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. A feeder supplies a 96-ampere continuous load and no noncontinuous load. The minimum feeder conductor ampacity before adjustment is:
Services, Feeders and Load Calculations · Medium · Objective: Apply the continuous load multiplier.
- A. 96 amperes
- B. 110 amperes
- C. 120 amperes (correct)
- D. 125 amperes
Correct answer: C. 120 amperes
Why this is right: Feeder conductors supplying continuous load must be sized at not less than 125 percent of that load. 96 x 1.25 = 120 amperes.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 96 amperes — 96 amperes is the load with no continuous-duty multiplier applied.
- B. 110 amperes — 110 amperes is a standard device rating but is below the required 120 amperes.
- D. 125 amperes — 125 amperes is the next standard device size above the requirement, not the minimum required ampacity.
Where this shows up on the job: Continuous commercial lighting and sign feeders are the most common place this multiplier gets skipped on a filing.
Code reference: NEC 215.2(A)(1) as adopted by the NYC Electrical Code
Common misconception: Applying 125 percent to the breaker only and leaving the conductor at load value.
Question 2. When calculating a service for a multifamily building using the standard method, the general lighting load is subject to:
Services, Feeders and Load Calculations · Hard · Objective: Apply multifamily demand factors.
- A. No demand factor at any point
- B. Demand factors applied to the total connected general lighting load (correct)
- C. A flat 50 percent reduction regardless of size
- D. A demand factor only if the building exceeds twenty stories
Correct answer: B. Demand factors applied to the total connected general lighting load
Why this is right: The standard method applies stepped demand factors to the total connected general lighting load, recognizing that all dwelling units never peak at once.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. No demand factor at any point — Without demand factors, every multifamily service would be grossly oversized.
- C. A flat 50 percent reduction regardless of size — The reduction is stepped by load bracket, not a single flat percentage.
- D. A demand factor only if the building exceeds twenty stories — Building height does not determine whether demand factors apply.
Where this shows up on the job: Demand factors are what make a 60-unit building service physically installable in an existing vault.
Code reference: NEC Article 220, Part III demand factor tables
Common misconception: Summing connected load without applying the demand factor tables.
Question 3. For electrical installations in the five boroughs, the enforceable technical requirements are found in:
Wiring Methods in New York City · Medium · Objective: Identify the governing technical code.
- A. The National Electrical Code exactly as published by NFPA
- B. The New York City Electrical Code, which adopts the NEC with local amendments (correct)
- C. The New York State Uniform Code only
- D. Department of Buildings bulletins alone
Correct answer: B. The New York City Electrical Code, which adopts the NEC with local amendments
Why this is right: New York City adopts the National Electrical Code with its own amendments and publishes it as the NYC Electrical Code. The city's amendments prevail over the unamended model text.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. The National Electrical Code exactly as published by NFPA — The published NEC applies only as adopted and amended by the city.
- C. The New York State Uniform Code only — The state uniform code does not govern New York City electrical work, which the city administers itself.
- D. Department of Buildings bulletins alone — Bulletins interpret and supplement the code; they do not replace it.
Where this shows up on the job: Contractors moving in from Long Island or New Jersey routinely fail inspections by installing wiring methods the city amendments restrict.
Code reference: New York City Electrical Code; NYC Administrative Code Title 27
Common misconception: Assuming the current NFPA edition is enforceable in New York City without checking amendments.
Question 4. The maximum permitted conduit fill for four or more current-carrying conductors in a single raceway is:
Wiring Methods in New York City · Hard · Objective: Apply conduit fill limits.
- A. 31 percent
- B. 40 percent (correct)
- C. 53 percent
- D. 60 percent
Correct answer: B. 40 percent
Why this is right: Chapter 9 limits fill to 53 percent for one conductor, 31 percent for two, and 40 percent for three or more conductors in a raceway.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 31 percent — 31 percent applies to exactly two conductors.
- C. 53 percent — 53 percent applies to a single conductor.
- D. 60 percent — 60 percent applies to short nipples not exceeding 24 inches, not to general raceway runs.
Where this shows up on the job: Pulling past 40 percent damages insulation and makes future adds impossible in the tight risers common in older buildings.
