New Mexico CID Telephone Communication and Interconnect Systems Examination

Under NEC 2020 800.100(A)(3), what is the minimum size of the copper bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor for a communications cable primary protector?

• A18 AWG
• B14 AWG
• C10 AWG
• D6 AWG

NEC 800.100(A)(3) states that the communications bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor is not required to be larger than which size?

• A14 AWG
• B10 AWG
• C8 AWG
• D6 AWG

In a one- or two-family dwelling, NEC 800.100(A)(4) limits the communications bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor to a maximum length of:

• A6 feet
• B10 feet
• C20 feet
• D30 feet

Where a communications grounding electrode is separate from the building power grounding electrode system, NEC 800.100(D) requires the bonding jumper between those electrodes to be not smaller than:

• A14 AWG copper
• B12 AWG copper
• C8 AWG copper
• D6 AWG copper

If a building has no intersystem bonding termination or other grounding means listed in NEC 800.100(B), a communications-circuit ground rod used under 800.100(B)(3) shall be not less than:

• A4 feet long and 3/8 inch in diameter
• B5 feet long and 1/2 inch in diameter
• C8 feet long and 5/8 inch in diameter
• D10 feet long and 3/4 inch in diameter

If the communications bonding conductor is run in a metal raceway, NEC 800.100 requires which bonding practice?

• ABond only the load end of the raceway
• BBond only the electrode end of the raceway
• CBond both ends of the metal raceway to the contained conductor or to the same terminal or…
• DLeave the raceway isolated so it does not create a parallel ground path

Where an intersystem bonding termination (IBT) is provided at the service, the preferred termination for a telephone primary-protector bonding conductor is:

• AA driven rod at the far corner of the building, left unbonded to the service
• BThe intersystem bonding termination required by NEC 250.94
• CThe nearest interior cold-water pipe more than 5 feet from its entrance
• DAn isolated equipment-grounding bus in the data rack only

A listed primary protector on an incoming telephone circuit shall be located:

• AAs close as practicable to the point of entrance
• BAt the farthest station jack so it protects only that instrument
• COnly at the serving central office, never on the premises
• DAnywhere on the premises as long as the conductor is 14 AWG

A mobile home has no service equipment or grounded disconnecting means in sight from and within 30 feet of its exterior wall. Under NEC 800.106(B), the primary-protector grounding terminal shall be bonded to the mobile-home metal frame or available grounding terminal with copper not smaller than:

• A14 AWG
• B12 AWG
• C8 AWG
• D6 AWG

For NEC Chapter 8, the point of entrance of a communications cable is the point within a building at which the cable emerges from an exterior wall, from a concrete floor slab, or from which of the following grounded raceways?

• AElectrical nonmetallic tubing (ENT) or PVC conduit of any length
• BRigid metal conduit (RMC) or intermediate metal conduit (IMC) connected by a grounding co…
• CA nonmetallic innerduct laid on the floor
• DA flexible cord whip

NEC 800.100(A)(1) permits the communications bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor to be:

• AAluminum only, and it must be bare
• BListed and insulated, covered, or bare
• CUnlisted thermostat wire
• DPainted steel fence fabric

NEC 800.100(A)(2) requires the communications bonding conductor or grounding electrode conductor to be:

• ACopper or other corrosion-resistant conductive material, stranded or solid
• BSteel messenger strand only
• CAluminum smaller than 14 AWG
• DCopper-clad aluminum not smaller than 18 AWG

In standard outside-plant PIC telephone cable, each binder group contains how many pairs?

• A12 pairs
• B16 pairs
• C25 pairs
• D50 pairs

NEC 800.179 requires that listed communications cables shall not be marked with a voltage rating. Why?

• ACommunications pairs never carry any voltage
• BA voltage marking could cause the cable to be used, mistakenly, as a power cable
• CVoltage markings are reserved for coaxial CATV only
• DNew Mexico NMAC 14.10.4 forbids all cable markings

Filled (gel- or water-blocking) PIC telephone cable is selected for underground and buried plant primarily to:

• AIncrease pair capacitance so loading coils are unnecessary
• BBlock water migration along the core that would raise pair leakage and corrosion
• CRaise the cable fire rating from CM to CMP
• DAllow the cable to share a raceway with 480-volt feeders

Using the common telephone-plant value of 51.9 ohms per 1,000 feet of 24 AWG copper pair (loop, both conductors), what is the approximate loop resistance of a 2,000-foot 24 AWG pair?

