What should I buy??

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K2X

Senior Member
Location
Colorado Springs
Hi, I've got a couple of hundred hours left and I'll be ready to test for the Colorado journeymen's exam and I'm trying to figure out the best study material to get. I'm in the second year of the IEC training so I don't think I need the full blown $1000 course. I was thinking the Mike Holt practice exam and the handbook that I see you guys posting drawings with.. Looks like Mike's practice exam is a book and I would prefer disk or download but the book would be ok. .. What exactly is the name of the handbook and is it Mike's?? On disk I take it??... Any other ideas ??? My paypal account is loaded and ready for your suggestions. Thanks again....
 
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SiddMartin

Senior Member
Location
PA
I would take Mike's online test and pay for the answers.. I did that and it was awesome! He breaks down all the answers to show you how to find/ calculate the right answer. Extremly helpful, and not pricey at all.
 
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jb_04

Member
Location
Minnesota
SiddMartin said:
I would take Mike's online test and pay for the answers.. I did that and it was awesome! He breaks down all the answers to show you how to find/ calculate the right answer. Extremly helpful, and not pricey at all.
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Not sure about the CO test, but the exams isn't much help for my states test. They are way to easy. I would recommend understanding the nec 1,2 material. Also, from experience studying q&a isn't a good way to study.
 
cadpoint

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
I'd hunt down every class book in your active syllabus, review all those and then buy some associated books or comparative authors.

I'd also check out your local library, it's probably on-line...

... from experience studying q&a isn't a good way to study.
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That's debatable, my argument would be if a sound knowledge base exists,
well why not use exact answer/questions? (& back it up with the NFPA) What one is working is always based on a question. Our work is all cause and effect, that asks a question, we get to formulate the answers! Day in, Day out. What the key is to formulate the correct action, reading presented applications sure could go far to that understanding, You Reckon?

What we work is forward from some place, always looking at, deciphering, applying and thus solving through the use of the NFPA.
 
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K2X

Senior Member
Location
Colorado Springs
Thanks guys, I did order Mike's test prep and practice tests in book form this morning. I do of course have the 08 code book as part of my class and I'll see if i can hunt down some used 3rd and 4th year IEC text books. They should be cheap. ... Right now i'm looking at ordering the "nec handbook "or "Understanding the NEC" or maybe both??? Any input on these two books. I think they would great resources long after i pass my tests.. Tnx again..
 
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~Shado~

Senior Member
Location
Aurora, Colorado
The handbook is very nice to have in general....I usually order both when they come out.

I am thinking about getting the PC version in the future in addition to hard copies from now on....seems like a fast, easy , great way to look things up...



(p.s.....check your messages):)
 
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jb_04

Member
Location
Minnesota
K2X said:
Thanks guys, I did order Mike's test prep and practice tests in book form this morning. I do of course have the 08 code book as part of my class and I'll see if i can hunt down some used 3rd and 4th year IEC text books. They should be cheap. ... Right now i'm looking at ordering the "nec handbook "or "Understanding the NEC" or maybe both??? Any input on these two books. I think they would great resources long after i pass my tests.. Tnx again..
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I don't think you need both. I went with the understanding the nec, more detailed.
 
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OldTool

Member
Location
Sunnyvale, CA "yep!! Silicone Valley"
Confused a little>>>

Confused a little>>>

"Understanding" the NEC vs the actual NEC whats is the diff
NEC "Handbook" vs the actual NEC whats is the diff

Prev........
ordering the "nec handbook "or "Understanding the NEC" or maybe both???



Why not the NEC, Itself I ask??

I have studied out of Mc Graw-Hills NEC 2008>>> HANDBOOK<<<<realised it did not include many needed tables ie:310.16,explained their function but did not contain due to publishing rights possibly...Found tables in other books Ugly's etc:

Recently passed my CA. test
Purchased an actual NEC from NFPA 2005 for Edu and testing purposes...
Actually Tested from a 2002 NEC.....


Is a "HANDBOOK" abbreviated???
Is "Understanding the NEC" overwhelming how detailed???

I have a Big Red 2005 NEC that yes can be confusing! But I "UNDERSTAND" IT!!!

What I have from Mc Graw Hill is a NEC 2008 HANDBOOK!!!???missing stuff....

Where are these books?Wannna touch it..

Thanx
 
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ozark01

Senior Member
When I took the NC test in 1975 I studied the NEC code book and the American Electrician's Handbook. I had good success by just reading and re-reading the code every spare moment I had. The American Electrician's Handbook had some great information about the theory part of being an electrician that helped make the code make more sense.
 
iMuse97

iMuse97

Senior Member
Location
Chicagoland
The NEC Handbook, published by NFPA is all the text of the NEC with additional explanatory notes and examples, none of which is enforceable, but written and illustrated by those who are supposed to know what the NEC means, because they write it and publish it.

I, for one, would not be without it.
 
rcarroll

rcarroll

Senior Member
Location
Fort Collins, Colorado
iMuse97 said:
The NEC Handbook, published by NFPA is all the text of the NEC with additional explanatory notes and examples, none of which is enforceable, but written and illustrated by those who are supposed to know what the NEC means, because they write it and publish it.

I, for one, would not be without it.
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We keep the handbook in the office to help w/ those spirited debates that come up every now & again.:)
 
Howard Burger

Howard Burger

Senior Member
Location
N of Anchrage, AK
by all means get a book, but learn to use the NEC index!

by all means get a book, but learn to use the NEC index!

Don't know about CO, but AK test is open (NEC) book - a clean copy which does not have any personal notes. Tabs are OK. About tabs - what I found, as I was using Richard Loyd's Journeyman Exam Preparation to prepare was that learning how to use the index to find the specific section that I needed was critical, and the tabs were actually a nuisance (too general). As to Loyd's bood, well, some of his question's answers I didn't agree with, but so what? The practice in using the index taught me the appropriate term to search for, which took me to the right area of the code to (mostly) confirm what I thought was the answer. So, my advice is to get an examination prep book from Holt or Loyd, and get real familiar with looking up the answers, using the index - it will really save you time, and you want to be real efficient in using the time you're given for the test. Good luck!
 
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