Code reference: NEC Chapter 9, Table 1 and Note 4
Common misconception: Using the nipple allowance of 60 percent on full-length raceway runs.
Question 5. A circuit is protected by a 200-ampere overcurrent device. The equipment grounding conductor is sized from:
Overcurrent Protection, Grounding and Bonding · Hard · Objective: Size an equipment grounding conductor.
- A. The overcurrent device rating (correct)
- B. The size of the ungrounded conductors
- C. The calculated load
- D. The grounding electrode conductor table
Correct answer: A. The overcurrent device rating
Why this is right: Equipment grounding conductors are sized from the rating of the overcurrent device protecting the circuit, because their job is to carry fault current long enough to open that device.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B. The size of the ungrounded conductors — Conductor size drives the grounding electrode conductor, not the equipment grounding conductor, although upsized conductors require a proportional increase.
- C. The calculated load — Calculated load determines conductor size, which is an earlier step.
- D. The grounding electrode conductor table — The grounding electrode conductor table answers a different question entirely.
Where this shows up on the job: Mixing up the two grounding tables is the most common error on service and feeder filings.
Code reference: NEC 250.122 for equipment grounding conductors; NEC 250.66 for grounding electrode conductors
Common misconception: Using one grounding table for every grounding question.
Question 6. In an existing masonry building with a metal underground water pipe in direct contact with earth for 12 feet, that pipe:
Overcurrent Protection, Grounding and Bonding · Medium · Objective: Identify grounding electrode requirements in existing buildings.
- A. May not be used as a grounding electrode
- B. Must be supplemented by an additional electrode (correct)
- C. Is sufficient as the sole electrode with no supplement
- D. May be used only if it is galvanized steel
Correct answer: B. Must be supplemented by an additional electrode
Why this is right: A metal underground water pipe electrode must be supplemented by an additional electrode, because plastic repairs or replacements can sever the path at any time.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. May not be used as a grounding electrode — A qualifying metal underground water pipe is a recognized electrode and must be used where present.
- C. Is sufficient as the sole electrode with no supplement — The supplemental electrode requirement exists precisely because the water pipe path is not permanent.
- D. May be used only if it is galvanized steel — The material of the pipe does not create or remove the supplement requirement.
Where this shows up on the job: Water main replacements in older neighborhoods regularly convert a grounded service into an ungrounded one without anyone noticing.
Code reference: NEC 250.52(A)(1) and 250.53(D)(2)
Common misconception: Treating the water pipe electrode as a complete grounding electrode system by itself.
Question 7. A system that supplies illumination and power essential for safety to human life and is legally required to be installed is classified as:
Motors, Elevators and Emergency Systems · Hard · Objective: Distinguish emergency from standby systems.
- A. An optional standby system
- B. An emergency system (correct)
- C. A legally required standby system used for firefighting communication only
- D. A separately derived system
Correct answer: B. An emergency system
Why this is right: Emergency systems supply loads essential to human life safety and are legally required, with the shortest permitted transfer time and the strictest wiring separation rules.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. An optional standby system — Optional standby serves loads whose failure is an economic inconvenience, not a life-safety hazard.
- C. A legally required standby system used for firefighting communication only — Legally required standby serves loads that aid firefighting and rescue but are not classed as immediately life-essential illumination.
- D. A separately derived system — A separately derived system is a source classification, not a load classification.
Where this shows up on the job: In high-rise work, mislabeling an emergency riser as standby changes the required separation, survivability, and testing regime.
Code reference: NEC Articles 700, 701 and 702
Common misconception: Using emergency, legally required standby, and optional standby as interchangeable terms.
Question 8. The disconnecting means for an elevator motor controller must be:
Motors, Elevators and Emergency Systems · Medium · Objective: Apply elevator disconnect requirements.
- A. Located anywhere in the building
- B. Lockable in the open position and located where it is visible from the controller or machine as required by the code (correct)
- C. Installed inside the hoistway only
- D. Omitted where the controller has an internal switch
Correct answer: B. Lockable in the open position and located where it is visible from the controller or machine as required by the code
Why this is right: Elevator disconnects must be lockable in the open position and located per Article 620 so a mechanic can positively isolate the equipment before working on it.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Located anywhere in the building — Arbitrary placement defeats the purpose of a disconnect a mechanic can verify.
