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AutoCAD ACU practice questions

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Question 1Creating and managing drawings

Which file extension identifies an AutoCAD drawing template?

  1. .bak
  2. .dwt Correct answer.
  3. .dwg
  4. .dws

Explanation

Drawing templates use the .dwt extension and store predefined settings such as units, layers, dimension styles, and layouts. A new drawing started from a template inherits all of those settings.

Question 2Creating and managing drawings

Which statement about layer 0 is accurate?

  1. It can be deleted once it is empty.
  2. It cannot be turned off or frozen.
  3. It can be renamed but never deleted.
  4. It cannot be renamed or deleted. Correct answer.

Explanation

Every drawing contains layer 0, and AutoCAD protects it: the name cannot be changed and the layer cannot be removed. It can, however, be turned off, frozen, locked, and assigned different properties.

Question 3Creating and managing drawings

How do objects drawn on the Defpoints layer behave when the drawing is plotted?

  1. They plot only in paper space layouts.
  2. They plot in black only.
  3. They do not appear in the plot. Correct answer.
  4. They plot with half of the assigned lineweight.

Explanation

The Defpoints layer is a non-plotting layer that AutoCAD creates automatically when dimensions are placed. Anything drawn on it is visible on screen but is omitted from plots and previews.

Question 4Creating and managing drawings

Which command removes unused named objects, such as unreferenced layers and block definitions, from the current drawing?

  1. CLEAN
  2. AUDIT
  3. OVERKILL
  4. PURGE Correct answer.

Explanation

PURGE deletes named objects that are not referenced anywhere in the drawing, which reduces file size. It can be run repeatedly because new purgeable items may become available after each pass.

Question 5Creating and managing drawings

Which command examines the currently open drawing for structural errors and offers to correct them?

  1. RECOVER
  2. AUDIT Correct answer.
  3. PURGE
  4. QSAVE

Explanation

AUDIT scans the database of a drawing that is already open and reports or fixes detected errors. RECOVER serves a different purpose: it repairs a drawing file that cannot be opened normally.

Question 6Creating and managing drawings

When a drawing is saved over an existing file, AutoCAD keeps the previous version by default with which extension?

  1. .sv$
  2. .dwl
  3. .tmp
  4. .bak Correct answer.

Explanation

Saving over an existing drawing renames the prior copy with a .bak extension before writing the new file. This behavior depends on the automatic backup option being enabled in the Open and Save settings.

Question 7Creating and managing drawings

Which command creates a floating viewport on a layout tab?

  1. ZOOM
  2. REGEN
  3. MVIEW Correct answer.
  4. VIEW

Explanation

MVIEW creates layout viewports that display model space geometry at a chosen scale and location on the sheet. Each viewport is a separate object whose scale and display can be controlled individually.

Question 8Creating and managing drawings

Which layer property keeps objects visible on screen and in plots while preventing them from being modified?

  1. Off
  2. Frozen
  3. Locked Correct answer.
  4. Plot

Explanation

Locking a layer keeps its objects visible and plottable but blocks editing commands and grip-based changes. This is useful for reference geometry that must not be moved accidentally.

Question 9Creating and managing drawings

The UNITS command is used to control which drawing setting?

  1. The paper size assigned to each layout
  2. The scale factor applied to inserted blocks
  3. The format and precision used to display values Correct answer.
  4. The lineweight assigned to newly created layers

Explanation

The UNITS command sets the display format and precision for linear and angular values, such as decimal versus architectural units. It changes how values are reported and entered, not the physical size of geometry.

Question 10Creating and managing drawings

What does the LIMITS command define?

  1. The extents of all objects in model space
  2. The printable area of the selected paper
  3. The maximum file size allowed for the drawing
  4. The drawing boundary that limits checking can enforce Correct answer.

Explanation

LIMITS sets the rectangular drawing boundary in the current space and can turn on limits checking so that new objects cannot be created outside it. The boundary is independent of the actual extents of the geometry.

Question 11Creating and managing drawings

Which file extension is used by the automatic save file that AutoCAD writes at timed intervals?

  1. .sv$ Correct answer.
  2. .dwt
  3. .bak
  4. .dwl

Explanation

The automatic save feature writes a file with an .sv$ extension at the interval set by SAVETIME. After a crash, the file can be renamed to .dwg to recover the work.

Question 12Creating and managing drawings

Which command creates a package containing the drawing plus its dependent files, such as xrefs, fonts, and plot style tables?

