Free practice test — 12 questions with full explanations
Original CraftPATH practice questions. These are not real exam questions. Every answer includes the reasoning, why each wrong option fails, the code area it comes from, and the misconception it targets.
Question 1. North Carolina's Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited electrical contractor classifications are primarily distinguished by:
North Carolina Law, Business and Safety · Medium · Objective: Understand the NC classification structure.
- A. The number of employees the company may hire
- B. The dollar value of a single project the licensee may undertake (correct)
- C. The counties in which the licensee may work
- D. Whether the work is residential or commercial
Correct answer: B. The dollar value of a single project the licensee may undertake
Why this is right: North Carolina scales the classifications by the value of a single project, so a Limited licensee may take smaller jobs and an Unlimited licensee has no value cap. Special restricted classifications exist for particular kinds of work.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. The number of employees the company may hire — Headcount does not define the classification.
- C. The counties in which the licensee may work — The license is statewide, not county-limited.
- D. Whether the work is residential or commercial — Occupancy type is not the dividing line between these three classifications.
Where this shows up on the job: Splitting one project into two contracts to stay under a value cap is a classic violation the board pursues.
Code reference: N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4; NC Board rules
Common misconception: Assuming Limited means residential-only.
Question 2. A licensed electrical contracting business in North Carolina must:
North Carolina Law, Business and Safety · Medium · Objective: Understand the qualified individual requirement.
- A. Employ at least ten electricians
- B. Have a qualified individual who has passed the board's examination and is listed with the license (correct)
- C. Be owned by a licensed electrician personally
- D. Renew only once every ten years
Correct answer: B. Have a qualified individual who has passed the board's examination and is listed with the license
Why this is right: The license is issued to the entity but depends on a qualified individual who passed the examination. If that individual separates, the entity must requalify to continue contracting lawfully.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Employ at least ten electricians — There is no minimum headcount requirement.
- C. Be owned by a licensed electrician personally — Ownership structure is flexible; qualification is not.
- D. Renew only once every ten years — Licenses are renewed on the board's regular cycle.
Where this shows up on the job: Losing the qualified individual mid-project is the most common way a company falls out of compliance.
Code reference: N.C.G.S. Chapter 87, Article 4
Common misconception: Believing the license belongs to the company independent of any person.
Question 3. Electrical installations in North Carolina are judged against:
General Requirements and Code Navigation · Medium · Objective: Identify the governing technical code.
- A. The National Electrical Code exactly as published, with no changes
- B. The North Carolina State Electrical Code, which adopts the NEC with state amendments (correct)
- C. A code written entirely by each county
- D. The International Building Code alone
Correct answer: B. The North Carolina State Electrical Code, which adopts the NEC with state amendments
Why this is right: North Carolina adopts the NEC as part of the State Building Code with state amendments, and that adopted edition, not the newest NEC published, is what inspectors and the exam use.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. The National Electrical Code exactly as published, with no changes — State amendments modify the model code.
- C. A code written entirely by each county — Counties enforce the state code rather than writing their own electrical codes.
- D. The International Building Code alone — The IBC does not contain the electrical provisions.
Where this shows up on the job: Study the adopted edition, because article numbering and requirements shift between NEC cycles.
Code reference: North Carolina State Building Code: Electrical Code
Common misconception: Studying the newest NEC when the state has adopted an earlier edition.
Question 4. In a dwelling unit habitable room, receptacle outlets must be placed so that no point measured horizontally along the floor line of any wall space is more than:
Branch Circuits, Feeders and Load Calculations · Hard · Objective: Apply receptacle spacing requirements.
- A. 4 feet from a receptacle
- B. 6 feet from a receptacle (correct)
- C. 10 feet from a receptacle
- D. 12 feet from a receptacle
Correct answer: B. 6 feet from a receptacle
Why this is right: The 6-foot rule means receptacles are spaced no more than 12 feet apart along a wall, so a 6-foot cord can reach an outlet from any point without an extension cord.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 4 feet from a receptacle — 4 feet is the kitchen countertop spacing concept, not the general room rule.
