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. Using the standard method, a 2,400 square foot dwelling has a general lighting load computed at how many volt-amperes before applying demand factors?
Service and Feeder Calculations · Hard · Objective: Perform a dwelling service calculation.
- A. 4,800 VA
- B. 7,200 VA (correct)
- C. 9,600 VA
- D. 12,000 VA
Correct answer: B. 7,200 VA
Why this is right: The general lighting and receptacle load for a dwelling is computed at 3 VA per square foot. 2,400 x 3 = 7,200 VA before the small-appliance and laundry branch circuits are added and before demand factors.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 4,800 VA — 2 VA per square foot is not the dwelling unit value.
- C. 9,600 VA — 4 VA per square foot overstates the dwelling general lighting load.
- D. 12,000 VA — 5 VA per square foot is not used for dwelling general lighting.
Where this shows up on the job: Service calculations are where master-level exams separate candidates; the arithmetic is easy, but knowing which loads get demand factors and which do not is what costs points.
Code reference: NEC Article 220, general lighting load and dwelling unit calculations
Common misconception: Adding the small-appliance branch circuits before applying the general lighting demand factor incorrectly.
Question 2. Applying the standard-method demand factors to a dwelling general lighting and receptacle load, the first 3,000 VA is taken at:
Service and Feeder Calculations · Hard · Objective: Apply demand factors.
- A. 35 percent
- B. 100 percent (correct)
- C. 75 percent
- D. 50 percent
Correct answer: B. 100 percent
Why this is right: Under the standard method the first 3,000 VA is taken at 100 percent, the portion from 3,001 to 120,000 VA at 35 percent, and the remainder at 25 percent.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 35 percent — 35 percent applies to the portion above 3,000 VA, not the first 3,000 VA.
- C. 75 percent — 75 percent is a demand factor used elsewhere, such as for four or more appliances on a feeder.
- D. 50 percent — 50 percent is used for some optional-method and motor-related calculations, not the first 3,000 VA here.
Where this shows up on the job: Getting the first tier wrong shifts the whole calculation and usually produces a service one size too small on paper.
Code reference: NEC Article 220, lighting load demand factors table
Common misconception: Applying 35 percent to the entire computed lighting load.
Question 3. For a continuous load supplied by a branch circuit, the overcurrent device and conductors must be sized at not less than:
Overcurrent Protection · Medium · Objective: Size motor branch-circuit protection.
- A. 100 percent of the continuous load
- B. 115 percent of the continuous load
- C. 125 percent of the continuous load (correct)
- D. 150 percent of the continuous load
Correct answer: C. 125 percent of the continuous load
Why this is right: Where a branch circuit supplies continuous loads, the rating of the overcurrent device must be at least 125 percent of the continuous load, unless the assembly is listed for operation at 100 percent.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 100 percent of the continuous load — Sizing at 100 percent ignores the heat rise of a load operating three hours or more.
- B. 115 percent of the continuous load — 115 percent is not an NEC sizing factor for continuous loads.
- D. 150 percent of the continuous load — 150 percent overshoots the requirement and can defeat conductor protection.
Where this shows up on the job: Continuous-load sizing is what drives commercial lighting and sign circuits to the next breaker size, and forgetting it is a classic plan-review comment.
Code reference: NEC Article 210, branch circuit ratings; Article 215 for feeders
Common misconception: Applying the 125 percent factor to the conductor but not the overcurrent device, or the reverse.
Question 4. Nine current-carrying conductors are installed in a single raceway. The allowable ampacity of each conductor must be adjusted to:
Overcurrent Protection · Hard · Objective: Apply conductor ampacity adjustment.
- A. 80 percent
- B. 70 percent (correct)
- C. 50 percent
- D. 60 percent
Correct answer: B. 70 percent
Why this is right: For 7 through 9 current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable, the adjustment factor is 70 percent of the allowable ampacity.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 80 percent — 80 percent applies to 4 through 6 current-carrying conductors.
- C. 50 percent — 50 percent applies to 21 through 30 current-carrying conductors.
- D. 60 percent — 60 percent is not one of the adjustment steps in the table.
Where this shows up on the job: Adjustment factors are why a raceway that looks legal on fill can still be a violation once you count the neutrals that carry harmonic current.
Code reference: NEC Article 310, conductor ampacity adjustment factors
Common misconception: Counting only the ungrounded conductors when the neutral is also a current-carrying conductor.
Question 5. The size of the grounding electrode conductor for an alternating-current system is determined primarily by:
Grounding and Bonding · Hard · Objective: Size the grounding electrode conductor.
- A. The size of the largest ungrounded service-entrance conductor (correct)
- B. The rating of the main overcurrent device
- C. The available fault current
- D. The length of the run to the electrode
Correct answer: A. The size of the largest ungrounded service-entrance conductor
Why this is right: The grounding electrode conductor is sized from the table based on the size of the largest ungrounded service-entrance conductor or equivalent area for parallel conductors, with specific maximums for certain electrode types.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B. The rating of the main overcurrent device — Equipment grounding conductors are sized from the overcurrent device rating; the grounding electrode conductor is not.
