Want to take NC UNLIMITED and could use suggestions for prep

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I have been in the electrical trade since 1982 and was first licensed in 1986 in Massachusetts. Later I passed my Master's exam. I moved to NC in 1992 where licensing is not required to work, only to be self employed.

My Mass. licenses are long expired but I currently hold a limited license in NC (it is good for any project(s) up to $40,000 each). The laws here are sort of screwy compared to other states I have lived and worked in.

Lately I am itching to take and PASS the Unlimited exam mainly just to have it. I have taken my continuing ed and am fairly well versed in the current code changes and in which changes are NOT yet required here in my state (as per the DOI website).

I guess I am looking for some feedback as to how best to prepare for the NC Unlimited exam.

Nice to meet you all.
:cool:
 
25 years and still going said:
I have been in the electrical trade since 1982 and was first licensed in 1986 in Massachusetts. Later I passed my Master's exam. I moved to NC in 1992 where licensing is not required to work, only to be self employed.

My Mass. licenses are long expired but I currently hold a limited license in NC (it is good for any project(s) up to $40,000 each). The laws here are sort of screwy compared to other states I have lived and worked in.

Lately I am itching to take and PASS the Unlimited exam mainly just to have it. I have taken my continuing ed and am fairly well versed in the current code changes and in which changes are NOT yet required here in my state (as per the DOI website).

I guess I am looking for some feedback as to how best to prepare for the NC Unlimited exam.

Nice to meet you all.
:cool:


I suppose there really isn't much to it huh........ We all know what we are strong in and what we are weak in as far as code and theory go. I guess it's just a matter of cramming. I'm 47 years old and have a small contracting and service company. Recently I have been thinking of teaching at the local community college part time. The only qualification for doing so is being a licensed electrician.

As I'm sure we all know it's easy to get rusty particulary in the area's of the trade that we typically do not do much work in. I need to brush up on chapter 5 of the NEC and on load calcs. Also on high voltage because that is something I have never done and will probably never do.

I feel pretty confident that I can tell when I will be ready to pass the Unlimited but at this point I feel I am rusty. I guess I just need to buy some practice exams and go for it.......


:grin:
 

SmithBuilt

Senior Member
Location
Foothills of NC
I took a very good seminar by Jeff Rodriguez. IMO it is worth taking the class he is very knowledgeable. Look at the continuing ed website for NC and he is listed there.



When I took his practice test a couple of nights before my actual test I was worried about passing. But on the day of the NC test I realize the practice test was much harder. I knew I passed before I finished the last question.


Welcome to the forum.
 

Dennis Alwon

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Occupation
Retired Electrical Contractor
I took the unlimited many, many years ago. It was not that much different from the limited. There was more question on transformers and higher voltages. I did better in the unlimited test than the limited but I did study more.

I didn't take any prep classes-- I refused too-- but I read alot of electrical magazines and worked on grounding and bonding of generators and tranys-- I still stink at it ;) but it's been a long time not needing those skills.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
I took the unlimited many, many years ago. It was not that much different from the limited. There was more question on transformers and higher voltages. I did better in the unlimited test than the limited but I did study more.

I didn't take any prep classes-- I refused too-- but I read alot of electrical magazines and worked on grounding and bonding of generators and tranys-- I still stink at it ;) but it's been a long time not needing those skills.

Yep, that's the thing ----- you get rusty because you don't need all that info day to day.
I actually took the Unlimited about 9 years ago now without taking any prep class or even studying (LOL) and felt I passed it but failed by 4 points. Next I took the limited and passed it but thought I had failed for sure! It was harder than the Unlimited. It had much more load calcs and stuff like that.
Anyway, this time around I want to definitely pass it. I'm not playing games this time. Failing it is not an option.
I don't really need an Unlimited but want it. I think I'm going to do a bunch of study tests and maybe even take a prep course.

:grin:
 
SmithBuilt said:
I took a very good seminar by Jeff Rodriguez. IMO it is worth taking the class he is very knowledgeable. Look at the continuing ed website for NC and he is listed there.