• A26 ohms
• B52 ohms
• C104 ohms
• D208 ohms

An aerial telephone cable lashed to a steel messenger uses the messenger primarily as:

• AThe only grounding electrode for the building service
• BThe mechanical support (and often the shield-bonding path) for the cable in the span
• CA substitute for a listed primary protector
• DA Chapter 3 equipment grounding conductor for 120-volt receptacles

An ES-7 installer wants to size ordinary telephone station cable using NEC Table 310.16 ampacity. What is the correct Chapter 8 approach?

• ATable 310.16 always applies because Chapter 3 governs all conductors
• BChapters 1 through 7 apply to Chapter 8 only where Chapter 8 specifically references them…
• CNMAC 14.10.4 deletes Chapter 8, so only Article 725 ampacity applies
• DAny 18 AWG conductor may carry 20 amperes if it is a telephone pair

Which sequence lists standard North American OSP telephone cable pair counts built from 25-pair binder groups?

• A12, 16, 24, 48
• B25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 600, 900
• C8, 16, 32, 64
• D4, 8, 16, 32, 64

Inside-plant telephone station cable (for example, 4-pair CM) is most commonly which conductor construction?

• ASolid 24 AWG annealed copper
• BStranded 10 AWG copper welding cable
• CSolid 6 AWG aluminum
• DTinsel cord only, with no copper pairs

Telephone cables installed in other spaces used for environmental air (plenums) shall be which listed type, unless installed in a permitted Chapter 3 metal wiring method?

• ACMX
• BCM
• CCMR
• DCMP

Telephone interconnect equipment installed in a Class I hazardous (classified) location must be:

• AAny listed CM cable and an ordinary 66-block, because Chapter 8 never applies Article 500
• BIdentified for the classified location, or installed with a wiring method and sealing pra…
• CExempt from classification if the talk battery is 48 volts DC
• DPermitted if the installer posts a warning sign only

When installing telephone and data bonding in a health-care facility patient-care vicinity, the ES-7 technician should:

• ADrive an isolated ground rod for the nurse-station PBX and leave it unbonded to the build…
• BCoordinate communications bonding with the building grounding electrode system so metalli…
• CBond only to a plumbing vent through the roof
• DIgnore Article 517 because Chapter 8 never applies in hospitals

An aerial telephone drop is proposed over an outdoor swimming pool. The correct 2020 NEC approach is:

• AAny communications drop may pass over a pool if it is at least 8 feet above the water
• BCommunications conductors shall not be installed over the pool or listed clearances of NE…
• CChapter 8 deletes Article 680, so pool clearances never apply to telephone cable
• DNMAC 14.10.4 requires the drop to be attached to the diving board mast

NEC 90.3 states that Chapter 8 covers communications systems and is independent of the other chapters except:

• AChapter 9 tables always apply in full to every telephone pair
• BWhere Chapter 8 specifically references a requirement from Chapters 1 through 7
• CArticle 725 always supersedes Article 800 for telephone pairs
• DNMAC 14.10.4 deletes 90.3

NMAC 14.10.4, the New Mexico Electrical Code used on the ES-7 exam, adopts which edition of the NEC?

• A2014 NEC with no amendments
• B2017 NEC only
• C2020 NEC, as amended by 14.10.4 NMAC
• D2023 NEC in full, without New Mexico amendments

A telephone set presents 400 ohms off-hook on a 48-volt DC talk battery. The cable loop adds 800 ohms. What is the off-hook line current?

• A20 mA
• B40 mA
• C60 mA
• D120 mA

In New Mexico, which CID specialty classification is limited to telephone communication systems and telephone interconnect systems, as distinct from sound, intercom, and electrical alarm work?

• AES-1 Electrical Signs
• BES-3 Low Voltage Special Systems (sound, intercommunication, and electrical alarm)
• CES-7 Telephone Communication Systems and Telephone Interconnect Systems
• DEE-98 Residential and Commercial Electrical (unlimited electrical)

NMAC 14.10.4.11, amending NEC 110.2, bases approval of electrical wiring, equipment, or material on listing and labeling by:

• AAny internet marketplace seller
• BA nationally recognized testing laboratory recognized by federal OSHA
• CThe telephone utility’s marketing department
• DThe installer’s verbal statement at final inspection

NEC Table 110.26(A)(1) requires what minimum working-space depth in front of a 120/240-volt panelboard with no live or grounded parts opposite (0–150 volts to ground, Condition 1)?

