, Question 1
Under Tennessee's alarm contractor licensing statute, which of the following
best describes the qualifying agent's responsibility regarding supervision of
unlicensed installers?
A. The qualifying agent must be on-site for all installations.
B. The qualifying agent must directly supervise all work performed by
unlicensed personnel.
C. The qualifying agent must ensure that all work is performed under his
or her general supervision, but need not be physically present.
D. The qualifying agent may delegate supervision to any licensed
electrician.
Correct Answer: C - The qualifying agent must ensure that all
work is performed under his or her general supervision, but need
not be physically present.
RATIONALE
Tennessee law requires that the qualifying agent exercise general
supervision over all installations, but does not mandate physical
presence at every job site. Direct supervision is required for certain
tasks, but general supervision suffices for most work. Delegation to an
unlicensed electrician is not permitted unless that person is also a
qualifying agent.
Question 2
A burglar alarm control panel is powered by a 12 VDC, 7 Ah sealed lead-acid
battery. If the system draws a continuous 500 mA in standby and 1.2 A in
alarm, what is the minimum battery capacity required for 24 hours standby plus
5 minutes alarm, assuming 85% efficiency?
A. 12 Ah
B. 14.5 Ah
C. 16.2 Ah
Page 2
, D. 18.9 Ah
Correct Answer: B - 14.5 Ah
RATIONALE
Standby energy = 0.5 A × 24 h = 12 Ah. Alarm energy = 1.2 A ×
(5/60) h = 0.1 Ah. Total = 12.1 Ah. Adjusting for 85% efficiency: 12.1
/ 0.85 14.24 Ah, so a 14.5 Ah battery is the minimum standard size.
Other options are either too low or unnecessarily high.
Question 3
In a supervised burglary alarm circuit, which loop configuration provides the
highest level of security against tampering and wire faults?
A. Normally open (NO) circuit with end-of-line resistor
B. Normally closed (NC) circuit with end-of-line resistor
C. Fully supervised balanced circuit with dual end-of-line resistors
D. Multiplexed polling loop with addressable devices
Correct Answer: C - Fully supervised balanced circuit with dual
end-of-line resistors
RATIONALE
A fully supervised balanced circuit with dual end-of-line resistors can
detect opens, shorts, and ground faults, and is resistant to tampering
by jumper or substitution. NO and NC circuits with single EOL
resistors can be bypassed more easily. Multiplexed loops offer
supervision but may be less secure if not properly encrypted.
Question 4
Which of the following is a permissible method for grounding a burglar alarm
control panel per NEC Article 250?
A. Connect the panel's ground terminal to a nearby cold water pipe.
B. Connect the panel's ground terminal to the building's structural steel.
C. Connect the panel's ground terminal to a dedicated grounding
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, electrode conductor that runs to the service ground.
D. Connect the panel's ground terminal to the neutral bus in a subpanel.
Correct Answer: C - Connect the panel's ground terminal to a
dedicated grounding electrode conductor that runs to the service
ground.
RATIONALE
NEC Article 250 requires that equipment be grounded to a grounding
electrode conductor that connects to the grounding electrode system.
Using cold water pipes or structural steel is only allowed if they are
part of the grounding electrode system and properly bonded.
Connecting to the neutral bus in a subpanel is prohibited because it
creates a parallel neutral path.
Question 5
A central station receives an alarm signal but fails to notify the customer or
authorities within the time frame required by the local ordinance. Under
standard alarm industry practices, what is this failure called?
A. False alarm
B. Missed alarm
C. Failure to respond
D. Negligent monitoring
Correct Answer: B - Missed alarm
RATIONALE
A missed alarm occurs when a central station fails to take appropriate
action on a received alarm signal. False alarm refers to an alarm
triggered without an actual emergency. Failure to respond is a broader
term, but 'missed alarm' is the specific industry term. Negligent
monitoring is a legal characterization, not the standard term.
