New Mexico CID Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting Examination

Under NMAC 14.6.6, an ES-1 Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting contractor may install the commercial wiring needed to finish a sign only when a sign or outline-lighting circuit has already been provided within what distance of the roof or wall that supports the sign?

• A10 feet
• B25 feet
• C50 feet
• D5 feet

NMAC 14.10.4.8, the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code used on the ES-1 exam, adopts which edition of the National Electrical Code?

• A2020 National Electrical Code
• B2023 National Electrical Code
• C2026 National Electrical Code
• D2017 National Electrical Code

NEC Article 100 and 600.2 define an electric sign as which of the following?

• AFixed, stationary, or portable self-contained, electrically illuminated utilization equip…
• BOnly factory-assembled neon tubing that is not attached to a sign body
• CA Class 2 power supply listed for wet locations
• DAny outdoor luminaire mounted more than 14 feet above a driveway

What does NEC 600.2 mean by outline lighting?

• AAn arrangement of incandescent lamps, electric-discharge lighting, or other electrically…
• BOnly neon tubing installed inside a listed sign body
• CParking-lot floodlights mounted on the same pole as a monument sign
• DEmergency egress luminaires required by Article 700

NEC 600.2 defines skeleton tubing as neon tubing that is which of the following?

• AItself the sign or outline lighting and not attached to an enclosure or sign body
• BAny GTO cable run between a transformer and the first electrode
• COnly portable dry-location neon window signs
• DFactory-wired inside a listed channel-letter can

A section sign, as defined in NEC 600.2, is a sign or outline-lighting system that is shipped as subassemblies and requires which field work to complete the overall sign?

• AField-installed wiring between the subassemblies
• BA concrete-encased electrode at every letter
• CA separately derived system at each module
• DOnly a cord-and-plug connection to a 15-ampere receptacle

Which pair of references is allowed in the open-book PSI New Mexico ES-1 examination?

• ANEC 2020 and NMAC 14.10.4 (2020)
• BAmerican Electricians’ Handbook and NMAC 14.10.4 (2020)
• CNEC 2023 and Neon Techniques
• DNEC 2020 and Neon Techniques

A 120-volt incandescent sign lamp draws 2 amperes. Using Ohm’s law, what is the lamp’s resistance?

• A60 ohms
• B240 ohms
• C600 ohms
• D24 ohms

A 120-volt LED sign module draws 5 amperes. What is the real power if the load is purely resistive (power factor 1.0)?

• A24 watts
• B125 watts
• C600 watts
• D1200 watts

NEC Article 100 defines a continuous load as a load where the maximum current is expected to continue for how long?

• A30 minutes or more
• B1 hour or more
• C3 hours or more
• D8 hours or more

According to NEC 600.5, branch circuits that supply signs and outline lighting shall be considered which type of load for calculation purposes?

• AContinuous loads
• BIntermittent motor loads
• COptional standby loads
• DNoncontinuous loads

A listed electric sign draws 12 amperes continuously at 120 volts. What is the minimum conductor ampacity required before applying adjustment or correction factors?

• A12 amperes
• B12.5 amperes
• C15 amperes
• D20 amperes

NEC 220.14(F) requires each required exterior sign or outline-lighting branch circuit specified in 600.5(A) to be calculated at not less than which load?

• A180 volt-amperes
• B600 volt-amperes
• C1200 volt-amperes
• D1800 volt-amperes

NEC Article 100 defines “within sight from” (or “within sight”) as visible and not more than how far from the other equipment?

• A50 feet
• B75 feet
• C100 feet
• D25 feet

NEC 600.3 requires electric signs, section signs, and outline lighting to be which of the following, unless otherwise approved by special permission?

• AListed and installed in conformance with that listing
• BUnlisted if the secondary is Class 2
• CApproved solely by the sign owner’s engineer
• DField-evaluated only after the first failure

NMAC 14.10.4.11 amending NEC 110.2 bases ordinary product approval of electrical wiring, equipment, or material on listing and labeling by which kind of laboratory?

• AA nationally recognized testing laboratory recognized by federal OSHA
• BThe sign manufacturer’s in-house quality department only
• CA municipal building inspector’s unofficial stamp
• DAny commercial testing shop in New Mexico

NEC 600.23(D) limits the secondary-circuit current rating of a neon transformer or electronic power supply to not more than which value?

