Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference

North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Elevator (SP-EL)

North Carolina · PSI Services Contractor

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

Passing score

70%

Exam time

180 min

Administered by

PSI Services Contractor

Format

Reference materials allowed

North Carolina State Portion 40 questions

Bonding and Grounding 5 Q · 12%

Systems and equipment requiring grounding and ground-fault protectionLocation of connection and required interconnectionsGrounded, grounding, and grounding electrode conductorsConductor identification and color codingBonding jumpersEquipment grounding conductorsMethods of grounding and bonding, equipment and conductor specificationsLow-voltage specificationsBonding conductor connectionsBonding/bonding gridTermination

Overcurrent Protection 4 Q · 10%

Location in circuitSizing requirementsCircuit breakersPlug and cartridge fusesEnclosures and locations

Wiring Methods and Terminations 10 Q · 25%

Permitted applications and usagesCharacteristicsConduit and wireway fillPermitted applications and usagesCharacteristicsProtection from damageTraveling cables and controlsPermitted usages and ampacity ratingsCharacteristicsSwitchboards, panelboards, switches, and cabinets

Boxes and Fittings 2 Q · 5%

General informationSizing requirements

Motors and Control Wiring 5 Q · 12%

General informationBranch circuit and feeder ampacityOverload protectionShort-circuit and ground-fault protectionSizeLocationSeparation of conductors

Load Calculations 3 Q · 8%

Branch circuitsConductor ampacity requirementsOvercurrent protective device sizingLow-voltage

General 2 Q · 5%

DefinitionsInstallation requirements

Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications 9 Q · 22%

Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (General Statutes Chapter 87, Article 4)Board’s Rules for the Implementation of the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (Title 21, North Carolina Administrative Code, Chapter 18B)NASCLA Contractors’ Guide to Business, Law and Project Management -North Carolina Electrical Edition

Key Distinctions

Elevator/dumbwaiter driving machine motorsvsEscalator/moving walk driving machine motors

Per 620.61(B)(1) elevator and dumbwaiter driving machine motors are rated intermittent duty, while per 620.61(B)(2) escalator and moving walk driving machine motors shall be rated continuous.

NEC 2020 Section 620.61(B)(2)

Traveling cables looped around listed supports (620.41(2))vsMeans that automatically tightens as tension increases (620.41(3))

Looping around supports is permitted for unsupported lengths less than 30 m (100 ft), whereas the self-tightening means is permitted for unsupported lengths up to 60 m (200 ft).

NEC 2020 Section 620.41

Wiring methods recognized in hoistways, machinery/control spaces, cars, machine and control rooms (620.21)vsWiring methods not recognized there

RMC, IMC, EMT, rigid nonmetallic conduit, wireways and Type MC, MI or AC cable are recognized, while Types NM, UF and TC are not among the recognized methods for those spaces.

NEC 2020 Section 620.21

Elevator feeder with generator field control (620.13)vsConductors supplying a single elevator motor controller (620.13(B))

With generator field control the ampacity is based on the nameplate current rating of the motor-generator set's driving motor, while conductors to a single motor controller must be not less than the controller nameplate current rating plus all other connected loads (the 430.22(A)/(E) 125% multipliers apply to conductors supplying the motor itself).

NEC 2020 Section 620.13

Type AC / Type NM cable bend radiusvsType MC interlocked-armor or corrugated-sheath bend radius

Types AC (320.24) and NM/NMC (334.24) require an inner-edge radius not less than five times the cable diameter, while interlocked-armor or corrugated-sheath Type MC (330.24(B)) requires not less than seven times the external diameter of the metallic sheath.

NEC 2020 Section 320.24

Nontime-delay fuse for AC polyphase motor (Table 430.52)vsDual-element (time-delay) fuse for AC polyphase motor (Table 430.52)

Nontime-delay fuses are rated at a maximum 300% of motor full-load current, while dual-element time-delay fuses have a maximum rating of 175% of full-load current; in both cases 430.52(C)(1) Exception No. 1 permits the next higher standard size when the calculation does not match a standard rating.

NEC 2020 Table 430.52, NEC 430.52(C)(1), NEC 240.6(A)

Motor branch-circuit conductors (430.22)vsMotor feeder conductors (430.24)

Branch-circuit conductors for a single continuous-duty motor must be not less than 125% of that motor's full-load current, while feeder conductors must be not less than 125% of the highest-rated motor plus the sum of the full-load currents of the other motors.

