Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference

ICC F16 Master Electrician Exam (2014 NEC)

National  ·  Pearson Vue

Verified, not estimated. Every figure below is drawn from the official exam structure we maintain — question counts, passing standard and topic weighting. Practice questions are grounded in the source law with statute citations. We omit any figure we can't verify rather than guess at it.
Total questions
100
Passing score
70%
Exam time
300 min
Administered by
Pearson Vue
Format
Reference materials allowed

National State Portion 100 questions

General Knowledge 12 Q · 12%
Electrical Theory and General Electrical Load CalculationsCode Definitions and TermsPlan ReadingNEC Purpose, Scope, and Code ArrangementEquipment Approval, Listing, and Labeling RequirementsGeneral Installation Requirements (Article 110)Working Space and Clearances Around Electrical EquipmentConductor Materials, Sizes, and Temperature RatingsElectrical Symbols and Wiring DiagramsUnits of Measurement, Conversions, and Math FundamentalsAC Circuit Properties (Impedance, Reactance, Inductance, Capacitance, Power Factor)Article 100 - Definitions +1 more
Services and Service Equipment 16 Q · 16%
Services and Fault CurrentService Load CalculationsService Equipment & Service ConductorsTransformersSystem Grounding and BondingTemporary Service WiringService entrance conductor installation methods and clearancesService disconnecting means requirements and ratingsOvercurrent protection for services and transformersGrounding electrode system types and installationEquipment grounding conductor sizing and identificationSurge arresters and surge-protective devices (SPDs) +5 more
Feeders 4 Q · 4%
Load CalculationsEquipment GroundingFeeder conductor sizing and ampacity requirementsOvercurrent protection for feedersFeeder neutral load calculations and demand factorsOutside feeders: clearances, conductor sizing, and disconnecting meansDemand factors for dwelling and non-dwelling feeder loadsGround-fault protection of equipment for feedersFeeder conductor identification requirementsArticle 215 - Feeders
Branch Circuits and Conductors 16 Q · 16%
Branch Circuit CalculationOvercurrent ProtectionConductorsRequired Outlets & GFCI/AFCI ProtectionEquipment GroundingVoltage Drop Calculations (Single-Phase and Three-Phase)Conductor Insulation Types and Application EnvironmentsAmpacity Correction and Adjustment FactorsGrounded Conductor Identification and UseMultiwire Branch CircuitsBranch-Circuit Voltage LimitationsArticle 310 - Conductors for General Wiring +3 more
Wiring Methods and Materials 19 Q · 19%
Raceway InstallationsUnderground Wiring MethodsBoxes and EnclosuresCabinets, Panelboards, & SwitchboardsClearance and GuardingFlexible Cords and CablesCable Wiring Methods (NM, AC, MC, MI, SE, UF, TC, MV, FCC, FC, IGS cable types)Conduit and Tubing Types (RMC, IMC, EMT, FMC, LFMC, PVC, HDPE, RTRC, ENT, LFNC, FMT)Conductor Fill and Conduit Sizing (percent fill, conductor area tables, conduit dimensions)Conduit Bending Methods (90° bends, offsets, saddle bends, back-to-back, multi-shot)Wireways, Auxiliary Gutters, Busways, and Cable TraysGeneral Wiring Requirements (physical protection, conductor grouping, fire spread, temperature limitations) +11 more
Equipment and Devices 10 Q · 10%
LuminairesReceptacles, Switches and Other DevicesAppliances and Other EquipmentOther Utilization EquipmentHeating and Cooling EquipmentFixture Wire Types, Ampacity, and Installation RequirementsNEMA Receptacle and Plug ConfigurationsLighting Track Installation and Construction RequirementsLow-Voltage Lighting Systems (Article 411)Disconnect Requirements for Fixed Electric Heating EquipmentOvercurrent Protection for Resistance Heating ElementsGround-Fault Protection for Deicing, Snow-Melting, and Pipeline Heating Equipment +5 more
Control Devices 3 Q · 3%
Switches, Disconnects and ControllersMotor controller ratings and markings (horsepower, voltage, short-circuit current)Motor control circuit overcurrent protection and wiring (Article 430 Part VI)Motor disconnecting means types, location, and ampere ratingsMotor control center construction, overcurrent protection, and groundingClass 1, Class 2, and Class 3 remote-control circuit classifications and power source requirementsStop-start station wiring and control relay circuits (jogging, hand-off-automatic)Industrial control panel overcurrent protection, short-circuit current rating, and disconnecting meansElectronic lighting control switches and dimmer switch ratings (Article 404)Article 430 - Motors, Motor Circuits, and Controllers
Motors and Generators 8 Q · 8%
MotorsGeneratorsMotor branch-circuit conductor sizing (125% FLC rule)Motor branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protection (Table 430.52)Motor overload protection (sizing and placement of overload devices)Motor disconnecting means (type, location, and rating requirements)Motor controllers (ratings, types, and design requirements)Motor control centers (overcurrent protection, grounding, and busbar requirements)Capacitors in motor circuits (conductor sizing, discharge requirements, and effect on overload device settings)Phase converters (conductor ampacity, overcurrent protection, and disconnecting means)Article 430 - Motors, Motor Circuits, and Controllers
Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions 12 Q · 12%
Special OccupanciesSwimming Pools and Similar InstallationsMobile Home and RV ParksData Processing EquipmentMiscellaneous Special EquipmentEmergency SystemsSignaling and Fire Alarm SystemsHazardous (Classified) Locations — Class I, II, and III Division and Zone ClassificationProtection Techniques for Hazardous Locations (explosionproof, intrinsically safe, dust-ignitionproof, pressurized)Specific Hazardous Occupancies (commercial garages, aircraft hangars, motor fuel dispensing, bulk storage, spray finishing)Health Care Facilities — Essential Electrical Systems and Patient Care WiringStandby and Emergency Power Systems (legally required standby, optional standby, critical operations power systems, fire pumps) +9 more

