Exam questions that I remember

[captainwireman]

What is the rating of a pre-wired modular surface mounted raceway?

Could they possibly be referring to a Modular Data Center (PQVA) in which case it is 600 V or less. White Book 2013.
Still can not find any Amp requirements. Sometimes missing just one word or how these words were exactly will change or give the clues. Other times, it is a poor attempt to justify no one getting a perfect score.

 

[Gregg Harris]

What is the rating of a pre-wired modular surface mounted raceway?

Could they possibly be referring to a Modular Data Center (PQVA) in which case it is 600 V or less. White Book 2013.
Still can not find any Amp requirements. Sometimes missing just one word or how these words were exactly will change or give the clues. Other times, it is a poor attempt to justify no one getting a perfect score.

The correct answer was posted by Dennis in post # 4.

I doubt seriously that any one is conspiring to prevent an individual to obtain a perfect score.

There is a tremendous amount of time invested in most situations where a test is created for certification purposes. A question is created by a panel and it may be a bad question or a great question, but over time the questions get vetted and some are eliminated or merely reworded.

 

[Zaped]

Hard to overemphasize...read the questions carefully.

 

[SCG]

SCG

SCG

I took it for the second time last week and made a 72, first time 68. I remembered a few questions that gave me trouble and was able to find the answers while studying more. The one I am having trouble with is this question:

In a panelboard a potential coil must have overcurrent protection of no less than:

the answers were 15A, 20A, ... and some other values that have left me now. I could not even figure out what section to be in so I guessed 15A.

 

[GoldDigger]

I took it for the second time last week and made a 72, first time 68. I remembered a few questions that gave me trouble and was able to find the answers while studying more. The one I am having trouble with is this question:

In a panelboard a potential coil must have overcurrent protection of no less than:

the answers were 15A, 20A, ... and some other values that have left me now. I could not even figure out what section to be in so I guessed 15A.

Article 408, Switchboards and Panelboards, of course. [2011]

408.52 Protection of Instrument Circuits. Instruments, pilot lights, potential transformers, and other switchboard devices with potential coils shall be supplied by a circuit that is protected by standard overcurrent devices rated 15 amperes or less.
Exception No. 1: Overcurrent devices rated more than 15 amperes shall be permitted where the interruption of the circuit could create a hazard. Short-circuit protection shall be provided.
Exception No. 2: For ratings of 2 amperes or less, special types of enclosed fuses shall be permitted.

Note that this refers to "15 amperes or less", so maybe your memory of the question is off a bit. In any case, I am pretty sure the intended answer is 15.

 

[Gregg Harris]

Article 408, Switchboards and Panelboards, of course. [2011]
Note that this refers to "15 amperes or less", so maybe your memory of the question is off a bit. In any case, I am pretty sure the intended answer is 15.

I would agree, and your test scores being 68 and 70 is a good indication that you are missing in specific articles. Now figure out what those articles are and you will be golden.

It could be that the answers that you are consistent with could be the ones that you are confident that you are answering correctly, but are incorrect.

 

[cobrahead]

I would agree, and your test scores being 68 and 70 is a good indication that you are missing in specific articles. Now figure out what those articles are and you will be golden.

It could be that the answers that you are consistent with could be the ones that you are confident that you are answering correctly, but are incorrect.

The 4th time was a charm for me. Last week I passed with a 78.

I don't want to sound like too much of a Mike Holt promoter, but his videos really helped me out. I like his motivation speaker/electrician guru style. During some of his interactions with the panel of electricians on the videos I thought I was watching the Man Show for a minute. Good stuff!

I also got my hands on a searchable PDF of the NEC, that was extremely helpful... especially when searching for very particular words or phrases.

My code book had all sorts of highlighting in it, no writing allowed in TX. I used a particular color of highlighter for portions of the code that I knew I had seen on a previous test... and it paid off.

All of these study techniques took me from a 65 to a 78 in one month over 4 tries. The first 2 tries I was scrambling and even shooting from the hip to get all 103 questions answered in 300 minutes, by the last test I had 35 minutes remaining to review and work on the more complex calculations.

Thanks to everyone that took the time to answer my questions here on the forums, it really helped me out!

 

[SCG]

The 4th time was a charm for me. Last week I passed with a 78.

I don't want to sound like too much of a Mike Holt promoter, but his videos really helped me out. I like his motivation speaker/electrician guru style. During some of his interactions with the panel of electricians on the videos I thought I was watching the Man Show for a minute. Good stuff!

I also got my hands on a searchable PDF of the NEC, that was extremely helpful... especially when searching for very particular words or phrases.

My code book had all sorts of highlighting in it, no writing allowed in TX. I used a particular color of highlighter for portions of the code that I knew I had seen on a previous test... and it paid off.

All of these study techniques took me from a 65 to a 78 in one month over 4 tries. The first 2 tries I was scrambling and even shooting from the hip to get all 103 questions answered in 300 minutes, by the last test I had 35 minutes remaining to review and work on the more complex calculations.

Thanks to everyone that took the time to answer my questions here on the forums, it really helped me out!

nice congrats Greg!!! I identified an area I was hurting in the first time and addressed it. The second time I pretty much was just above or just below in every area which was frustrating. There was another one about sizing a disconnect for a series of like 5 motors, the largest having a 5 second duty rating. I can size the feeder, branch circuit, and breaker, but not sure about the disconnect. It seems it would simply have the ampacity that the OCPD has.

Regarding the other question about the potential coil... Panelboards was the first place I looked during the test - I must have just looked over it crosseyed in the last hour!

