Studying

[hoody32]

Hello all.
Next month I’ll be going to take my NEC test for my connecticut E2 license. I’ve been reading the code book and taking practice quizzes any chance I get. Im curious if there are any articles that should read twice?

 

[__dan]

I have heard it's a tough test and not everyone passes. Probably best bet is to take a local test prep class geared to the test. I have heard the name of someone, one of the town inspectors, who teaches or taught one but I don't know anything about it beyond that. Two of my brothers passed and one did not.

Possibly you could call DCP and ask about study materials and they may probably refer you back to the testing company, but they may have study materials or recommendations geared to the test. The test prep companies get feedback from candidates and roll that back into the next test prep class. Nothing I know firsthand about the test.

 

[Hv&Lv]

learn the articles by heart.
100
110
200
210
etc.

be able to list them off and say them over and over in your head.
that way when a question is asked about a certain subject you don’t have go to the index or table of contents.
for timed tests you don’t want to waste time looking for the article number.

 

[hoody32]

I hadn’t thought about learning the articles and their numbers. I think that’s a good idea and I’m going to make some flash cards today to help with learning them.

 

[hoody32]

Does anyone know around how many questions will be based on the definitions in article 100?

 

[Hv&Lv]

I hadn’t thought about learning the articles and their numbers. I think that’s a good idea and I’m going to make some flash cards today to help with learning them.

There are a couple of other “tricks” also.
Like 320-340.
you don’t have to memorize each wire type, like 320, 322, etc...
just memorize that 320-340 are wire types, the types themselves are In alphabetical order, and 320-340 isn’t that many pages.
Group your conduit, tubing, raceways, etc.
the main idea is to not have to start at the front looking for where box sizes are located. KNOW you need to head to 314

 

[kwired]

I hadn’t thought about learning the articles and their numbers. I think that’s a good idea and I’m going to make some flash cards today to help with learning them.

Though it is still a good idea to become familiar with knowing major articles and what content is in them, it may not be too critical short term if you are allowed to use a code book with reference tabs in it for your test, that would allow you to focus your study efforts in other areas.

 

[hoody32]

Though it is still a good idea to become familiar with knowing major articles and what content is in them, it may not be too critical short term if you are allowed to use a code book with reference tabs in it for your test, that would allow you to focus your study efforts in other areas.

I’m still not sure if I need to use a book they provide. I have my code book highlighted so I hope to be able to use my own.

 

[hoody32]

Anyone know how the questions are worded? I’ve been searching online for example questions but all the examples I’ve found seem to be a little fake. I want to get some idea of what I can expect. I was able to pass my OSHA 30 test without taking notes and without studying. How much harder is the NEC exam?

 

[roger]

Anyone know how the questions are worded? I’ve been searching online for example questions but all the examples I’ve found seem to be a little fake. I want to get some idea of what I can expect. I was able to pass my OSHA 30 test without taking notes and without studying. How much harder is the NEC exam?

Depends on the exam but I have done the 30 hr OSHA and it didn't touch the difficulty of the Unlimited NC licensing exam. In NC you can not take anything into the exam room, the code book, pencil, scratch paper and calculator are furnished and they have to be left in the exam room when you are done.

Roger

 

[elec2007]

Hi.
I'm looking to but the NEC 2017 tabbed & Hi-lighted, anyone knows where I can get it.

Thanks

JJ

 

[ussop]

learn the articles by heart.
100
110
200
210
etc.

be able to list them off and say them over and over in your head.
that way when a question is asked about a certain subject you don’t have go to the index or table of contents.
for timed tests you don’t want to waste time looking for the article number.

Very help ful

 

[ptonsparky]

It’s been a long time. I didn’t know all the answers, but I knew where to look to find them. I have a hunch our tests weren’t near as in depth as some of those today. Good luck.

 

[Hv&Lv]

I’ve taken three. I have never been allowed to take my own NEC in one of them. They were supplied as Roger stated.
1 test was my stupidity... Had my NC, took the SC. They reciprocate.

 

[hoody32]

Anyone ever pass the test without using the book?

