North Carolina Unlimited Electrical Contractor - Books & Course Rental Package

Prepare for the North Carolina Unlimited Electrical Contractor examination with a complete rental package that combines highlighted and tabbed technical reference books with an online electrical contractor exam prep course. This package is designed for experienced electrical professionals preparing for North Carolina’s broadest regular electrical contractor classification.

The Unlimited classification permits a properly licensed contractor to perform electrical contracting projects without a project-value limitation. Candidates pursuing this classification must be prepared to demonstrate advanced knowledge of electrical systems, National Electrical Code requirements, fire alarm systems, calculations, electrical plans, contractor licensing law, Board rules, estimating, project management, safety, and business administration.

This rental package includes the National Electrical Code, NEC, 2020 Edition, and NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, 2019 Edition. These highlighted and tabbed technical references support open-book examination preparation involving services, feeders, branch circuits, motors, transformers, generators, grounding, bonding, conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, emergency systems, fire alarm systems, signaling circuits, testing, inspection, and system documentation.

The package also includes highlighted and tabbed rental copies of the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law, the Board’s Rules for the Implementation of the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law, and the NASCLA Contractors’ Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management: North Carolina Electrical Edition. These references support closed-book preparation involving contractor licensing, qualified-individual responsibilities, financial management, estimating, contracts, project scheduling, safety, employment practices, insurance, and business operations.

The North Carolina Electrical Contractor trade online exam prep course provides organized preparation across technical, calculation, plan-reading, licensing, and business subjects. The course is structured to help candidates review the material in manageable sections while practicing how to locate and apply information from the included references.

This package includes a 6-month book rental period and 6 months of course access. The rental period begins when the books are received. Candidates should use the same books throughout their preparation so the tab locations, highlighted sections, article structure, chapter organization, tables, definitions, and cross-references become familiar before the examination.

Please allow 15 business days for the trade reference books to be tabbed and highlighted before shipment. This preparation period is required so the rental books can be organized for efficient study and reference navigation.

The total purchase amount is $1,290, consisting of the $890 package price plus a $400 refundable book deposit. The $400 deposit is refundable when the rental books are returned within six months from the date they are received and are in similar condition.

Highlighted and tabbed books are study and navigation tools. Candidates should still read complete Code sections, review exceptions, understand calculations, follow cross-references, and practice applying requirements to real electrical installations. The course and books are intended to support preparation, not replace qualifying field experience or guarantee a passing score.

Exam Details

The North Carolina Unlimited Electrical Contractor examination contains 100 multiple-choice questions. Candidates have a maximum of six hours to complete the examination, and a minimum score of 70 percent is required to pass.

The examination is administered after the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors approves the applicant. Approved candidates receive examination authorization and scheduling instructions for the testing provider.

The Unlimited examination evaluates technical, supervisory, calculation, plan-reading, licensing, and business knowledge needed to direct electrical contracting projects without a project-value limit.

Service and feeder preparation may include load calculations, service conductor sizing, service equipment, service disconnects, feeder demand factors, neutral loads, parallel conductors, grounding electrode conductors, transformer secondaries, voltage drop, and protection of conductors and equipment.

Branch-circuit preparation should include conductor ampacity, continuous and noncontinuous loads, receptacle loads, lighting loads, appliance circuits, multiwire branch circuits, conductor identification, overcurrent protection, and special requirements for particular occupancies or equipment.

Motor preparation may involve full-load current, conductor sizing, feeder sizing, overload protection, short-circuit and ground-fault protection, controllers, disconnecting means, duty ratings, multimotor installations, and proper use of NEC motor tables.

Transformer preparation may include primary and secondary conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, separately derived systems, grounding and bonding, secondary calculations, ventilation, clearances, vault requirements, and installations within buildings.

Grounding and bonding questions may involve grounding electrode systems, service bonding, separately derived systems, equipment grounding conductors, bonding jumpers, raceway bonding, structural metal, metal piping, objectionable current, and effective ground-fault current paths.

