General Knowledge
12%of exam
TheoryCalculationsDefinitionsPlan ReadingExam Rules
Services + Service Equipment
16%of exam
ServicesFault CurrentTransformersGroundingBonding
Feeders
4%of exam
FeedersLoad CalculationsEquipment GroundingVoltage Drop
Branch Circuits + Conductors
16%of exam
Branch CircuitsOCPDConductorsGFCI/AFCIOutlets
Wiring Methods + Materials
19%of exam
RacewaysUndergroundBoxesPanelboardsFlexible Cords
Equipment + Devices
10%of exam
LuminairesReceptaclesSwitchesAppliancesHVAC
Control Devices
3%of exam
SwitchesDisconnectsControllersWithin Sight
Motors + Generators
8%of exam
MotorsGeneratorsFLC TablesOverloadSCPD
Special Occupancies + Conditions
12%of exam
PoolsHazardousHealthcareEmergencyFire Alarms
Quick Facts
- Exam
- R16/T16/G16
- Questions
- 100 MCQ
- Time
- 5 hours
- Format
- Open book
- Fee
- $120
- Pass
- 75%
- Pace
- 3 min/question
- License
- Jurisdiction controls
Exam Codes
R16=2023 | T16=2020 | G16=2017
R16: 2023 NECT16: 2020 NECG16: 2017 NEC
ICC vs Board
ICC
- Exam delivery
- Bulletin rules
- Score report
Board
- Eligibility
- License issue
- Local rules
Test vs license
Find NEC Route
- Defined term→Article 100(Definitions)
- General install→Article 110(Baseline)
- Load clue→Article 220(Calculations)
- Service clue→Article 230(Source)
- Grounding clue→Article 250(Bonding)
- Table clue→Chapter 9(Notes first)
Exam Logistics
- R16
- 2023 NEC
- T16
- 2020 NEC
- G16
- 2017 NEC
- Items
- 100 MCQ
- Limit
- 5 hours
- Pass
- 75%
- Fee
- $120
- Result
- PASS only
Master Weights
Wiring leads; services and branches follow
Wiring: 19%Services: 16%Branches: 16%Special: 12%
Power Wheel
E=IR, P=EI, VA=EI
Amps: E/RWatts: ExI3ph: x1.732
Code Map
- 90
- Purpose + scope
- 100
- Definitions
- 110
- Install rules
- 200
- Use identification
- 210
- Branch circuits
- 215
- Feeders
- 220
- Load calculations
- 230
- Services
- 240
- Overcurrent
- 250
- Grounding/bonding
Theory Formulas
- Ohm
- E=IxR
- Current
- I=E/R
- Power
- P=ExI
- 1ph VA
- VxA
- 3ph VA
- VxAx1.732
- PF
- Watts / VA
- Series R
- Add resistances
- Parallel R
- Reciprocal sum
Ground/Bond
Ground stabilizes; bond clears faults
Ground: earthBond: continuityEGC: fault path
Service vs Feeder
Service
- Utility source
- Before main
- Article 230
Feeder
- After service
- Before branch
- Article 215
Source side matters
Service Sequence
- Calculate load→Article 220
- Pick service→Article 230
- Size conductors→310.16
- Size GEC→250.66
- Bond service→250.24
- Check space→110.26
Service Core
- Article 230
- Services
- Service point
- Utility boundary
- Service conductors
- Before service equipment
- Disconnect
- Readily accessible
- Six rule
- Max disconnects
- Fault current
- Available short-circuit
- Temporary service
- Article 590
- Working space
- 110.26 route
Grounding vs Bonding
Grounding
- Earth connection
- Voltage stabilization
- GEC route
Bonding
- Metal continuity
- Fault path
- MBJ route
Earth vs continuity
Grounding + Bonding
- Article 250
- Grounding/bonding
- GEC
- Electrode conductor
- EGC
- Fault path
- MBJ
- Service bond
- SBJ
- Supply-side bond
- Ground rod
- 8 ft electrode
- Concrete electrode
- Ufer route
- Water pipe
- Bonding route
Load Cues
- Dwelling lighting
- 3 VA/sq ft
- Small appliance
- Two 20A
- Laundry
- One 20A
- Range
- Table 220.55
- Dryer
- 220.54 route
- Demand factor
- Table reduction
- Neutral
- 220.61 route
- Continuous
- Use 125%
Feeder vs Branch
Feeder
- Supplies final OCPD
- Panel loads
- 215 route
Branch
- After final OCPD
- Outlet loads
- 210 route
Before vs after
Conductor Picker
- Branch circuit→210.19
- Feeder circuit→215.2
- Motor branch→430.22
- Terminal limit→110.14(C)
- OCPD limit→240.4
- Derating needed→310.15
Feeders + Branches
- Feeder
- Before final OCPD
- Branch
- After final OCPD
- 215.2
- Feeder ampacity
