New Mexico CID Electrical Inspector (General) Examination

Under NEC 90.4, who has the authority to interpret the Code and grant special permission where the Code so authorizes?

• AThe licensed electrical contractor of record
• BThe authority having jurisdiction
• CThe serving electric utility
• DThe equipment manufacturer’s listing engineer

An inspector measures working space in front of a 120/240-volt, single-phase dwelling panelboard with no live or grounded parts on the opposite side. What is the minimum depth required by NEC Table 110.26(A)(1)?

• A2 feet 6 inches
• B3 feet
• C3 feet 6 inches
• D4 feet

A 480Y/277-volt switchboard faces a concrete wall. What minimum working-space depth must the inspector require under NEC Table 110.26(A)(1)?

• A3 feet
• B3 feet 6 inches
• C4 feet
• D5 feet

Except as permitted by the exceptions in NEC 110.26(A)(3), what is the minimum headroom of working space about service equipment, switchboards, switchgear, panelboards, and motor control centers?

• A6 feet
• B6 feet 6 inches
• C7 feet
• DThe height of the equipment only

For indoor electrical equipment, dedicated equipment space required by NEC 110.26(E)(1)(a) extends from the floor to a height of what distance above the equipment, or to the structural ceiling, whichever is lower?

• A3 feet
• B4 feet
• C6 feet
• D8 feet

A 100-ampere feeder uses 3 AWG THHN copper conductors landed on a panelboard whose terminals are not marked for 75°C. For termination temperature, which ampacity column must the inspector apply under NEC 110.14(C)(1)?

• AThe 60°C column of Table 310.16
• BThe 75°C column of Table 310.16
• CThe 90°C column of Table 310.16
• DThe 105°C column of the conductor insulation rating

In other than dwelling units, NEC 110.16(A) requires an arc-flash hazard warning label on which of the following?

• AOnly transformers over 1000 volts
• BSwitchboards, switchgear, panelboards, industrial control panels, meter socket enclosures…
• COnly service equipment rated 1200 amperes or more
• DEvery junction box and device box in the building

Per NEC Article 100, equipment is readily accessible when it can be reached quickly for operation, renewal, or inspections without which of the following?

• AA flashlight or other portable lighting
• BClimbing over or removing obstacles, or resorting to portable ladders, and so forth
• COpening a hinged door or cover that is part of the equipment
• DUsing a listed insulated tool

NEC 110.24(A) requires service equipment in other than dwelling units to be legibly field-marked with which of the following?

• AThe utility account number
• BThe available fault current and the date the calculation was performed
• CThe panelboard short-circuit current rating only
• DThe conductor insulation temperature rating

Service equipment rated 1200 amperes and 8 feet wide is installed in a room with only one working-space entrance. Under NEC 110.26(C)(2), which condition would allow the inspector to accept a single entrance?

• AThe entrance is at least 24 inches wide and 6 feet 6 inches high
• BThe work space is doubled, or a continuous and unobstructed way of exit travel is provide…
• CA smoke detector is installed over the equipment
• DThe equipment is marked “danger high voltage”

What is the minimum rating of the service disconnecting means for a one-family dwelling under NEC 230.79(C)?

• A60 amperes
• B100 amperes, 3-wire
• C150 amperes
• D200 amperes

Under the 2020 NEC 230.71, an inspector reviewing a new commercial service finds six circuit breakers used as the service disconnects in a single panelboard enclosure with no barriers. What is the correct inspection result?

• AAccept the installation because the historical six-disconnect rule still allows six break…
• BReject the installation because 230.71(A) permits only one service disconnect unless the…
• CAccept the installation if a plaque identifies all six breakers
• DReject the installation only if the combined rating exceeds 800 amperes

For a new one-family dwelling, NEC 230.85 requires an emergency disconnecting means to be installed in which location?

• AInside the dwelling within 6 feet of the interior service panel
• BIn a readily accessible outdoor location and identified as the emergency disconnect
• CAt the utility transformer only
• DIn the garage behind a lockable door

In a dwelling unit, receptacle outlets serving general wall space must be installed so that no point measured horizontally along the floor line of any wall space is more than what distance from a receptacle outlet?

• A4 feet
• B6 feet
• C8 feet
• D12 feet

How many 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits does NEC 210.11(C)(1) require for the kitchen, pantry, breakfast room, dining room, or similar area of a dwelling unit?

• AOne
• BAt least two
• CThree, if a dishwasher is installed
• DOne 20-ampere and one 15-ampere circuit

A 125-volt, 20-ampere receptacle is installed in a dwelling bathroom adjacent to the basin. What personnel protection does NEC 210.8(A) require?

• AAFCI protection only
• BGFCI protection
• CA lockable disconnect only
• DNo special protection if the receptacle is on a 20-ampere circuit

In a dwelling unit, NEC 210.12(A) requires AFCI protection for 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere branch circuits supplying outlets or devices in which of the following rooms?