  1. SAVEAS
  2. WBLOCK
  3. PUBLISH
  4. ETRANSMIT Correct answer.

Explanation

ETRANSMIT builds a transmittal set, either as a folder or a zip file, that includes the drawing and the files it depends on. It also can include a report listing the files and any unresolved references.

Question 13Creating and managing drawings

Which command opens the dialog used to enter a drawing title, subject, author, and custom properties?

  1. OPTIONS
  2. DWGPROPS Correct answer.
  3. LAYERSTATE
  4. PROPERTIES

Explanation

DWGPROPS opens the Drawing Properties dialog, where summary information such as title, author, and custom fields is stored with the file. These values can be used in fields and in sheet set data.

Question 14Creating and managing drawings

Which action cannot be performed on the layer that is currently set as the current layer?

  1. Freezing the layer Correct answer.
  2. Turning the layer off
  3. Changing the layer color
  4. Locking the layer

Explanation

AutoCAD does not allow the current layer to be frozen, because new objects would be created on a layer that is excluded from regeneration. Turning off or locking the current layer is permitted, and its properties can be edited freely.

Question 15Creating and managing drawings

A layout viewport keeps losing its scale when the user zooms inside it. Which viewport setting prevents this?

  1. Display Locked set to Yes Correct answer.
  2. Viewport clipping enabled
  3. Layer plot property turned on
  4. Annotation scale set to 1:1

Explanation

Setting a viewport's Display Locked property to Yes fixes the current scale so that panning and zooming inside the viewport no longer change it. The viewport can still be panned within the locked scale.

Question 16Creating and managing drawings

Which layer setting hides objects in a single layout viewport while leaving them visible in other viewports?

  1. Layer Off
  2. VP Freeze Correct answer.
  3. Layer Freeze
  4. Layer Lock

Explanation

VP Freeze is a per-viewport override that hides objects only in the selected viewport. Global freeze, by contrast, hides the objects in all viewports and in model space.

Question 17Creating and managing drawings

Which command merges selected layers into a target layer and then deletes the source layers?

  1. LAYISO
  2. LAYMCUR
  3. LAYMRG Correct answer.
  4. LAYDEL

Explanation

LAYMRG moves all objects from the selected source layers onto a chosen target layer and then purges the sources. LAYDEL simply deletes a layer together with its objects.

Question 18Creating and managing drawings

Which command hides all layers except those containing the objects you select?

  1. LAYISO Correct answer.
  2. LAYFRZ
  3. LAYMCUR
  4. LAYOFF

Explanation

LAYISO asks you to select objects and then turns off, freezes, or locks all other layers depending on the settings. This makes it easy to work on a small part of a complex drawing.

Question 19Creating and managing drawings

Which feature stores a named snapshot of layer settings, including on/off state and color, so it can be restored later?

  1. Layer states Correct answer.
  2. Layer filters
  3. Layer translation
  4. Viewport overrides

Explanation

A layer state records the current settings of all layers so that the exact configuration can be restored later or shared with other drawings and layouts. Saved layer states are managed through the Layer States Manager.

Question 20Creating and managing drawings

Which file extension identifies a sheet set data file?

  1. .dst Correct answer.
  2. .dwg
  3. .dwt
  4. .dsd

Explanation

A sheet set is stored in a file with the .dst extension, which organizes sheets, subsets, and their properties. The Sheet Set Manager uses this file to open, publish, and transmit the whole set.

Question 21Creating and managing drawings

A block was created from objects drawn on layer 0 with color, linetype, and lineweight set to ByLayer. How do those objects display after the block is inserted on a layer named WALLS?

  1. They display with the properties stored in the block definition.
  2. They keep the properties of layer 0.
  3. They take on the current color and linetype shown in the Properties palette.
  4. They take on the properties of layer WALLS. Correct answer.

Explanation

Objects drawn on layer 0 inside a block act as property placeholders: when the block is inserted, they assume the properties of the layer the block reference sits on. Objects drawn on any other layer inside the block retain that layer's properties.

Question 22Creating and managing drawings

An unused layer cannot be removed with PURGE. Which condition explains this?

  1. The layer has no objects on it.
  2. The layer name uses an underscore.
  3. The layer is the current layer. Correct answer.
  4. The layer is turned off.

Explanation

PURGE cannot remove layer 0, the Defpoints layer, or the current layer, even when they contain no objects. A layer that is merely unused but current must first be replaced as the current layer.