NEC 2020 Section 430.22

Ampacity adjustment for 7-9 current-carrying conductorsvsAmpacity adjustment for 10-20 current-carrying conductors

Table 310.15(C)(1) requires 70 percent of the table ampacity for 7 to 9 conductors and 50 percent for 10 to 20 conductors in a raceway or cable.

NEC 2020 Table 310.15(C)(1)

Dwelling-unit kitchen countertop receptaclesvsCommercial (other than dwelling) kitchen receptacles

Dwelling countertop receptacles need both GFCI (210.8(A)(6)) and AFCI (210.12(A)) protection, while 125-250 volt receptacles in other-than-dwelling kitchens or areas with a sink and permanent food-prep/cooking provisions (single phase, 150 V or less to ground, 50 A or less) require GFCI protection.

NEC 2020 Section 210.8(A)(6) and 210.12(A)

Chapters 1 through 7 of the NECvsChapter 8 (Communications Systems)

Per 90.3 Chapter 8 is NOT subject to the requirements of Chapters 1 through 7 except where those requirements are specifically referenced in Chapter 8.

NEC 2020 Section 90.3

Code requirementsvsInformational notes / explanatory material

Per 90.5(C), informational notes are included for informational purposes only and are not enforceable as requirements of the Code.

NEC 2020 Section 90.5(C)

Grounded conductor at the service (250.24(A)(5))vsGrounded conductor at a separate building/structure fed by a feeder (250.32(B)(1))

Load-side reconnection of the grounded conductor to ground or to equipment grounding conductors is prohibited except as otherwise permitted, and at a separate structure with an equipment grounding conductor run with the supply conductors any installed grounded conductor shall not be connected to the EGC or to the grounding electrode(s).

NEC 2020 Section 250.24(A)(5)

C corporationvsS corporation

Per the NASCLA Summary of Business Legal Structures table, a C corporation allows unlimited shareholders with no personal liability and is taxed at the corporate level with a further tax on dividends (double taxation), while an S corporation is limited to 100 shareholders and uses pass-through taxation.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, North Carolina Electrical (14th ed.), Chapter 2 — Summary of Business Legal Structures table

Key Terms

Continuous load NEC 2020 Article 100

Per NEC Article 100, a load where the maximum current is expected to continue for 3 hours or more.

Interrupting rating (110.9) NEC 2020 Section 110.9

Equipment intended to interrupt current at fault levels must have an interrupting rating at nominal circuit voltage at least equal to the current available at the line terminals of the equipment.

High-leg marking (110.15) NEC 2020 Section 110.15

On a 4-wire delta-connected system with the midpoint of one phase winding grounded, the conductor or busbar with the higher phase voltage to ground must be durably and permanently marked orange or by other effective means.

Arc-flash label for service equipment 1200 A or more, other than dwelling units (110.16(B)) NEC 2020 Section 110.16(B)

A permanent label showing nominal system voltage, available fault current at the service overcurrent protective devices, clearing time of those devices based on available fault current, and the date the label was applied; conductor sizes are not required.

Multiwire branch circuit disconnecting means (210.4(B)) NEC 2020 Section 210.4(B)

Each multiwire branch circuit must be provided with a means that simultaneously disconnects all ungrounded conductors at the point where the circuit originates.

Small-appliance branch circuits (210.11(C)(1)) NEC 2020 Section 210.11(C)(1)

Two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits are required in a dwelling unit for all receptacle outlets specified by 210.52(B), including kitchen countertop receptacles, which may not be served by 15-ampere general-purpose circuits.

Supplemental grounding electrode (250.53(A)(2)) NEC 2020 Section 250.53(A)(2)

A single rod, pipe, or plate electrode must be supplemented by an additional electrode of a type in 250.52(A)(2) through (A)(8), unless the single electrode has a resistance to earth of 25 ohms or less.

Supply-side bonding jumper for separately derived systems (250.30(A)(2)) NEC 2020 Section 250.30(A)(2)

Where the source of a separately derived system and the first disconnecting means are in separate enclosures, a supply-side bonding jumper must be installed with the circuit conductors from the source enclosure to the first disconnecting means enclosure.

Main bonding jumper screw identification (250.28(B)) NEC 2020 Section 250.28(B)

Where a main bonding jumper or system bonding jumper is a screw only, the screw must be identified with a green finish visible with the screw installed.

High-impedance grounded neutral system (250.36) NEC 2020 Section 250.36

A system in which a grounding impedance limits ground-fault current to a low value, permitted for 3-phase AC systems of 480 volts to 1000 volts when all specified conditions are met.