• A30 milliamperes
• B120 milliamperes
• C300 milliamperes
• D3 amperes

Under NEC 600.23(C), the secondary-circuit voltage of a neon transformer or electronic power supply shall not exceed which pair of limits under any load condition?

• A5,000 volts nominal and 2,500 volts to ground
• B7,500 volts nominal and 3,750 volts to ground
• C15,000 volts nominal and 7,500 volts to ground of any output terminal
• D30,000 volts nominal and 15,000 volts to ground

Which statement correctly contrasts a typical listed LED channel-letter system with a traditional neon skeleton-tubing system?

• ALED systems are commonly supplied by listed Class 2 power sources and 600.33 secondary ca…
• BNeon systems are limited to 30 volts ac, while LED systems may operate at 15,000 volts
• CNeither system requires a disconnecting means
• DBoth systems use GTO cable rated 15,000 volts on the load side of the power supply

NEC 600.2 defines neon tubing as electric-discharge luminous tubing, including cold-cathode luminous tubing, that is manufactured into shapes and filled with which of the following?

• AVarious inert gases
• BMineral oil
• CSulfur hexafluoride exclusively
• DCompressed air only

NEC 600.23(E) addresses secondary connections of neon transformers and electronic power supplies. Which connection method is prohibited?

• AConnecting secondary-circuit outputs in parallel or in series
• BLanding listed GTO on a listed electrode receptacle
• CUsing a listed midpoint-return on a balanced transformer
• DConnecting each transformer to its own isolated tubing load

Using the approximate single-phase voltage-drop formula VD = (2 × K × I × L) / CM with K = 12.9 for copper, what is the voltage drop on 100 feet of 12 AWG copper (6,530 circular mils) carrying 20 amperes?

• AAbout 2.0 volts
• BAbout 4.0 volts
• CAbout 7.9 volts
• DAbout 15.8 volts

A three-phase, 208-volt sign feeder supplies a balanced 10-ampere load at unity power factor. What is the approximate three-phase power?

• A3,600 watts
• B4,160 watts
• C7,200 watts
• D2,080 watts

A neon transformer is marked 15,000 volts, 30 milliamperes secondary. What is the transformer’s secondary volt-ampere rating?

• A450 volt-amperes
• B4,500 volt-amperes
• C15,000 volt-amperes
• D45 volt-amperes

A listed LED monument sign draws 14 amperes continuously on a 120-volt branch circuit. What is the minimum standard overcurrent-device rating that satisfies the 125 percent continuous-load rule, assuming 75°C copper conductors and 240.4(D)?

• A20 amperes
• B25 amperes
• C30 amperes
• D15 amperes

Using only the 220.14(F) 1200-volt-ampere minimum on a 120-volt required sign circuit, what continuous current should be used when checking the 125 percent conductor and device sizing?

• A10 amperes of load current, which becomes 12.5 amperes after the 125 percent multiplier
• B15 amperes, because all sign circuits are 15-ampere circuits
• C20 amperes of load current before any multiplier
• D8 amperes, because 1200 VA × 80 percent / 120 V = 8 A

Why do listed neon transformers use magnetic shunts (poor voltage regulation) instead of a tightly regulated power-transformer design?

• ATo keep secondary current within a narrow range as the loaded voltage falls, so the tubin…
• BTo allow secondary outputs to be paralleled
• CTo eliminate the need for secondary ground-fault protection
• DTo raise secondary voltage as the tubing load increases

An ideal transformer has a 120-volt primary and a 15:1 secondary-to-primary turns ratio. What is the secondary voltage?

• A8 volts
• B120 volts
• C1,800 volts
• D15,000 volts

Eight current-carrying 4 AWG THHN copper conductors are installed in one EMT serving a rooftop sign. Using the 90°C ampacity of 95 amperes and the NEC adjustment factor for 7–9 current-carrying conductors, what is the adjusted ampacity before terminal temperature limits are applied?

• A66.5 amperes
• B76 amperes
• C95 amperes
• D47.5 amperes

A 120-volt electronic LED power supply is marked 600 watts at 0.80 power factor. What is the load in volt-amperes that should be used for conductor and overcurrent sizing before the 125 percent continuous-load multiplier?

• A480 volt-amperes
• B600 volt-amperes
• C750 volt-amperes
• D960 volt-amperes

NEC 600.5(A) requires each commercial building and each commercial occupancy accessible to pedestrians to have at least one accessible sign or outline-lighting outlet at each tenant-space entrance. That outlet shall be supplied by a branch circuit rated at least 20 amperes that supplies which other loads?