Question 23Creating and managing drawings

An annotative text style specifies a paper height of 3 mm. In a viewport whose annotation scale is 1:10, what height does the text have in model space?

  1. 0.3 unit
  2. 3 units
  3. 10 units
  4. 30 units Correct answer.

Explanation

Annotative objects are sized so that they plot at their specified paper height. The model space height equals the paper height multiplied by the scale factor, so 3 mm times 10 gives 30 drawing units.

Question 24Creating and managing drawings

Which statement correctly distinguishes freezing a layer from turning it off?

  1. Frozen layers plot, while off layers never plot
  2. Frozen layers can be edited, while off layers cannot be edited
  3. Frozen layers are not regenerated; off layers still are Correct answer.
  4. Off layers are invisible on screen, while frozen layers remain visible

Explanation

Frozen layers are excluded from regeneration and hidden from display and plotting, which improves performance in complex drawings. Layers that are only turned off still regenerate but are hidden on screen and omitted from plots.

Question 25Creating and managing drawings

A block whose block units are inches is dragged from a tool palette into a drawing whose insertion units are millimeters. What scale factor is applied to the block geometry?

  1. 1
  2. 10
  3. 0.0394
  4. 25.4 Correct answer.

Explanation

When a block carries defined units and the target drawing has different insertion units, AutoCAD converts between them automatically. One inch equals 25.4 millimeters, so the block is enlarged by a factor of 25.4.

Question 26Creating and managing drawings

Which file extension identifies a drawing template file in AutoCAD?

  1. .dxf
  2. .dws
  3. .dwt Correct answer.
  4. .dwg

Explanation

A drawing template stores predefined settings such as layers, text styles, dimension styles, and layouts, and it uses the .dwt extension. Drawings themselves use .dwg, while .dws is a drawing standards file and .dxf is an exchange format.

Question 27Creating and managing drawings

Which command saves the current drawing under its existing file name without opening a file navigation dialog box?

  1. EXPORT
  2. WBLOCK
  3. SAVEAS
  4. QSAVE Correct answer.

Explanation

QSAVE performs a quick save, writing the drawing to the file name it already has. It is the command behind the standard Save button and asks for a name only when the drawing has never been saved before.

Question 28Creating and managing drawings

Which command examines the current drawing for errors and offers to correct them?

  1. PURGE
  2. OVERKILL
  3. RECOVER
  4. AUDIT Correct answer.

Explanation

AUDIT scans the open drawing's database, reports any errors it finds, and can fix them in place. RECOVER is used to open a file that is already damaged, and OVERKILL removes duplicate or overlapping geometry rather than repairing the database.

Question 29Creating and managing drawings

Which command deletes unused named object definitions, such as block definitions that are no longer referenced, from a drawing?

  1. ERASE
  2. PURGE Correct answer.
  3. CLEANSCREENON
  4. OVERKILL

Explanation

PURGE removes unreferenced named objects - block definitions, layers, text styles, and similar items - which reduces file size. It works only on definitions that are not used anywhere in the drawing or in nested content.

Question 30Creating and managing drawings

After the BLOCK command is used to define a block from selected objects, those objects disappear from the drawing. Which command returns them?

  1. REGEN
  2. REVERT
  3. REDRAW
  4. OOPS Correct answer.

Explanation

Defining a block erases the source objects from the drawing, and OOPS restores the last set of erased objects, so it brings back exactly those source objects. Regenerating or redrawing only refreshes the display.

Question 31Creating and managing drawings

Which system variable, when set to 0, suppresses the file navigation dialog boxes used by commands such as OPEN and SAVEAS?

  1. FILEDIA Correct answer.
  2. PICKADD
  3. EXPERT
  4. CMDDIA

Explanation

FILEDIA controls whether file-related commands display a dialog box; setting it to 0 makes those commands prompt for paths at the command line instead. CMDDIA applies to dialog boxes of other commands, not the file navigation dialogs.

Question 32Creating and managing drawings

Drawing A contains an external reference attached with the Overlay type, and drawing A is then attached as an external reference into drawing B. What appears in drawing B?

  1. The nested overlay also appears, exactly as it does in drawing A.
  2. The nested overlay is converted into a block definition in drawing B.
  3. The nested overlay does not appear. Correct answer.
  4. Drawing B prompts for the overlay's file path when it is opened.

Explanation

An overlay is designed not to be carried forward: when the drawing that hosts it is itself referenced elsewhere, the overlay is omitted from that nested display. An attachment, by contrast, would appear in the host drawing and in any drawing that references it.

