INDUSTRY FINAL EXAM PREP
200-QUESTION MASTER TEST
BANK WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES
NEIEP 700 Final Examination
1. When an electro-mechanical relay is in a completely unpowered or
de-energized state, what is the electrical status of its normally open
(NO) contacts?
A) They form an open circuit, preventing any current
from flowing through that path.
B) They form a dead short circuit, allowing maximum loop current
to pass.
C) They oscillate back and forth between closed and open states at
60Hz.
D) They route full line voltage directly to the secondary grounding
bus bar.
Rationale: By definition, "normally open" (NO) means that when
the relay coil is at rest (unpowered), the mechanical contacts are
physically separated, creating an open break in the circuit path
that stops current flow.
2. What type of physical force is harnessed within a standard heavy-
duty elevator contactor coil to pull the armature sealed against its
frame?
A) Hydraulic fluid pressure
B) Electromagnetic field induction
C) Mechanical friction braking
D) Static barometric differential
Rationale: Passing an electrical current through a coil of wire
wound around an iron core generates a strong electromagnetic
field. This magnetic pull overcomes spring tension to draw the
movable armature inward, changing the state of the contacts.
,3. Modern solid-state elevator controllers frequently utilize "plug-in"
or terminal-base relays. What is the primary operational advantage
of this design?
A) It increases the pure internal DC resistance of the coil by fifty
percent.
B) It allows for rapid diagnostic tracking and component
replacement without disconnecting individual field
wires.
C) It automatically converts an incoming AC line into a smooth DC
output wave.
D) It eliminates the need for an external step-down control voltage
transformer.
Rationale: Plug-in relays mount into a fixed wiring base or
socket. If a relay coil fails or its contacts pit, the technician can
simply unplug the defective unit and insert a new one in seconds,
preserving the integrity of the permanent wire terminations.
4. A technical blueprint shows a bi-stable latching relay with two
independent coil symbols. How does this relay change and
maintain its operational states?
A) One coil handles high-voltage AC lines, while the other handles
low-voltage DC logic signals.
B) A brief pulse to the first coil sets (latches) the relay,
and it stays in that position until a brief pulse is applied
to the second reset coil.
C) Both coils must remain continuously energized to prevent the
relay from dropping out.
D) The coils alternate positions automatically at the native
frequency rate of the utility grid.
Rationale: Latching or bi-stable relays do not require continuous
power to stay activated. They use separate set and reset coils (or
a single dual-polarity coil) to mechanically or magnetically lock
into their last commanded state, saving energy and reducing coil
heat.
5. What is the primary function of an electrical interlock in a motor-
reversing contactor circuit (such as an elevator Up and Down
directional assembly)?
A) To lock the hoistway landing doors closed while the car is
traveling between floors.
B) To force the car to shift automatically from inspection speed to
, high-speed run.
C) To physically and electrically block the opposing
contactor's coil circuit from energizing if one direction is
already active.
D) To discharge high-energy capacitors back into the primary
building power grid.
Rationale: Directional contactors swap lines to reverse motor
rotation. If the Up and Down contactors pulled in simultaneously,
a massive phase-to-phase short circuit would occur. Electrical
interlocks pass the coil power of each contactor through a
normally closed (NC) auxiliary contact of its opponent to prevent
this.
6. Which solid-state component acts as an electrical one-way check
valve, allowing current to flow freely in one direction while
blocking it in the reverse direction?
A) A diode
B) A fixed resistor
C) A non-polarized capacitor
D) A shading coil ring
Rationale: Diodes are P-N junction semiconductor devices that
possess asymmetrical conductivity. They feature low resistance to
current in forward bias and exceptionally high resistance in
reverse bias.
7. Under what electrical condition will a standard silicon diode
transition into an active conducting state?
A) Reverse bias, where the cathode is highly positive relative to the
anode node.
B) Forward bias, where the anode is positive relative to
the cathode and the barrier voltage is crossed.
C) When the total loop current drops to zero amperes across the
system.
D) When it is wired in series with an open high-interrupting
cartridge fuse block.
Rationale: For a silicon diode to conduct, it must be forward-
biased (anode more positive than cathode), and the voltage must
overcome its internal semiconductor junction barrier voltage,
which is typically around 0.6 to 0.7 volts.
8. Legacy electro-mechanical timing relays often use a liquid or oil-
filled cylinder to slow down mechanical movement. What is this
, timing device called?
A) A dashpot timing relay
B) A bimetallic overload sensor
C) A silicon controlled rectifier
D) An opt-isolator coupler
Rationale: Dashpot relays rely on fluid displacement. When the
coil is energized, a plunger is pulled through a chamber filled with
oil or air. A small adjustable orifice regulates how fast the fluid
escapes, creating a mechanical time delay.
9. A technician wants to modify the time-delay curve of an electronic
RC timing circuit. How can this adjustment be achieved
dynamically in the field?
A) By wrapping the capacitor housing in multiple layers of vinyl
tape.
B) By adjusting a variable potentiometer wired in series
with the capacitor.
C) By increasing the total physical thickness of the grounding bus
bar.
D) By replacing the fast-acting backup fuses with non-inductive
copper wire links.
Rationale: The time constant (\(\tau = R \times C\)) dictates the
duration of an RC timing loop. By integrating a variable resistor
(potentiometer), a technician can change the resistance (\(R\)),
directly altering how fast the capacitor charges or discharges.
10. Which type of elevator circuit drawing prioritizes the
operational logic, circuit flow, and sequence of events over the
physical spatial location of the hardware components?
A) A physical layout cabinet diagram
B) A straight-line / schematic wiring diagram
C) An architectural hoistway riser blueprint
D) A mechanical structural structural profile
Rationale: Straight-line or schematic ladder diagrams unfold
circuits from a high-potential rail to a neutral rail, showing the
sequential logic of switches and loads. This layout makes them the
primary tool for diagnosing circuit problems.
11. What is the defining operational limitation of a Single Automatic
Push Button (SAPB) elevator control configuration?
A) It can only handle and process one call at a time,
locking out all other building buttons until the trip