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Question 1. Which Oregon statute gives the Building Codes Division authority to adopt and enforce the residential electrical code? A) ORS 309‑ 018 B) ORS 307‑ 040 C) ORS 305‑ 001 D) ORS 306‑ 050 Answer: B Explanation: ORS 307‑ 040 authorizes the Building Codes Division to adopt and enforce state building codes, including the electrical code. Question 2. Under Oregon Administrative Rules, an inspector who discovers a serious safety violation must issue which of the following before allowing continued work? A) A work order B) A red‑tag correction notice C) A permit amendment D) A verbal warning only Answer: B Explanation: A red‑tag correction notice is the required documentation for immediate safety violations. Question 3. The primary ethical duty of a certified residential electrical inspector in Oregon is to:
A) Maximize the number of permits issued B) Ensure compliance with the NEC and state codes C) Advise contractors on cost‑saving measures D) Promote specific manufacturers’ products Answer: B Explanation: Inspectors must enforce code compliance, not provide commercial advice. Question 4. Which document is NOT required when submitting a residential electrical permit in Oregon? A) Completed permit application form B) Load calculation worksheet C) Contractor’s insurance certificate D) Manufacturer’s warranty for all devices Answer: D Explanation: A warranty is not a permit‑submission requirement. Question 5. When an appeal is filed against an inspector’s determination, the first level of review is conducted by: A) The Oregon State Building Commission B) The local building official C) The Oregon Supreme Court
Explanation: NEC 230.24 requires a minimum 6 ft clearance from windows, doors, and other openings. Question 8. For an underground service lateral, the minimum cover depth in a residential driveway is: A) 12 in. B) 18 in. C) 24 in. D) 30 in. Answer: C Explanation: NEC 250.68(A) mandates a minimum 24 in. cover for underground conductors in driveways. Question 9. A dwelling with a 3‑kW electric water heater, a 12‑kW electric range, and general lighting loads must have a minimum service size of: A) 100 A B) 150 A C) 200 A D) 225 A Answer: B Explanation: Applying NEC 220.82 (standard calculation) yields a demand of 150 A, requiring at least a 150‑A service.
Question 10. The location of the service disconnect in a single‑family home must be: A) Within 10 ft of the service entrance B) Inside the building but readily accessible C) In a detached garage only D) Outside the building at the meter base only Answer: B Explanation: NEC 230.70 requires the disconnect to be inside the building and readily accessible. Question 11. Which branch circuit is required by NEC for a dwelling’s laundry area? A) 20‑A dedicated circuit for the dryer only B) 20‑A general‑purpose circuit serving the washer and dryer receptacles C) 15‑A circuit for the washer only D) 30‑A circuit for the dryer only Answer: B Explanation: NEC 210.11(C)(2) mandates a 20‑A circuit for laundry receptacles serving both washer and dryer. Question 12. The minimum ampacity of a branch‑circuit conductor feeding a 20 ‑A bathroom receptacle circuit must be: A) 12 AWG copper
Answer: B Explanation: NEC 200.6 requires the neutral of an MWBC to be identified as white or gray. Question 15. Which of the following locations requires GFCI protection in a 2020 ‑edition NEC‑compliant Oregon residence? A) A receptacle inside a finished basement closet B) A receptacle in a garage serving a refrigerator C) A receptacle in a hallway on the second floor D) A receptacle in a bedroom Answer: B Explanation: NEC 210.8(A)(2) requires GFCI protection for all garage receptacles. Question 16. Under NEC 210.12, AFCI protection is required for which of the following circuits in a new single‑family dwelling? A) 15‑A kitchen countertop circuit B) 20‑A bedroom lighting circuit C) 20‑A garage receptacle circuit D) 15‑A bathroom vanity circuit Answer: B Explanation: NEC 210.12(A) mandates AFCI protection for all 120‑V, 15‑ and 20‑A branch circuits supplying bedrooms.
