TSSA EDM-E common mistakes
TSSA EDM-E · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Quoting a clearance, runby, or pit-depth number from memory without checking whether the question asks for the Ontario code minimum, an ASME/CSA referenced value, or the manufacturer's specification.
Candidates memorize a single figure while studying and then apply it to every scenario, even when the stem describes a different edition, a different device class, or a design value rather than a code minimum.
What to do instead
For every dimensional question, first write down which document governs: the Ontario regulation under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, the adopted CSA B44/ASME A17.1 edition, or the manufacturer's installation manual. Then recall the figure only for that document, and state the governing reference in your answer rationale. Practise by sorting a list of 20 code figures into 'regulation', 'code', and 'manufacturer' columns before memorizing any of them.
Treating the Ontario licensing and registration requirements as identical to the national code: assuming a device, contractor, or mechanic is compliant because the installation meets CSA B44, without confirming registration, licence class, or notification obligations.
The mechanical code and the regulatory framework are studied separately, and candidates default to the technical code because it feels more concrete, so administrative obligations get skipped.
What to do instead
Build a one-page table with columns for device registration, contractor licence, mechanic certificate, inspection notification, and incident reporting, and fill in who must do what and when under Ontario rules. Review it before every practice set and flag any question that mixes a technical requirement with an administrative one.
Confusing the roles of the owner, the licensed contractor, and the inspector when a question asks who is responsible for a specific duty such as periodic testing, record retention, or taking a device out of service.
Real workplaces blur these roles, and candidates answer from their own job experience rather than from the allocation set out in the regulation.
What to do instead
For each duty, memorize the responsible party as a short phrase, for example 'owner retains records, contractor performs test, inspector witnesses'. Drill with questions phrased as 'who is responsible for X' until the allocation is automatic, and note that the answer is often the owner even when a contractor does the physical work.
Mixing up traction and hydraulic machine-room and machinery-space requirements, such as applying hydraulic pit-ladder or space-heater rules to a traction job or vice versa.
Study material presents both system types together, and under time pressure candidates recall the first rule they learned rather than matching the rule to the system in the stem.
What to do instead
Before answering, underline the drive type in the stem. Keep two separate summary sheets, one per system, covering machine-space access, ventilation, guarding, and pit requirements, and never study them side by side in the final week.
Calculating counterweight or car balance incorrectly, for example assuming a 50 percent balance when the question specifies 40 percent, or forgetting to add the car weight when computing rope tension.
Candidates memorize 'half the car weight' as a slogan and then apply it without reading the actual balance factor or the load case described.
What to do instead
Write the balance formula and the rope-tension relation out by hand for three different balance factors and two load cases (empty car, full load) before the exam. On each question, circle the balance percentage and the load case first, then substitute.
Answering governor and safety-gear questions with the wrong tripping speed relationship, or ignoring whether the question concerns ascending-car protection, rope-slip detection, or the governor's electrical switch.
The governor performs several distinct functions, and candidates collapse them into one concept, so they pick a plausible-sounding speed or device without identifying which function the stem describes.
What to do instead
Draw a diagram linking governor, safety gear, and electrical switch, and label the separate triggering conditions for each. For every practice question, state in one sentence which function is being tested before looking at the options.
Treating the electrical protective devices as interchangeable: selecting a fuse where the question calls for a circuit breaker, or missing the distinction between the mainline disconnect, the branch-circuit protection, and the control-circuit protection.
The devices look similar on a one-line diagram, and candidates memorize locations rather than the function and rating rule for each device.
What to do instead
Redraw a one-line diagram from memory weekly, labelling each protective device with its function, its location, and the rule that sizes it. Then answer questions by locating the device on your own diagram before reading the choices.
Applying a generic wiring or grounding rule from general electrical practice instead of the elevator-specific requirement for travelling cables, hoistway wiring, and machine-room bonding.
Candidates with electrical backgrounds rely on trade knowledge, and the elevator code adds constraints on cable support, flexing, and separation that general practice does not cover.
What to do instead
Make a list of the points where elevator wiring rules differ from general electrical installation rules, and review only that list. When a question mentions travelling cable, hoistway conduit, or machine-room bonding, treat it as an elevator-specific rule and check the code article rather than general practice.
Describing maintenance or inspection steps in the wrong order, for example stating that a test is performed before the device is placed in a safe condition, or omitting the record-keeping step at the end.
Candidates know the individual steps but practise them as isolated facts, so sequence and safety preconditions are lost under exam pressure.
What to do instead
Write each common procedure, such as a safety-gear test or an annual inspection, as a numbered checklist that begins with isolating and locking out the device and ends with recording the result. Rehearse the checklists aloud until the order is automatic.
Choosing an answer that reflects a shortcut or an unsafe field habit picked up on the job, such as bypassing a door interlock to move a car or skipping the pit inspection when the pit appears dry.
Experienced candidates answer from routine practice rather than from the code, and familiar shortcuts feel correct because they are common.
What to do instead
When two options both seem workable, eliminate the one that requires defeating a protective device or skipping a required inspection step, regardless of how often it is done in the field. Build a short list of 'never acceptable' behaviours and check every safety question against it.