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MASTER NEC 2023

Master Electrician Practice Test 25 – Fire Pumps

This is Master Electrician Practice Test 25 — Fire Pumps, covering NEC Article 695, one of the most distinctive equipment articles in the whole code because it flips the usual motor-protection logic on its head — a fire pump has to keep running through conditions that would shut down any other motor. The test has 25 multiple-choice questions on fire pump power sources, why fire pump overcurrent protection is sized so differently from ordinary motor circuits, conductor sizing, listed equipment requirements, and transfer switches. Pass score is 70%. Every question includes a full NEC 2023 explanation so you can trace each answer back to the exact code section.

TOPICS COVERED

Fire Pumps

How this test works

Read each question carefully

Look for absolute words like always / never — they often distinguish the right answer.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — completely free with no signup required. All answers include detailed explanations.

Requirements vary by state but typically include 4–8 years of documented electrical work experience plus a valid Journeyman license.

Advanced NEC code interpretation, load calculations, service entrance design, motor controls, generator systems, and electrical system design.

The Master exam focuses more on design, calculations, and planning rather than installation details. Load calculation and service sizing questions are weighted heavily.

Before You Start

25 questions — multiple choice
45 minutes to finish (timer starts when you begin)
Pass score is 70% — you need at least 18 correct answers
Full NEC 2023 explanation shown for every question after you submit

Topics in This Test

Fire pump power connection point — ahead of the service disconnect (NEC 695.3(A)(1))
Tap location must not share the service disconnect's enclosure or switchgear section (NEC 695.3(A)(1))
Recognized individual sources for fire pump power (NEC 695.3)
Fire pump OCPD must carry the locked-rotor current indefinitely (NEC 695.4(B))
Why fire pump OCPD sizing differs from ordinary branch-circuit percentages
Fire pump conductors sized at 125% of the sum of full-load currents (NEC 695.6)
Accessory equipment current added at 100% (NEC 695.6)
Single disconnect permitted between supply and controller/transfer switch (NEC 695.4(A))
Fire pump controllers and transfer switches must be listed for fire pump service
Automatic transfer to an alternate power source on loss of normal power
Transfer switch testing without opening the overcurrent protective device
Why a fire pump must keep running through conditions that would trip an ordinary motor
Disconnecting means location — minimizing risk from a fire in the equipment area
Fire pump controller placed as close as practicable to the pump
No other loads permitted on the fire pump's dedicated supply conductors
Scope of Article 695 — electric motor-driven fire pumps
Diesel-driven fire pump systems — electrical equipment still covered by Article 695
Pressure maintenance (jockey) pump — purpose and inclusion in conductor sizing
On-site generator as an alternate power source for a fire pump (NEC 695.3)
Relationship between NEC Article 695 and NFPA 20
Scenario — proposing to tap a work light off the fire pump feeder
Scenario — fire pump controller location and physical protection
Recap — FLC for conductors vs. locked-rotor logic for the OCPD
Listing requirement recap for fire pump equipment
Contrasting an ordinary motor circuit's OCPD logic with a fire pump's

Tip: Almost everything unusual about Article 695 traces back to one idea: a fire pump has to keep running during a fire, even if that means letting the motor take damage. Ordinary motor protection tries to save the motor. Fire pump protection tries to keep water flowing no matter what.

Questions

45 min

Time

70%

Pass

Timer starts immediately. Progress is auto-saved.

Master Electrician Practice Test 25 – Fire Pumps — Question List

Question 1: NEC 695.3(A)(1) permits a fire pump to be supplied by a connection located:

Ahead of the service disconnecting means
Only downstream of the main service disconnect
Only from a portable generator, never the utility
Nowhere — fire pumps are exempt from all NEC requirements

NEC Reference: NEC 695.3(A)(1)

Question 2: NEC 695.3(A)(1) requires the fire pump tap point to avoid sharing which of the following with the service disconnecting means?

The same cabinet, enclosure, or switchgear/switchboard section
The same building only if it exceeds 3 stories
The same electrical contractor's crew
The same utility meter number

NEC Reference: NEC 695.3(A)(1)

Question 3: Which of the following is a recognized individual power source for a fire pump under NEC 695.3?

A dedicated feeder tapped ahead of the service disconnect
A shared circuit with the building's general lighting
A cord-and-plug connection to any convenient outlet
Whatever circuit happens to be closest

NEC Reference: NEC 695.3

Question 4: NEC 695.4(B) requires the fire pump's overcurrent protective device to be selected or set so that it:

Carries the sum of the locked-rotor currents indefinitely without opening
Trips instantly at 100% of full-load current
Trips at 125% of full-load current, exactly like an ordinary motor
Is never installed at all — fire pumps have no overcurrent protection

NEC Reference: NEC 695.4(B)

Question 5: How does fire pump overcurrent protection under NEC 695.4(B) differ philosophically from the percentage-based OCPD rules used for ordinary motors in Article 430?

