Training Evaluation (Kirkpatrick Levels) questions for the CHST
CHST Domain 4: Leadership, Communication, and Training (K4.1 Training delivery methods; S4.1 Site-specific training requirements). 3 free questions below. Every answer quotes and links the source document it comes from.
Written lesson
Training Evaluation (Kirkpatrick Levels), 18 min read. Included with every CHST pass.
This lesson covers how OSHA's training guidance says to plan, build, deliver and evaluate worker safety training, from needs assessment through objectives, adult learning, class design and effectiveness checks. The exam tests the sequence, the numbers and the common confusions, and on the job it decides whether workers actually learn.
Sources covered
- Kirkpatrick Partners, The New World Kirkpatrick Model The New World Kirkpatrick Model
Guidance documents are quoted from the published edition linked above; they are recommendations, not regulations.
Question 1
Two months after a trenching class, a safety technician walks the site with a checklist. She records whether crews actually place ladders and set trench boxes the way the class taught. Which Kirkpatrick level is she evaluating?
Show answer and source: Kirkpatrick Partners, The New World Kirkpatrick Model, PDF p. 1
Answer: D. Level 3: Behavior
The New World Kirkpatrick Model defines Level 3 as whether participants apply what they learned once they are back on the job. Watching crews on site weeks later fits that. Reaction covers how favorable the class felt. Learning covers knowledge or skill gained in class. Results covers targeted outcomes such as fewer incidents.
On the job
A construction safety manager at a utility contractor wants to know whether a fall protection class changed anything. Six weeks later she shadows crews on three active sites with an observation form, noting whether harnesses are worn and anchored the way the course taught. Checking application of the training back on the job is a Level 3 (Behavior) evaluation, so her findings go to supervisors as a behavior measure.
Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.
Answer D comes from
Kirkpatrick Partners, The New World Kirkpatrick Model, PDF p. 1(opens kirkpatrickpartners.com in a new tab)“LEVEL 3: BEHAVIOR The degree to which participants apply what they learned during training when they are back on the job”
Question 2
A contractor trained all foremen on hazard communication and added supervisor coaching and accountability checks. Six months later, management reviews whether chemical exposure incidents fell as the company had targeted. Which Kirkpatrick level does this review measure?
Show answer and source: Kirkpatrick Partners, The New World Kirkpatrick Model, PDF p. 1
Answer: A. Level 4: Results
The New World Kirkpatrick Model defines Level 4 as the degree to which targeted outcomes occur because of the training and its support and accountability package. A drop in exposure incidents is such an outcome. Reaction, learning and behavior look at participant opinion, knowledge gained, and on-the-job actions rather than the final outcome.
On the job
A plant manager at a metal stamping facility rolled out a new lockout program with refresher courses for every shift lead. At the end of the fiscal year, the manager pulls the injury log and compares amputation-related incidents against the reduction goal set before the courses began. Whether those targeted outcomes occurred because of the training and the support and accountability around it is a Level 4: Results question, so the manager records it at that level.
Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.
Answer A comes from
Kirkpatrick Partners, The New World Kirkpatrick Model, PDF p. 1(opens kirkpatrickpartners.com in a new tab)“LEVEL 4: RESULTS The degree to which targeted outcomes occur as a result of the training and the support and accountability package”
Question 3
After a half-day silica exposure class, the trainer hands out a card. It asks whether the class was engaging and whether the material matched the tasks each worker does every day. The trainer plans to review the cards this week. Which Kirkpatrick level is the trainer measuring?
Show answer and source: Kirkpatrick Partners, The New World Kirkpatrick Model, PDF p. 1
Answer: C. Level 1: Reaction
The Kirkpatrick model defines Reaction as how favorable, engaging and relevant participants find the training to their jobs. The card asks about exactly that. Learning would measure gained knowledge or skill, Behavior would measure on-the-job application, and Results would measure outcomes such as fewer incidents.
On the job
A plant safety coordinator reviews feedback sheets after a fall protection session for a new maintenance crew. The sheets ask whether the instructor held attention and whether the examples matched each person's own tasks. The coordinator reads them as Reaction-level data, since they show how favorable, engaging and relevant the crew found the training to their jobs. Knowledge gained, changed behavior on the roof and incident results need other measures.
Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.
Answer C comes from
Kirkpatrick Partners, The New World Kirkpatrick Model, PDF p. 1(opens kirkpatrickpartners.com in a new tab)“The degree to which participants find the training favorable, engaging and relevant to their jobs”
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