AR Electrician study guide
AR Electrician · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Arkansas Electrician Licensing Examination is the credentialing exam that the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners uses to qualify candidates for journeyman and master electrician licensure in the state. It is intended for electricians who have already accumulated the supervised field experience the Board requires and who now need to demonstrate that they can apply the National Electrical Code accurately and quickly enough to work unsupervised or to supervise others. The AR Electrician study guide has 10 sections and about 2,971 words.
01Electrical Theory, Principles, and General Knowledge
Every calculation on the exam traces back to E = I × R and P = I × E. In series circuits current is common and voltage divides; in parallel circuits voltage is common and current divides.
309 words, about 2 min02Wiring Methods and Materials
Article 300 gives the general rules; Articles 320-362 cover specific methods such as AC, MC, NM, UF, rigid metal conduit, IMC, EMT, PVC, and ENT. For each method know where it is permitted, where it is prohibited, support spacing, securing requirements, and bending radii.
324 words, about 2 min03Services, Feeders, and Branch Circuits
Service conductors run from the service point to the service disconnecting means. Know the overhead clearance rules (typically 10 ft above sidewalks, 12 ft above driveways, 18 ft above roads), the requirement that the service disconnecting means be installed at a readily accessible location nearest the point of entrance, and the “six throws” rule: no more than six service disconnects, grouped, each marked as service equipment.
312 words, about 2 min04Grounding and Bonding
Grounding and bonding are different jobs. The grounded conductor (neutral) carries return current and is bonded to earth at the service.
305 words, about 2 min05Overcurrent Protection and Short-Circuit/Coordination Concepts
Overcurrent protective devices include fuses, molded-case circuit breakers, and supplementary protectors. Every device has an ampacity rating, a voltage rating, and an interrupting rating (AIC).
317 words, about 2 min06Conductors, Boxes, Raceways, and Cable Systems
Use Table 310.16 ampacities, but the termination temperature rating limits you: 60°C for most small conductors, 75°C for most equipment, 90°C only when terminations are rated for it. Then apply correction for ambient temperature and adjustment for more than three current-carrying conductors in a raceway or cable.
293 words, about 1 min07Load Calculations and Demand Factors
Article 220 general lighting is 3 VA per square foot for dwellings. Add 1500 VA for each 20 A small-appliance circuit (minimum two) and 1500 VA for the laundry circuit.
267 words, about 1 min08Motors, Motor Controls, and HVAC Equipment
Motor loads are calculated from tables, not nameplate, for standard motors: Table 430.248 (single-phase) and 430.250 (three-phase) give full-load current. Branch-circuit conductors are 125% of FLC.
288 words, about 1 min09Special Occupancies, Special Locations, and Special Equipment
Articles 500-506 classify locations by Class (I gases and vapors, II dust, III fibers), Division or Zone, and group. Equipment must be listed and marked for the class, division, and group.
298 words, about 1 min10Electrical Safety, Code Administration, and Inspection Requirements
Article 90 defines scope, and 90.4 gives the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) responsibility for interpretation and approval. Installations must be approved, and the AHJ may waive or modify requirements.
258 words, about 1 min