- C. 10 feet from a receptacle — 10 feet exceeds the requirement.
- D. 12 feet from a receptacle — 12 feet is the spacing between receptacles, not the distance from any point.
Where this shows up on the job: Wall space definitions, including fixed panels in exterior walls and short wall sections, are where this question gets tricky.
Code reference: NEC 210.52(A)
Common misconception: Confusing the 6-foot measurement with the 12-foot spacing.
Question 5. Using the standard calculation method, the first 3,000 volt-amperes of general lighting and small-appliance load is taken at:
Branch Circuits, Feeders and Load Calculations · Hard · Objective: Apply dwelling service demand factors.
- A. 35 percent
- B. 100 percent (correct)
- C. 50 percent
- D. 25 percent
Correct answer: B. 100 percent
Why this is right: The standard method applies 100 percent to the first 3,000 volt-amperes, 35 percent from 3,001 to 120,000, and 25 percent above that.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 35 percent — 35 percent applies to the portion above 3,000 volt-amperes.
- C. 50 percent — 50 percent is not a step in this table.
- D. 25 percent — 25 percent applies only above 120,000 volt-amperes.
Where this shows up on the job: Getting the demand steps in the wrong order is the most common arithmetic failure on the service calculation question.
Code reference: NEC Table 220.45 demand factors for general lighting
Common misconception: Applying a single demand factor to the whole load.
Question 6. Absent an applicable exception, the maximum overcurrent protection for a 12 AWG copper conductor is:
Conductors, Ampacity and Overcurrent Protection · Hard · Objective: Apply small conductor overcurrent limits.
- A. 15 amperes
- B. 20 amperes (correct)
- C. 25 amperes
- D. 30 amperes
Correct answer: B. 20 amperes
Why this is right: The small conductor rule caps overcurrent protection at 15 amperes for 14 AWG copper, 20 amperes for 12 AWG copper and 30 amperes for 10 AWG copper, regardless of the ampacity the table might otherwise permit.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 15 amperes — 15 amperes is the 14 AWG copper limit.
- C. 25 amperes — 25 amperes exceeds the small conductor cap for 12 AWG copper.
- D. 30 amperes — 30 amperes is the 10 AWG copper limit.
Where this shows up on the job: This rule is why a 12 AWG conductor with a higher table ampacity still lands on a 20 ampere breaker.
Code reference: NEC 240.4(D)
Common misconception: Using the 90 degree table ampacity to justify a larger breaker on small conductors.
Question 7. Equipment rated over 100 amperes with terminations marked 75 degrees Celsius requires conductor ampacity taken from:
Conductors, Ampacity and Overcurrent Protection · Medium · Objective: Apply termination temperature limits.
- A. The 60 degree column
- B. The 75 degree column (correct)
- C. The 90 degree column
- D. Any column the installer chooses
Correct answer: B. The 75 degree column
Why this is right: Conductor ampacity for final sizing is limited by the lowest temperature rating of any connected termination, conductor or device. The 90 degree column may still be used for adjustment and correction math.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. The 60 degree column — The 60 degree column applies to certain smaller circuits and equipment.
- C. The 90 degree column — The 90 degree column overstates the usable ampacity at a 75 degree termination.
- D. Any column the installer chooses — Column choice is dictated by the equipment marking, not preference.
Where this shows up on the job: This is why buying 90 degree conductor rarely lets you drop a wire size.
Code reference: NEC 110.14(C)
Common misconception: Treating insulation rating as usable ampacity.
Question 8. In a subpanel fed from a main panel in the same building, the grounded neutral conductors must be:
Grounding, Bonding and Services · Hard · Objective: Apply neutral and ground separation.