 

[kwired]

The 4th time was a charm for me. Last week I passed with a 78.

I don't want to sound like too much of a Mike Holt promoter, but his videos really helped me out. I like his motivation speaker/electrician guru style. During some of his interactions with the panel of electricians on the videos I thought I was watching the Man Show for a minute. Good stuff!

I also got my hands on a searchable PDF of the NEC, that was extremely helpful... especially when searching for very particular words or phrases.

My code book had all sorts of highlighting in it, no writing allowed in TX. I used a particular color of highlighter for portions of the code that I knew I had seen on a previous test... and it paid off.

All of these study techniques took me from a 65 to a 78 in one month over 4 tries. The first 2 tries I was scrambling and even shooting from the hip to get all 103 questions answered in 300 minutes, by the last test I had 35 minutes remaining to review and work on the more complex calculations.

Thanks to everyone that took the time to answer my questions here on the forums, it really helped me out!

103 questions in 300 minutes? That is insane. That is a 5 hour exam. I don't recall just how long is allowed for exams here but is probably only 60-90 minutes max.

You would think if 5 hours, then there would be breaks allowed somehow, yet that would help create opportunities to cheat somehow, still sounds insane to me.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

103 questions in 300 minutes? That is insane. That is a 5 hour exam. I don't recall just how long is allowed for exams here but is probably only 60-90 minutes max.

You would think if 5 hours, then there would be breaks allowed somehow, yet that would help create opportunities to cheat somehow, still sounds insane to me.

When I took the nc exam there was a morning and afternoon session. Eight hour exam and I think 100 questions per part

 

[kwired]

When I took the nc exam there was a morning and afternoon session. Eight hour exam and I think 100 questions per part

Just looked at the State Electrical Act which is adopted as a law and is the basis of how the State Electrical Board operates. It does contain information of what is required for exams. All exams are 50 questions, 75% score needed to pass, with three hours to take the exam.

Does places that have more questions have better licensed people? I can see someone sitting there for five hours fail just because they got bored or lost concentration after so long. I think I would much rather go to a funeral. I have been to all day CEU classes, but big difference there - you are usually interacting with the instructor and can often steer the topic of discussion to the wants and needs of the class and not limited to what is on a piece of paper plus, a pencil, code book and calculator

 

[SCG]

Just looked at the State Electrical Act which is adopted as a law and is the basis of how the State Electrical Board operates. It does contain information of what is required for exams. All exams are 50 questions, 75% score needed to pass, with three hours to take the exam.

Does places that have more questions have better licensed people? I can see someone sitting there for five hours fail just because they got bored or lost concentration after so long. I think I would much rather go to a funeral. I have been to all day CEU classes, but big difference there - you are usually interacting with the instructor and can often steer the topic of discussion to the wants and needs of the class and not limited to what is on a piece of paper plus, a pencil, code book and calculator

Both times I took the exam I'm the last one there. The employees are all starting to clean and look over my shoulder occasionally to see, I presume, what question I am on because they are ready to go. It's a PSI testing facility that administers tests for real estate, cosmetology, and what ever else. It's kind of funny - I bet they are bummed when people take the master elec test - they know they have to pull a whole shift. I'm so mush brained by the end of the test that I question checking any of the prior questions - not that there is much time left. I had about 20 minutes remaining both times.

We used to have an ICC test that I hear was much easier - IDK. That is who administered my J-man & I passed first try. Everyone I know that has passed the current master test took it anywhere from 2 to 6 times. I think it changed around 2009 or 2010. I am told that for the current J-man its a 40% pass rate & for master it's 20%

 

[SCG]

Both times I took the exam I'm the last one there. The employees are all starting to clean and look over my shoulder occasionally to see, I presume, what question I am on because they are ready to go. It's a PSI testing facility that administers tests for real estate, cosmetology, and what ever else. It's kind of funny - I bet they are bummed when people take the master elec test - they know they have to pull a whole shift. I'm so mush brained by the end of the test that I question checking any of the prior questions - not that there is much time left. I had about 20 minutes remaining both times. We used to have an ICC test that I hear was much easier - IDK. That is who administered my J-man & I passed first try. Everyone I know that has passed the current master test took it anywhere from 2 to 6 times. I think it changed around 2009 or 2010. I am told that for the current J-man its a 40% pass rate & for master it's 20%

Passed yesterday!

 

[jwelectric]

One of the questions I remember that was on the limited, unlimited, and Level III inspectors test I took was ?Name? but they didn?t say whose name. I put down my own but I don?t know if I got it right or not.

 

[JDBrown]

Passed yesterday!

Congrats! :thumbsup:

 

[kwired]

One of the questions I remember that was on the limited, unlimited, and Level III inspectors test I took was ?Name? but they didn?t say whose name. I put down my own but I don?t know if I got it right or not.

Do you have multiple personalities? Might depend on who you were that day

 

[GoldDigger]

Do you have multiple personalities? Might depend on who you were that day

Are you allowed to change personalities during the exam? Different personas might have different fields of expertise.
Or would each persona have to have their own test copy? (And pay a separate fee?)

 

[trojans4]

PSI exams

PSI exams

SCG or anyone else who is familiar with PSI: I am studying to take the Residential Master's administered by PSI. It is a 60 question test with a 3 hour time limit. My state just switched from Prometric to PSI. What is your opinion of PSI questions and any advice on studying? Were the service calculations questions using the regular method or the optional method or both? I was familiar with Prometric as I took the regular residential test through Prometric several years ago. I have heard that PSI is much more difficult.