When I took his practice test a couple of nights before my actual test I was worried about passing. But on the day of the NC test I realize the practice test was much harder. I knew I passed before I finished the last question.


Welcome to the forum.

I'll look him up.
:cool:
I hear that these days the test is computerized and you can get in to take it pretty quickly and know your result before you leave.
Back when I took the limited it was only doable I think once a year ---- or actually I think it was twice a year and you took it in a huge convention center room with hundreds of others.
I actually feel pretty confident already about taking the test because I'm not going to even try until I feel sure. Right now I'm not ready IMO. I need to cram for a while first.
 

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
25 The laws here are sort of screwy compared to other states I have lived and worked in. 8-)[/quote said:





That's a typical yankee saying.
At least NC has a state electric license.

I don't know how true it is but I've heard that the computer version of the test does not have as many calculation problems. Any one else head this?
 

threewire

Member
I took my test back in February in statesville, it is all computerized and you can usually schedule your test a week before you take it. It takes about 5 min after you finish your test when you find out if you pass or fail.

If you fail with a 65%-75% you can retake it in 3 months, fail any worse than 65% you have to wait 6 months.
 
buckofdurham said:
That's a typical yankee saying.
At least NC has a state electric license.

I don't know how true it is but I've heard that the computer version of the test does not have as many calculation problems. Any one else head this?

Ha, ha, ha, Buck of DURHAM! It's true man.
Every place I have ever lived and worked requires a state license.
The difference is that in Massachusetts for example, a journeymens license IS a state license and has NO limitation as far as $$$ goes.
For some reason here in NC there are like 7 different electrical licenses. The 3 main ones are based upon how much money the project costs. That's sort of strange as far as I'm concerned.
An even stranger thing is that here in NC an electrical license is NOT required to work for a contractor. So what happens is that you end up with unqualified people working as electricians.
In other states the entire work force needs to be state licensed. For example, if a contractor has 30 employees then atleast 15 have to be state licensed electricians. The others who are not licensed are HELPERS no matter how long they have been in the trade. The thinking is, I guess, that if they were really qualified they would be licensed.

NC is a great place but the "right to work" stuff is crazy imo. That's why there are so many illegals here man.
Look at companies like Watson or Bryant Durham ----- they have 1000 field employees and maybe 1% are actually licensed? There's something wrong with that picture man.....

Don't get me wrong or anything, it makes a LOT more opportunities for us guys to make $$$$$ but finding good help is nearly impossible at times because they want good money but lack the capability to be worth it.

;)
 

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
I just did a job in Chapel Hill at the Governor's Club. It's Chapel Hill but in Chatham County. The inspectors are sort of nuts. What else is new.....!
:grin:

The Govenvors Club is in Chatham country. CH wish it was in their town, which is Orange County!

If your regional to the area, go to any supply house, theres a flier to another class I beleive its by Bill Morris, PE (I beleive I got the correct name). It will start late august + - for 6 weeks, 2 nights a week.

The class will be either in Raleigh or Cary.
 
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Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
25 years and still going said:
Ha, ha, ha, Buck of DURHAM! It's true man.
Every place I have ever lived and worked requires a state license.An even stranger thing is that here in NC an electrical license is NOT required to work for a contractor. So what happens is that you end up with unqualified people working as electricians.In other states the entire work force needs to be state licensed. For example, if a contractor has 30 employees then atleast 15 have to be state licensed electricians. T


That's Bull
30 minus 15 is not the entire work force


Yes, up their you have to work as an apprentice for Five years befor you can take a 25 question test on how to bend conduit. Big deal , then you get a journey cards.
NC requires a unlimited or masters license person on the job at all times. One per 7 people.
You need to get your facts straight. Or go back to the North. Yankee.
And that is not meant as a derogatory term. :)
 
buckofdurham said:
That's Bull
30 minus 15 is not the entire work force


Yes, up their you have to work as an apprentice for Five years befor you can take a 25 question test on how to bend conduit. Big deal , then you get a journey cards.
NC requires a unlimited or masters license person on the job at all times. One per 7 people.
You need to get your facts straight. Or go back to the North. Yankee.
And that is not meant as a derogatory term. :)

Buck, you have got it all wrong but I doubt you will ever admit it because how would you even know.....
First of all the Massachusetts journeyman test was 100 questions in 6 hours and this was back in 1986. You needed 1000 hours minimum of schooling and 8000 hours as an apprentice (or 7000 once your schooling was done). Then when and if you passed the written test you then had an oral test at the state boards offices where you were grilled in person. That test was much harder than anything I have taken here in NC.