- A. Bonded to the subpanel enclosure
- B. Isolated from the enclosure and kept separate from the equipment grounding conductors (correct)
- C. Connected to a separate ground rod only
- D. Landed on the same bar as the grounds
Correct answer: B. Isolated from the enclosure and kept separate from the equipment grounding conductors
Why this is right: The neutral is bonded to ground only at the service disconnect. Bonding downstream puts normal neutral current on the equipment grounding conductors and metal enclosures, creating parallel current paths and shock risk.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Bonded to the subpanel enclosure — Bonding at the subpanel is exactly the violation being tested.
- C. Connected to a separate ground rod only — A ground rod does not substitute for the equipment grounding conductor.
- D. Landed on the same bar as the grounds — Sharing one bar is the same violation as bonding.
Where this shows up on the job: This is one of the most frequently written corrections on residential remodel inspections.
Code reference: NEC 250.24(A)(5) and 250.142
Common misconception: Wiring a subpanel like a service panel.
Question 9. The service disconnecting means for a set of service-entrance conductors consists of not more than:
Grounding, Bonding and Services · Medium · Objective: Apply the six-disconnect rule.
- A. One switch or circuit breaker only
- B. Six switches or six circuit breakers, grouped (correct)
- C. Twelve devices anywhere in the building
- D. There is no limit
Correct answer: B. Six switches or six circuit breakers, grouped
Why this is right: Historically the code permits up to six grouped disconnects for one set of service-entrance conductors, so a person can de-energize the service with no more than six motions of the hand. Recent code cycles add separate-enclosure requirements, so check the adopted edition.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. One switch or circuit breaker only — A single disconnect is permitted but not required.
- C. Twelve devices anywhere in the building — Twelve exceeds the limit and grouping is required.
- D. There is no limit — An unlimited number would defeat emergency shutoff.
Where this shows up on the job: Which edition North Carolina has adopted matters here, because the separate-enclosure requirement changed between cycles.
Code reference: NEC 230.71 in the adopted edition
Common misconception: Assuming the rule is identical across all NEC editions.
Question 10. Conductors supplying a single continuous-duty motor are sized at not less than:
Motors, Transformers and Special Systems · Hard · Objective: Size motor branch-circuit conductors.
- A. 100 percent of nameplate current
- B. 125 percent of the full-load current from the applicable NEC table (correct)
- C. 115 percent of nameplate current
- D. 250 percent of the full-load current
Correct answer: B. 125 percent of the full-load current from the applicable NEC table
Why this is right: Motor branch-circuit conductors are sized at 125 percent of the table full-load current. Nameplate current is used for overload protection, and the much larger percentages apply to short-circuit and ground-fault devices.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 100 percent of nameplate current — This uses the wrong source and no factor.
- C. 115 percent of nameplate current — 115 percent is an overload percentage, not a conductor factor.
- D. 250 percent of the full-load current — 250 percent is in the range used for certain short-circuit protective devices.
Where this shows up on the job: Table versus nameplate decides the motor section on nearly every state exam.
Code reference: NEC 430.6(A), 430.22, 430.32 and 430.52
Common misconception: Using one percentage for conductors, overloads and short-circuit protection alike.
Question 11. When a transformer secondary supplies a panelboard, protection on the secondary side is required because:
Motors, Transformers and Special Systems · Medium · Objective: Understand transformer secondary protection.
- A. Primary protection alone does not reliably protect the secondary conductors, since the turns ratio changes the current (correct)
- B. Transformers cannot be protected on the primary side
- C. Secondary protection is only decorative
- D. The secondary always carries less current
Correct answer: A. Primary protection alone does not reliably protect the secondary conductors, since the turns ratio changes the current
Why this is right: Current transforms inversely with voltage, so a primary device sized for primary current may allow far more than the secondary conductors can carry. The code addresses this with specific secondary protection rules.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B. Transformers cannot be protected on the primary side — Primary protection is required and does protect the transformer.
- C. Secondary protection is only decorative — Secondary protection is a real conductor-protection requirement.
- D. The secondary always carries less current — A step-down transformer's secondary carries more current, not less.
Where this shows up on the job: Step-down transformers feeding lighting panels are exactly where this shows up on plan review.
Code reference: NEC Article 450 and 240.21(C)
Common misconception: Assuming the primary breaker protects everything downstream.
