1.2 Open-Book References & On-Screen Navigation

Why Open-Book Strategy Decides Borderline Scores

Quick Answer: FAS-II is open-book. NICET's general references list NFPA 72 (2022), NFPA 70 / NEC (2020), and IBC (2021). Pearson VUE provides on-screen searchable PDFs of NFPA 72 (2022) and NFPA 70 (2020). You may bring allowed print copies under binder/tab rules, but handwritten notes and the NFPA Fire Alarm Handbook as a code substitute are not allowed. Current exams use 2022 NFPA 72; an update to the 2025 edition is planned around mid-2027.

Open-book does not mean "you can look everything up." It means you can confirm what you already nearly know. Candidates who treat the PDF as a textbook fail for time. Candidates who treat it as a indexed confirmation tool convert borderline items into points.

Allowed References (Level II)

Per the FAS Level II general references document and candidate materials:

On-Screen vs. Bring-Your-Own

• On-screen PDFs (searchable): NFPA 72 (2022) and NFPA 70 (2020). Practice the test-center PDF viewer: search box, bookmarks/TOC, page jump, and zoom. Learn exact phrase searches ("Pathway Class", "end-of-line", "24 hours", "voltage drop").
• Bring-your-own: You may bring allowed printed editions of the listed standards, subject to Pearson VUE / NICET binder and cleanliness rules in force on exam day.
• IBC (2021): Listed as a permitted reference for the program even when it is not the main on-screen pair—know when building-code occupancy/use questions need it.

Always re-check the current candidate handbook and Pearson VUE rules a week before your appointment; proctors enforce the printed policy, not what a study buddy remembers.

Binder, Tab, and Note Rules

Treat these as the default professional-exam constraints for NICET open-book fire alarm exams:

• Tabs and sticky labels that identify chapters, articles, or sections are typically allowed when they are manufacturer blank tabs or simple printed labels without problem-solving content.
• No handwritten notes in margins, on tabs, or on loose papers. Anything that looks like a crib sheet can be confiscated or lead to dismissal.
• No personal formula sheets, calculation worksheets with answers, or flashcard stacks.
• The NFPA Fire Alarm and Signaling Handbook (commentary edition) is not a substitute for the code itself. Bring the standard (NFPA 72), not the handbook commentary volume, unless the current handbook explicitly allows a specific product—do not assume handbook commentary is in-bounds.
• Clean, dry, and free of loose inserts. Proctors may inspect books before you enter.

If you tab at home, tab for speed, not decoration. A good tab set for FAS-II looks like a field technician's truck copy: Chapter 10, 12, 14, 17, 18, 23, 24, 26, Annex references you actually use, NEC Article 760, and NEC Chapter 9 tables.

Navigation Map: NFPA 72 Chapters You Must Hit Fast

Memorize where answers live so the PDF search is a confirmation, not a discovery mission.

You will also meet interface content that reaches into elevator recall, HVAC shutdown, and suppression interconnections—often still anchored in Chapters 17, 21/23-area requirements, and manufacturer sequence-of-operation thinking. When a stem mentions elevator lobby smoke, start in device placement rules; when it mentions Class X, start in Chapter 12.

NEC Targets: Article 760 and Chapter 9

Fire alarm power-limited and non–power-limited wiring lives in NEC Article 760 (2020 edition for this exam). Expect questions on:

• PLFA vs. NPLFA circuit classification and source limitations.
• Separation from power and lighting conductors.
• Cable types and substitution hierarchy concepts at a technician/layout level.
• Support, raceways, and installation conditions that interact with fire alarm pathways.

NEC Chapter 9 tables support conduit fill and related conductor packing math used in submittal and installation planning. Know which table family you need (percent fill, dimensions, conductor properties) before exam day so you are not hunting table numbers under time pressure.

Search Techniques That Save Minutes

1. Search the unique phrase, not a whole sentence. Prefer "survivability", "Class A", "waterflow", "tamper", "intelligibility".
2. Use the TOC first when you already know the chapter. TOC → section → table is faster than a noisy full-document search that returns 40 hits.
3. Tables beat prose. Spacing, candela, test frequencies, and battery duration rules often sit in tables. Scroll to the table after you land in the right section.
4. Know exception language. Many wrong answers are the general rule without the exception that applies to elevators, dwelling units, or specific occupancies.
5. Do not "read until convinced." If you have not found the controlling paragraph in about 45–60 seconds, mark the item and return—another question may be faster points.

Edition Timing: 2022 Now, 2025 Later

Current FAS exams are based on NFPA 72 (2022). NICET has indicated a planned update toward the 2025 edition around mid-2027. Until your authorization notice and reference list change:

• Study and tab the 2022 code.
• Be cautious with third-party materials written to 2019 or 2025 only.
• After NICET announces the cutover, re-tab and re-practice under the new edition—do not mix editions in one binder.

IBC 2021 and NEC 2020 are the paired editions for the current Level II reference set. Match editions deliberately; a 2023 NEC print is the wrong book for an exam keyed to 2020.

Worked Scenario: Using the Books Under the Clock

Stem (paraphrased style): A technician is sizing secondary power for a protected-premises system with 24-hour standby and 5-minute alarm. Which chapter family and extra factor belong in the calculation workflow?

Navigation path: Go to Chapter 10 power supply requirements for standby/alarm duration. Apply the required load basis, then apply the customary 20% aging/derating practice taught in Level II submittal math (you will drill the arithmetic in later chapters). Confirm any EVACS/releasing 15-minute alarm duration exceptions only if the stem includes those system types.

Trap: Searching "battery" across the entire PDF and reading every hit. The efficient path is Ch. 10 → secondary power → duration table/section → then math.

Common Open-Book Traps

• Bringing the Handbook commentary instead of the standard.
• Writing memory aids on tabs (prohibited notes).
• Studying wrong editions (2019/2025 mix) while the exam is still on 2022.
• Relying on OnVUE PDF habits if you only practiced Level I remote—Level II is planned as test-center CBT.
• Looking up every question and running out of time on calculations.
• Ignoring IBC occupancy cues when the stem is clearly a building-code interface item.