CFESA Master Technician Exam 2026/2027 | Complete Practice
Questions & Answers | Electrical, Gas, Steam & Refrigeration
SECTION 1: ELECTRICAL FUNDAMENTALS — QUESTIONS 1–65
1. What is the primary purpose of a circuit breaker in commercial food
equipment?
A. Increase voltage
B. Protect the circuit from excessive current
C. Reduce resistance
D. Increase motor speed
Correct Answer: B. Protect the circuit from excessive current
Rationale: A circuit breaker opens the circuit when current exceeds its rated safe
level.
2. Ohm's law is expressed as:
A. P = VI
B. V = IR
C. I = VR
D. R = VI
Correct Answer: B. V = IR
Rationale: Voltage equals current multiplied by resistance.
3. A 120-V circuit has a resistance of 20 Ω. What current flows?
A. 2 A
B. 4 A
C. 6 A
D. 10 A
Correct Answer: C. 6 A
Rationale: I = V/R = 120/20 = 6 A.
,4. Electrical power is calculated using:
A. P = VI
B. P = V/R
C. P = R/I
D. P = I/V
Correct Answer: A. P = VI
Rationale: Electrical power in watts equals voltage multiplied by current.
5. What happens to total resistance when resistors are connected in parallel?
A. It is greater than every individual resistor
B. It equals the largest resistor
C. It is less than the smallest branch resistance
D. It becomes infinite
Correct Answer: C. It is less than the smallest branch resistance
Rationale: Parallel branches provide multiple paths for current.
6. In a series circuit, current is:
A. Different through every component
B. The same through each component
C. Always zero
D. Higher at the load than the source
Correct Answer: B. The same through each component
Rationale: A series circuit has one current path.
7. What instrument is primarily used to measure electrical resistance?
A. Ammeter
B. Ohmmeter
C. Manometer
D. Thermometer
Correct Answer: B. Ohmmeter
Rationale: An ohmmeter measures resistance in ohms.
,8. Before measuring resistance on a component, the technician should normally:
A. Energize the circuit
B. Increase supply voltage
C. De-energize the circuit
D. Short the component
Correct Answer: C. De-energize the circuit
Rationale: Resistance measurements are normally made with power removed.
9. What is the main purpose of grounding?
A. Increase amperage
B. Provide a low-resistance path for fault current
C. Increase heating capacity
D. Reduce refrigerant pressure
Correct Answer: B. Provide a low-resistance path for fault current
Rationale: Grounding helps direct fault current safely and allows protective
devices to operate.
10. A transformer primarily changes:
A. Refrigerant pressure
B. Voltage level
C. Gas composition
D. Water hardness
Correct Answer: B. Voltage level
Rationale: Transformers transfer electrical energy between circuits and can step
voltage up or down.
11. A step-down transformer:
A. Raises secondary voltage
B. Lowers secondary voltage
C. Converts AC directly to DC
D. Eliminates current
, Correct Answer: B. Lowers secondary voltage
Rationale: A step-down transformer produces a lower secondary voltage than its
primary.
12. What does an open circuit represent?
A. An unintended low-resistance path
B. A complete current path
C. A broken or interrupted current path
D. Excessive refrigerant flow
Correct Answer: C. A broken or interrupted current path
Rationale: Current cannot normally flow across an open circuit.
13. A short circuit generally creates:
A. Very high resistance
B. A low-resistance unintended path
C. No current
D. Lower line frequency
Correct Answer: B. A low-resistance unintended path
Rationale: A short can produce excessive current.
14. What component commonly controls motor starting current and operation
in a commercial appliance?
A. Contactor
B. Thermometer
C. Drain valve
D. Pressure gauge
Correct Answer: A. Contactor
Rationale: Contactors switch electrical power to larger loads such as motors and
heaters.
15. A relay is primarily used to:
Questions & Answers | Electrical, Gas, Steam & Refrigeration
SECTION 1: ELECTRICAL FUNDAMENTALS — QUESTIONS 1–65
1. What is the primary purpose of a circuit breaker in commercial food
equipment?
A. Increase voltage
B. Protect the circuit from excessive current
C. Reduce resistance
D. Increase motor speed
Correct Answer: B. Protect the circuit from excessive current
Rationale: A circuit breaker opens the circuit when current exceeds its rated safe
level.
2. Ohm's law is expressed as:
A. P = VI
B. V = IR
C. I = VR
D. R = VI
Correct Answer: B. V = IR
Rationale: Voltage equals current multiplied by resistance.
3. A 120-V circuit has a resistance of 20 Ω. What current flows?
A. 2 A
B. 4 A
C. 6 A
D. 10 A
Correct Answer: C. 6 A
Rationale: I = V/R = 120/20 = 6 A.
,4. Electrical power is calculated using:
A. P = VI
B. P = V/R
C. P = R/I
D. P = I/V
Correct Answer: A. P = VI
Rationale: Electrical power in watts equals voltage multiplied by current.
5. What happens to total resistance when resistors are connected in parallel?
A. It is greater than every individual resistor
B. It equals the largest resistor
C. It is less than the smallest branch resistance
D. It becomes infinite
Correct Answer: C. It is less than the smallest branch resistance
Rationale: Parallel branches provide multiple paths for current.
6. In a series circuit, current is:
A. Different through every component
B. The same through each component
C. Always zero
D. Higher at the load than the source
Correct Answer: B. The same through each component
Rationale: A series circuit has one current path.
7. What instrument is primarily used to measure electrical resistance?
A. Ammeter
B. Ohmmeter
C. Manometer
D. Thermometer
Correct Answer: B. Ohmmeter
Rationale: An ohmmeter measures resistance in ohms.
,8. Before measuring resistance on a component, the technician should normally:
A. Energize the circuit
B. Increase supply voltage
C. De-energize the circuit
D. Short the component
Correct Answer: C. De-energize the circuit
Rationale: Resistance measurements are normally made with power removed.
9. What is the main purpose of grounding?
A. Increase amperage
B. Provide a low-resistance path for fault current
C. Increase heating capacity
D. Reduce refrigerant pressure
Correct Answer: B. Provide a low-resistance path for fault current
Rationale: Grounding helps direct fault current safely and allows protective
devices to operate.
10. A transformer primarily changes:
A. Refrigerant pressure
B. Voltage level
C. Gas composition
D. Water hardness
Correct Answer: B. Voltage level
Rationale: Transformers transfer electrical energy between circuits and can step
voltage up or down.
11. A step-down transformer:
A. Raises secondary voltage
B. Lowers secondary voltage
C. Converts AC directly to DC
D. Eliminates current
, Correct Answer: B. Lowers secondary voltage
Rationale: A step-down transformer produces a lower secondary voltage than its
primary.
12. What does an open circuit represent?
A. An unintended low-resistance path
B. A complete current path
C. A broken or interrupted current path
D. Excessive refrigerant flow
Correct Answer: C. A broken or interrupted current path
Rationale: Current cannot normally flow across an open circuit.
13. A short circuit generally creates:
A. Very high resistance
B. A low-resistance unintended path
C. No current
D. Lower line frequency
Correct Answer: B. A low-resistance unintended path
Rationale: A short can produce excessive current.
14. What component commonly controls motor starting current and operation
in a commercial appliance?
A. Contactor
B. Thermometer
C. Drain valve
D. Pressure gauge
Correct Answer: A. Contactor
Rationale: Contactors switch electrical power to larger loads such as motors and
heaters.
15. A relay is primarily used to:
