NATIONAL HOME INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION
EVALUATION 2026 COMPREHENSIVE
QUESTIONS ANSWERS
◉ panel (panelboard, load center. Answer: the equipment on which
circuit breakers or fuses are mounted; panels include associated
terminal bars; a panelboard is contained in an enclosure; first and
usually the largest panel is often referred to as the main panel or
service panel; however, there are no generally accepted terms to
identify panels.
◉ power. Answer: a measure of the work performed by electricity;
unit of measure is the Watt.
◉ Raceway. Answer: enclosed metallic or nonmetallic components
designed and listed for holding conductors or cables between points
in the electricity distribution system of the house; examples include
various types of conduit and tubing.
◉ Receptacle. Answer: an outlet designed to accept a plug that
supplies electricity to an appliance.
◉ Resistance. Answer: the property of a material to allow or restrict
the flow of electricity; materials with low resistance are conductors
,and materials with high resistance are insulators; unit of measure is
the Ohm.
◉ Service Drop and Service Lateral. Answer: the conductors
between the transformer belonging to the utility and the house, a
service drop is above ground and a service lateral is below ground.
◉ Service entrance conductors. Answer: the conductors between the
service drop or service lateral and the service equipment.
◉ Service equipment. Answer: the circuit breakers, switches,or fuses
that shut off electricity to the house; all electricity should be shut off
using six or fewer circuit breakers, switches, or fuses; often called
the main shutoff or main disconnect.
◉ Service Point. Answer: the place where the service drop or service
lateral conductors end and house service entrance conductors begin;
this is usually at the drip loops for service drops; the service point
for service laterals is more difficult to distinguish, but is often at the
meter.
◉ Single phase electrical service. Answer: electrical service
consisting oh two energized 120 volt conductors and one grounded
conductor; this is by far the most common residential electrical
service.
,◉ short circuit. Answer: this entry occurs when current flows
between conductors in an unintended manner, such as between the
hot and neutral conductors.
◉ Sub Panel. Answer: a panelboard that receives power from an
upstream panelboard, usually the main panelboard; also called a
downstream or a distribution panel; however, there are no generally
accepted terms to identify panels.
◉ Tabs (twistouts). Answer: rectangular metal pieces on the dead
front cover that are removed before installing a circuit breaker; a tab
must be replaced by a filler plate if a tab has been removed and no
circuit breaker is installed. See knockouts.
◉ terminal bars. Answer: metal bars associated with a panelboard
on which neutral and equipped grounding conductors (EGCs) are
mounted; called a neutral bar when neutral conductors or neutral
and EGCs are connected; called a ground bar if only EGCs are
connected.
◉ Three Phase electrical service. Answer: electrical service
consisting of three energized conductors and one grounded
connector; this service is mostly for commercial and industrial
buildings.
, ◉ Voltage. Answer: the pressure of electricity in a circuit, similar to
water pressure in a pipe, unit of measure is the Volt
◉ Wiring methods. Answer: cables and raceways approved for
distributing electricity from the service point to panelboards and
outlets; examples include armored cable, nonmetallic sheathed
cable, and various types of conduit and tubing.
◉ Air Conditioning. Answer: this term, broadly defined, includes
heating, cooling, humidification, dehumidification, ventilation, and
air filtration. Air conditioning, as the term is typically used in
residential construction refers to the cooling, dehumidification,
ventilation, and air filtration functions.
◉ Air conditioning system (central). Answer: a system that includes
an air handler or a furnace, an evaporator coil, and a condenser unit
that cools a house by removing heat from the house and moving the
heat outside. See also Heat Pump and Split (air conditioning) system.
◉ air handler. Answer: the inside unit of a heat pump containing a
fan, evaporator coil, and associated control and operating parts; air
handler is sometimes used to describe a fuel-fired forced hot air
furnace.
EVALUATION 2026 COMPREHENSIVE
QUESTIONS ANSWERS
◉ panel (panelboard, load center. Answer: the equipment on which
circuit breakers or fuses are mounted; panels include associated
terminal bars; a panelboard is contained in an enclosure; first and
usually the largest panel is often referred to as the main panel or
service panel; however, there are no generally accepted terms to
identify panels.
◉ power. Answer: a measure of the work performed by electricity;
unit of measure is the Watt.
◉ Raceway. Answer: enclosed metallic or nonmetallic components
designed and listed for holding conductors or cables between points
in the electricity distribution system of the house; examples include
various types of conduit and tubing.
◉ Receptacle. Answer: an outlet designed to accept a plug that
supplies electricity to an appliance.
◉ Resistance. Answer: the property of a material to allow or restrict
the flow of electricity; materials with low resistance are conductors
,and materials with high resistance are insulators; unit of measure is
the Ohm.
◉ Service Drop and Service Lateral. Answer: the conductors
between the transformer belonging to the utility and the house, a
service drop is above ground and a service lateral is below ground.
◉ Service entrance conductors. Answer: the conductors between the
service drop or service lateral and the service equipment.
◉ Service equipment. Answer: the circuit breakers, switches,or fuses
that shut off electricity to the house; all electricity should be shut off
using six or fewer circuit breakers, switches, or fuses; often called
the main shutoff or main disconnect.
◉ Service Point. Answer: the place where the service drop or service
lateral conductors end and house service entrance conductors begin;
this is usually at the drip loops for service drops; the service point
for service laterals is more difficult to distinguish, but is often at the
meter.
◉ Single phase electrical service. Answer: electrical service
consisting oh two energized 120 volt conductors and one grounded
conductor; this is by far the most common residential electrical
service.
,◉ short circuit. Answer: this entry occurs when current flows
between conductors in an unintended manner, such as between the
hot and neutral conductors.
◉ Sub Panel. Answer: a panelboard that receives power from an
upstream panelboard, usually the main panelboard; also called a
downstream or a distribution panel; however, there are no generally
accepted terms to identify panels.
◉ Tabs (twistouts). Answer: rectangular metal pieces on the dead
front cover that are removed before installing a circuit breaker; a tab
must be replaced by a filler plate if a tab has been removed and no
circuit breaker is installed. See knockouts.
◉ terminal bars. Answer: metal bars associated with a panelboard
on which neutral and equipped grounding conductors (EGCs) are
mounted; called a neutral bar when neutral conductors or neutral
and EGCs are connected; called a ground bar if only EGCs are
connected.
◉ Three Phase electrical service. Answer: electrical service
consisting of three energized conductors and one grounded
connector; this service is mostly for commercial and industrial
buildings.
, ◉ Voltage. Answer: the pressure of electricity in a circuit, similar to
water pressure in a pipe, unit of measure is the Volt
◉ Wiring methods. Answer: cables and raceways approved for
distributing electricity from the service point to panelboards and
outlets; examples include armored cable, nonmetallic sheathed
cable, and various types of conduit and tubing.
◉ Air Conditioning. Answer: this term, broadly defined, includes
heating, cooling, humidification, dehumidification, ventilation, and
air filtration. Air conditioning, as the term is typically used in
residential construction refers to the cooling, dehumidification,
ventilation, and air filtration functions.
◉ Air conditioning system (central). Answer: a system that includes
an air handler or a furnace, an evaporator coil, and a condenser unit
that cools a house by removing heat from the house and moving the
heat outside. See also Heat Pump and Split (air conditioning) system.
◉ air handler. Answer: the inside unit of a heat pump containing a
fan, evaporator coil, and associated control and operating parts; air
handler is sometimes used to describe a fuel-fired forced hot air
furnace.
