Washington Administrators License - looking for advice on study materials/approach

tom baker said:
In 2027 Washington will require anyone taking a journey level exam to be a graduate of a apprenticeship program.
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WA used to have a card called a 'Trainee' that anyone could pay $10 a year for and could log hours under any licensed EC. I thought that was a great alternative for folks.
Two of the best electricians I ever worked with were from up there, both did the 'Trainee' route they lamented they never could get into an apprenticeship program too much red tape, ranking rules and corruption but this was decades ago.
 
quantum` said:
Absolutely. One great thing I took away from my convo with L&I is that I can be the Admin & Elect. contractor, pull the permit, hire a Journey, AND work for and oversee that Journey to accumulate my hours as an Apprentice.

However next year rules will change requiring a training program, and there is no way I can accumulate no 8,000 hours before then. But, they said I can set up MY OWN training program and become a part of that.

This means that I can do some of the electrical work myself, which is important because many of my technologies are so different.

In reality I build houses though and will never qualify for Journey, although it doesn't matter because I can still wire.
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Do you need to be a journey level electrician. What about residential which is4,000 hours?
A still work as trainee.
 
So Tom Henry's MASTER Exam Questions bear no resemblance to the actual exam I took recently. If the exam had been like that I would have passed. Waste of money.

The exam is a french-fried booger now.
 
Ya you're exactly right. How to get it in the next 5 days is the problem.

However if my concern was the main exam, this book is still way off the mark of the current exam.
 
Yup, the Electrical Code Coach is what I've needed all along. I would have passed if I'd gone through his lessons. His calculations lesson is fantastic.
 
So I've passed Calcs, but failed NEC AGAIN! This time worse at 62%. I looked up every answer I possibly could. These exams were completely different. WTF?
 
Nah, I can't get past the shim-shamming NEC exam. This time I was sure I passed and was exhausted, but then had to take Calcs. On that one I had to guess on 3 questions as they were so long, and ran out of time before answering the last.... but 70%! A Pass is a Pass!
 
quantum` said:
Nah, I can't get past the shim-shamming NEC exam. This time I was sure I passed and was exhausted, but then had to take Calcs. On that one I had to guess on 3 questions as they were so long, and ran out of time before answering the last.... but 70%! A Pass is a Pass!
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Congratulations, so now that you've passed are you starting an electrical contracting business or will you just employ a residential electrician for your own projects?
 
Well I still can't get past the frickin flim-flammin' NEC exam. Picking my red ass up off the ground and getting at studying it again.

If/when a miracle occurs and I do pass, the idea is that since I am a developer, I will hire Journeys on a gig basis, and do some of the work myself as an Apprentice. Some Journeys won't be as familiar with some of my techs as I am, such as solar, low-voltage indirect string lighting, and control of an ERV from various switches such as bathroom lights.

Speaking of which, this might be a good place to ask the best method of activating an ERV (24vAC) from any random 120v switch? I certainly don't want to run 120v down a thermostat wire, but then I don't want a relay inside the switch box. (Unless maybe a SSR?) Same drill with kitchen exhaust fan. I need that ERV to come on with any bathroom light and the kitchen exhaust, as well as on its own timer.

Second, I need a driver for each LED string; it's just a 10"x2"x3" box which converts 12vAC to 24vDC. I'm thinking of surface-mounting it to the wall above inside the closets, and running the 24v wire insire the wall to the string which is mounted on coping 1' down from the ceiling to shine up and reflect off the ceiling. I did this with my house, and I get a perfect shower of photons throughout the room. (PS - I can not believe that photons are immortal...)
 
quantum` said:
Well I still can't get past the frickin flim-flammin' NEC exam. Picking my red ass up off the ground and getting at studying it again.
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Oh so its two totally different tests? You passed the calcs but failed the NEC?
Thats sounds wildly difficult.
Its been close to two decades since I took a test, and that was in Oregon, it was two parts but one grade, I remember the calculations were by far the most difficult for me but I had a lot of prior years as a JW.
You should start a different thread/topic for your ERV question you'll get more answers, the mods might consider you in forbidden DIY territory unless your working under a JW and hold trainee / apprentice card now but I'll leave that up to them. Though they do seem to allow General B from CA to ask electrical questions so IDK its up to them.
 
Actually in WA it's three separate exams: NEC, Law, and Calcs. I passed Law easily with 88 as that's right up my alley. Calcs I guessed at 3 questions as they were long, and got timed out on the 10th question, yet some how I managed to make 70%. Flopped the NEC worse than the first time (68%) with a 62%, but then I'd concentrated on calcs so am at least grateful I passed that.

Now trying to find the best materials for NEC. I would be pissed if I spent another full 2 weeks studying, drove down to Olympia and stayed in a motel again, and failed.

Of course I'm a GC as well. I won't be doing any 'DIY' per se; I'm something of an electronics wiz and there are many other such things I'll be doing, for example comms with individual solar panels. I am thinking an SSR would be the best way to go with if I can get reliable parts, and if the inspector will allow it in the box. But inspectors don't care about low-voltage, and I do realize this is not the right forum.
 
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