General Knowledge
6%of exam
Article 100TheoryPlan ReadingCode TermsExam Rules
Services + Service Equipment
11%of exam
Article 230Article 250Service LoadsBondingDisconnects
Feeders
4%of exam
Article 215Article 225AmpacityOCPDEGC
Branch Circuits + Conductors
19%of exam
Article 210Article 220Article 240GFCI/AFCIConductors
Wiring Methods + Materials
26%of exam
Chapter 3Chapter 9Raceway FillBox FillCables
Equipment + Devices
13%of exam
ReceptaclesLuminairesPanelboardsAppliancesHVAC
Control Devices
4%of exam
SwitchesDisconnectsControllersWithin SightLockout
Motors + Generators
6%of exam
Article 430Article 445FLC TablesOverloadSCPD
Special Occupancies + Conditions
11%of exam
Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7PVEmergency Systems
Quick Facts
- Exam
- R17/T17/G17
- Questions
- 80 MCQ
- Time
- 4 hours
- Format
- Open book
- Fee
- $120
- Pass
- Usually 70%
- Pace
- 3 min/question
- License
- Jurisdiction decides
Exam Codes
G=2017 | T=2020 | R=2023
G17: 2017 NECT17: 2020 NECR17: 2023 NEC
Board vs ICC
Board
- Eligibility
- License rules
- Post-pass steps
ICC
- Exam delivery
- Bulletins
- Score reports
License vs test
Find NEC Route
- Defined term→Article 100(Definitions)
- General install→Article 110(Workmanship)
- Service clue→Article 230(Services)
- Grounding clue→Article 250(Bonding)
- Raceway/cable→Chapter 3(Methods)
- Tables/fill→Chapter 9(Notes first)
Exam Logistics
- R17
- 2023 NEC
- T17
- 2020 NEC
- G17
- 2017 NEC
- Items
- 80 MCQ
- Limit
- 4 hours
- Pass
- Usually 70%
- Retake
- 10-day wait
- Result
- PASS only
Code Map
90-100-110, then chapters
90: purpose100: definitions110: install rulesCh 3: methods
Source Control
- AHJ
- Interprets code
- ICC
- Exam provider
- Board
- License authority
- Pearson VUE
- Test delivery
- PRONTO
- Remote option
- Open book
- Time limited
- Loose paper
- Usually prohibited
- Calculator
- Nonprogrammable only
Definitions
- Accessible
- Expose without damage
- Readily accessible
- Reach quickly
- Ampacity
- Current under conditions
- Continuous load
- Three hours
- Service point
- Utility/premises boundary
- Feeder
- Before final OCPD
- Branch circuit
- After final OCPD
- Ground fault
- Unwanted ground path
Service vs Feeder
Service
- Utility source
- Service equipment
- Article 230
Feeder
- After service
- Before branch
- Article 215
Source side matters
Service Picker
- Service conductors→Article 230
- Main bond→Article 250
- Ground rod→250.53
- Service calc→Article 220
- Emergency disconnect→230.85
- Working space→110.26
Services + Bonding
- Article 230
- Services
- Article 250
- Grounding/bonding
- Disconnect
- Nearest entrance
- Six handles
- Max disconnects
- MBJ
- Neutral-equipment bond
- GEC
- Electrode conductor
- Ground rod
- 8 ft
- Working space
- 3 ft typical
- Emergency disconnect
- Outdoor dwellings
Grounding vs Bonding
Grounding
- Earth connection
- Stabilizes voltage
- GEC route
Bonding
- Metal continuity
- Fault path
- MBJ route
Earth vs continuity
Power Wheel
P=VxI | I=P/V
Watts: V x AAmps: W / VVA: V x A
Calculation Cues
- Watts
- Volts x amps
- Amps
- Watts / volts
- 1ph VA
- V x A
- 3ph VA
- V x A x 1.732
- Demand factor
- Table reduction
- Neutral load
- Check Article 220
- Correction
- Ambient temperature
- Adjustment
- Conductor count
Protection Pair
GFCI shocks; AFCI arcs
GFCI: personnelAFCI: fireOCPD: ampacity
Feeder vs Branch
Feeder
- Supplies final OCPD
- Panels/subpanels
- Load calculation
Branch
- After final OCPD
- Outlets/equipment
- Article 210
Before vs after
Size Conductors
- Branch load→Article 210
- Load calc→Article 220
- OCPD issue→Article 240
- Ampacity table→Article 310
- Feeder clue→Article 215
- Outside feeder→Article 225
Feeders + Branches
- Article 215
- Feeders
- Article 210