Question 12. Under OSHA electrical safety requirements, working on an energized circuit is permitted only when:
North Carolina Law, Business and Safety · Medium · Objective: Apply safe work practice.
- A. The technician is experienced enough to be careful
- B. De-energizing introduces additional or increased hazards or is infeasible, and appropriate safe work practices and protective equipment are used (correct)
- C. The customer requests it to avoid downtime
- D. The voltage is under 480 volts
Correct answer: B. De-energizing introduces additional or increased hazards or is infeasible, and appropriate safe work practices and protective equipment are used
Why this is right: The default is de-energized work. Energized work is allowed only where de-energizing would create a greater hazard, such as shutting off life support or emergency systems, or is infeasible due to equipment design, and then only with proper practices and PPE.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. The technician is experienced enough to be careful — Individual experience is not a legal justification.
- C. The customer requests it to avoid downtime — Customer convenience and production continuity are not accepted reasons.
- D. The voltage is under 480 volts — Lower voltage does not exempt the requirement; most fatalities occur below 600 volts.
Where this shows up on the job: Written energized work justification is standard practice on commercial jobs for a reason.
Code reference: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333 and 1926 Subpart K; NFPA 70E
Common misconception: Believing low voltage means low risk.
How to study for the North Carolina electrical contractor exam
Understand the classification you are testing for
North Carolina does not license journeymen at the state level; it licenses contractors in Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited classifications defined by the value of a single project, plus special restricted classifications. Confirm the current dollar thresholds and the qualifying experience for your target classification with the board before you begin studying, because they change.
Study the adopted code edition
The North Carolina State Electrical Code adopts the NEC with amendments, and the state is not always on the newest edition. Buy the edition the board tests against, tab it, and check the amendments against the model code text so you know where the state differs.
Build code navigation speed
Open-book does not mean easy. Tab Articles 100, 110, 210, 220, 240, 250, 310, 430 and 450, plus Chapter 9 and Annex C. Practice with a stopwatch: if it takes you more than 45 seconds to find a provision, tab it differently.
Own the service calculation
Work the standard-method dwelling calculation end to end until every step is reflexive: general lighting at 3 volt-amperes per square foot, two small-appliance circuits and laundry at 1,500 volt-amperes each, the demand steps at 100 percent then 35 percent then 25 percent, fixed appliance demand, range demand, and the larger of heating or air conditioning.
Separate the grounding topics
Electrode conductor sizing from the service conductors, equipment grounding conductor sizing from the overcurrent device, and neutral-to-ground bonding only at the service disconnect. Subpanel neutral separation is one of the most reliably tested concepts on the exam and one of the most commonly corrected in the field.
Run a six-week plan
Week one: definitions, general requirements and navigation drills. Week two: branch circuits, feeders and load calculations. Week three: conductors, ampacity and overcurrent protection. Week four: grounding, bonding and services. Week five: motors, transformers and special systems. Week six: North Carolina law and business plus full-length timed sets.
Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina issue a journeyman electrician license?
No. The state licenses electrical contractors in Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited classifications, plus special restricted classifications, rather than issuing statewide journeyman licenses.
What separates Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited?
The dollar value of a single project the licensee may undertake. Unlimited has no value cap. The thresholds are set by board rule and change, so verify current figures with the board.
Who is the qualified individual?
The person who passed the board's examination and is listed with the license. A licensed entity that loses its qualified individual must requalify to keep contracting.
Which code edition should I study?
The edition of the National Electrical Code that North Carolina has adopted with state amendments, which may not be the newest NEC published. Confirm with the board before buying a code book.
Is the exam open book?
The board publishes the permitted references and format in its current examination information. Check that bulletin before you schedule.
Are these real North Carolina exam questions?
No. Every question here is original CraftPATH material written to the same subject areas the exam covers. We do not reproduce live examination content.
How long should I study?
Experienced electricians typically need six to ten weeks, weighted toward load calculations, ampacity, grounding, and the North Carolina law and business material.