• AOnly bedrooms
• BKitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, s…
• COnly unfinished basements and garages
• DOnly bathrooms and outdoors

Using the optional dwelling calculation in NEC 220.82(B), a 1,800-square-foot one-family dwelling has two small-appliance circuits, one laundry circuit, a 12 kW range, a 5 kW dryer, and a 4.5 kW water heater. What is the general calculated load before adding HVAC?

• A10,000 VA
• B18,560 VA
• C31,400 VA
• D44,000 VA

For other than dwelling-unit general lighting calculations, how many volt-amperes must an inspector assign to each single or multiple receptacle on one yoke under NEC 220.14(I)?

• A120 VA
• B150 VA
• C180 VA
• D200 VA

A new 480Y/277-volt, solidly grounded wye service is rated 1,200 amperes. What additional service protection must the inspector require under NEC 230.95?

• AGFCI protection for personnel on every 277-volt receptacle
• BGround-fault protection of equipment with a maximum pickup of 1,200 amperes and a maximum…
• CA second service disconnect in a separate enclosure
• DA concrete-encased electrode only

In a dwelling bathroom, at least one receptacle outlet must be installed within what distance of the outside edge of each basin, measured along the wall or from a basin cabinet?

• A12 inches
• B3 feet
• C6 feet
• D8 feet

A feeder supplies a continuous load of 80 amperes and no noncontinuous load. What is the minimum conductor ampacity the inspector must require under NEC 215.2(A)(1)?

• A80 amperes
• B96 amperes
• C100 amperes
• D125 amperes

An inspector is asked whether a long 120-volt branch circuit that calculates at 4.8 percent voltage drop at the farthest receptacle is a Code violation. What is the correct application of NEC 210.19(A) and its Informational Notes?

• AThe inspector must fail any branch circuit over 3 percent voltage drop because 3 percent…
• BThe 3 percent branch-circuit and 5 percent combined figures are Informational Note recomm…
• CVoltage drop is never considered on a New Mexico inspection
• DAny voltage drop over 2 percent is a mandatory fail

Unless specifically permitted in NEC 240.4(E) or (G), what is the maximum overcurrent protection for a 12 AWG copper conductor under the small-conductor rule of 240.4(D)?

• A15 amperes
• B20 amperes
• C25 amperes
• D30 amperes

Which of the following is a standard ampere rating for fuses and inverse-time circuit breakers listed in NEC 240.6(A)?

• A55 amperes
• B90 amperes
• C95 amperes
• D140 amperes

A feeder conductor ampacity is 185 amperes after all corrections. The rating is 800 amperes or less, and the circuit is not a multioutlet receptacle circuit for cord-and-plug-connected portable loads. What is the largest standard overcurrent device the inspector may accept under NEC 240.4(B)?

• A150 amperes
• B175 amperes
• C200 amperes
• D225 amperes

A 400-ampere feeder is tapped using the 25-foot tap rule of NEC 240.21(B)(2). What is the minimum tap-conductor ampacity the inspector must require, ignoring the actual load?

• A40 amperes
• B100 amperes
• C133 amperes
• D400 amperes

Using the 10-foot feeder tap rule of NEC 240.21(B)(1), tap conductors from a 400-ampere feeder must have an ampacity not less than which of the following, in addition to serving the computed load and terminating in a single overcurrent device?

• A5 percent of the feeder overcurrent-device rating
• B10 percent of the feeder overcurrent-device rating
• C25 percent of the feeder overcurrent-device rating
• DOne-third of the feeder overcurrent-device rating

Except as permitted, overcurrent devices must be readily accessible under NEC 240.24(A). Which installation should the inspector reject?

• AA panelboard in a dwelling hallway with the center of the highest breaker 6 feet 3 inches…
• BA fused disconnect mounted 7 feet 6 inches above the floor and reachable only with a port…
• CA branch-circuit breaker in a listed load center whose handle is 6 feet 5 inches above th…
• DA supplementary overcurrent device that is not the branch-circuit overcurrent device

NEC 240.4 requires conductors, other than flexible cords, flexible cables, and fixture wires, to be protected against overcurrent in accordance with their ampacities specified in which location, unless otherwise permitted in 240.4(A) through (G)?

• AArticle 100 only
• B310.14, or 400.5 for flexible cables where specifically referenced
• CTable 250.122
• DChapter 9, Table 8

Transformer secondary conductors are not considered protected by the primary overcurrent device unless they comply with NEC 240.21(C). For the 10-foot secondary conductor rule in 240.21(C)(2), which condition must the inspector verify?

