South Carolina Electrician
Practice at the real exam's pace
Every practice exam shows your time per question against the real exam's clock (3:45 here), and each topic lands in one of these:
What's on the exam
Questions per topic, out of 80Topics
General Electrical Knowledge
Key Concepts
NEC definitions (Article 100). Learn these verbatim: - Continuous Load — a load where the maximum current is expected to continue for 3 hours or more (Article 100). Conductors and overcurrent devices serving continuous loads are generally sized at 125 percent of the load. - Ampacity — the maximum current, in amperes, that a conductor can carry continuously under the conditions of use without exceeding its temperature rating (Article 100). - Externally Operable — capable of being operated without exposing the operator to contact with live parts. Contrast with Dead Front (without live parts exposed to a person on the operating side) and Enclosed (surrounded by a case, housing, fence, or wall(s) that prevents persons from accidentally…
Service, Feeders, and Branch Circuits
South Carolina Electrician — 9 questions, 11% of the exam
Key Concepts
Branch-circuit ratings, types, and voltage limitations - In dwelling units and guest rooms/guest suites of hotels, motels, and similar occupancies, voltage shall not exceed 120 volts, nominal, between conductors supplying luminaires and cord-and-plug-connected loads 1440 volt-amperes or less or less than ¼ hp — 210.6(A). - Branch circuits larger than 50 amperes shall supply only nonlighting outlet loads — 210.23(D). - Two or more 20-ampere small-appliance branch circuits shall be provided for all receptacle outlets specified by 210.52(B) — 210.11(C)(1). Kitchen countertop receptacles are among those outlets (210.52(B)), so a 15-ampere general-purpose circuit is not acceptable. - For household electric ranges rated 8¾ kW or more, the…
Grounding and Bonding
9 questions, 11% of exam
Key Concepts
Effective ground-fault current path. "The earth shall not be considered as an effective ground-fault current path" (250.4(A)(5)). Where multiple grounding connections cause objectionable current and 250.4(A)(5) or (B)(4) are still met, permitted alterations are: discontinue one or more but not all connections, change their locations, interrupt continuity of the path, or take other approved remedial action (250.6(B)).
Permitted/prohibited connection methods (250.8). Permitted: listed pressure connectors, terminal bars, pressure connectors listed as grounding and bonding equipment, exothermic welding, machine screw-type fasteners engaging not less than two threads or secured with a nut, thread-forming machine screws engaging not less than two threads, connections part of a listed assembly, other listed means. **Devices or fittings…
Conductors and Cables
South Carolina Electrician Exam — 9 questions, 11% of exam
Key Concepts
Minimum sizes and conductor construction - Minimum size of conductors for voltage ratings up to and including 2000 volts: 14 AWG copper or 12 AWG aluminum or copper-clad aluminum, except as permitted elsewhere in the Code — 310.3(A). - Solid aluminum conductors 8, 10, and 12 AWG shall be made of AA-8000 series electrical grade aluminum alloy — 310.3(B). - Where installed in raceways, conductors 8 AWG and larger shall be stranded, unless specifically permitted or required to be solid — 310.3(C). - Conductors may be connected in parallel only in sizes 1/0 AWG and larger — 310.10(G)(1). - Fixture wires shall not be smaller than **18…
Raceways and Boxes
South Carolina Electrician Exam — 9 questions (11% of the exam)
Key Concepts
Box fill (314.16(B)) - Volume allowance per 12 AWG conductor: 2.25 in.³ (Table 314.16(B)). - Clamp fill: one or more internal cable clamps = a single volume allowance based on the largest conductor in the box — 314.16(B)(2). - Device/equipment fill: each yoke or strap = a double volume allowance based on the largest conductor connected to a device supported by that yoke — 314.16(B)(4). - EGC fill: up to four equipment grounding conductors = a single volume allowance based on the largest EGC; ¼ volume allowance for each additional — 314.16(B)(5). - Conduit bodies enclosing 6 AWG or smaller: cross-sectional area not less than twice…
Special Occupancies and Equipment
Key Concepts
Classification basics (Articles 500, 505, 506) - Articles 500 through 504 cover electrical equipment and wiring for all voltages in Class I, II, and III, Divisions 1 and 2, where hazards exist from flammable gases, vapors, combustible dusts, or ignitible fibers/flyings (500.1). Zone 0/1/2 requirements are in Article 505; Zone 20/21/22 in Article 506. - A Class I, Division 1 location is one where ignitible concentrations of flammable gases or vapors are present under normal operating conditions (500.5(B)(1)). - All areas designated as hazardous (classified) locations must be properly documented, and the documentation made available to those who design, install, inspect, maintain, or operate the equipment (500.4). - Group IIIC combustible metal dust is considered equivalent to…
Electrical Power
South Carolina Electrician · 7 questions (9% of exam)
Key Concepts