Fire pump OCPD prioritizes continued operation during a fire over protecting the motor itself
They are identical rules with no meaningful difference
Fire pump OCPD is always smaller than an ordinary motor's OCPD
Ordinary motors are allowed to run through locked-rotor conditions but fire pumps are not

NEC Reference: NEC 695.4(B)

Question 6: A fire pump motor has a full-load current of 60A and a pressure maintenance (jockey) pump has a full-load current of 8A. Per NEC 695.6, what minimum ampacity is required for the conductors supplying both?

68A
75A
85A
120A

NEC Reference: NEC 695.6

Question 7: Under NEC 695.6, how is the current of accessory equipment (such as a controller's internal auxiliary loads) added into the fire pump conductor sizing?

Added at 100% of its current
Ignored entirely
Added at 250% of its current
Subtracted from the total

NEC Reference: NEC 695.6

Question 8: NEC 695.4(A) permits how many disconnecting means between the fire pump's electric supply and its controller or power transfer switch?

A single disconnecting means
A minimum of five disconnecting means
No disconnecting means is ever permitted
An unlimited number, with no restriction

NEC Reference: NEC 695.4(A)

Question 9: Fire pump controllers and transfer switches must be:

Listed specifically for fire pump service
Any general-purpose motor controller, with no special listing
Unlisted, field-assembled equipment only
Rated for residential use only

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 10: When a fire pump has an alternate power source, such as an on-site generator, what does the transfer switch do when normal power is lost?

It automatically transfers the pump to the alternate source
It shuts the pump down completely until a person arrives
It disconnects the alternate source permanently
Nothing happens automatically — everything requires a manual switch

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 11: Why must a fire pump transfer switch be capable of being tested without opening the circuit's overcurrent protective device?

So routine testing itself cannot accidentally leave the pump without power
Because testing is never actually performed on fire pump equipment
Because the OCPD is decorative and serves no real function
Because transfer switches are never allowed to be tested

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 12: Why does a fire pump need to keep running through conditions — like a locked-rotor overload — that would trip an ordinary motor's protection?

Because losing fire pump water flow during a fire can cost lives and let the fire spread
Because fire pump motors cannot actually be damaged under any condition
Because fire pumps never draw a locked-rotor current in the first place
There is no real reason — it is an arbitrary rule

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 13: NEC Article 695 requires the fire pump disconnecting means to be located:

Far enough from the pump/generator equipment to reduce the risk of simultaneous fire damage
Directly inside the generator enclosure, with no separation
Underwater, next to the pump intake
Anywhere at all, with no location requirement

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 14: Where is the fire pump controller generally required to be located, relative to the pump itself?

As close as practicable to the pump
In a separate building at least a mile away
Location has no bearing on the installation at all
Only in the building's penthouse, regardless of pump location

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 15: What loads are permitted on the fire pump's dedicated supply conductors?

Only the fire pump and its closely associated equipment
Any general building lighting circuit
A whole floor's worth of receptacles
An unrelated tenant's HVAC system

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 16: NEC Article 695 primarily covers which type of equipment?

Electric motor-driven fire pumps and their associated equipment
Swimming pool pumps
HVAC condenser fans
Elevator hydraulic pumps

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 17: A fire protection system uses a diesel-engine-driven fire pump instead of an electric motor. Does NEC Article 695 still apply to any part of that installation?

Yes — the electrical equipment associated with the diesel pump is still covered
No — Article 695 applies only to electric-motor-driven pumps and nothing else
No — diesel pumps are entirely outside the NEC's scope
Only if the diesel pump is installed outdoors

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 18: What is the purpose of a pressure maintenance (jockey) pump in a fire protection system?

It maintains system pressure for minor fluctuations so the main pump does not start unnecessarily
It replaces the main fire pump entirely during a fire
It has no functional purpose and is purely decorative
It only operates during scheduled fire drills

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 19: NEC 695.3 permits an on-site generator to serve as which type of fire pump power source?

An alternate power source dedicated to the fire pump
The only power source ever permitted for a fire pump
A source that may also power the building's general lighting
A source that is prohibited from ever being used for fire pumps

NEC Reference: NEC 695.3

Question 20: How do NEC Article 695 and NFPA 20 divide responsibility for a fire pump installation?

NEC 695 covers the electrical installation; NFPA 20 covers the pump/hydraulic engineering side
NFPA 20 replaces the NEC entirely for fire pumps
They cover completely unrelated, non-overlapping equipment
The NEC has no relationship to NFPA 20 whatsoever

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695 / NFPA 20

Question 21: A maintenance worker proposes tapping a 120V work light off the fire pump's dedicated feeder for convenience during servicing. Is this permitted?

No — the dedicated fire pump conductors cannot supply unrelated loads
Yes, as long as the work light is under 100W
Yes, with no restriction at all
Only permitted on weekends

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 22: A fire pump controller is proposed for a below-grade room that floods occasionally during heavy storms. What should this raise as a concern?

A flood-prone location is a poor choice and needs to be reconsidered or protected against
No concern at all — fire pump controllers are always waterproof by design
The controller should be intentionally submerged for cooling
Flooding has no bearing on electrical equipment placement

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 23: Within one fire pump installation, which values are used for conductor sizing versus overcurrent device sizing?

