The Certified Bench Jeweler (CBJ) credential is offered by Jewelers of America and is open to the industry. This page gathers our free practice sets by topic, walks through sample questions with explanations, summarizes the written and practical exam rules from the official source, and suggests a way to prepare. Our questions are written by us with AI tools and are not real exam questions.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Time limit (Written exam) | 1 hour, one sitting[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Passing score | 75% minimum (written and practical)[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (Registration + written exam) | $475 (JA members) / $575 (non-members)[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake fee (Practical test) | Cost of materials for the retaken test[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake policy (Practical test) | Max 2 attempts; notify JA within 30 days[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake policy (Written exam) | 3 attempts[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery | Online open-book written exam; practical tests at candidate's own bench[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Eligibility | Open to the industry; exams also in Spanish[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release (Practical test) | Within 30 business days[1] | Jewelers of America · Oct 25, 2026 |
According to Jewelers of America, “To pass the practical bench tests, the candidate must achieve a minimum grade of 75%.”[1]
The CBJ is a bench certification from Jewelers of America. It is open to the industry, and the exams are also available in Spanish.
The exam has a written part and a practical part. The written exam is delivered online and is open-book. It is timed at 1 hour and must be taken in one sitting. The practical bench tests can be taken at your own bench, using your own tools and equipment.
Scoring uses the same bar for both parts: a minimum of 75% is needed to pass the written and the practical tests.
Fees: registration plus the written exam costs $475 for JA members and $575 for non-members.
Retake rules differ by part. You have 3 attempts at the written test. For the practical test you have a maximum of 2 attempts, and you need to notify JA within 30 days. A retaken practical test means paying for the cost of materials used in that test. Jewelers of America sends practical results within 30 business days of receiving your test.
We could not verify an official list of content areas, so we do not claim one here. Check the Jewelers of America bench certification page for the current outline, fees and rules before you register, since these can change.
Prepare for the CBJ - Certified Bench Jeweler exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: You notice flux has become glassy and brown during a soldering operation. This indicates:
Answer: A. The flux is exhausted and the joint may oxidize
Explanation:
The correct answer is that the flux is exhausted and the joint may oxidize. Flux protects the metal from oxygen while it is hot. Once it turns glassy and brown, it has burned off and can no longer do that job, so the surface starts to oxidize and solder may not flow cleanly.
Ideal soldering temperature is not shown by flux colour alone, so that option is wrong. Solder flowing through a joint is seen by watching the solder itself, not by the flux. Quenching immediately is wrong because cooling a piece in that state does not restore the flux and can cause other problems.
Rule to remember: spent flux is a warning sign. Stop, let the piece cool, clean it, and re-flux before heating again.
Question: What is the relationship between theory and practice?
Answer: A. Theory informs practice, and practice tests and refines theory
Explanation:
The correct answer is that theory informs practice, and practice tests and refines theory. Each side feeds the other. Knowing why a metal behaves a certain way helps you choose the right method at the bench, and what you see while working shows where the explanation is incomplete or needs adjusting.
Saying they are completely separate is wrong because the two constantly overlap in real work. Saying practice is always more important, or that theory always takes priority, is wrong because words like always and completely ignore how the two depend on each other.
Rule to remember: on multiple-choice questions, be wary of absolute wording. The balanced, two-way answer is usually the sound one.
Question: What is the approximate Mohs hardness range of opal?
Answer: A. 5.5–6.5
Explanation:
The correct answer is 5.5–6.5. Opal sits in the middle of the Mohs scale, which makes it softer and easier to scratch than most popular gemstones. It also needs gentler handling in setting and cleaning.
The range 7–7.5 is wrong because that is closer to harder stones such as quartz. The range 8–8.5 is wrong because it describes much harder gems. The range 9–9.5 is wrong because it belongs to the hardest common gem materials, and opal is nowhere near that.
Rule to remember: learn the hardness of the common stones as a rough ladder, then ask whether a stone can survive the wear and the setting method you plan for it.
Start with the official Jewelers of America bench certification page. Read the current rules, then decide when you want to sit the written exam and the practical tests, since they are separate parts.
Next, take one of our practice sets without looking anything up, even though the real written exam is open-book. This shows what you actually know. Good places to begin are Core Knowledge and Fundamentals and Metal Properties and Alloys.
Read every explanation, including for questions you got right. Keep a short list of topics you missed and return to them with the sets on Gemstone and Setting Techniques, Finishing and Polishing and Safety and Compliance.
Because the exam is open-book, practise finding answers quickly in your own reference materials and notes, so the time limit does not catch you out. For the practical part, rehearse at your own bench with the tools you will use. Our questions cannot replace hands-on time with the work.
Yes. The written exam is an online open-book exam, but it is timed at 1 hour and must be taken in one sitting. Having your references organized matters, because there is little time to search for every answer.
Jewelers of America requires a minimum of 75% to pass, for both the written exam and the practical bench tests. Check the official bench certification page for any updates before you sit either part.
Registration plus the written exam costs $475 for JA members and $575 for non-members. If you retake the practical test, you pay for the cost of materials used in that test.
You have 3 attempts at the written test. For the practical bench test, the maximum is 2 attempts, and you need to notify JA within 30 days. Confirm the details with Jewelers of America before retaking.
The practical bench tests may be taken at your own bench, using your own tools and equipment. Jewelers of America sends the results within 30 business days of receiving your test.
No. The questions on this site are written by us with AI tools for practice. They are not real exam questions, and they do not promise any result. Use them to find weak areas, then check the official material.
How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.