Objectionable current (250.6(B)) NEC 2020 Section 250.6(B)

Where multiple grounding connections cause objectionable current and 250.4(A)(5) or (B)(4) is still met, one permitted alteration is to discontinue one or more but not all of the grounding connections; disconnecting all of them is not permitted.

Effective ground-fault current path (250.4(A)(5)) NEC 2020 Section 250.4(A)(5)

The path for fault current back to the source; the earth shall not be considered as an effective ground-fault current path.

Plug fuse identification (240.50(C)) NEC 2020 Section 240.50(C)

Plug fuses of 15-ampere and lower rating must be identified by a hexagonal configuration of the window, cap, or other prominent part to distinguish them from higher-rated fuses.

Abandoned Class 2, Class 3 and PLTC cable (725.25) NEC 2020 Section 725.25

The accessible portion of abandoned Class 2, Class 3, and PLTC cables must be removed; cable identified for future use must be tagged with a tag durable enough for the environment.

Type S flexible cord (Table 400.4) NEC 2020 Table 400.4

A 600V hard service cord with thermoset insulation and thermoset outer covering, suitable for pendant or portable use in damp locations with an extra-hard usage rating.

Parallel conductors (310.10(G)(1)) NEC 2020 Section 310.10(G)(1)

Aluminum, copper-clad aluminum, or copper conductors of each phase, polarity, neutral or grounded circuit may be connected in parallel only in sizes 1/0 AWG and larger, installed per the applicable provisions.

Creditable year of primary experience (21 NCAC 18B .0202(a)) NASCLA Contractors Guide, North Carolina Electrical (14th ed.), Appendix F — 21 NCAC 18B .0202 Experience

In calculating accumulative primary experience, 2,000 hours equals one creditable year, so creditable years equal total primary hours divided by 2,000 (e.g., 11,000 hours at 100% credit = 5.5 years).

Formulas to Know

One-family dwelling service conductor ampacity, 100 through 400 A, single-phase 120/240 V (310.12(A))

Minimum ampacity = 83% × service rating; example: 200 A × 0.83 = 166 A (Table 310.12 gives 2/0 AWG copper for a 200 A dwelling service where no adjustment or correction factors are required)

Rooftop ambient temperature adder for raceways/cables in direct sunlight less than 23 mm (7/8 in.) above the roof (310.15(B)(2))Ambient = outdoor temperature + 33°C (60°F); example: 40°C + 33°C = 73°C (104°F + 60°F = 164°F)

Adjusted ampacity for 10 to 20 current-carrying conductors (Table 310.15(C)(1))

Adjusted ampacity = table ampacity × 50%; example: 10 AWG THHN copper at 90°C = 40 A; 40 × 0.50 = 20 A (12 conductors, 30°C ambient)

Angle pull box dimension, conductors 4 AWG and larger (314.28(A)(2))

Distance to opposite wall ≥ (6 × trade size of largest raceway) + sum of diameters of all other raceway entries on the same wall; example: (6 × 2) + 1 = 13 in.

Branch-circuit conductor ampacity for a single continuous-duty motor (430.22)Ampacity ≥ 125% × motor FLC; example: 125% × 65 A = 81.25 A (50 HP, 480 V, 3-phase, Table 430.250)

Motor feeder conductor ampacity (430.24)

Ampacity ≥ (125% × FLC of highest-rated motor) + sum of FLCs of other motors; example: (125% × 65 A) + 40 A = 121.25 A

Nontime-delay fuse, AC polyphase motor (Table 430.52 with 430.52(C)(1) Ex. 1 and 240.6(A))Max = 300% × FLC; example: 300% × 65 A = 195 A → next higher standard size 200 A

Dual-element (time-delay) fuse, AC polyphase motor other than wound-rotor (Table 430.52)Max = 175% × FLC; example: 65 A × 175% = 113.75 A, then next higher standard rating permitted per 430.52(C)(1) Ex. 1

Separate motor overload device, motor with marked service factor 1.15 or greater (430.32(A)(1))

Trip/rating not more than 125% × nameplate FLC; example: 28 A × 125% = 35 A (if insufficient, 430.32(C) permits incremental increases up to 140%)

Conductor ampacity where the overcurrent device is rated over 800 A, supervised industrial installation (240.91(B))Conductor ampacity ≥ 95% × device rating; example: 1000 A × 0.95 = 950 A

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