- 210.19
- Branch conductors
- 240.4
- Conductor protection
- 310.16
- Ampacity table
- 210.8
- GFCI route
- 210.12
- AFCI route
GFCI vs AFCI
GFCI
- Shock protection
- Ground-fault current
- Wet locations
AFCI
- Fire protection
- Arc faults
- Dwelling circuits
Shock vs fire
Conductor Rules
- 14 Cu
- 15A max
- 12 Cu
- 20A max
- 10 Cu
- 30A max
- Terminations
- 110.14(C)
- Correction
- Ambient heat
- Adjustment
- Conductor count
- Voltage drop
- Informational note
- MWBC
- Common disconnect
Correction vs Adjustment
Correction
- Ambient temperature
- Heat factor
- Table correction
Adjustment
- Conductor count
- Bundling factor
- Derating route
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
- Raceway fill→Chapter 9
- Underground run→300.5
- Wet location→Wet-rated conductors
- Cord use→Article 400
- Panelboard issue→Article 408
Wiring Methods
- EMT
- Article 358
- RMC
- Article 344
- PVC
- Article 352
- LFMC
- Article 350
- NM
- Article 334
- MC
- Article 330
- UF
- Article 340
- Flexible cord
- Article 400
Fill + Clearance
- Box fill
- 314.16
- Device yoke
- Two volumes
- EGCs
- One total
- Raceway fill
- Chapter 9
- Table 1
- 40% common
- Nipple fill
- 60% max
- Burial
- Table 300.5
- Guarding
- 110.27 route
Equipment + Devices
- Luminaires
- Article 410
- Switches
- Article 404
- Receptacles
- Article 406
- Panelboards
- Article 408
- Appliances
- Article 422
- HVAC
- Article 440
- Transformers
- Article 450
- Listing
- Instructions matter
Motor Stack
FLC, conductors, overload, SCPD
FLC: tablesConductor: 125%Overload: nameplateSCPD: faults
OCPD vs Overload
OCPD
- Short circuit
- Ground fault
- Conductor protection
Overload
- Motor heating
- Running current
- Nameplate based
Fault vs heat
Motor Picker
- Find FLC→430 tables
- Size conductor→430.22
- Size overload→Nameplate
- Size SCPD→430.52
- Find disconnect→430.102
- Generator clue→Article 445
Motors + Generators
- Article 430
- Motors
- Article 445
- Generators
- FLC
- Use tables
- Nameplate
- Overload sizing
- Conductor
- 125% FLC
- SCPD
- Fault protection
- Controller
- Starts motor
- Disconnect
- Within sight
Nameplate vs FLC Table
Nameplate
- Overload sizing
- Actual motor
- Manufacturer data
FLC table
- Conductors
- SCPD sizing
- NEC standard
Task controls source
Emergency vs Standby
Emergency
- Life safety
- Article 700
- Legally required
Standby
- Optional loads
- Article 702
- Owner choice
Required vs optional
Special Picker
- Pool clue→Article 680
- Hazardous clue→Article 500
- Hospital clue→Article 517
- Emergency power→Article 700
- PV clue→Article 690
- Fire alarm→Article 760
Special Systems
- Hazardous
- Article 500
- Healthcare
- Article 517
- Mobile homes
- Article 550
- RV parks
- Article 551
- Pools
- Article 680
- PV
- Article 690
- Emergency
- Article 700
- Fire alarms
- Article 760
Common Traps
Exam vs license
ICC tests trade ≠ Board grants license
Open book trap
References allowed ≠ Time limited
NEC edition
R16 uses 2023 ≠ T16 uses 2020
Service boundary
Service before equipment ≠ Feeder after equipment
Ground vs bond
Ground earth path ≠ Bond fault path
Continuous load
Three hours ≠ Size at 125%
Motor sizing
Overload uses nameplate ≠ SCPD uses tables
Fill methods
Box uses volume ≠ Raceway uses percent
Protection types
GFCI stops shock ≠ AFCI stops arcs
Passing report
Pass says PASS ≠ Fail gives diagnostics
Last Minute
- 1.R16=2023; T16=2020; G16=2017
- 2.100 MCQ; 5 hours
- 3.Passing score: 75%
- 4.No guessing penalty
- 5.Wiring Methods weighs 19%
- 6.Article 100 for definitions
- 7.Article 220 for loads
- 8.Article 230 for services
- 9.Article 250 for grounding
- 10.Article 430 for motors
- 11.Chapter 9 for fill
- 12.GFCI shock; AFCI fire
- 13.Continuous load: 125%
- 14.Answer every question
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