- C. The available fault current — Available fault current affects equipment ratings and some system studies, not the GEC table.
- D. The length of the run to the electrode — Length affects voltage drop considerations, not the GEC sizing table.
Where this shows up on the job: Master exams love the follow-up: the GEC to a ground rod never needs to be larger than 6 AWG copper, no matter how big the service is.
Code reference: NEC Article 250, grounding electrode conductor sizing
Common misconception: Sizing the grounding electrode conductor from the breaker rating instead of the service conductors.
Question 6. In a separately derived system, the system bonding jumper connects:
Grounding and Bonding · Medium · Objective: Distinguish grounded and grounding conductors.
- A. The equipment grounding conductor to the grounded conductor at the derived system (correct)
- B. Two grounding electrodes together
- C. The neutral bar to the isolated ground bar at every panel
- D. The service neutral to the utility transformer
Correct answer: A. The equipment grounding conductor to the grounded conductor at the derived system
Why this is right: The system bonding jumper is the connection between the equipment grounding conductor and the grounded conductor of a separately derived system, made at a single point.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B. Two grounding electrodes together — Connecting electrodes to one another is done with bonding jumpers to the grounding electrode system, which is a different conductor.
- C. The neutral bar to the isolated ground bar at every panel — Re-bonding neutral to ground at downstream panels creates objectionable parallel current paths and is prohibited.
- D. The service neutral to the utility transformer — The utility side connection is not the system bonding jumper of a derived system.
Where this shows up on the job: The single most common transformer install error is bonding neutral to ground both at the transformer and again at the downstream panel.
Code reference: NEC Article 250, separately derived systems
Common misconception: Bonding neutral to ground at more than one point in a derived system.
Question 7. A 45 kVA three-phase transformer has a 208Y/120-volt secondary. The approximate full-load secondary current is:
Transformers and Motors · Hard · Objective: Compute transformer current.
- A. 125 amperes (correct)
- B. 145 amperes
- C. 180 amperes
- D. 216 amperes
Correct answer: A. 125 amperes
Why this is right: Three-phase current equals VA divided by (voltage x 1.732). 45,000 / (208 x 1.732) = 45,000 / 360.3, which is about 125 amperes.
Why the other options are wrong:
- B. 145 amperes — 145 amperes results from using a single-phase formula variant or the wrong voltage.
- C. 180 amperes — 180 amperes would correspond to a larger transformer or a lower secondary voltage.
- D. 216 amperes — 216 amperes comes from dividing by 208 without the 1.732 factor.
Where this shows up on the job: Getting secondary current right drives the secondary conductor, protection, and panel selection on every commercial transformer install.
Code reference: NEC Article 450 with standard three-phase power relationships
Common misconception: Forgetting the square root of three in three-phase current calculations.
Question 8. Branch-circuit conductors supplying a single continuous-duty motor must have an ampacity of at least:
Transformers and Motors · Hard · Objective: Size motor conductors.
- A. 100 percent of the motor nameplate current
- B. 115 percent of the motor nameplate current
- C. 125 percent of the motor full-load current from the NEC tables (correct)
- D. 250 percent of the motor full-load current
Correct answer: C. 125 percent of the motor full-load current from the NEC tables
Why this is right: Motor branch-circuit conductors are sized at 125 percent of the full-load current value taken from the NEC motor tables, not from the nameplate.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. 100 percent of the motor nameplate current — Sizing at 100 percent leaves no margin for the motor's continuous operation.
- B. 115 percent of the motor nameplate current — 115 percent is not an NEC motor conductor factor.
- D. 250 percent of the motor full-load current — 250 percent is in the range used for short-circuit and ground-fault protective device sizing, not conductors.
Where this shows up on the job: Using nameplate amps instead of table values is the mistake that shows up in the field, and the exam tests it deliberately.
Code reference: NEC Article 430, motor branch-circuit conductor sizing
Common misconception: Using nameplate full-load amps for conductor sizing and table values for overload sizing, which is backwards.
Question 9. GFCI protection for personnel is intended to protect against:
Special Occupancies and Equipment · Medium · Objective: Apply GFCI requirements.
- A. Overloads on the branch circuit
- B. Short circuits between conductors
- C. Line-to-ground fault current at levels below what a breaker detects (correct)
- D. Voltage sags at the panel
Correct answer: C. Line-to-ground fault current at levels below what a breaker detects
Why this is right: A GFCI device opens on small ground-fault currents, in the milliampere range, that are far below the level an overcurrent device would ever see.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Overloads on the branch circuit — Overload protection is the job of the overcurrent device and motor overloads.
- B. Short circuits between conductors — A short circuit between conductors is cleared by the overcurrent device.
- D. Voltage sags at the panel — Voltage sags are a power quality issue, not a GFCI function.
Where this shows up on the job: This distinction matters when a customer asks why their breaker did not trip during a shock incident; the breaker was never going to.
Code reference: NEC Article 210 GFCI provisions; Article 100 definitions
Common misconception: Confusing GFCI protection with GFPE, which protects equipment at much higher trip levels.