Question 33Creating and managing drawings

AutoCAD reports that a drawing file is damaged and cannot be opened in the usual way. Which command attempts to repair the file and open it?

  1. AUDIT
  2. PURGE
  3. RECOVER Correct answer.
  4. OPEN

Explanation

RECOVER opens a damaged drawing, applies repair routines to its database, and reports what was recovered. AUDIT works on a drawing that is already open and only checks it for errors.

Question 34Creating and managing drawings

The WBLOCK command is used to write selected objects to a new drawing file. What happens to those objects in the current drawing?

  1. They remain in the current drawing unchanged. Correct answer.
  2. They are deleted permanently and cannot be recovered.
  3. They are replaced by an external reference to the new file.
  4. They are erased and can be restored with OOPS.

Explanation

WBLOCK copies the selected objects into a separate new drawing file and leaves the source objects in place. This differs from BLOCK, which removes the source objects after defining the block and relies on OOPS to bring them back.

Question 35Creating and managing drawings

When QNEW creates a drawing without the user choosing any template, which template does it use?

  1. A drawing with no template settings applied at all.
  2. The default template specified in the Options dialog box. Correct answer.
  3. The last drawing that was opened during the session.
  4. The acad.dwt file located in the current folder.

Explanation

QNEW builds the new drawing from the default template file name configured under the drawing template settings in Options. That file can be any .dwt the user nominates, so the location and name are not fixed.

Question 36Creating and managing drawings

Which task can be accomplished with SAVEAS but not with QSAVE?

  1. Writing the current changes to disk.
  2. Closing the drawing once the save finishes.
  3. Saving the drawing in an earlier DWG file format. Correct answer.
  4. Removing unreferenced definitions while saving.

Explanation

SAVEAS presents the full Save As dialog, where a different name, location, or drawing format version can be chosen. QSAVE writes straight to the existing file name and format without offering those choices.

Question 37Creating and managing drawings

Which command attaches an external reference so that later changes to the source file appear in the current drawing?

  1. WBLOCK
  2. INSERT
  3. XATTACH Correct answer.
  4. IMPORT

Explanation

XATTACH brings a file in as a live external reference, so edits made to the source file show up the next time the drawing is opened or the xref is reloaded. INSERT instead converts the content into a block definition that no longer follows the source file.

Question 38Creating and managing drawings

A drawing that contains a layer named WALLS set to red is inserted into a drawing that already has a layer named WALLS set to green. What is the result?

  1. The layer turns red because the incoming drawing's definition overrides the existing one.
  2. Two layers with the name WALLS are created, one red and one green.
  3. The insertion is refused until the duplicate layer name is resolved.
  4. The layer stays green and the inserted objects use the current drawing's layer settings. Correct answer.

Explanation

When a drawing is inserted as a block, layers whose names already exist in the current drawing keep the properties already defined there; only new, non-conflicting layers are added. This keeps the current drawing's standards intact.

Question 39Creating and managing drawings

The system variable ISAVEPERCENT is set to 0. What effect does this have on saving?

  1. Saving is disabled until the value is raised again.
  2. Every save rewrites the whole drawing file instead of saving only the changes. Correct answer.
  3. A backup copy of the previous version is no longer produced.
  4. The automatic save interval is reduced to zero minutes.

Explanation

ISAVEPERCENT sets the maximum allowed wasted space before a full save is forced; a value of 0 makes every save a full save. Incremental saving, which writes only changed portions, is therefore turned off while the value stays at 0.

Question 40Creating and managing drawings

An external reference is attached using a relative path, and the host drawing and the xref file are moved together into another folder on the same drive. What happens when the host drawing is opened?

  1. The xref is bound permanently into the host drawing to avoid the problem.
  2. The xref unloads and appears only as a text label at its insertion point.
  3. The xref is found and displayed because the relative path is still valid. Correct answer.
  4. The xref must be repathed, because only absolute paths are stored.

Explanation

A relative path is stored as the location of the xref with respect to the host drawing, so moving both together preserves the relationship and the reference resolves normally. An absolute path would break in this situation.

Question 41Drawing and modifying objects

Which selection method adds every object that is either fully enclosed by the selection area or touched by its boundary?

  1. Pick two corners from right to left to create a crossing window Correct answer.
  2. Click once on an empty area of the drawing
  3. Hold Ctrl and pick one object in the group
  4. Pick two corners from left to right to create a standard window

Explanation

A selection rectangle drawn from right to left is a crossing window; it highlights in green and captures anything it touches as well as anything fully inside it. A window drawn from left to right ignores objects that it only partially crosses.