• A24 inches
• B30 inches
• C36 inches
• D48 inches

In communications work, bonding the telephone protector to the power grounding electrode system is done primarily to:

• AIncrease loop resistance so off-hook current falls
• BEqualize potential between the telephone system and the power system during a surge or po…
• CConvert the pair from analog to Ethernet
• DSatisfy Article 725 Class 1 ampacity

Two 400-ohm telephone ringer loads are connected in parallel across the same pair. What is the combined resistance?

• A200 ohms
• B400 ohms
• C800 ohms
• D1,600 ohms

NMAC 14.10.4, the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code, became effective for CID-jurisdiction contracting work on:

• AJanuary 1, 2020
• BMarch 28, 2023
• CJanuary 1, 2026
• DSeptember 28, 2017

On new construction in New Mexico, NMAC 14.10.4.12 amending NEC 250.50 requires which grounding electrode to be treated as available and installed?

• AA single 4-foot communications rod only
• BA concrete-encased electrode complying with NEC 250.52(A)(3)
• CThe telephone messenger strand
• DNo electrode is required if a primary protector is listed

Each communications circuit exposed to lightning or possible contact with electric light or power conductors requires which device as close as practicable to the point of entrance?

• AA listed primary protector
• BA 20-ampere circuit breaker in the lighting panel
• CA GFCI receptacle
• DAn isolation transformer at every station jack

NEC 800.25 requires which action for abandoned communications cables?

• APaint them red and leave them in place indefinitely
• BRemove the accessible portion, unless they are tagged for future use
• CReconnect them to the live 66-block so they stay supervised
• DOnly remove them if they are Type CMP

Openings around communications cables that penetrate fire-resistance-rated walls, partitions, floors, or ceilings shall be:

• ALeft open for cable cooling
• BFilled with crumpled newspaper
• CFirestopped using approved methods so the assembly’s fire-resistance rating is maintained
• DCovered with duct tape only

Where practicable on buildings, NEC 800.53 requires at least what separation between lightning-protection conductors and communications wires and cables?

• A2 inches
• B12 inches
• C3 feet
• D6 feet

In the 2020 NEC, which article provides the general requirements for communications systems, while communications circuits themselves are in Article 805?

• AArticle 725
• BArticle 760
• CArticle 800
• DArticle 810

NEC 800.21 prohibits communications wires and cables from being installed so that they:

• APrevent removal of suspended-ceiling panels and deny access to electrical equipment
• BEnter a listed communications raceway
• CTerminate on a 110-block
• DUse J-hooks attached to the building structure

NMAC 14.10.4.16 amends NEC 800.156 by requiring that any exterior wall penetration for communications shall be installed in:

• AAn unlisted plastic garden hose
• BA listed raceway
• COpen NM-B cable only
• DA wood chase with no listing

Unlisted outside-plant communications cable may extend into a building only as far as which limit, measured from the point of entrance, and must terminate on a listed primary protector or in an enclosure?

• A10 feet
• B25 feet
• C50 feet
• D100 feet

Which Chapter 8 article is not covered by the general requirements of Article 800 and therefore stands alone unless it cites another rule?

• AArticle 805 Communications Circuits
• BArticle 820 CATV
• CArticle 830 Network-Powered Broadband
• DArticle 810 Radio and Television Equipment

NEC 840.160 addresses premises communications cables that also carry power to communications equipment. Circuits that exceed which power level shall also comply with 725.144?

• A15 watts
• B30 watts
• C60 watts
• D100 watts

NEC 800.44 requires overhead communications wires and cables passing above a roof to have a vertical clearance of not less than:

• A18 inches at all roof slopes
• B3 feet at all roof slopes
• C8 feet, unless a listed exception applies
• D15.5 feet at all roofs

On jointly used poles, NEC 800.44 requires overhead communications wires and cables to be located:

• AAbove all electric light and power conductors
• BBelow electric light, power, Class 1, and non-power-limited fire alarm circuit conductors
• COn the same insulator as the primary phase wire
• DIn the supply space without a communication worker safety zone

NESC C2-2007 Table 232-1 requires insulated communication cables over spaces and ways subject only to pedestrians or restricted traffic to have a minimum vertical clearance of:

• A8.0 feet
• B9.5 feet
• C12.0 feet
• D15.5 feet