Journeyman Electrician Licensing Exam
Practice Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationale 2026
Q&A| Instant Download Pdf
1. An electrician is installing a new branch circuit in a commercial building
where multiple continuous lighting loads will operate for more than
three hours. The calculated continuous load on the branch circuit is 24
amperes. According to standard electrical code requirements, what is
the minimum ampere rating of the branch-circuit overcurrent
protective device that should be selected?
A. 25 A
B. 30 A
C. 35 A
D. 40 A
Rationale: Continuous loads must generally be calculated at 125% of their
actual load. Multiplying 24 amperes by 125% equals 30 amperes, making a
30-ampere overcurrent protective device the minimum acceptable rating.
, 2. While troubleshooting a single-phase motor that repeatedly trips its
overload protection shortly after startup, the electrician measures
normal supply voltage and finds that the shaft is difficult to rotate by
hand with power disconnected. Which condition is the most likely
cause of the overload tripping?
A. Open start winding
B. Low branch-circuit voltage
C. Mechanical binding of the motor or driven equipment
D. Excessively large supply conductors
Rationale: A mechanically bound motor requires significantly higher
current to start and operate, causing overload devices to trip even when
the electrical supply is normal.
3. An electrician is installing equipment grounding conductors in a
raceway containing multiple branch-circuit conductors. What is the
primary purpose of an equipment grounding conductor?
A. To provide a normal return path for load current
B. To reduce conductor voltage drop during normal operation
C. To provide a low-impedance fault-current path that facilitates operation
of overcurrent devices
D. To stabilize transformer secondary voltage during peak demand
,Rationale: Equipment grounding conductors are intended to safely carry
fault current back to the source, allowing protective devices to open
quickly and reduce shock and fire hazards.
4. Before performing maintenance on a motor control center, an
electrician follows lockout/tagout procedures. What is the next critical
step before beginning work after all disconnecting means have been
locked and tagged?
A. Remove all grounding conductors
B. Notify the equipment manufacturer
C. Replace all fuses with lower-rated fuses
D. Verify the absence of voltage using an adequately rated test instrument
Rationale: Lockout/tagout alone does not guarantee de-energization.
Electrical workers must always verify the absence of voltage with an
appropriate test instrument before touching conductors or equipment.
5. A three-phase induction motor rotates in the opposite direction from
the required equipment rotation after installation. What is the
simplest method of correcting the motor rotation?
A. Reverse the equipment grounding conductor
B. Replace the motor overload relay
C. Interchange any two ungrounded phase conductors
D. Increase the branch-circuit conductor size
, Rationale: Swapping any two phase conductors reverses the phase
sequence, causing the motor to rotate in the opposite direction.
6. Which electrical measuring instrument is specifically designed to
measure current without disconnecting the conductor from the
circuit?
A. Megohmmeter
B. Wattmeter
C. Voltmeter
D. Clamp-on ammeter
Rationale: A clamp-on ammeter measures magnetic fields surrounding a
conductor, allowing current measurements without opening the circuit.
7. An electrician measures 120 volts across a receptacle but finds that
connected equipment will not operate because the circuit cannot
deliver sufficient current under load. Which condition is the most likely
explanation?
A. Equipment grounding conductor is oversized
B. High-resistance connection somewhere in the circuit
C. Circuit breaker has excessive interrupting capacity
D. Neutral conductor has lower resistance than intended
Rationale: High-resistance connections can allow full voltage readings with
little or no load but cause excessive voltage drop when equipment draws
current.
Practice Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationale 2026
Q&A| Instant Download Pdf
1. An electrician is installing a new branch circuit in a commercial building
where multiple continuous lighting loads will operate for more than
three hours. The calculated continuous load on the branch circuit is 24
amperes. According to standard electrical code requirements, what is
the minimum ampere rating of the branch-circuit overcurrent
protective device that should be selected?
A. 25 A
B. 30 A
C. 35 A
D. 40 A
Rationale: Continuous loads must generally be calculated at 125% of their
actual load. Multiplying 24 amperes by 125% equals 30 amperes, making a
30-ampere overcurrent protective device the minimum acceptable rating.
, 2. While troubleshooting a single-phase motor that repeatedly trips its
overload protection shortly after startup, the electrician measures
normal supply voltage and finds that the shaft is difficult to rotate by
hand with power disconnected. Which condition is the most likely
cause of the overload tripping?
A. Open start winding
B. Low branch-circuit voltage
C. Mechanical binding of the motor or driven equipment
D. Excessively large supply conductors
Rationale: A mechanically bound motor requires significantly higher
current to start and operate, causing overload devices to trip even when
the electrical supply is normal.
3. An electrician is installing equipment grounding conductors in a
raceway containing multiple branch-circuit conductors. What is the
primary purpose of an equipment grounding conductor?
A. To provide a normal return path for load current
B. To reduce conductor voltage drop during normal operation
C. To provide a low-impedance fault-current path that facilitates operation
of overcurrent devices
D. To stabilize transformer secondary voltage during peak demand
,Rationale: Equipment grounding conductors are intended to safely carry
fault current back to the source, allowing protective devices to open
quickly and reduce shock and fire hazards.
4. Before performing maintenance on a motor control center, an
electrician follows lockout/tagout procedures. What is the next critical
step before beginning work after all disconnecting means have been
locked and tagged?
A. Remove all grounding conductors
B. Notify the equipment manufacturer
C. Replace all fuses with lower-rated fuses
D. Verify the absence of voltage using an adequately rated test instrument
Rationale: Lockout/tagout alone does not guarantee de-energization.
Electrical workers must always verify the absence of voltage with an
appropriate test instrument before touching conductors or equipment.
5. A three-phase induction motor rotates in the opposite direction from
the required equipment rotation after installation. What is the
simplest method of correcting the motor rotation?
A. Reverse the equipment grounding conductor
B. Replace the motor overload relay
C. Interchange any two ungrounded phase conductors
D. Increase the branch-circuit conductor size
, Rationale: Swapping any two phase conductors reverses the phase
sequence, causing the motor to rotate in the opposite direction.
6. Which electrical measuring instrument is specifically designed to
measure current without disconnecting the conductor from the
circuit?
A. Megohmmeter
B. Wattmeter
C. Voltmeter
D. Clamp-on ammeter
Rationale: A clamp-on ammeter measures magnetic fields surrounding a
conductor, allowing current measurements without opening the circuit.
7. An electrician measures 120 volts across a receptacle but finds that
connected equipment will not operate because the circuit cannot
deliver sufficient current under load. Which condition is the most likely
explanation?
A. Equipment grounding conductor is oversized
B. High-resistance connection somewhere in the circuit
C. Circuit breaker has excessive interrupting capacity
D. Neutral conductor has lower resistance than intended
Rationale: High-resistance connections can allow full voltage readings with
little or no load but cause excessive voltage drop when equipment draws
current.