Question 42Drawing and modifying objects

While the LINE command is running, what does entering C at the Specify next point prompt do?

  1. It draws a closing segment back to the first point Correct answer.
  2. It joins the segments into a single closed polyline
  3. It ends the command and leaves the sequence open
  4. It removes the segment drawn most recently

Explanation

The Close option draws one more segment from the current point back to the very first point of the line sequence and then ends the command. Removing the previous segment is done with the U (Undo) option, which does not close the shape.

Question 43Drawing and modifying objects

While the TRIM command is active, what does holding Shift while picking an object do?

  1. It deletes the picked object entirely
  2. It removes the nearest cutting edge from the selection
  3. It constrains the pick to a crossing window
  4. It extends the picked object to a boundary Correct answer.

Explanation

Holding Shift reverses TRIM so the picked object is lengthened until it reaches a boundary edge. Releasing Shift restores normal trimming behaviour, and the same shortcut works inside the EXTEND command in reverse.

Question 44Drawing and modifying objects

What does the OFFSET command produce?

  1. A scaled copy that keeps the original insertion base point
  2. A rotated copy of the object at a specified angle
  3. A mirrored copy of the object about a mirror line
  4. A parallel copy at a set distance or through a point Correct answer.

Explanation

OFFSET builds a parallel copy of the selected object: concentric circles, parallel lines, and parallel curves, defined either by a distance or by the Through option. The copy keeps the shape and proportions of the source object.

Question 45Drawing and modifying objects

Which statement correctly describes the MOVE command?

  1. It works only on block references
  2. It shifts the selected objects to a new location Correct answer.
  3. It creates a duplicate of the objects and keeps the originals
  4. It changes the layer of the selected objects

Explanation

MOVE applies a displacement to the selection, so the objects end up at the new position with nothing left at the old one. COPY is the command that leaves the originals in place while adding duplicates.

Question 46Drawing and modifying objects

How does a polyline drawn with PLINE differ from a set of separate LINE segments?

  1. The polyline is a single object with joined segments Correct answer.
  2. Each segment of the polyline is an independent object
  3. The polyline cannot contain arc segments
  4. The polyline cannot be given a width

Explanation

PLINE creates one object made of connected straight and arc segments, so one pick selects the whole chain. The command also offers arc segments, a uniform width option, and a close option within the same sequence.

Question 47Drawing and modifying objects

MIRROR is used and the Erase source objects prompt is answered with No. What is the result?

  1. The originals are converted into anonymous blocks
  2. The originals are deleted and replaced by the mirrored geometry
  3. The originals stay in place and a mirrored copy is added Correct answer.
  4. The originals are exploded into separate segments

Explanation

MIRROR asks whether the source objects should be deleted; answering No keeps them and adds the mirrored copy, so the drawing contains both versions. Answering Yes would leave only the mirrored geometry.

Question 48Drawing and modifying objects

What does the 2P option of the CIRCLE command define?

  1. Two tangent objects plus a radius value
  2. Two points on the circumference that are not opposite each other
  3. A centre point followed by a point on the circumference
  4. The two endpoints of the circle's diameter Correct answer.

Explanation

2P asks for two points that are the ends of a diameter, so the circle passes through both with its centre at their midpoint. Drawing a circle through three arbitrary points requires the 3P option instead.

Question 49Drawing and modifying objects

A line has one endpoint inside a crossing window and its other endpoint outside. What does STRETCH do?

  1. Deletes the line and redraws it at the new location
  2. Moves the enclosed endpoint and keeps the other one fixed Correct answer.
  3. Lengthens the line equally at both ends
  4. Moves the whole line by the displacement

Explanation

STRETCH moves only the endpoints and vertices that fall inside a crossing window, leaving geometry outside the window anchored. Objects that lie entirely inside the window are simply moved as a whole.

Question 50Drawing and modifying objects

FILLET is applied to two nonparallel lines with the radius set to 0. What is the result?

  1. The lines are trimmed or extended to meet in a sharp corner Correct answer.
  2. The command fails because the radius must be greater than 0
  3. Two concentric arcs drawn between the two lines
  4. A rounded corner with a radius equal to the first line's length

Explanation

A zero radius makes FILLET behave as a corner cleanup, trimming or extending each line so that the two meet at a sharp intersection. CHAMFER with both distances set to 0 produces the same sharp-corner result.