Services and clearances - Overhead service conductors not over 1000 V nominal need 5.5 m (18 ft) clearance over public streets, alleys, roads, parking areas subject to truck traffic, driveways on other than residential property, and cultivated/grazing/forest/orchard land — 230.24(B)(4). - Vegetation such as trees shall not be used for support of overhead service conductors or service equipment — 230.10 (no exception). - On a 4-wire delta service with the midpoint of one phase winding grounded, the high-leg conductor must be durably and permanently marked orange, or by other effective means, at each termination or junction point — 230.56. - Service-entrance conductors: ampacity ≥ noncontinuous load + 125%…
Motors
Key Concepts
Conductor sizing (Part II, Article 430) - Conductors supplying a single motor in a continuous duty application: ampacity not less than 125 percent of the motor full-load current rating as determined by 430.6(A)(1) — 430.22 / 430.22(A). - Full-load current for conductors, switches, and branch-circuit short-circuit/ground-fault protection comes from Table 430.247, 430.248, 430.249, or 430.250, not the nameplate — 430.6(A)(1). Separate motor overload protection is based on the nameplate current rating — 430.6(A)(2). - Multispeed motor: line-side branch-circuit conductors are based on the highest full-load current shown on the nameplate — 430.22(B). - Wye-start, delta-run: conductors between controller and motor not less than 72 percent of FLC (58% × 1.25) — 430.22(C). Part-winding connected: 62.5 percent (50%…
Low Voltage
Key Concepts
Low-voltage lighting — Article 411 - Article 411 covers lighting systems and components operating at no more than 30 volts ac or 60 volts dc; where wet contact is likely, the limits are 15 volts ac or 30 volts dc (411.1). - A low-voltage lighting system consists of an isolating power supply, low-voltage luminaires, and associated equipment all identified for the use; output circuits of the power supply shall be rated 25 amperes maximum under all load conditions (411.3). - Systems shall be supplied from a maximum 20-ampere branch circuit (411.7). - Secondary circuits shall not be grounded and shall be insulated from the branch circuit by an isolating transformer (411.6(A), (B)). Exposed bare conductors are permitted…
Lighting
Key Concepts
Luminaires by location - Wet locations: marked "Suitable for Wet Locations." Damp locations: marked "Suitable for Wet Locations" or "Suitable for Damp Locations." Water must not enter or accumulate in wiring compartments, lampholders, or other electrical parts (NEC 410.10(A)). - Corrosive locations: type suitable for the location (410.10(B)). Commercial cooking hoods: luminaire identified for that use, vapors/grease excluded from lamp and wiring compartment, thermal-shock-resistant diffusers, corrosion-resistant smooth exposed parts, and wiring methods not exposed within the hood (410.10(C)). - Bathtub/shower: no cord-connected, chain-/cable-/cord-suspended luminaires, lighting track, pendants, or ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans within a zone 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold; the…
Illuminated Signs
Key Concepts
Listing and labeling - Fixed, mobile, or portable electric signs, section signs, outline lighting, PV powered signs, and retrofit kits, regardless of voltage, shall be listed and labeled, provided with installation instructions, and installed in conformance with that listing unless otherwise approved by special permission — 600.3. - Field-installed skeleton tubing need not be listed where installed in conformance with the Code — 600.3(A). Outline lighting need not be listed as a system when it consists of listed luminaires wired per Chapter 3 — 600.3(B). - Retrofit kits shall be listed and labeled and include installation instructions — 600.35(A); installed per those instructions with Chapter 3 wiring methods — 600.35(B)(1).
Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
South Carolina Electrician Exam — 2 questions (2% of exam)
Key Concepts
Circuit classification and safety-control equipment - Remote-control circuits for safety-control equipment are classified Class 1 if failure of the equipment to operate introduces a direct fire or life hazard. Room thermostats, water temperature regulating devices, and similar controls used with electrically controlled household heating and air conditioning are not considered safety-control equipment. (NEC 725.31(A)) - Where damage to such remote-control circuits would introduce a hazard, all conductors must be in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, rigid nonmetallic conduit, electrical metallic tubing, Type MI cable, or Type MC cable, or be otherwise suitably protected from physical damage. (NEC 725.31(B))
Safety Information
Key Concepts
Electrical hazard recognition and guarding (Subpart K) - Live parts of electric equipment operating at 50 volts or more must be guarded against accidental contact by cabinets or other enclosures, by location in a room accessible only to qualified persons, by partitions or screens, by elevated location on a balcony or platform, or by elevation of 8 feet or more above the floor — §1926.403(i)(2)(i). - Installation safety requirements are in §§1926.402–1926.408; safety-related work practices are in §§1926.416 and 1926.417 — §1926.400. - Sections 1926.402–408 apply to temporary and permanent jobsite installations but not to existing permanent installations in place before construction began — §1926.402(a).