CAL Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the CAL exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 CAL Exam Format at a Glance
📚 CAL Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample CAL Questions & Answers
1. What is a 'slam lock' situation in automotive locksmithing?
A slam lock occurs when a vehicle door is shut and the lock automatically engages upon closing, trapping the keys inside.
2. A 2018 Ford F-150 uses a PATS 4 system. Which tool operation is typically required to add a new key when only one working key is available?
PATS 4 requires a dealer-level or compatible scan tool with security access to the PCM to add additional keys when fewer than two programmed keys are present.
3. A locksmith needs to replace an ignition cylinder retaining clip or roll pin. Which tool is most appropriate for this task?
Roll pins and retaining clips securing ignition cylinders are driven in or out using a correctly sized pin punch struck with a small hammer to avoid damaging surrounding components.
4. After replacing an ignition lock cylinder on a Chrysler vehicle with Sentry Key Immobilizer System (SKIS), the engine cranks but will not start. What is the most likely required step?
Chrysler's SKIS transponder keys must be programmed to the vehicle's SKIM module using the appropriate scan tool or dealer-level programming tool after any ignition service.
5. Which cryptographic algorithm is commonly used in HITAG2 transponders found in many European vehicles?
HITAG2 uses a proprietary 48-bit cipher that has been shown to be vulnerable to certain cryptanalytic attacks.
6. What is the primary difference between an OBD-II key programmer and a standalone key programmer?
OBD-II programmers connect through the diagnostic port and often require at least one working key, while standalone programmers can work via direct ECU connection or other bypass methods when no working key exists.
🎯 Free CAL Practice Tests
📖 CAL Guides & Articles
What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for CAL
An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:
- A timed, full-length CAL mock exam — 40 questions in 60 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
- A fixed CAL question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
- Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
- A printable CAL cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
- CAL flashcards built from the same question bank.
- Free CAL practice tests with the correct answer shown after each question.