- C. Installed inside the hoistway only — Hoistway placement is not the general requirement and creates its own hazards.
- D. Omitted where the controller has an internal switch — An internal control switch is not a substitute for a listed lockable disconnecting means.
Where this shows up on the job: Elevator mechanics will refuse to work on equipment they cannot positively lock out, and the inspector will back them.
Code reference: NEC Article 620, Part VI
Common misconception: Treating any nearby breaker as a compliant elevator disconnect.
Question 9. The practical difference between a NYC master electrician license and a special electrician license is:
Filing, Inspection and Supervision · Medium · Objective: Understand license scope.
- A. The master license permits contracting citywide; the special license is limited to a single specified employer or premises (correct)
- B. The special license permits more voltage
- C. The master license is residential only
- D. There is no difference other than the fee
Correct answer: A. The master license permits contracting citywide; the special license is limited to a single specified employer or premises
Why this is right: A master electrician may operate an electrical contracting business anywhere in the five boroughs. A special electrician license authorizes work only on the electrical systems of the specified employer or premises named on the license.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B. The special license permits more voltage — Neither license is defined by a voltage limit.
- C. The master license is residential only — The master license is not restricted to residential work.
- D. There is no difference other than the fee — The scope of authorized work differs substantially, not just the fee.
Where this shows up on the job: Special electricians who take outside side work are performing unlicensed contracting, and the Department of Buildings enforces it.
Code reference: New York City Department of Buildings electrician licensing requirements
Common misconception: Believing any DOB electrical license allows independent contracting.
Question 10. A licensed master electrician who allows an unaffiliated contractor to file work under the license in exchange for a fee is:
Filing, Inspection and Supervision · Hard · Objective: Apply supervisory responsibility.
- A. Operating normally, since filings are administrative
- B. Engaged in prohibited license lending, which exposes the holder to revocation and penalties (correct)
- C. Permitted if the work passes inspection
- D. Permitted if the fee is disclosed to the owner
Correct answer: B. Engaged in prohibited license lending, which exposes the holder to revocation and penalties
Why this is right: The license holder must actually direct and supervise the work performed under the license. Renting out the license is prohibited and is one of the most consistently penalized violations.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Operating normally, since filings are administrative — Filing under a license carries substantive supervisory responsibility, not just paperwork.
- C. Permitted if the work passes inspection — A passing inspection does not cure an unlawful filing relationship.
- D. Permitted if the fee is disclosed to the owner — Disclosure of a fee does not make license lending lawful.
Where this shows up on the job: License lending cases are how experienced electricians lose credentials they spent a decade earning.
Code reference: New York City Administrative Code licensing provisions and Department of Buildings rules
Common misconception: Treating a filing signature as an administrative formality rather than an assumption of responsibility.
Question 11. For equipment operating at 480 volts to ground with exposed live parts on one side and grounded parts on the other, the minimum depth of working space is generally:
Safety and Site Conditions · Medium · Objective: Apply working space rules.
- A. 3 feet
- B. 3 feet 6 inches (correct)
- C. 4 feet
- D. 5 feet
Correct answer: B. 3 feet 6 inches
Why this is right: For 151 to 600 volts to ground with exposed live parts on one side and grounded parts on the other, Condition 2 requires 3 feet 6 inches of clear working depth.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 3 feet — 3 feet is the Condition 1 value where no grounded or live parts are on the opposite side.
- C. 4 feet — 4 feet is the Condition 3 value where live parts are exposed on both sides.
- D. 5 feet — 5 feet applies at higher voltage ranges, not at 480 volts to ground.
Where this shows up on the job: Crowded electrical closets in existing buildings are where working-space violations get written, and correcting them after equipment is set is expensive.
Code reference: NEC 110.26(A)(1) and Table 110.26(A)(1)
Common misconception: Applying the 3-foot Condition 1 dimension to every installation regardless of what faces the equipment.
Question 12. Before working on equipment, the default expectation under recognized safe work practice is that the electrician will:
Safety and Site Conditions · Medium · Objective: Apply energized work rules.