• AThe secondary conductors have an ampacity not less than the secondary current rating of t…
• BAny secondary conductors 25 feet or less are automatically protected by a 125 percent pri…
• CSecondary conductors never require overcurrent protection if the transformer is listed
• DThe secondary conductors need only be 14 AWG copper

According to NEC 250.4(A)(1), grounded electrical systems are connected to earth to limit the voltage imposed by lightning, line surges, or unintentional contact with higher-voltage lines and to do which of the following?

• AEliminate the need for an equipment grounding conductor
• BStabilize the voltage to earth during normal operation
• CPermit the grounded conductor to be smaller than Table 250.66
• DReplace the main bonding jumper

What is the minimum size copper equipment grounding conductor required by NEC Table 250.122 for a 20-ampere branch circuit?

• A14 AWG
• B12 AWG
• C10 AWG
• D8 AWG

A 200-ampere feeder is protected by a 200-ampere circuit breaker. What is the minimum copper equipment grounding conductor the inspector must require under NEC Table 250.122?

• A8 AWG
• B6 AWG
• C4 AWG
• D2 AWG

The largest ungrounded service-entrance conductors are 3/0 AWG copper. What is the minimum copper grounding electrode conductor required by NEC Table 250.66, before applying the 250.66(A) through (C) electrode exceptions?

• A8 AWG
• B6 AWG
• C4 AWG
• D2 AWG

A service uses 500 kcmil copper ungrounded conductors. What is the minimum copper grounding electrode conductor required by NEC Table 250.66?

• A1 AWG
• B1/0 AWG
• C2/0 AWG
• D3/0 AWG

A concrete-encased electrode complying with NEC 250.52(A)(3) must consist of at least 20 feet of bare copper conductor not smaller than 4 AWG, or at least 20 feet of one or more electrically conductive steel reinforcing bars or rods of not less than what diameter?

• A1/4 inch
• B3/8 inch
• C1/2 inch
• D5/8 inch

A single rod, pipe, or plate electrode that does not have a resistance to earth of 25 ohms or less must be supplemented by an additional electrode under NEC 250.53(A)(2). Which statement is correct?

• AThe supplemental electrode must be a metal water pipe
• BA single rod, pipe, or plate electrode must be supplemented unless it has a resistance to…
• CTwo ground rods are never required if a concrete-encased electrode is absent
• DThe 25-ohm test is required for every concrete-encased electrode

For a separately derived system, where must the inspector require the system bonding jumper to be installed under NEC 250.30(A)(1)?

• AAt any convenient downstream panelboard, but never at the source
• BAt the source of the separately derived system, or at the first disconnecting means or ov…
• COnly at a driven ground rod independent of the building electrode system
• DOnly on the secondary grounded conductor at every branch-circuit panel

A second building on a property is supplied by a 120/240-volt feeder that includes an equipment grounding conductor. Under NEC 250.32(B), how must the inspector require the grounded conductor and equipment grounding conductor to be treated at the second building?

• AThe grounded conductor must be bonded to the enclosure and to a local electrode at the se…
• BThe equipment grounding conductor must be connected to the building disconnect enclosure…
• CNo local grounding electrode is ever required at the second building
• DThe feeder equipment grounding conductor may be omitted if a ground rod is driven at the…

NEC 250.94 requires an intersystem bonding termination for connecting bonding conductors of communicating systems. The device must provide capacity for at least how many intersystem bonding conductors?

• AOne
• BTwo
• CThree
• DSix

Ungrounded conductors of a 20-ampere circuit are increased from 12 AWG copper to 8 AWG copper because of voltage drop. The overcurrent device remains 20 amperes. Under 2020 NEC 250.122(B), what equipment grounding conductor action should the inspector require?

• AIncrease the copper equipment grounding conductor proportionately from 12 AWG to 8 AWG, u…
• BLeave the copper EGC at 12 AWG in every voltage-drop case because Table 250.122 is based…
• COmit the EGC because the ungrounded conductors were upsized
• DRequire a 3/0 AWG copper EGC

According to NEC Table 310.16, what is the 75°C ampacity of 12 AWG copper, and what overcurrent rating does 240.4(D) normally permit?

• A20 amperes ampacity and 15-ampere overcurrent protection
• B25 amperes ampacity and 20-ampere overcurrent protection
• C30 amperes ampacity and 30-ampere overcurrent protection
• D20 amperes ampacity and 25-ampere overcurrent protection

What is the Table 310.16 ampacity of 8 AWG copper in the 75°C column, before adjustment or correction?

• A40 amperes
• B50 amperes
• C55 amperes
• D60 amperes

Six current-carrying conductors are installed in one raceway. What adjustment factor from NEC Table 310.15(C)(1) must the inspector apply?

• A100 percent
• B80 percent
• C70 percent
• D50 percent

Six 8 AWG THHN copper current-carrying conductors are installed in a raceway in a 30°C ambient and terminate on 75°C equipment. What is the allowable ampacity the inspector should use?

• A55 amperes
• B50 amperes
• C44 amperes
• D40 amperes