- Branch circuits
- Article 220
- Load calculations
- Article 240
- Overcurrent
- Article 310
- Conductors
- Continuous
- Use 125%
- Small appliance
- Two 20A
- Laundry
- One 20A
- Bathroom
- 20A required
- GFCI
- Shock protection
- AFCI
- Arc protection
GFCI vs AFCI
GFCI
- Shock protection
- Ground-fault current
- Wet areas
AFCI
- Fire protection
- Arc faults
- Dwelling circuits
Shock vs fire
Correction vs Adjustment
Correction
- Ambient temperature
- Table factor
- Heat condition
Adjustment
- Conductor count
- Raceway bundle
- Derating factor
Temperature vs count
Fill Stack
Box counts; raceway percent
Box: volumeRaceway: areaNotes: control
Box Fill vs Raceway Fill
Box fill
- Volume allowance
- Device yokes
- 314.16
Raceway fill
- Area percent
- Chapter 9
- Table notes
Volume vs area
Wiring Picker
- Box fill→314.16
- Conduit fill→Chapter 9
- EMT clue→Article 358
- PVC clue→Article 352
- MC cable→Article 330
- UF burial→Table 300.5
Wiring Methods
- EMT
- Thin-wall raceway
- RMC
- Threaded metal raceway
- PVC
- Nonmetallic raceway
- MC cable
- Metal-clad cable
- NM cable
- Dry dwelling cable
- UF cable
- Direct burial
- Flexible cord
- Not fixed wiring
- Wet location
- Use wet-rated
Fill Rules
- Box fill
- 314.16
- Conductor count
- Volume allowance
- Device yoke
- Two conductors
- Internal clamp
- One conductor
- EGCs
- One total
- Raceway fill
- Chapter 9
- Table 1
- 40% common
- Nipples
- 60% max
Equipment + Devices
- Receptacles
- Article 406
- Switches
- Article 404
- Panelboards
- Article 408
- Appliances
- Article 422
- Luminaires
- Article 410
- HVAC
- Article 440
- Disconnect label
- Purpose marked
- Listing
- Follow instructions
Motor Stack
FLC, conductor, overload, SCPD
FLC: tablesConductors: ampacityOverload: nameplateSCPD: faults
OCPD vs Overload
OCPD
- Short circuit
- Ground fault
- Conductor protection
Overload
- Motor heating
- Running current
- Nameplate based
Fault vs heat
Motor + Special Picker
- Motor FLC→430 tables
- Overload→Article 430
- Generator→Article 445
- PV→Article 690
- Hazardous→Article 500
- Emergency power→Article 700
Motors + Controls
- Motor FLC
- Use NEC tables
- Nameplate
- Overload sizing
- Overload
- Motor protection
- SCPD
- Fault protection
- Controller
- Starts motor
- Disconnect
- Within sight
- Generator
- Article 445
- Transformer
- Article 450
Nameplate vs FLC Table
Nameplate
- Overload sizing
- Actual motor
- Manufacturer data
FLC table
- Conductors
- SCPD sizing
- NEC standard
Use depends on task
Emergency vs Standby
Emergency
- Life safety
- Article 700
- Legally required
Standby
- Optional loads
- Article 702
- Owner choice
Required vs optional
Special Systems
- Hazardous area
- Class/division route
- Health care
- Article 517
- Pools
- Article 680
- RV parks
- Article 551
- Mobile homes
- Article 550
- PV systems
- Article 690
- Emergency systems
- Article 700
- Fire alarms
- Article 760
Common Traps
Exam vs license
ICC tests trade ≠ Board issues license
Open book trap
Book allowed ≠ Time scarce
Continuous load
Three hours ≠ Size 125%
Ground vs bond
Ground earth path ≠ Bond fault path
Nameplate trap
Overload uses nameplate ≠ SCPD uses tables
Service disconnect
Nearest entrance ≠ Readily accessible
Fill methods
Box uses volume ≠ Raceway uses percent
Protection types
GFCI shock ≠ AFCI arc
Last Minute
- 1.R17=2023; T17=2020; G17=2017
- 2.80 MCQ; 4 hours
- 3.Pass usually 70%
- 4.Pace: 3 min/question
- 5.NEC edition controls answers
- 6.Article 100 for definitions
- 7.Article 230 for services
- 8.Article 250 for grounding
- 9.Article 310 for ampacity
- 10.Chapter 9 for fill
- 11.GFCI shock; AFCI arc
- 12.Continuous load: 125%
- 13.No blanks; guess finally
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