Raceway and conductor questions may address conduit fill, conductor adjustment, ambient-temperature correction, terminal limitations, conductor insulation, support, bends, wet locations, physical protection, cable trays, underground installations, pull boxes, junction boxes, and conductor-pulling requirements.

Overcurrent-protection preparation may include standard fuse and circuit-breaker ratings, conductor protection, transformer protection, tap conductors, motor circuits, selective coordination, interrupting ratings, series ratings, equipment protection, and permitted exceptions.

Special-system preparation may involve emergency systems, legally required standby systems, optional standby systems, generators, fire pumps, healthcare facilities, hazardous locations, swimming pools, marinas, photovoltaic systems, energy storage systems, and electric vehicle charging equipment.

Fire alarm preparation may include control units, initiating devices, notification appliances, supervising stations, emergency communications, signaling line circuits, notification appliance circuits, power supplies, batteries, inspection, testing, maintenance, and documentation.

Electrical plans may require candidates to interpret symbols, riser diagrams, panel schedules, feeder routes, conductor callouts, motor connections, lighting layouts, equipment ratings, and installation notes. Candidates should practice connecting plan information with the applicable NEC requirement.

Business and law preparation may involve contracts, estimating, bidding, project scheduling, financial controls, employment practices, insurance, safety programs, recordkeeping, permits, inspections, license use, supervision, and listed qualified individual responsibilities.

Open Book Test

The North Carolina Unlimited Electrical Contractor examination is an open-book test. Candidates may use the 2020 National Electrical Code and NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, 2019 Edition, as the technical exam-room references included in this rental package.

The highlighted and tabbed 2020 NEC supports open-book questions involving services, feeders, branch circuits, motors, transformers, generators, grounding, bonding, raceways, conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, emergency systems, special occupancies, and special equipment.

The highlighted and tabbed NFPA 72, 2019 Edition, supports open-book questions involving fire alarm fundamentals, initiating devices, notification appliances, supervising stations, emergency communications, pathways, system power, inspection, testing, maintenance, and documentation.

The Electrical Contractors Licensing Law, Board rules, and NASCLA business reference are included with the rental package for closed-book study. They are not allowed in the examination room. Candidates should study these references before test day until they can answer licensing and business questions without consulting the books.

The technical books should comply with current examination requirements involving binding, highlighting, notes, tabs, and added materials. Candidates should not place loose pages, removable notes, temporary tabs, or unauthorized inserts in the references.

Open-book testing still requires strong reference-navigation skills. Candidates should know how to move from a question to the correct article, chapter, table, definition, exception, annex, or cross-reference without searching randomly.

A motor-feeder problem may require several NEC sections and tables. A transformer problem may involve primary protection, secondary conductors, grounding, bonding, and separately derived system requirements. A fire alarm question may require information from both the NEC and NFPA 72.

Candidates should practice identifying which reference controls the subject before beginning a search. Electrical installation and conductor questions generally require the NEC, while system-performance, notification, inspection, testing, and fire alarm maintenance questions may require NFPA 72.

Timed reference practice is essential for a 100-question examination. Candidates should develop a repeatable process: identify the subject, select the correct reference, locate the governing provision, read the complete requirement, review exceptions, perform the calculation, and choose the best answer.