Page 4
Under Tennessee's alarm contractor licensing statute, which of the following
best describes the qualifying agent's responsibility regarding supervision of
unlicensed installers?
A. The qualifying agent must be on-site for all installations.
B. The qualifying agent must directly supervise all work performed by
unlicensed personnel.
C. The qualifying agent must ensure that all work is performed under his
or her general supervision, but need not be physically present.
D. The qualifying agent may delegate supervision to any licensed
electrician.
Correct Answer: C - The qualifying agent must ensure that all
work is performed under his or her general supervision, but need
not be physically present.
RATIONALE
Tennessee law requires that the qualifying agent exercise general
supervision over all installations, but does not mandate physical
presence at every job site. Direct supervision is required for certain
tasks, but general supervision suffices for most work. Delegation to an
unlicensed electrician is not permitted unless that person is also a
qualifying agent.
Question 2
A burglar alarm control panel is powered by a 12 VDC, 7 Ah sealed lead-acid
battery. If the system draws a continuous 500 mA in standby and 1.2 A in
alarm, what is the minimum battery capacity required for 24 hours standby plus
5 minutes alarm, assuming 85% efficiency?
A. 12 Ah
B. 14.5 Ah
C. 16.2 Ah
Page 2
, D. 18.9 Ah
Correct Answer: B - 14.5 Ah
RATIONALE
Standby energy = 0.5 A × 24 h = 12 Ah. Alarm energy = 1.2 A ×
(5/60) h = 0.1 Ah. Total = 12.1 Ah. Adjusting for 85% efficiency: 12.1
/ 0.85 14.24 Ah, so a 14.5 Ah battery is the minimum standard size.
Other options are either too low or unnecessarily high.
Question 3
In a supervised burglary alarm circuit, which loop configuration provides the
highest level of security against tampering and wire faults?
A. Normally open (NO) circuit with end-of-line resistor
B. Normally closed (NC) circuit with end-of-line resistor
C. Fully supervised balanced circuit with dual end-of-line resistors
D. Multiplexed polling loop with addressable devices
Correct Answer: C - Fully supervised balanced circuit with dual
end-of-line resistors
RATIONALE
A fully supervised balanced circuit with dual end-of-line resistors can
detect opens, shorts, and ground faults, and is resistant to tampering
by jumper or substitution. NO and NC circuits with single EOL
resistors can be bypassed more easily. Multiplexed loops offer
supervision but may be less secure if not properly encrypted.
Question 4
Which of the following is a permissible method for grounding a burglar alarm
control panel per NEC Article 250?
A. Connect the panel's ground terminal to a nearby cold water pipe.
B. Connect the panel's ground terminal to the building's structural steel.
C. Connect the panel's ground terminal to a dedicated grounding
Page 3
, electrode conductor that runs to the service ground.
D. Connect the panel's ground terminal to the neutral bus in a subpanel.
Correct Answer: C - Connect the panel's ground terminal to a
dedicated grounding electrode conductor that runs to the service
ground.
RATIONALE
NEC Article 250 requires that equipment be grounded to a grounding
electrode conductor that connects to the grounding electrode system.
Using cold water pipes or structural steel is only allowed if they are
part of the grounding electrode system and properly bonded.
Connecting to the neutral bus in a subpanel is prohibited because it
creates a parallel neutral path.
Question 5
A central station receives an alarm signal but fails to notify the customer or
authorities within the time frame required by the local ordinance. Under
standard alarm industry practices, what is this failure called?
A. False alarm
B. Missed alarm
C. Failure to respond
D. Negligent monitoring
Correct Answer: B - Missed alarm
RATIONALE
A missed alarm occurs when a central station fails to take appropriate
action on a received alarm signal. False alarm refers to an alarm
triggered without an actual emergency. Failure to respond is a broader
term, but 'missed alarm' is the specific industry term. Negligent
monitoring is a legal characterization, not the standard term.
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