North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP)

North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) Exam Study Guide

This guide covers what you need for the North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) exam: the key facts from the official bulletin, the topics it tests, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a plan to prepare. PSI gives the exam.

North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) Exam at a Glance

Here are the exam's key facts from the official bulletin:

On exam day

• The examination consists of multiple-choice questions.
• Two valid, non-expired signature-bearing IDs are required, one with a photograph, matching the name under which the candidate registered.
• Candidates should arrive 30 minutes before the appointment time.
• References must be softbound, spiral, or hardbound with no loose-leaf or partial books, must be candidate-supplied, may not be written in during the exam, and may not contain additional papers.
• Highlighting, underlining and handwritten notes made before the exam are allowed (pencil notes must be highlighted), and only permanent tabs may be used.
• Calculators are provided at the test center.
• Scratch paper, pencils and calculators are provided, while notes, briefcases, backpacks, hats, cell phones, pagers and children are prohibited in the examination area.

References you may bring

• The National Electrical Code (2020 edition)
• NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management: North Carolina Electrical Contractors' Edition (current edition)

Study references listed in the bulletin (not allowed in the exam room)

• Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (General Statutes Chapter 87, Article 4)
• The Board's Rules for the Implementation of the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law (Title 21, North Carolina Administrative Code, Chapter 18B)

Scheduling, changes and retakes

• Candidates register for the examination by calling PSI at (855) 746-8173 or online at https://test-takers.psiexams.com/ncbeec.
• Board approval is required before scheduling, and the approval allows one examination attempt within a 90-day authorization period.
• Candidates who miss the appointment or arrive after the examination start time lose their examination fees and may be refused admission.
• Results are given immediately at the test center, with a diagnostic report of strengths and weaknesses for candidates who do not pass.
• A candidate who fails must wait 3 months before retaking the same classification and must re-apply to the Board for each attempt.
• A passing candidate must complete a License Application with the Board to obtain and activate the license.

Source: NCBEEC Examination Information Handbook (North Carolina Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors), July 2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.

What the North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) Exam Covers

The official content outline has 4 topics:

Bonding and Grounding: Systems and equipment requiring grounding and ground-fault protection; Location of connection and required interconnections; Bonding jumpers; Equipment grounding conductors; Methods of grounding and bonding, equipment and conductor specifications; Bonding conductor connections; Bonding/bonding grid; Termination.
Boxes and Fittings: General information; Sizing requirements.
Special Occupancies and Hazardous Locations: Swimming pools; Underwater lighting fixtures; Underwater audio equipment; Forming shells.
Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications: 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.

How to Prepare for the North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) Exam

Start with the books. This is an open-book exam, so the references on the bulletin's list are your main study tool. Get the editions the bulletin names.

Learn where things are. Read the table of contents and the index of each book until you know where every major subject lives. On test day, finding an answer fast matters more than memorizing it.

Highlight the sections you use most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.

Spend most of your time on the biggest topics. Special Occupancies and Hazardous Locations and Bonding and Grounding make up 68% of the exam.

Take timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 2 minutes 24 seconds per question.

Aim to pass more than once. One passing score can be luck. Several in a row means you're ready.

Reference Books for the North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) Exam

Candidates bring the 2020 National Electrical Code and the current edition of the NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management to the test center; the National Fire Alarm Code is required only for the Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited, SP-SFD and SP-FA/LV classifications, while the licensing law and Board rules are exam subject matter to study.

Where to get them:

• NEC 2020
• NASCLA North Carolina Electrical Guide 14th

On Test Day

• Go through the whole exam first. Answer every question you know and bookmark the ones you don't. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions.
• Then go back to your bookmarks and work them out.
• Don't let one question eat your time. You have 1 hour for 25 questions, which is about 2 minutes 24 seconds per question.
• Before you finish, answer anything you skipped. A blank can't earn a point.