Licensing Steps

1. Review the Unlimited classification. Understand the authority, experience qualifications, financial responsibilities, and supervisory obligations associated with the license.
2. Document qualifying experience. Gather employment records, project information, and experience statements showing the required electrical work.
3. Obtain supervisory statements. Secure statements from individuals familiar with the applicant’s ability to supervise and direct electrical wiring and installation work.
4. Complete the examination application. Submit the personal, employment, experience, and background information requested by the Board.
5. Submit supporting documentation. Include experience verification, supervisory statements, character references, and other required materials.
6. Submit the examination fee. Include the applicable payment with the completed application.
7. Receive Board approval. The Board reviews the application and determines whether the candidate meets the Unlimited examination qualifications.
8. Receive examination authorization. Approved candidates receive information needed to schedule the test.
9. Schedule the examination. Select an available appointment within the authorized testing period.
10. Complete the online course. Follow the technical, calculation, plan-reading, licensing, and business study sequence.
11. Use the rental books during preparation. Practice with the highlighted and tabbed references included in the package.
12. Prepare the approved exam-room books. Confirm that the NEC and NFPA 72 references comply with the current testing rules.
13. Complete the examination. Bring the required identification and approved references to the testing center.
14. Complete the licensing process. After passing, satisfy the remaining financial, business, and listed qualified individual requirements.
15. Return the rental books. Return the books within six months from the date they were received and in similar condition to qualify for the $400 deposit refund.
16. Maintain the license. Follow current renewal, continuing education, financial responsibility, supervision, and compliance requirements.

State Requirements

The North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors regulates the Unlimited examination and license. The Board establishes applicant qualifications, reviews experience, authorizes examinations, certifies qualified individuals, issues licenses, and enforces electrical contracting laws and rules.

An applicant for the Unlimited classification must document at least 9,000 hours of qualifying experience. At least 8,000 hours must be primary experience. The remaining experience may consist of primary experience, secondary experience, or a combination of both.

Primary experience generally includes direct work installing electrical wiring and equipment governed by the NEC or work activities directly related to those installations. Recognized experience may also include qualifying supervisory, estimating, inspection, engineering, instructional, maintenance, military, and other approved electrical work.

Unlimited applicants must provide statements from individuals familiar with their electrical work and ability to supervise and direct electrical wiring and installation projects.

The Unlimited license permits electrical contracting projects regardless of project value. Unlike the Limited and Intermediate classifications, it does not impose a maximum dollar value on an individual electrical contracting project.

The absence of a project-value ceiling does not remove the obligation to comply with the National Electrical Code, state construction requirements, permits, inspections, workplace safety rules, contracts, and other laws governing electrical work.

Electrical contracting must be conducted in the exact name shown on the active license. The licensed entity must maintain a listed qualified individual who is regularly on active duty and has the authority and responsibility to supervise and direct electrical contracting.

Applicants for the Unlimited license must provide the financial responsibility or bonding documentation required for the classification. The documentation must relate to the license applicant and satisfy the Board’s licensing requirements.

Passing the examination establishes the individual’s examination qualification but does not independently authorize electrical contracting. The appropriate license must be issued and active before regulated work is offered or performed.

Reference Books

• Included Rental Book: National Electrical Code, NEC, 2020 Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed technical exam-room reference covers services, feeders, branch circuits, motors, transformers, generators, grounding, bonding, raceways, conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, emergency systems, special occupancies, and electrical equipment.
• Included Rental Book: NFPA 72 - National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, 2019 Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed technical exam-room reference covers fire alarm fundamentals, initiating devices, notification appliances, supervising stations, emergency communications, pathways, power supplies, inspection, testing, maintenance, documentation, and system performance.
• Included Rental Book: Electrical Contractors Licensing Law, General Statutes Chapter 87, Article 4
  This highlighted and tabbed closed-book study reference addresses Board authority, electrical contracting, license classifications, qualified individuals, license operation, prohibited conduct, enforcement, and statutory responsibilities. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Rental Book: The Board’s Rules for the Implementation of the Electrical Contractors Licensing Law, Title 21, North Carolina Administrative Code, Chapter 18B
  This highlighted and tabbed closed-book study reference covers examination qualifications, experience requirements, licensing procedures, listed qualified individuals, financial responsibility, renewals, continuing education, and disciplinary requirements. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Rental Book: NASCLA Contractors’ Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management: North Carolina Electrical Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed closed-book study reference supports preparation involving business organization, contracts, estimating, financial management, project scheduling, employment practices, safety, insurance, recordkeeping, and risk management. It is not allowed in the examination room.

