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Free QSP/QSD Practice Questions

10 free, exam-style QSP/QSD (QSP/QSD) practice questions with answers and explanations. No signup required. Work through them below, then take the full free QSP/QSD practice test to study every exam domain.

Question 1

A developer is grading 0.6 acres for a single-family home. The home is part of a 15-lot subdivision that will ultimately disturb 9 acres. Which statement best describes the CGP coverage requirement for this individual lot?

  1. No coverage is needed; the individual lot disturbs less than 1 acre, which is the CGP threshold
  2. CGP coverage is required because the lot is part of a larger common plan of development exceeding 1 acre
  3. Coverage is only required once the entire subdivision begins grading simultaneously and the total disturbance exceeds 1 acre in a single day
  4. The developer must obtain coverage only if the applicable Regional Water Board issues a site-specific order requiring it
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - CGP coverage is required because the lot is part of a larger common plan of development exceeding 1 acre

Question 2

A QSD is determining a project's Sediment Risk level using the CGP risk determination methodology. The site has an R factor of 150, a K factor of 0.25, and an LS factor of 2.8. What is the project's Sediment Risk classification?

  1. Low Sediment Risk - the calculated value falls below 15 tons/acre
  2. Medium Sediment Risk - the calculated value falls between 15 and 75 tons/acre
  3. The risk level cannot be determined without also calculating the C and P factors
  4. High Sediment Risk - the calculated value equals or exceeds 75 tons/acre
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - High Sediment Risk - the calculated value equals or exceeds 75 tons/acre

Question 3

A qualifying precipitation event (QPE) ends on Monday morning and the site records 0.7 inches of total accumulated precipitation. By when must the QSP complete the required post-QPE site inspection?

  1. Within 24 hours of the end of the QPE
  2. Within 48 hours of the end of the QPE
  3. Within 96 hours of the end of the QPE
  4. Within 72 hours of the end of the QPE
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Within 96 hours of the end of the QPE

Question 4

During a QPE, a QSP collects a stormwater effluent sample at a Risk Level 2 site and the turbidity result is 310 NTU. Which of the following most accurately describes this situation under the 2022 CGP?

  1. This is an immediate permit violation subject to mandatory minimum penalties, and the discharge must cease until corrective action is certified by the QSD
  2. This is a Numeric Action Level exceedance - not a permit violation, but it triggers required corrective action and a QSD site inspection within 14 days
  3. No action is required at this time because the turbidity result does not exceed the Numeric Effluent Limitation threshold of 500 NTU, which is the only enforceable benchmark at Risk Level 2
  4. Construction must stop immediately until the next turbidity reading falls below the 250 NTU threshold and is certified in SMARTS by the LRP
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B - This is a Numeric Action Level exceedance - not a permit violation, but it triggers required corrective action and a QSD site inspection within 14 days

Question 5

The National Weather Service forecast for tomorrow shows a 65% probability of precipitation (PoP) with a quantitative precipitation forecast (QPF) of 0.3 inches over the next 24 hours. How should the QSP classify this forecast under the 2022 CGP?

  1. Not a QPE - the PoP threshold is met but the QPF requirement of ≥0.5 inch within 24 hours is not
  2. A QPE - a PoP of ≥50% is the only criterion that must be met; QPF is advisory, not a trigger
  3. A QPE - any forecast that includes measurable precipitation automatically triggers pre-storm inspection and sampling preparation requirements under the 2022 CGP
  4. Not a QPE - both the PoP and the QPF must independently exceed the 50% threshold for the event to qualify
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Not a QPE - the PoP threshold is met but the QPF requirement of ≥0.5 inch within 24 hours is not

Question 6

A QSP is reviewing BMP installations before an approaching QPE. She observes silt fence installed across a defined drainage swale that drains 8 acres of the disturbed site. Which action is MOST appropriate?

  1. Accept the installation - silt fence is effective in drainage swales when it is properly staked, tensioned, and the fabric is embedded at least 6 inches below grade
  2. Accept the installation only if the silt fence fabric meets the minimum geotextile strength specification for concentrated flow conditions as listed in the project SWPPP
  3. Require the contractor to install a second parallel row of silt fence immediately upstream to handle the drainage volume from an 8-acre tributary area
  4. Require replacement with an appropriate sediment control BMP - silt fence is not designed for concentrated or channelized flow
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: D - Require replacement with an appropriate sediment control BMP - silt fence is not designed for concentrated or channelized flow

Question 7

Construction is about to begin on a Risk Level 2 project. The SWPPP has been drafted and is ready for certification. The project team includes an LRP, a DAR, a QSD, and two QSPs. Who is authorized to certify the SWPPP document itself?

  1. The QSD - only a Qualified SWPPP Developer may certify the SWPPP
  2. The LRP - as the legally responsible party, only the LRP has the authority to certify project compliance documents
  3. Either the LRP or the DAR, as both hold certification and submittal authority within the SMARTS system for all project documents
  4. The lead QSP, provided they hold a current underlying prerequisite certification such as CESSWI or CISEC in good standing
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - The QSD - only a Qualified SWPPP Developer may certify the SWPPP

Question 8

A project owner hires an office administrator and assigns them as a Data Entry Person (DEP) in the SMARTS system. Stormwater sampling results are ready to be submitted following a QPE. What action is the DEP authorized to take?

  1. Enter and submit the sampling data directly - a DEP has full submittal authority for routine monitoring reports such as Ad Hoc sampling results
  2. Enter the sampling data and certify the Ad Hoc report on behalf of the LRP, provided the LRP has given written authorization for that specific report submittal
  3. Enter the sampling data into SMARTS but cannot certify or submit the report - an LRP or DAR must complete the submittal
  4. Submit the report without certification only if the sampling results do not trigger an NAL or NEL exceedance and no corrective action is required
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - Enter the sampling data into SMARTS but cannot certify or submit the report - an LRP or DAR must complete the submittal

Question 9

A QSP is setting up to collect stormwater effluent samples at a Risk Level 2 discharge point during a QPE. She has pH paper, a portable electronic pH meter (recently calibrated), and a turbidity meter on hand. Which approach meets the 2022 CGP requirements for pH analysis of the effluent sample?

  1. Use the calibrated electronic pH meter - pH paper is not an acceptable analytical method under the CGP
  2. pH paper is acceptable for initial field screening; the electronic meter is only required if the paper result falls within 0.5 pH units of an NAL threshold
  3. Collect the sample in a sealed container and send it to a state-certified environmental laboratory, since field analysis is not permitted for CGP pH measurements
  4. Either pH paper or the electronic meter is acceptable as long as both results are recorded on the monitoring form and any discrepancy is noted
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A - Use the calibrated electronic pH meter - pH paper is not an acceptable analytical method under the CGP

Question 10

A QSD is preparing the SWPPP for a high-sediment-risk project and wants to reduce the calculated Annual Sediment Risk value through site design and BMP selection. Which RUSLE factors are FIXED by the project's geographic location and soil type, and therefore CANNOT be reduced by the QSD's design decisions?

  1. LS and C - slope geometry and vegetative cover are both determined by pre-existing site conditions and cannot be altered through SWPPP design
  2. K and LS - the soil erodibility factor and the slope length-steepness factor are both fixed characteristics of the project site that a QSD cannot modify
  3. R and K - rainfall erosivity is fixed by geographic location; soil erodibility is fixed by the native soil type present at the site
  4. C and P only - all remaining factors including R and K are considered variable and within the QSD's ability to influence through engineering design choices
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C - R and K - rainfall erosivity is fixed by geographic location; soil erodibility is fixed by the native soil type present at the site

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