Question 10. A Class I, Division 1 location is one in which:
Special Occupancies and Equipment · Hard · Objective: Classify hazardous locations.
- A. Combustible dust is present in the air under normal conditions
- B. Ignitible fibers are handled or stored
- C. Flammable gases or vapors are present in the air under normal operating conditions (correct)
- D. Only nonconductive dust is present
Correct answer: C. Flammable gases or vapors are present in the air under normal operating conditions
Why this is right: Class I covers flammable gases, flammable liquid-produced vapors, and combustible liquid-produced vapors, and Division 1 means those are present under normal operating conditions.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. Combustible dust is present in the air under normal conditions — Combustible dust is Class II.
- B. Ignitible fibers are handled or stored — Ignitible fibers and flyings are Class III.
- D. Only nonconductive dust is present — Nonconductive dust falls under Class II group classifications, not Class I.
Where this shows up on the job: Getting class, division, and group right determines every fitting, seal, and enclosure you are allowed to buy for the job.
Code reference: NEC Articles 500 through 503, hazardous (classified) locations
Common misconception: Assuming Division 1 means 'more dangerous material' rather than 'present under normal conditions.'
Question 11. Electrical licenses in Texas are issued by:
Texas Rules and Licensing · Medium · Objective: Identify licensing authority.
- A. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
- B. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) (correct)
- C. Each municipality independently
- D. The National Electrical Contractors Association
Correct answer: B. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
Why this is right: TDLR administers the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act and issues apprentice, journeyman, master, and contractor electrical licenses statewide.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners — TSBPE licenses plumbers, not electricians.
- C. Each municipality independently — Municipalities issue permits and enforce the code but do not issue state electrical licenses.
- D. The National Electrical Contractors Association — NECA is a trade association and does not license anyone.
Where this shows up on the job: Knowing the agency matters for renewals, continuing education, and reciprocity questions that come up the first time you work out of state.
Code reference: Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1305 (Electricians)
Common misconception: Assuming a city electrical registration substitutes for a TDLR license.
Question 12. In Texas, the practical difference between a journeyman and a master electrician license is that a master:
Texas Rules and Licensing · Medium · Objective: Understand master-level responsibility.
- A. May work without any continuing education
- B. Is qualified to plan, lay out, and supervise electrical installation work and can serve as the license holder for an electrical contractor (correct)
- C. Is exempt from the National Electrical Code
- D. May only perform residential work
Correct answer: B. Is qualified to plan, lay out, and supervise electrical installation work and can serve as the license holder for an electrical contractor
Why this is right: The master license authorizes planning, laying out, and supervising installations, and a master license holder is what allows an electrical contractor license to be issued and maintained.
Why the other options are wrong:
- A. May work without any continuing education — Continuing education is required for renewal at every license level.
- C. Is exempt from the National Electrical Code — No license level exempts anyone from the adopted code.
- D. May only perform residential work — There is no residential-only restriction on a master license.
Where this shows up on the job: The master license is the gate to contracting for yourself in Texas, which is why most electricians pursue it well before they plan to open a shop.
Code reference: Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1305; TDLR electrician program rules
Common misconception: Thinking a master license alone lets you contract; the contractor license is separate and requires insurance.
How to study for the Texas master electrician exam
Confirm the adopted NEC edition before anything else
Texas adopts a specific edition of the National Electrical Code, and your examination is written against the edition in force when you test. Article numbers move between cycles and requirements such as GFCI and AFCI coverage expand nearly every cycle. Buy the correct edition, tab that copy, and study out of the same book you will carry into the exam room.
Make the calculation chapters automatic
Master-level exams shift weight toward Article 220 calculations. Work standard-method and optional-method dwelling calculations until you can do them without the book, then move to multifamily and commercial loads, feeder neutral sizing, and the demand factors for ranges, dryers, and kitchen equipment. Write out each step the same way every time so a long question cannot derail you.
Drill ampacity as a three-step process
Start at the table ampacity for the insulation and conductor, apply the ambient temperature correction, then apply the adjustment factor for the number of current-carrying conductors, and finally check the terminal temperature limitation. Most missed ampacity questions come from skipping one of those steps or from miscounting which conductors carry current.
Own Article 250
Grounding and bonding is where master candidates lose the most points, because the vocabulary is precise and the sizing rules come from two different places. Know cold the difference between the grounding electrode conductor sized from the service conductors and the equipment grounding conductor sized from the overcurrent device, the maximum required GEC for a rod electrode, and where the main bonding jumper and system bonding jumper each belong.
Practice code navigation against a clock
An open-book exam is a lookup speed test. Tab the index, the calculation tables, Table 310.16, the motor tables in Article 430, Chapter 9 tables and Annex C. Then practice going from question stem to correct table in fifteen seconds or less. Candidates who fail an open-book exam almost always ran out of time rather than out of knowledge.
Run a six-week plan
Weeks one and two: Article 220 calculations. Week three: ampacity, overcurrent protection, and conductor sizing. Week four: Article 250 grounding and bonding. Week five: transformers, motors, and Chapters 5 and 6. Week six: Chapter 1305 rules plus full-length timed mixed sets under exam conditions.