TSSA EDM-B Exam study plan

Map the full EDM-B exam blueprint into a one-page topic inventory covering elevating device types, code/regulation scope, and safety subsystems, weighting each area by expected question share.

Define and write plain-language definitions for the core elevating device categories (passenger elevator, freight elevator, dumbwaiter, escalator, moving walk, lift for persons with disabilities, and material lift) with one distinguishing feature each.

Assemble a personal code library index: list the governing statute, the elevator regulation, and the referenced safety code standards by title and edition, noting where each is cited in the scope of the exam.

Build a 40-term glossary spreadsheet (term, definition, code clause reference, confidence rating 1-3) and flag every term rated 1 for later review.

Trace the lifecycle obligations of an elevating device from design registration through installation, acceptance inspection, licensing, periodic inspection, alteration, and decommissioning, and write them as a numbered sequence.

Identify which party (owner, licensee, contractor, inspector, regulator) holds each obligation in that lifecycle sequence and record it in a responsibility matrix.

Explain the difference between a major alteration, a minor alteration, and a repair as those terms are used in the regulation, with two worked examples of each.

Draft ten original practice questions on licensing and registration requirements, then answer them closed-book and log any misses by clause.

Describe the mechanical components of traction and hydraulic elevators (machine, sheave, ropes, counterweight, jack, power unit, valve, controller) and state the inspection concern for each.

Explain governor, safeties, buffers, and rope-brake function and the overspeed/free-fall protection logic that links them, using a labeled hand-drawn schematic.

Compare traction versus hydraulic systems on rise, speed, headroom, pit depth, and failure modes in a side-by-side table.

Calculate a simple counterweight balance check and a hydraulic cylinder pressure figure from given load and area values, showing units.

Answer 15 mixed component questions from a self-written set and record reasoning errors separately from knowledge gaps.

Explain the role and required operation of door interlocks, door operators, and door zone/leveling systems, and describe the failure consequence if each is defeated.

Walk through the safety circuits and electrical protective devices (governor switch, final limit, pit stop switch, alarm bell, emergency communication) and state the test method for each.

Interpret the key clearance and space requirements for pit, overhead, refuge space, and machine room, and record the numeric values with their clause citations.

Complete a timed 30-question mixed-set simulation under exam conditions and score it against a 70 percent threshold.

Break down escalator and moving walk construction (truss, steps/pallets, comb plates, skirt panels, handrail, drive, brake, safety switches) and list the inspection point for each element.

Explain the stopping-distance and brake-setting requirements for escalators and the conditions that trigger an immediate out-of-service decision.

Distinguish escalator-specific hazards (comb impact, skirt entrapment, handrail entry, reverse running) from elevator hazards and map each to its protective device.

Write and answer 12 original escalator/moving walk scenario questions where the candidate must choose the correct action.

Summarize the duties and conduct rules that apply to a licensed elevating device mechanic or inspector, including recordkeeping, notification, and reporting of unsafe conditions.

Explain the inspection and testing procedures for periodic inspection, including no-load and full-load testing, and identify what documentation must be produced afterward.

Classify ten given defect scenarios as critical, major, or minor and justify each classification against the applicable clause.

Practice writing a short inspection deficiency notice in the required format for three of those scenarios.

Review the full glossary and blueprint map, then rewrite every term still rated confidence 1 or 2 into a corrected, clause-referenced definition.

Re-derive the numeric requirements (clearances, stopping distances, test loads, inspection intervals) from memory and check each against the code, logging every deviation.

Complete a 60-question full-length timed simulation and score it, breaking results down by subtopic to identify the two weakest areas.

Re-study only the two weakest subtopics identified, producing a one-page condensed review sheet for each.

Re-run all previously missed questions from weeks 2 through 7 and confirm every one is now answered correctly with a cited reason.

Take a second 60-question timed simulation and compare the score against week 7 to confirm improvement in the targeted weak areas.

Recite the lifecycle responsibility matrix and the safety-circuit test checklist from memory without notes.

Finalize a one-page exam-day reference sheet limited to numeric values and clause numbers, and confirm exam logistics (location, ID, permitted materials).