 

[texie]

I’m still not sure if I need to use a book they provide. I have my code book highlighted so I hope to be able to use my own.

Your post seem to imply that you have not obtained and studied the Candidate Bulletin for this exam. NEVER take a licensing exam without this.
IT can be found Here: https://candidate.psiexams.com/bull...&actionname=83&bulletinid=56&bulletinurl=.pdf

 

[hoody32]

thank you

 

[kwired]

Anyone ever pass the test without using the book?

I guess it would depend on test content and maybe plain luck.

Some of the reasoning to having test is to show you know how to use the code, not that you memorized it. Most of the time you will have hypothetical problems to solve that will require you to pull values from some of the tables in the code to insert into your calculations such as determining conductor ampacity maybe with necessary adjustment factors, conduit fill, or determining minimum ampacity required.

Over time using this stuff it can get to where some the stuff you encounter frequently you may not need to look at code as often as you once did. For example I've installed enough motor circuits that I can select conductors and overcurrent devices for certain sizes I have seen a lot without having to open the book. That for a single motor circuit without abnormal conditions. Throw in some other loads or an ambient temp factor in same raceway and may still need to use book to determine if adjustments still allow same size conductor.

 

[hoody32]

I guess it would depend on test content and maybe plain luck.

Some of the reasoning to having test is to show you know how to use the code, not that you memorized it. Most of the time you will have hypothetical problems to solve that will require you to pull values from some of the tables in the code to insert into your calculations such as determining conductor ampacity maybe with necessary adjustment factors, conduit fill, or determining minimum ampacity required.

Over time using this stuff it can get to where some the stuff you encounter frequently you may not need to look at code as often as you once did. For example I've installed enough motor circuits that I can select conductors and overcurrent devices for certain sizes I have seen a lot without having to open the book. That for a single motor circuit without abnormal conditions. Throw in some other loads or an ambient temp factor in same raceway and may still need to use book to determine if adjustments still allow same size conductor.

This is the stuff I need to worried about. I’ve been doing residential for four years and we don’t run many circuits for motors. this is something I need to learn how to do.

 

[kwired]

This is the stuff I need to worried about. I’ve been doing residential for four years and we don’t run many circuits for motors. this is something I need to learn how to do.

Are you taking a test for a license that is limited to mostly residential work? If so you may not find as many if any motor circuit related questions.

Experience does help , even more if you are involved in design stages. You could spend a lot of time installing motor circuits but if you only did what someone else told you to do or work off their design, you won't learn as much about how to make selections of materials.

Practice with test preparation materials or other mock scenarios is next best thing. If you don't want to spend $$ on providers of such things you can make up your own scenarios, do your calculating the present things to us on this site (show how you came up with your results) and we can help you figure out what you did right or wrong.

Simple problem to start with might be:

supply volts 480 volts three phase, 30C ambient, all terminations are 75C and all copper conductors having 90C insulation

Motors (all three phase motors) 1 HP, 1HP, 5HP 10 HP.
All motors have 1.15 SF, nameplate ratings are 1.9, 1.9, 6.9 and 13 amps.

One other continuous heating load of 15kW, 3 phase 3 wire 480 volts.

Calculate minimum Feeder size, and feeder overcurrent protection to supply these loads.

For sake of more code usage exercises assume we need to tap the feeder to each branch circuit device and tell us what size feeder tap each one needs (assume all are in close proximity and 10 foot tap rule would apply).

Calculate minimum size circuit conductors for each individual load.

Calculate minimum size conductors needed each branch circuit if all branch circuits were run in a single raceway and then calculate minimum size GRC would be needed to contain them plus the minimum size EGC that would be required to be run with them, also state what size the EGC needs to be.

Determine max allowed overcurrent device using time delay fuses.

For more practice also determine max allowed overcurrent devices using inverse time breakers.

Determine maximum motor overload setting for each motor.

ADD: OK maybe not extremely simple, but needed to get enough variety of things that can apply into one scenario. Look at it as several simple questions all coming from one scenario.