Key Distinctions

DevicevsUtilization equipment

Article 100 defines a device as a unit of an electrical system, other than a conductor, that carries or controls electric energy as its principal function (e.g., a snap switch), while utilization equipment such as luminaires and motors uses electric energy rather than merely carrying or controlling it.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Device and Utilization Equipment
LabeledvsListed

Labeled means a label, symbol, or mark of an AHJ-acceptable organization that maintains periodic production inspection is attached and by which the manufacturer indicates compliance, whereas Listed means inclusion in a published list of such an organization (Approved = acceptable to the AHJ; Identified = recognizable as suitable for a specific purpose).

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Labeled, Listed, Approved, and Identified
Service lateralvsService drop / underground service conductors

A service lateral is the underground conductors between the utility electric supply system and the service point, a service drop is the overhead equivalent of a lateral, and underground service conductors run between the service point and the first point of connection to the service-entrance conductors.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Service Lateral, Service Conductors, Underground, and Service Drop
FeedervsBranch circuit / service conductors

A feeder is all circuit conductors between the service equipment, the source of a separately derived system, or other power supply source and the final branch-circuit overcurrent device; a branch circuit begins at that final overcurrent device, and service/service-entrance conductors exist only on the supply side of the service disconnect.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Feeder, Branch Circuit, and Service Conductors
Guest suitevsGuest room / dwelling unit

A guest suite is two or more contiguous rooms forming a compartment providing living, sleeping, sanitary, and storage facilities; a guest room is a single compartment with those facilities; a dwelling unit additionally requires permanent provisions for cooking.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Guest Suite, Guest Room, and Dwelling Unit
Short-circuit current ratingvsInterrupting rating

Short-circuit current rating is the prospective symmetrical fault current at nominal voltage to which an apparatus or system can be connected without sustaining damage exceeding defined acceptance criteria, while interrupting rating is the highest current at rated voltage a device is identified to interrupt under standard test conditions.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Short-Circuit Current Rating and Interrupting Rating
PanelboardvsSwitchboard / switchgear / motor control center

A panelboard includes buses and automatic overcurrent devices designed to be placed in a cabinet or cutout box in or against a wall and accessible only from the front; a switchboard is generally accessible from the rear as well as the front and is not intended for cabinets, switchgear is a completely metal-enclosed assembly, and a motor control center is an assembly of sections with a common power bus containing motor control units.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Panelboard, Switchboard, Switchgear, and Motor Control Center
OverloadvsFault (short circuit or ground fault)

Overload is operation of equipment above its normal full-load rating or of a conductor above its rated ampacity that, if it persists, would cause damage or dangerous overheating; the Article 100 definition expressly states a fault such as a short circuit or ground fault is not an overload.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Overload
Wet locationvsDamp location / dry location

Wet locations include installations underground or in concrete slabs or masonry in direct contact with earth, locations subject to saturation such as vehicle washing areas, and unprotected locations exposed to weather; roofed open porches and moist basements are damp locations, and a location only temporarily wet during construction remains a dry location.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Location, Wet; Location, Damp; Location, Dry
Type 1 SPDvsType 2 / Type 3 / Type 4 SPD

Type 1 is permanently connected on the line side of the service disconnect overcurrent device (between the service transformer secondary and that device); Type 2 is permanently connected on the load side including at the branch panel, Type 3 is point-of-utilization, and Type 4 is a component SPD.

NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Surge-Protective Device (SPD)
PVC Conduit Schedule 80vsPVC Schedule 40 / Type EB / RTRC Type XW

Schedule 80 PVC is identified for use in areas of physical damage (352.10(F) Informational Note); Schedule 40 is not identified for physical damage, Type EB is a concrete-encased burial product, and Type XW is the RTRC product identified for physical damage under 355.10(F).

NEC 2014 Section 352.10(F)
140% maximum overload trip (service factor 1.15 or greater)vs130% maximum overload trip (all other motors)

Under 430.32(C), when a motor will not start with the sized overload device, a higher sensing element may be used but trip current shall not exceed 140 percent of nameplate full-load current for motors marked with a service factor of 1.15 or greater (or a marked temperature rise of 40°C or less) and 130 percent for all other motors.

NEC 2014 Section 430.32(C)

Key Terms

Continuous Load NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Continuous Load
A load where the maximum current is expected to continue for 3 hours or more, which drives the 125 percent sizing rules for branch circuits, feeders, and services.
In Sight From (Within Sight From, Within Sight) NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of In Sight From (Within Sight From, Within Sight)
Visible and not more than 15 m (50 ft) distant from the other equipment — both the visibility and the 50 ft limit must be met.
Ampacity NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Ampacity
The maximum current, in amperes, that a conductor can carry continuously under the conditions of use without exceeding its temperature rating.
Demand Factor NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Demand Factor
The ratio of the maximum demand of a system, or part of a system, to the total connected load of that system or part under consideration.
Overload NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Overload
Operation of equipment in excess of normal full-load rating, or of a conductor in excess of rated ampacity, that if it persists would cause damage or dangerous overheating; a fault such as a short circuit or ground fault is not an overload.
Conduit Body NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Conduit Body
A separate portion of a conduit or tubing system providing access through removable cover(s) (LB, T, and C bodies qualify); FS and FD or larger cast or sheet metal boxes are not classified as conduit bodies.
Voltage to Ground NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Voltage to Ground
For grounded circuits, the voltage between the given conductor and the grounded point or conductor; for ungrounded circuits, the greatest voltage between the given conductor and any other conductor of the circuit (480 V on a 480-volt ungrounded delta).
Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI), Class A NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
Per the Informational Note to the Article 100 definition, a Class A GFCI trips when the current to ground is 6 mA or higher and does not trip when current to ground is less than 4 mA (see UL 943).
Switch, Isolating NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Switch, Isolating
A switch intended for isolating an electrical circuit from the source of power; it has no interrupting rating and is intended to be operated only after the circuit has been opened by some other means.
Branch Circuit, Multiwire NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Branch Circuit, Multiwire
Two or more ungrounded conductors having a voltage between them and a grounded conductor having equal voltage between it and each ungrounded conductor, connected to the neutral or grounded conductor of the system (the handle-tie rule is a separate installation requirement).
Copper-Clad Aluminum Conductors NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Copper-Clad Aluminum Conductors
Conductors drawn from a copper-clad aluminum rod with copper metallurgically bonded to an aluminum core, the copper forming a minimum of 10 percent of the cross-sectional area of a solid conductor or of each strand of a stranded conductor.
Volatile Flammable Liquid NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Volatile Flammable Liquid
A flammable liquid with a flash point below 38°C (100°F), a flammable liquid whose temperature is above its flash point, or a qualifying Class II combustible liquid whose temperature is above its flash point.
Overcurrent Protective Device, Branch-Circuit NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definition of Overcurrent Protective Device, Branch-Circuit
A device for service, feeder, and branch circuits providing protection over the full range of overcurrents between its rated current and its interrupting rating, with interrupting ratings appropriate for the intended use but no less than 5000 amperes (a supplementary device provides only limited protection for specific equipment).
Child Care Facility (406.2) NEC 2014 Section 406.2
A building or structure, or portion thereof, used for educational, supervisory, or personal care services for more than four children 7 years old or less — the trigger for the tamper-resistant receptacle requirement of 406.12(C).
Concrete-Encased Electrode (250.52(A)(3)) NEC 2014 Section 250.52(A)(3)
At least 6.0 m (20 ft) of 1/2 in. or larger conductive-coated steel reinforcing bars or bare copper conductor not smaller than 4 AWG, encased by at least 2 in. of concrete in a footing or foundation in direct contact with the earth.
Duty, Short-Time NEC 2014 Article 100 — Definitions of Duty, Short-Time; Duty, Intermittent; Duty, Periodic; Duty, Varying
Operation at a substantially constant load for a short and definite, specified time, as distinguished from intermittent duty (alternate load and no-load/rest intervals), periodic duty (regularly recurrent intermittent operation), and varying duty (widely varying loads and intervals).

