Strategy with printed code books
Exam day · all levels
An open-book exam is usually failed on time, not on knowledge. With printed books the winning skill is knowing which page to open: chapter, table, section.
| Level | Questions | Time | Pace per question | First pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 85 | 110 min | 1 min 18 s | ≈ 60 min |
| II | 110 | 155 min | 1 min 25 s | ≈ 85 min |
| III | 115 | 170 min | 1 min 29 s | ≈ 95 min |
Two passes
- First pass (about 55% of your time): answer everything you know right away. If a question needs a lookup you cannot do in about 45 seconds, pick your best answer, flag it and move on.
- Second pass (about 40%): return to the flagged questions from the review screen and look them up with your tabs. Level II and III questions often need two lookups (for example a code section plus a table), so budget more time here.
- Last 10 minutes: make sure nothing is left blank. There is no penalty for wrong answers.
Time checks: be at about 25% of the questions after 20% of the time, at 50% after 45%, and at 75% after 70%.
Know the map of NFPA 72 (2022)
The first number of every section is its chapter (17.15 is in Chapter 17). If you know which chapter covers a topic, you can open the book within a few seconds.
| Chapter | Covers | Typical questions |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Definitions | Alarm vs. supervisory vs. trouble signal, listed vs. approved, IDC/SLC/NAC |
| 7 | Documentation | Record of completion, record drawings, documentation cabinet |
| 10 | Fundamentals | Power supplies, batteries, signal annunciation, impairments |
| 12 | Circuits and Pathways | Class A/B/X, survivability levels, monitoring for integrity |
| 14 | Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance | Table 14.3.1, Table 14.4.3.2, sensitivity, records |
| 17 | Initiating Devices | Detector location and spacing, pull stations, waterflow, supervisory |
| 18 | Notification Appliances | dBA rules, mounting heights, candela tables, corridors |
| 21 | Emergency Control Function Interfaces | Relays within 3 ft, elevator recall and shutdown |
| 23 | Protected Premises Alarm and Signaling Systems | Positive alarm sequence, alarm verification |
| 24 | Emergency Communications Systems | Voice evacuation basics |
| 26 | Supervising Station Alarm Systems | Central station, DACT, retransmission |
| 29 | Single- and Multiple-Station Alarms and Household Systems | Smoke alarms |
| Annex A | Explanatory material (not mandatory) | Background for sections marked with an asterisk (*) |
In NFPA 70, Article 760 sits in Chapter 7 (Special Conditions); wiring methods (Article 300) are in Chapter 3; conductor properties (Chapter 9, Table 8) and conduit fill (Chapter 9, Table 1 and Annex C) are at the back of the book.
Levels II and III also use the building codes. In the IBC, fire alarm and detection requirements are in Chapter 9 (Section 907; sprinkler supervision in 903.4), occupancy classification is in Chapter 3, construction types and fire-resistance in Chapters 6 and 7, and means of egress in Chapter 10. In NFPA 101 (Level III), Chapter 9 holds building service and fire protection equipment (9.6 is fire alarm and detection systems), Chapter 7 covers means of egress, and the occupancy chapters (12 and up, in new/existing pairs) hold the occupancy-specific alarm rules. Tab the chapter openers and the index for each book.
Using the index of a printed code
- Every NFPA code has an alphabetical index at the back. It is often faster than flipping through chapters for a topic you have not tabbed.
- Look up the code’s own term, not field slang: manual fire alarm box (pull station), visible notification appliance (strobe), audible notification appliance (horn), supervisory signal initiating device (tamper switch), sprinkler waterflow alarm-initiating device (flow switch).
- When the index gives several sections, go to the one in the chapter that matches the task (Chapter 14 for testing, 17 for installing an initiating device, 18 for an appliance).
- An asterisk (*) next to a section number means there is explanatory text in Annex A with the same number. The annex helps you understand, but the requirement is the numbered section.
Reading questions like NICET
- Shall = mandatory; should = recommendation (usually in Annex A, not a requirement).
- Watch for NOT, EXCEPT, minimum, maximum, at least, not more than.
- Multiple-response questions say how many to pick (“Select TWO”); you need all of them right to earn the point.
- Check units: inches vs. feet, dB vs. dBA, Ah vs. mAh.
- If two options look right, the one the code states (not your company’s practice) is the answer.
Logistics
- Arrive 30 minutes early (or check in early for OnVUE). Bring valid government ID; at a test center bring two IDs as NICET requires.
- Your books must follow NICET’s rules: bound or in a three-ring binder with a title page, tabs permanently attached, no handwritten notes.
- No scheduled break at Level I. You can take an unscheduled one, but the clock keeps running.
- The calculator is the on-screen one; personal calculators are not allowed. Practice with this site’s calculator.
Practice for the real thing. Take the free 20-minute Level I practice exam (no account needed), or get lifetime access to 85-question exams in the NICET format and 552 Level I questions with explanations.
More NICET Fire Alarm study guides
- 8-week study plan
- Fundamentals and Definitions
- Initiating Devices
- Notification Appliances
- Circuits, Systems, and Control Functions
- NEC 2020 (NFPA 70): Article 760 and Wiring Methods
- Basic Electricity and Calculations
- Inspection, Testing and Maintenance
- Troubleshooting, Repair and Device Replacement
- Job Site Safety: OSHA 1910/1926 and First Aid
- Technical Documents, Drawings, and Submittals
- Community-Reported Topics
- Level I tabbing guide for your printed code books
- Strategy with printed code books
- Key numbers (NFPA 72 · NEC · OSHA)
- Formulas and conversions
- Fire alarm glossary for the NICET exams