Outside threads use a die.

Benchwork, drilling & grinding, 2 marks

What is a blind hole?

  1. A hole with a cone-shaped top for a screw
  2. A hole that does not go right through
  3. A hole drilled at an angle to the surface
Show the answer

A hole that does not go right through

A blind hole stops at a set depth. When tapping one, finish with a plug tap and clear swarf often, as it has nowhere to fall out.

Benchwork, drilling & grinding, 2 marks

What is a countersunk hole?

  1. A hole with a cone-shaped top so a screw sits flush
  2. A hole with a thread cut inside it for a bolt
  3. A hole that stops part way into the metal
Show the answer

A hole with a cone-shaped top so a screw sits flush

A countersink bit cuts a cone so the head of a countersunk screw sits level with the surface. A flat-bottomed recess for a cap screw is a counterbore.

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