NEC code

Can anyone tell me what chapters out of NEC I should concentrate on? There seems to be some topics that are not relevant to the exam. Also, could you guys give me some tips on what would be best method to familiarize with the code? I got the Mike holt index and I'm also planning to get the index tabs. I have never used NEC code at work till now and book looks daunting..

Thanks for your comments

The code can be intimidating if you've never used it before. Articles 250 and 310 are very important, but they can ask questions on any subject they want. October's exam asked some pecular questions. Try to understand how to use the index in the back. That is probably the best advice I can offer. Good luck!

I believe the code questions are wide open, they want to make sure you can find anything in it and the questions are usually very specific so that they have a definite answer from the text. Tabbing the code is a great idea, it makes the look up much faster. You may want to find a more detailed index than the back of the book. I had an index look up guide from an old 2005 NEC, but it was a lot better index than what I could find for the current one. The NEC questions are going to be on there guarenteed, but they are a time drain unless you get familar with it. Good Luck!

I had success studying/using the NEC Handbook. I hadn't touched the NEC in my job, and some of the practice tests along with the NEC Handbook examples were good enough resources. They at least got you moving around in the book to the major sections enough to know where to go for certain topics.

They can definitely be a time drain. I know a few of my questions were "trick" in that the answer was fairly easy to find and obvious, but the definition was the catch. If you had the wrong definition for a certain term, you were going to get the answer wrong. And of course, the wrong "obvious" answer was an option...

The entire NEC is relevant. NCEES makes a point to include some "less common", application specific questions from the NEC. But you shouldn't fret. The goal isn't to memorize the NEC, but rather be familiar enough to use the NEC as a reference to find the answer during the test. With that said, the bulk of the questions will come from chapters 2-4 and 9. When using the tables, pay special attension to ensure that you've selected the right table and/or column for the application. Also be sure read all the footnotes. Small details often trip people up.

Thank you all for the tips.

I bought the NEC quizzes module from Mike Holt website, can anyone tell me if they are useful? I did around 8 tests so far and they have helped me familiarize with the index and what to look for in the index based on a question. I would like to know if the quizzes have any calculation related problems, the ones i did so far have all been theory.

The NCEES Sample Questions and Solutions contain calculation based NEC practice problems.

The October 2012 power exam did not have many calculation problems. The majority of them were "theorectical". You would have to analyze the information in a given example and apply the appropriate code section(s) to it. Some where a little tricky but overall they had an answer that could be found directly in one of the code sections.

Sorry to hijack..should I bring the code book or the handbook?

I think you have to bring either codebook or the Handbook.

Handbook, it is easier to follow than code book, unless you already use it and feel very proficient at it. Handbook is advised for the rookies.

Does anyone recommend reading Chapters 2-4 of the NEC? they are about 700 pages, and I was able to read chapter 2 to get an idea of the organization and what to expect. It's a bit time taking so I was wondering if you guys recommend reading those chapters.

What do you guys think about "Stallcups's Electrical design" for NEC. Someone has recommended it one of the past posts for NEC.

iwire said:

Sorry to hijack..should I bring the code book or the handbook?

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I'd recommend bringing both. May not need one or the other but at least you'd have it if you do.

PE blues said:

Does anyone recommend reading Chapters 2-4 of the NEC? they are about 700 pages, and I was able to read chapter 2 to get an idea of the organization and what to expect. It's a bit time taking so I was wondering if you guys recommend reading those chapters.

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The whole NEC is ~ 900 pages (including index). Chapter 4 ends on page 388 or so.

That said I wouldn't read it anyway. Learn where the important tables are and learn how to use the index and chapters to find what you need.

If you are not familiar with NEC I would buy CI's 2011 Electric Code Drill book. This would give you good practice on how to find information in NEC and you will become familiar with the code. I does not have many calculation problems (Ampacity, Voltage Drop etc).

The tabs that are available for the NEC code book will they work with the handbook also?

sbsklewis said:

The tabs that are available for the NEC code book will they work with the handbook also?

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YES

sbsklewis said:

The tabs that are available for the NEC code book will they work with the handbook also?

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Tabs are great for either. I actually bought the 2011 tabs for my 2008 handbook and the majority of the tabs applies (might have had to move one or two to a new table name).

In my daily routine, I use the 2008 handbook, simply because its tabbed and easier to follow. However, for the test I brought the 2011 code book since it was the newer version. While practicing I used the code book to familiarize myself with the text. Either way you're good, just make sure you bring whichever version they're using for the exam as table names/numbers may changed.

Several people have recommended bringing the latest version of NEC. I've got a copy of the 2008 handbook from work and I'd rather not pay $100-200 to get the 2011 version. Do you think I'd be making a mistake if I used the 2008 version on the exam?

Thanks.