NABTEB Vehicle Body Building study plan

Sketch and label the main structural members of a body-on-frame light vehicle and a unitised (monocoque) body, naming sills, crossmembers, pillars (A/B/C), rails and outriggers and stating the load path each carries.

Distinguish between stressed and non-stressed panels and explain, with two examples each, why a wing or door skin may be replaced but a sill or rail must be repaired to a structural standard.

Identify the safety-critical fasteners and joints on a body shell (seat-belt anchorages, suspension turret bolts, door latch strikers) and state the manufacturer's rule on re-use versus replacement.

List the personal protective equipment and workshop controls required before cutting, welding or grinding on a vehicle body, including fume extraction, fire watch, eye and hearing protection, and vehicle isolation (battery, airbag, fuel).

Explain how to make a vehicle safe before body repair: disconnecting and waiting out airbag capacitors, depressurising fuel systems, and supporting the shell on stands rather than a jack.

Measure and record a damaged panel's profile using a contour gauge, straight edge and dividers, and translate the readings into a written damage description (direction, depth, extent).

Classify five given damage scenarios as direct, indirect or combined impact and predict where the indirect damage will appear on the opposite side of the shell.

Set up and use a trammel/measuring system or reference-point chart to check at least four underbody or engine-bay datum points against the manufacturer's figures.

Read and interpret panel-gap and shut-line tolerances and state an acceptable gap variation for a door or bonnet.

Produce a simple repair estimate for a described three-panel repair, listing labour operations, materials and consumables with quantities.

Select and justify the correct hammer and dolly combination for a given panel shape (crown, flat, reverse curve) and demonstrate the off-dolly technique on scrap steel.

Explain and practise the hammer-on-dolly and slapping-file/metallic-file techniques used to find high and low spots, and describe what each tool tells you.

Lay out and cut a simple developed shape (a box corner or flanged tray) from flat sheet, calculating the bend allowance so the finished dimensions are correct.

Demonstrate safe set-up and use of the English wheel, shrinker/stretcher and bead roller, stating the material thickness limits and the effect of each on panel strength.

Carry out routine checks and adjustments on hand tools and workshop equipment (grinder guard and disc condition, vice, air-line pressure, PPE for each task).

Repair a dented panel using the sequence: rough-out, planish, file-check, shrink, finish, and explain why heat and work-hardening must be controlled at each stage.

Apply a shrinking method (torch heat-and-quench or shrinking hammer) to remove stretched metal and verify flatness with a straight edge and hand feel.

Cut out and butt-weld a patch into a flat or slightly curved panel, achieving alignment and minimal distortion, then planish the weld flat.

Replace a bolted-on panel (wing or door) and set shut lines and gaps to tolerance, checking latch and hinge operation.

Explain when a panel must be replaced rather than repaired, citing crease location, access, structural role and corrosion.

Set up MIG/MAG equipment for thin body steel (0.8 mm) and demonstrate correct wire speed, voltage, gas flow and travel speed on scrap coupons.

Produce butt, lap and plug welds on 0.8 mm and 1.2 mm sheet and test them by destructive peel or bend, recording which settings failed and why.

Explain the metallurgical reason body panels distort during welding and list four distortion-control techniques (tack sequence, backing bar, heat sink, skip welding).

Identify the common body fasteners and fixings (rivets, rivet nuts, clinch/self-piercing rivets, adhesives, trim clips) and state where each is specified instead of welding, including why high-strength and aluminium structures may prohibit heat.

Describe the correct procedure for brazing or soldering a body joint and for oxy-fuel/plasma cutting a panel, including PPE and fire precautions for each.

Prepare a repaired panel through the full sequence: strip, clean, feather edges, treat bare steel, apply etch primer, filler and primer-surfacer, then block sand and inspect for imperfections.

Identify surface contaminants (silicone, wax, oil, rust, old paint types) and select the correct cleaning or stripping method for each.

Mask a vehicle for a two-panel refinish, including glass, trim, gaps and adjacent panels, and justify each masking choice.

Apply a topcoat with correct gun set-up, distance and overlap, and explain how temperature, humidity and flash-off time affect the finish.

Explain how to colour-match and blend into an adjacent panel, and how to cut back and polish to remove defects such as runs, orange peel and dry spray.

Describe the correct sequence for replacing a structural panel such as a sill, quarter panel or rear valance, including sectioning rules and where sectioning is prohibited.

Explain how to set up and use a jig or universal measuring system to pull a misaligned shell back to datum, and state the checks made before, during and after pulling.

Identify the correct pulling direction and anchor points for a given side-impact or front-end damage pattern, and explain why over-pulling damages adjacent structure.

Describe corrosion protection requirements after structural repair: seam sealers, cavity wax, weld-through primer and anti-corrosion coatings on inaccessible surfaces.

Explain the inspection and sign-off checks a repaired body must pass (panel gaps, datum readings, structural weld quality, corrosion protection, safety systems).

Review the full syllabus domain by domain and list the specific facts, figures and procedures you still cannot recall without notes.

Practise timed multiple-choice and short-answer questions across all nine domains, then mark and analyse errors by domain to find weak areas.

Rehearse the safety content that recurs across the paper: PPE selection, vehicle isolation, fume and fire control, manual handling and waste/environmental disposal of paint, solvents and metal swarf.

Recite the key measurements and calculations used in body work: bend allowance, panel gap tolerances, datum readings, material thickness and estimating labour times.

Produce a one-page personal revision sheet of formulas, tolerances, safety rules and weld settings to use in the final days.