Formulas to Know

Power, current, and kW conversionP = E × I (e.g., 120 V × 12.5 A = 1,500 W); I = P / E (e.g., 1,800 W / 120 V = 15 A); kW = W ÷ 1,000 (2,400 W = 2.4 kW)
Single-phase voltage drop (and its rearrangements)VD = (2 × K × I × L) / CM; L = (VD × CM) / (2 × K × I); CM = (2 × K × I × L) / VD; I = (VD × CM) / (2 × K × L). K = 12.9 copper, K = 21.2 aluminum (aluminum has roughly 1.6 times the resistance of copper). Allowable drop at 3 percent = source voltage × 0.03.
Three-phase voltage dropVD = (1.732 × K × I × L) / CM — use 1.732 (√3) instead of the single-phase factor 2; example: (1.732 × 12.9 × 24 A × 90 ft) / 10,380 cmil = 4.65 V
Percentage voltage drop% VD = voltage drop ÷ source voltage (example: 8.4 V / 240 V = 3.5 percent, which exceeds the 3 percent recommended for a branch circuit alone)
Minimum feeder conductor ampacity for several motors (430.24)125% of the largest motor FLC + sum of the other motors' FLC; example with three 5 HP, 230 V, 3-phase motors at 15.2 A each: (1.25 × 15.2) + 15.2 + 15.2 = 49.4 A
Motor inverse-time circuit breaker sizing and the fails-to-start increaseTable 430.52(C)(1): inverse time breaker up to 250% of motor FLC (example: 50 A × 2.5 = 125 A). Per 430.52(C)(1) Exception No. 2, where the motor fails to start, the rating may be increased but shall in no case exceed 400% of FLC for motors of 100 A or less (300% above 100 A): 50 A × 4 = 200 A; 60 A × 4 = 240 A. The 400% value is a cap, not simply the next standard size.
Hermetic refrigerant motor-compressor branch circuitConductors not less than 125% of RLA (440.32): 1.25 × 20 A = 25 A; OCPD rated not more than 175% of RLA (440.22(A)): 1.75 × 20 A = 35 A
Dwelling general load components (Article 220)General lighting = floor area × 3 VA/sq ft; add 1,500 VA for each small-appliance circuit and 1,500 VA for each laundry circuit (example: 2,000 sq ft × 3 = 6,000 VA + 2 × 1,500 + 1,500 = 10,500 VA, before demand factors)
EMT offset bend layout (Ugly's)Distance between the two bend marks = multiplier × offset depth (30° multiplier 2.0: 2.0 × 4 in = 8 in; 45° multiplier 1.4: 1.4 × 4 in = 5-5/8 in). Shrink varies with the bend angle per the chart — for a 30° offset it is 1/4 in per inch of offset depth (1/4 × 4 in = 1 in). Locate the first mark by adding that offset's shrink to the measured distance, moving the marks toward the far end: 30 + 1 = 31 in (30° offset, marks 8 in apart); 42 + 1-7/8 = 43-7/8 in (marks 26 in apart); 48 + 1-1/2 = 49-1/2 in (45° offset, marks 5-5/8 in apart).
EMT 3-point saddle and 90° stub-up (Ugly's)3-point saddle: side marks = 2.5 × obstruction height each side of the center mark (2.5 × 3 = 7-1/2 in; 2.5 × 5 = 12-1/2 in; 2.5 × 6 = 15 in), center bent 45° and sides 22-1/2°, shrink = 3/16 × obstruction height. Stub-up: mark = stub height − take-up (18 − 5 = 13 in for 1/2 in EMT; 16 − 11 = 5 in for 1-1/4 in EMT).
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