NABTEB Light Vehicle Body Repair study guide
NABTEB Light Vehicle Body Repair · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
NABTEB Light Vehicle Body Repair is a Nigerian trade credential for people who repair and refinish car bodies - panel beaters, spray painters, and body shop technicians working on cars, vans and light trucks. It is awarded through the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, which examines trade subjects for technical colleges and skills candidates. The NABTEB Light Vehicle Body Repair study guide has 11 sections and about 3,130 words.
01Workshop Safety
This domain tests whether you can identify hazards in a light vehicle body shop and apply controls before work starts: PPE selection, fire prevention, chemical handling, compressed-air safety, lifting and housekeeping. Match PPE to the task: impact goggles for grinding, a face shield over goggles for cutting, nitrile gloves for solvents, and an air-fed or A1P1 respirator for two-pack paints containing isocyanate.
312 words, about 2 min02Tools and Equipment
The exam checks that you can select, set up and maintain hand and power tools used in body repair, and that you know the purpose of each tool rather than just its name. Panel hammers are graded by face shape: cross-peen and pick hammers for rough shaping, shrinking hammers with serrated faces for controlling stretched steel, and slappers for low-crown areas.
326 words, about 2 min03Materials
This domain tests knowledge of the steels, aluminium, plastics and consumables used in light vehicle bodies and how each material changes repair method, welding and finishing. Mild steel is formable and weldable; high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) and boron steels are used in safety cells and must not be heated or straightened outside the manufacturer's procedure because heat destroys their strength.
300 words, about 2 min04Fasteners and Body Construction
The exam tests how bodies are assembled and how fasteners are selected, torqued and replaced. It links construction type to collision repair decisions.
276 words, about 1 min05Body Panel Removal, Replacement and Alignment
This domain is about the ordered process of removing damaged panels, fitting replacements and restoring gaps, flush and function. Plan before cutting: identify spot welds, adhesive beads, seam sealer, wiring, clips and hidden reinforcements.
279 words, about 1 min06Panel Beating, Shrinking and Stretching
The exam tests metal flow: how hammer blows move steel, how to planish a repair, and when to shrink or stretch so the panel returns to its original contour. Hammer and dolly: hold the dolly behind the dent and strike the high spot; off-dolly is used to raise low areas.
290 words, about 1 min07Welding, Brazing and Joining Techniques
This domain tests selection and control of joining methods: MIG/MAG, TIG, spot, oxy-acetylene, brazing, adhesive bonding and riveting. MIG/MAG (GMAW) is the common body-shop process for steel: DC electrode positive, wire speed and current set to suit sheet thickness, and 75% argon/25% CO2 or CO2 gas.
285 words, about 1 min08Body Filler, Preparation and Surface Finishing
This domain covers the steps that make a repair invisible: substrate preparation, filler mixing and shaping, priming, blocking and guide coating. Prepare by washing, degreasing and stripping to bare metal; feather-edge the paint edge so the repair blends.
264 words, about 1 min09Spray Painting, Refinishing and Colour Matching
The exam tests the paint system, gun setup, application technique and the practical steps for matching an existing finish. A typical system is pretreatment, primer, basecoat and clearcoat; two-pack products need the correct hardener and induction time.
280 words, about 1 min10Vehicle Glazing, Trim, Seals and Accessories
This domain covers glass types, removal and installation, and the trim, seals and accessories that restore watertightness and function. Windscreens are laminated; side and rear windows are usually tempered.
250 words, about 1 min11Frame, Chassis and Structural Damage Assessment
The exam tests how to recognise structural damage, measure it and decide whether to repair, replace or reject a vehicle. Unibody and body-on-frame vehicles use different measuring systems: datum points, control points, centreline and symmetrical dimensions.
268 words, about 1 min