A Mass. journeyman's license is not a "card" ---- you have it confused with what raleigh has. There's no comparison.
With a Mass. journeyman's license you could do any priced job. It was a "REAL" license and by the time you were qualified to take the thing you were a very well rounded electrician. It is equal to about any license the state of NC has. The only limitation to it is that you cannot legally hire other journeymen licensed electricians without having a Master's or contractors license. There was no price limit or bonding requirement for either license.

The difference in NC is money. For some reason the licenses here are based on price limits. It's not so in many other states. What business is it of a licensing board if someone is bonded or not? That belongs in the private sector. No GC is going to let you do work WITHOUT BEING BONDED! What does that have to do with the state board? Nothing in my opinion.

The NC rules are somewhat screwy but not bad really as long as someone is self employed and licensed.

I would like to see the labor here in NC get educated though. I'm sick of hiring guys that are clueless about most aspects of the trade. That doesn't happen in other states, sorry. That should be changed here.

NC doesn't require hardly anything Buck and you know it! I have worked on jobs with 100 so called electricians on them and I would say that NOBODY but the supervisors were licensed and there were only 4 of us. Wise up Bo and stop the name calling. Facts are facts.

Btw, Durham is one hell hole to work in. The inspections department is EXTREME to put it mildly. You know what I'm talking about too if you ever pull permits there. EVEN THE INSPECTORS AREN'T LICENSED IN NC! I have run into some real "champs" around here, lol, that really have no business inspecting anything! You KNOW that's true if you have any experience around here at all.

Peace man. I'm only telling the truth and you know it (or ought to know it).
:rolleyes:
 
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cadpoint said:
I just did a job in Chapel Hill at the Governor's Club. It's Chapel Hill but in Chatham County. The inspectors are sort of nuts. What else is new.....!
:grin:

The Govenvors Club is in Chatham country. CH wish it was in their town, which is Orange County!

If your regional to the area, go to any supply house, theres a flier to another class I beleive its by Bill Morris, PE (I beleive I got the correct name). It will start late august + - for 6 weeks, 2 nights a week.

The class will be either in Raleigh or Cary.


I live in Apex and also have a rental in west Sanford.
I'm going to try that Jeff rodriguez guy. Thanks.
:)
 

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
25 years and still going said:
I would like to see the labor here in NC get educated though. I'm sick of hiring guys that are clueless about most aspects of the trade. That doesn't happen in other states,
Yes it does, believe me.

25 years and still going said:
NC doesn't require hardly anything Buck and you know it! I have worked on jobs with 100 so called electricians on them and I would say that NOBODY but the supervisors were licensed and there were only 4 of us. Wise up Bo and stop the name calling. Facts are facts.
This is not true of individual NC city's requirements, Asheville has a 2 - 1 ratio

25 years and still going said:
EVEN THE INSPECTORS AREN'T LICENSED IN NC!
They are however state certified as a class I,II, or III, inspector, start with page 60 HERE, you can also read it by pulling up the NC State statutes.

25 years and still going said:
Peace man. I'm only telling the truth and you know it (or ought to know it).
:rolleyes:
You are not completely telling the truth be it intentional or simply the lack of knowing.

Roger
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
25 years and still going said:
You needed 1000 hours minimum of schooling

Nope, even today only 600 hours



I would like to see the labor here in NC get educated though. I'm sick of hiring guys that are clueless about most aspects of the trade. That doesn't happen in other states, sorry.

That is a ridiculous statement.

I have worked in MA for 25 years, I fully support the licensing requirements but morons still show up with license in hand. There are clueless workers everywhere.
 
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