Conductors use FLC at 125%; the OCPD is sized for indefinite locked-rotor current instead
Both conductors and the OCPD use locked-rotor current
Both conductors and the OCPD use a flat 100% of FLC with no margin
Neither conductors nor the OCPD have any sizing rule under Article 695

NEC Reference: NEC 695.4(B) / 695.6

Question 24: Which pieces of fire pump equipment must specifically be listed for fire pump service?

Controllers, transfer switches, and combination controller/transfer switch units
Only the wire nuts used in the installation
Nothing needs any special listing at all
Only the paint used on the equipment enclosure

NEC Reference: NEC Article 695

Question 25: How would you summarize the single biggest difference between an ordinary motor circuit under Article 430 and a fire pump circuit under Article 695?

Article 430 protects the motor from damage; Article 695 sacrifices that protection to keep the pump running during a fire
There is no meaningful difference between the two articles
Article 695 is stricter about protecting the motor than Article 430
Article 430 applies to fire pumps and Article 695 applies to ordinary motors

NEC Reference: NEC Article 430 / Article 695

Key NEC References for This Test

Article	What It Covers
Art. 220	Load Calculations — optional and standard methods for multifamily
Art. 230	Services — service design, sizing, multiple disconnects
Art. 430	Motors — complete branch circuit design (conductor + OCPD + overload + disconnect)
Art. 445	Generators — standby systems, transfer switches
Art. 450	Transformers — sizing, primary/secondary OCPD, installation
Art. 706	Energy Storage Systems — battery/solar storage (major NEC 2026 expansion)

Study Tip: Practice transformer kVA calculations daily. Know the formula: I = kVA × 1000 ÷ (V × 1.732) for three-phase. This comes up on almost every master exam.

Master Electrician Practice Test 25 – Fire Pumps

How this test works

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

Topics in This Test

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Key NEC References for This Test

Master Electrician Practice Test 25 – Fire Pumps

How this test works

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Master Electrician Practice Test 25 – Fire Pumps free?

How do I qualify for the Master Electrician exam?

What is covered on the Master Electrician exam?

How is the Master exam different from the Journeyman exam?

Before You Start

Topics in This Test

Electrician Reviews

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Master Electrician Practice Test 25 – Fire Pumps — Question List

Question 1: NEC 695.3(A)(1) permits a fire pump to be supplied by a connection located:

Question 2: NEC 695.3(A)(1) requires the fire pump tap point to avoid sharing which of the following with the service disconnecting means?

Question 3: Which of the following is a recognized individual power source for a fire pump under NEC 695.3?

Question 4: NEC 695.4(B) requires the fire pump's overcurrent protective device to be selected or set so that it:

Question 5: How does fire pump overcurrent protection under NEC 695.4(B) differ philosophically from the percentage-based OCPD rules used for ordinary motors in Article 430?

Question 6: A fire pump motor has a full-load current of 60A and a pressure maintenance (jockey) pump has a full-load current of 8A. Per NEC 695.6, what minimum ampacity is required for the conductors supplying both?

Question 7: Under NEC 695.6, how is the current of accessory equipment (such as a controller's internal auxiliary loads) added into the fire pump conductor sizing?

Question 8: NEC 695.4(A) permits how many disconnecting means between the fire pump's electric supply and its controller or power transfer switch?

Question 9: Fire pump controllers and transfer switches must be:

Question 10: When a fire pump has an alternate power source, such as an on-site generator, what does the transfer switch do when normal power is lost?

Question 11: Why must a fire pump transfer switch be capable of being tested without opening the circuit's overcurrent protective device?

Question 12: Why does a fire pump need to keep running through conditions — like a locked-rotor overload — that would trip an ordinary motor's protection?

Question 13: NEC Article 695 requires the fire pump disconnecting means to be located:

Question 14: Where is the fire pump controller generally required to be located, relative to the pump itself?

Question 15: What loads are permitted on the fire pump's dedicated supply conductors?

Question 16: NEC Article 695 primarily covers which type of equipment?

Question 17: A fire protection system uses a diesel-engine-driven fire pump instead of an electric motor. Does NEC Article 695 still apply to any part of that installation?

Question 18: What is the purpose of a pressure maintenance (jockey) pump in a fire protection system?

Question 19: NEC 695.3 permits an on-site generator to serve as which type of fire pump power source?

Question 20: How do NEC Article 695 and NFPA 20 divide responsibility for a fire pump installation?

Question 21: A maintenance worker proposes tapping a 120V work light off the fire pump's dedicated feeder for convenience during servicing. Is this permitted?

Question 22: A fire pump controller is proposed for a below-grade room that floods occasionally during heavy storms. What should this raise as a concern?

Question 23: Within one fire pump installation, which values are used for conductor sizing versus overcurrent device sizing?

Question 24: Which pieces of fire pump equipment must specifically be listed for fire pump service?

Question 25: How would you summarize the single biggest difference between an ordinary motor circuit under Article 430 and a fire pump circuit under Article 695?

Key NEC References for This Test

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