Study Tips

On an open-book exam, the winners aren't the smartest people in the room — they're the fastest at finding answers. Buy the required book, practice with it open, and tab and highlight each section the first time a question sends you there. Learn the index and table of contents until you can land on any topic in seconds. That speed is what separates a pass from a fail.

On an open-book exam, work through every question once: answer the ones you know and skip the ones you don't. Then go back to the ones you flagged. You can bookmark questions for later review, just like on our exams — and don't sink too much time into any single question. The clock is still running.

Give yourself at least three to six weeks. Use your exam's candidate bulletin as your roadmap for what's tested, and spend your time on finding-it-fast skills over rote memorization. In practice, aim for three clean passes at 80% or higher — setting your practice bar above the real cut score gives you a comfortable margin on test day.

Practicing against a ticking clock is the best way to beat exam-clock anxiety. Use these timed tests to build your pacing, so you learn to move steadily and never burn too long on a single question. By test day, the format feels routine.

Sample North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) Practice Questions

These questions come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.

Sample 1 — Boxes and Fittings

Question: In a straight pull, the minimum length of a pull box containing conductors 4 AWG or larger shall not be less than how many times the metric designator (trade size) of the largest raceway?

• A. 6 times
• B. 8 times
• C. 10 times
• D. 12 times

Correct Answer: B

Per NEC 314.28(A)(1), in straight pulls, the length of the box or conduit body shall not be less than eight times the metric designator (trade size) of the largest raceway.

Reference: NEC 2020 Section 314.28(A)(1)

Sample 2 — Special Occupancies and Hazardous Locations

Question: A homeowner asks you to locate a wall switch for the pool lights 1.2 m (4 ft) from the inside wall of the pool. There is no fence, wall, or other permanent barrier between the switch location and the pool. Under what condition is this location permitted?

• A. The switch is GFCI-protected and weatherproof
• B. The switch is mounted at least 1.5 m (5 ft) above grade
• C. The switch operates at not over 30 volts to ground
• D. The switch is listed for use within 1.5 m (5 ft)

Correct Answer: D

NEC 680.22(C) requires switching devices to be at least 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally from the inside walls of a pool unless separated by a solid fence, wall, or other permanent barrier providing a 5 ft reach distance; alternatively, a switch listed as acceptable for use within 1.5 m (5 ft) is permitted.

Reference: NEC 2020 Section 680.22(C)

Sample 3 — Bonding and Grounding

Question: You are called to a commercial building to bond the metal water piping system. The building is supplied by a service, and you need to determine the maximum required size of the bonding jumper. What is the largest size copper bonding jumper required for bonding the metal water piping system to the service?

• A. 4 AWG copper
• B. 250 kcmil copper
• C. 6 AWG copper
• D. 3/0 AWG copper

Correct Answer: D

Per NEC 250.104(A)(1), the bonding jumper for the metal water piping system shall be sized in accordance with Table 250.102(C)(1), except that it shall not be required to be larger than 3/0 copper or 250 kcmil aluminum or copper-clad aluminum.

Reference: NEC 2020 Section 250.104(A)(1)

Sample 4 — Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications

Question: You intend to incorporate your electrical contracting business in North Carolina and want to hold the company name while you finish your paperwork. For how long may a corporate name be formally reserved prior to incorporation?

• A. 30 days
• B. 180 days
• C. 120 days
• D. 60 days

Correct Answer: C

Per the NASCLA Contractors' Guide (Chapter 2, Registering Your Name in North Carolina), a corporate name may be reserved 120 days prior to incorporation by completing the name reservation application and paying a $30.00 fee. Any phone clearance from the Business Registration Division is only preliminary.

Reference: NASCLA Contractors Guide, North Carolina Electrical (14th ed.), Chapter 2 — Registering Your Name in North Carolina section

Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF

A PDF shows you questions. It doesn't show you the clock. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers under time pressure, not just reading them. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break the score down by outline topic so you know what to study next.

Start Practicing

Take the free North Carolina Electrical Contractor - Swimming Pool Bonding (SP-SP) practice exam to see where you stand, then work through the topics that need attention. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.