• AGeneral lighting in the same tenant space
• BThe tenant’s HVAC equipment
• CShow-window receptacles only
• DNo other load

NEC 600.5 limits branch circuits that supply neon tubing installations to a rating not in excess of which value?

• A15 amperes
• B20 amperes
• C30 amperes
• D60 amperes

Except for neon tubing installations, NEC 600.5 limits branch circuits that supply signs and outline lighting systems to not more than which rating?

• A15 amperes
• B40 amperes
• C30 amperes
• D20 amperes

NEC 600.6 requires each sign, outline-lighting system, or skeleton-tubing circuit to be controlled by an externally operable switch or circuit breaker that opens all ungrounded conductors and controls which other loads?

• AThe nearest parking-lot lighting as well
• BThe building fire-alarm panel
• CAny load on the same phase
• DNo other load

If a sign disconnecting means is out of the line of sight from any section that can be energized, NEC 600.6(A)(2) requires the disconnect to be lockable in accordance with 110.25 and also requires which field marking?

• AA temporary tag on the transformer only
• BNo marking, because the lock replaces the need to find the disconnect
• CThe installer’s license number painted on the pole
• DA permanent field-applied marking identifying the location of the disconnect, applied to…

NEC 600.6(A)(4) permits a remote sign disconnect. Where must that remote disconnect be mounted, and what marking is required at the sign?

• AAnywhere in the building; no marking is required
• BOn the transformer secondary bushings
• COnly inside a locked electrical room that first responders cannot enter
• DAt an accessible location available to first responders and service personnel, with a 110…

When NEC 600.6 requires a sign disconnect to be lockable, NEC 110.25 requires the locking provision to do which of the following?

• ABe a portable padlock hasp that is removed when the lock is not in use
• BBe provided by the serving utility only
• CBe stored in the transformer enclosure
• DRemain in place on the switch or circuit breaker whether or not the lock is installed

NEC 600.6 does not require a disconnecting means for which of the following?

• AA rooftop LED monument sign fed by a 20-ampere branch circuit
• BA section sign with a remote electronic controller
• CField-installed skeleton tubing on a building facade
• DAn exit directional sign located within a building, or a cord-and-plug-connected sign

If a multiwire branch circuit supplies a sign or outline-lighting system, NEC 600.6 requires the switch or circuit breaker to do which of the following?

• AOpen only the ungrounded conductor with the larger load
• BOpen the equipment grounding conductor first
• COpen the grounded conductor only
• DOpen all ungrounded conductors simultaneously

NEC 600.7(A) requires signs and metal equipment of outline lighting systems to be grounded. The equipment grounding conductor is sized according to which table, based on the overcurrent device protecting the supply conductors?

• ATable 250.66
• BTable 400.4
• CTable 310.16
• DTable 250.122

NEC 600.7(B)(7) requires bonding conductors used for the noncurrent-carrying metal parts of signs to be copper and not smaller than which size?

• A18 AWG
• B16 AWG
• C14 AWG
• D10 AWG

NEC 600.7 and 250.4 prohibit using the earth as which of the following for a sign or outline-lighting system?

• AAn auxiliary grounding electrode location, if 250.54 is followed
• BA burial medium for a listed underground raceway
• CA location for a concrete-encased electrode on new work
• DThe effective ground-fault current path

NMAC 14.10.4.12 adding a new 250.118(15) requires which conductor in all branch-circuit and feeder raceways installed on or above a roof?

• AA bare aluminum grounding electrode conductor only
• BA 18 AWG Class 2 tracer wire
• CNo equipment grounding conductor if the raceway is EMT
• DA wire-type equipment grounding conductor sized from Table 250.122

A 20-ampere overcurrent device protects the copper conductors that supply an LED sign. What is the minimum copper equipment grounding conductor size from Table 250.122?

• A14 AWG
• B8 AWG
• C10 AWG
• D12 AWG

A listed outline-lighting load is 16 amperes continuous on 120 volts. What is the minimum conductor ampacity and the minimum standard overcurrent-device rating that satisfy 210.19, 210.20, and 600.5?

• A16-ampere ampacity and a 15-ampere device
• B30-ampere ampacity and a 40-ampere device
• C25-ampere ampacity and a 30-ampere device
• D20-ampere ampacity and a 20-ampere device