Question 17. The grounding electrode conductor (GEC) size for a service with 4/0 AWG copper service entrance conductors is: A) 2 AWG copper B) 4 AWG copper C) 6 AWG copper D) 8 AWG copper Answer: A Explanation: NEC Table 250.66 shows that a 4/0 AWG service requires a 2 AWG copper GEC. Question 18. Which of the following is NOT an acceptable grounding electrode for a new Oregon residence? A) Concrete‑encased electrode (Ufer) B) Metal underground water pipe in direct contact with earth C) A 4‑ft steel rebar driven into the foundation D) A ground rod at least 8 ft long Answer: C Explanation: A 4‑ft rebar does not meet the minimum 8‑ft ground‑rod requirement nor the concrete‑encased electrode criteria. Question 19. The main bonding jumper (MBJ) in a residential service panel must be connected to: A) The neutral bus only
D) 30 cu in. Answer: B Explanation: Box fill calculation: each conductor 2 in., equipment grounding 1 in., device counts as 2 in.; total 21 cu in. Question 22. In an attic with insulation extending to the top of the joists, wiring must be: A) Installed within 6 in. of the insulation surface B) Run through bored holes at least 1 in. from the edge of the joist C) Kept at least 1 ft away from the insulation surface D) Protected by conduit only if the attic is unconditioned Answer: B Explanation: NEC 300.4(D) requires holes to be at least 1 in. from the edge to protect the cable from nails/screws. Question 23. Which raceway is permitted for a short exposed run of NM‑B cable in a residential garage? A) Rigid metal conduit (RMC) only B) Electrical metallic tubing (EMT) only C) Flexible metal conduit (FMC) only D) No raceway is required if the cable is protected by a listed cable protector Answer: D
Explanation: NEC 334.15(B) allows NM‑B to be protected by a listed cable protector in exposed areas. Question 24. A recessed luminaire installed in a vaulted ceiling with insulation directly above must have: A) No thermal protection because the ceiling is high B) A listed “insulation contact” (IC) rating C) A clearance of at least 3 in. from the insulation D) A dedicated dedicated dedicated circuit Answer: B Explanation: NEC 410.116 requires IC‑rated fixtures when installed in contact with insulation. Question 25. Oregon’s fire‑rated assembly requirements (ORSC) dictate that any electrical box penetrating a fire‑rated wall must: A) Be a metal box only B) Have a fire‑stop seal rated for the assembly’s fire rating C) Be installed at least 12 in. from the fire‑rated edge D) Be covered with a plastic plate Answer: B Explanation: ORSC requires fire‑stop systems to maintain the assembly’s rating.
A) A 3‑prong grounded receptacle B) A 4‑prong receptacle with separate neutral and ground C) A 3‑prong receptacle with a GFCI breaker D) A 2‑prong receptacle with a ground rod attached Answer: B Explanation: NEC 210.23(A)(2) requires a 4‑prong (2 hots, neutral, ground) receptacle for ranges. Question 29. For a fixed electric baseboard heater rated at 1500 W, the required overcurrent protection is: A) 15 A B) 20 A C) 30 A D) 40 A Answer: B Explanation: 1500 W at 120 V draws 12.5 A; the next standard breaker size is 15 A, but NEC 210.20(A) requires 125 % → 15 A is acceptable; however, many jurisdictions require 20 A for continuous loads. The correct answer per NEC 422. is 20 A. Question 30. Which low‑voltage system in a residence must be installed with a minimum separation of 12 in. from any 120‑V branch circuit? A) Doorbell wiring
B) Landscape lighting C) Fire alarm cabling D) Ethernet (Cat‑5e) cabling Answer: C Explanation: NEC 800.133 requires fire‑alarm circuits to be separated from power circuits unless in the same raceway with proper barriers. Question 31. The Oregon Residential Electrical Inspector must verify that a manufactured home’s electrical service disconnect is located: A) Within 10 ft of the front door B) On the exterior of the home only C) At the nearest point to the service entrance, readily accessible D) Inside the living area under the kitchen sink Answer: C Explanation: NEC 230.70 and ORSC require the disconnect to be at the service entrance and readily accessible. Question 32. When inspecting a circuit that supplies a bathroom vanity light and a fan, the inspector must confirm that the circuit includes: A) A dedicated 20‑A breaker only B) A GFCI device at the first outlet box C) A neutral conductor of at least #12 AWG D) A dedicated AFCI breaker only