- A. Work energized whenever a shutdown is inconvenient for the tenant
- B. Establish an electrically safe work condition through lockout, tagout, and verified absence of voltage (correct)
- C. Rely on rubber gloves alone
- D. Work energized if the circuit is under 240 volts
Correct answer: B. Establish an electrically safe work condition through lockout, tagout, and verified absence of voltage
Why this is right: The default is de-energizing and establishing an electrically safe work condition. Energized work requires a documented justification and additional controls, not convenience.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Work energized whenever a shutdown is inconvenient for the tenant — Tenant inconvenience is not a recognized justification for energized work.
- C. Rely on rubber gloves alone — Personal protective equipment supplements controls; it does not replace de-energizing.
- D. Work energized if the circuit is under 240 volts — Voltage level alone does not authorize energized work, and lower-voltage arc and shock hazards are still serious.
Where this shows up on the job: Occupied-building work creates constant pressure to stay hot. Documented lockout procedure is what protects both the worker and the license.
Code reference: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333 and 1926 Subpart K; NEC Article 110 safety provisions
Common misconception: Treating energized work as normal practice for small jobs.
How to study for the NYC master electrician exam
Confirm which DOB license you are pursuing
The master license authorizes electrical contracting throughout the five boroughs. The special license authorizes maintenance of one specified employer's or premises' electrical systems only. The experience documentation and the way the Department of Buildings verifies it differ, so settle this before you assemble affidavits, because a rejected experience package costs months.
Study the city amendments, not just the NEC
New York City adopts the National Electrical Code and amends it. The amendments are where candidates lose points, because they cover wiring methods restricted by occupancy and building construction class, service and metering arrangements, and requirements that have no counterpart in the model code. Get the current NYC Electrical Code and read the amended articles side by side with the NEC text you already know.
Drill service and feeder calculations for multifamily work
New York City work is dominated by apartment buildings, so demand factor tables, house-service loads, neutral calculations, and riser sizing are the highest-yield math on the exam. Practice running a complete multifamily service calculation from connected load through demand factors to conductor and device selection without stopping to look up the sequence.
Separate the grounding questions
Know cold which table answers which question: grounding electrode conductor sizing from the service conductors, equipment grounding conductor sizing from the overcurrent device, and bonding as a separate obligation for metal piping and structural steel. Existing masonry buildings add supplemental electrode questions that rarely come up in new construction.
Learn filing, inspection and supervision as tested material
The Department of Buildings tests process, not just physics: how permits are filed, the inspection and sign-off sequence, record keeping, and the license holder's non-delegable responsibility to supervise work performed under the license. License lending questions appear because the agency prosecutes it. Read the DOB rules directly rather than a summary.
Run a six-to-eight week plan and prepare for the oral component
Weeks one and two: services, feeders and load calculations. Week three: wiring methods and the city amendments. Week four: overcurrent, grounding and bonding. Week five: motors, elevators and emergency systems. Week six: filing, supervision and safety. Weeks seven and eight: full-length timed sets, plus spoken practice explaining installations out loud, because the practical or oral component rewards candidates who can articulate reasoning rather than only recognize an answer.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses electricians in New York City?
The New York City Department of Buildings licenses electricians directly. New York City is not covered by a state electrician license, so a license from elsewhere in New York does not authorize contracting in the five boroughs.
What is the difference between a master and a special electrician license?
A master electrician may operate an electrical contracting business anywhere in the city. A special electrician may only work on the electrical systems of the single employer or premises named on the license.
Which code does the exam use?
The New York City Electrical Code, which adopts the National Electrical Code with local amendments. Studying only the unamended NEC leaves gaps exactly where the exam concentrates.
How much experience do I need?
The Department of Buildings requires documented years of qualifying supervised electrical experience and verifies the affidavits. The current requirement and acceptable documentation are published by DOB, so we mark the specific figures pending.
Is there a practical or oral exam?
The licensing process includes a practical or oral component in addition to the written examination. Practice explaining installations aloud, not just recognizing correct answers.
Are these real Department of Buildings 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 multifamily load calculations, the city amendments, and the filing and supervision rules that field work never formally teaches.