Test Question

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Dennis Alwon

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Chapel Hill, NC
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Retired Electrical Contractor
Not rewritten. Added as new.

You can call it what you like. I started writing added as new but the actual article number is there so....... You want to be technical then the art. is written. Let's not argue this it just isn't worth it. Of course, I get the last word. :grin:
 

yired29

Senior Member
You still slopping around in the '05? Some of us are in the '08. Art. 300.4(E) has been re-written in the '08

My 2008 Code book is at work, missed that change in 08'. There are not that many towns on the 08' around here. Du Page County Illinois I think about 3 -5 not for sure though. Most are waiting for the 2011 cycle.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
You can call it what you like. I started writing added as new but the actual article number is there so....... You want to be technical then the art. is written. Let's not argue this it just isn't worth it. Of course, I get the last word. :grin:


It's only worth agruing about with Bob. ;)
 

westernexplorer

Senior Member
The point is, this is one question where the test writer's mistake is obvious. Where are the questions where the mistake is not obvious?

I recall taking my Master Electrician exam. I challenged eight questions outright. They were either poorly worded, contained first-year errors (one calculated the answers in Ohms Law using a parallel circuit, but showed a series circuit in the question), two referenced Code sections that no longer existed, one referenced an obsolete Article etc.

When I contacted the company giving the test, of course they were very defensive. But their stance was basically, "We don't make mistakes", despite the fact I pointed out at least eight glaring errors.

When they asked why it made a differece, I said the same as I stated before....Where are the mistakes I cannot see?

For instance, let's say a test writer needs a calculation question. So the question is: "A 20-unit apartment building, each apartment having this, this and this, the house panel has this and this. Calculate the load on the service neutral".

Pretty straightforward, you'd think. But let's say the test writer did the calculation based on 30 units, and not 20. Now I come along and take the test, using 20 apartments in my calcs, and come up with an answer. But it's not there, because the 4 possibilities are based on 30. So I guess the closest and am considered wrong. Even though I came up with the correct answer.

What in life is perfect...? I go back to my original point. If you needed that 1 or 2 bad questions on a 100 or 150 question electrical exam to pass, than you have bigger problems than those few bad questions........ I don't know anyone or anything that's 100%.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
What in life is perfect...? I go back to my original point. If you needed that 1 or 2 bad questions on a 100 or 150 question electrical exam to pass, than you have bigger problems than those few bad questions........ I don't know anyone or anything that's 100%.

Yes, but what if those 8 questions are 8% of the test grade? Given that those 8 I found are bad questions, how many more are there that were bad I couldn't find? 5%? 10%? 15%? 25%? You could 'ace' the test and still fail.
 

westernexplorer

Senior Member
480sparky,

I know a 100 question exam could have 1 or 2 bad questions....because, I have found some. But, 8 or 10...? that is a pretty high percentage. Now, I'm not saying a locally designed and administer exam that it's not possible, But, a Nationally designed, proctored and graded exam with that many errors would be hard to find. Those exams are vetted and given all over the United States and picked over time and time again, by many electrical proefessionals.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
480sparky,

I know a 100 question exam could have 1 or 2 bad questions....because, I have found some. But, 8 or 10...? that is a pretty high percentage. Now, I'm not saying a locally designed and administer exam that it's not possible, But, a Nationally designed, proctored and graded exam with that many errors would be hard to find. Those exams are vetted and given all over the United States and picked over time and time again, by many electrical proefessionals.


Well, I had one with at least eight.
 

jusme123

Senior Member
Location
NY
Occupation
JW
Yes, but what if those 8 questions are 8% of the test grade? Given that those 8 I found are bad questions, how many more are there that were bad I couldn't find? 5%? 10%? 15%? 25%? You could 'ace' the test and still fail.

... they call that the 'localwhouknow' curve?;)
 
I had the same question... Reading through the exam information, It says that 10 questions will not be graded. So perhaps it's one of them?
 
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