Explanation: NEC 250.32(B) requires separate raceways for the grounding electrode conductor unless the feeder is in a metal conduit that is used as the grounding path. Question 35. The required ampacity of a feeder supplying a 30‑A kitchen small‑appliance circuit and a 20‑A dishwasher circuit (both 120 V) is: A) 40 A B) 45 A C) 50 A D) 55 A Answer: C Explanation: Total load = 30 A + 20 A = 50 A; feeder must be sized for at least the sum, so 50 A is required. Question 36. In a residential attic, a 12‑AWG NM‑B cable is run parallel to a 6 ‑AWG THHN feeder within the same cavity. The required separation distance is: A) 1 in. B) 2 in. C) 4 in. D) No separation required if both are in the same raceway Answer: B Explanation: NEC 300.4(A)(1) requires a 2‑in. separation between different voltage classes unless in the same raceway.
Question 37. Which of the following devices must be listed for use in a damp or wet location? A) Standard toggle switch B) Standard duplex receptacle C) GFCI receptacle with “wet location” marking D) Dimmer switch without a wet‑location rating Answer: C Explanation: Only devices specifically listed for wet locations may be installed where moisture is present. Question 38. The Oregon Building Code Division requires that an inspection report include: A) The inspector’s personal opinions on contractor performance B) A detailed narrative of code violations with reference to specific code sections C) Only a “Pass/Fail” checkbox D) The contractor’s estimated project cost Answer: B Explanation: Documentation standards call for detailed, code‑referenced reports for defensibility. Question 39. When a residential electrical inspector discovers an ungrounded receptacle in a finished basement, the appropriate corrective action is to:
B) It must be sized according to Table 250. C) It can be omitted if a separate grounding electrode system is present D) It connects the grounded (neutral) conductor to the equipment grounding system Answer: C Explanation: The MBJ is required regardless of the presence of a grounding electrode system. Question 42. In a residential attic, a flexible metal conduit (FMC) is used to protect NM‑B cable that runs across joists. The maximum length of FMC without a support is: A) 3 ft B) 6 ft C) 8 ft D) 10 ft Answer: B Explanation: NEC 376.30(A) limits FMC unsupported length to 6 ft. Question 43. An inspector notes that a kitchen countertop receptacle is installed on a wall that is not a “required countertop location.” The code requires at least how many receptacles for a countertop space 12 ft long? A) One B) Two
C) Three D) Four Answer: B Explanation: NEC 210.52(C)(1) requires receptacles at intervals not exceeding 4 ft, so a 12‑ft countertop needs at least three, but the minimum is two (one at each end). However, the code specifically states a receptacle at each end, so answer B. Question 44. Which of the following is the correct method for bonding a metal water pipe that is used as a grounding electrode? A) Connect a #6 AWG copper jumper directly to the pipe and to the service neutral bar B) Tie a #12 AWG copper wire to the pipe and run it to the nearest outlet box C) Use a listed bonding clamp and a #8 AWG copper conductor to the grounding bus D) No bonding is required if the pipe is already in contact with earth Answer: C Explanation: NEC 250.104(A)(1) requires a listed bonding clamp and appropriate size conductor (often #8 AWG for typical services). Question 45. A residential inspector is reviewing a new addition that includes a 150‑A sub‑panel. The feeder to the sub‑panel must have a neutral that is: A) Isolated from the equipment grounding conductor in the sub‑panel B) Connected to the neutral bus in the main panel only C) Bonded to the equipment grounding bus in the sub‑panel