Exam Room Approved Books

• National Electrical Code, NEC, 2020 Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed rental reference is used for open-book questions involving electrical installations, calculations, services, feeders, motors, transformers, grounding, bonding, overcurrent protection, and special systems.
• NFPA 72 - National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, 2019 Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed rental reference is used for open-book questions involving fire alarm systems, initiating devices, notification appliances, pathways, power supplies, inspection, testing, maintenance, and documentation.

Test Information and Study Materials

Create a study schedule covering services, feeders, branch circuits, motors, transformers, grounding, bonding, conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, fire alarm systems, emergency systems, special occupancies, electrical plans, licensing law, Board rules, and business practices.

Practice service, feeder, dwelling, commercial, motor, transformer, grounding, raceway, box-fill, and voltage-drop calculations. Show each step and identify the NEC table, percentage, demand factor, or rule used to reach the answer.

Use the highlighted and tabbed 2020 NEC for timed navigation involving conductor ampacity, adjustment factors, correction factors, motor circuits, transformer protection, raceway fill, box sizing, grounding conductors, equipment ratings, and special-system requirements.

Use the highlighted and tabbed NFPA 72, 2019 Edition, to review fire alarm system operation, pathways, initiating devices, notification appliances, supervising stations, emergency communications, testing, inspection, maintenance, and documentation.

Practice reading lighting plans, power plans, panel schedules, one-line diagrams, risers, symbols, equipment notes, conductor callouts, and circuit information. Connect each plan detail to the applicable Code provision.

Study the licensing law and Board rules as closed-book subjects. Focus on Unlimited experience requirements, supervisory statements, listed qualified individuals, license operation, financial responsibility, renewals, and prohibited conduct.

Review the NASCLA business reference for contracts, estimating, bidding, scheduling, accounting, employment practices, insurance, safety administration, project documentation, and risk management.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps North Carolina Unlimited Electrical Contractor candidates organize technical, calculation, plan-reading, licensing, and business subjects into a practical preparation structure.

The highlighted and tabbed rental books support faster access to major NEC articles, NFPA 72 chapters, calculation tables, licensing provisions, Board rules, and contractor business topics.

The online course provides organized review of services, feeders, motors, transformers, generators, grounding, bonding, overcurrent protection, fire alarm systems, electrical plans, licensing requirements, and business management.

Practice-oriented preparation helps candidates identify the subject of a question, choose the correct reference, locate the governing provision, complete the required calculation, and interpret the result efficiently.

Reference-navigation guidance helps students become familiar with NEC articles, NFPA 72 chapters, definitions, tables, exceptions, annexes, and cross-references. This familiarity supports more effective use of the approved books during the examination.

Plan-reading preparation reinforces the interpretation of symbols, panel schedules, riser diagrams, equipment notes, feeder routes, and conductor callouts while connecting plan information to applicable Code provisions.

Closed-book review helps candidates prepare for Electrical Contractors Licensing Law, Board rules, Unlimited experience qualifications, supervisory responsibilities, financial requirements, and business-management topics that cannot be referenced during the examination.

No course or book package can guarantee examination passage or license issuance. Results depend on the candidate’s experience, qualifications, study effort, familiarity with the references, calculation skills, plan-reading ability, supervisory knowledge, and performance during the examination.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in this package?

The package includes five highlighted and tabbed rental reference books, the North Carolina Electrical Contractor trade online exam prep course, a six-month rental period, and 6 months of course access.

How much does the package cost?

The package price is $890, plus a $400 refundable book deposit, for a total of $1,290.

Is the $400 deposit refundable?

Yes. The $400 deposit is refundable when the rental books are returned in similar condition within six months from the date they are received.

How long is the book rental period?

The rental period is six months from the date the books are received.

How long is the online course available?

The package includes 6 months of course access.

How long does book preparation take?

Please allow 15 business days for the trade books to be highlighted and tabbed before shipment.

Which books are allowed in the examination room?

The 2020 National Electrical Code and NFPA 72, 2019 Edition, are the technical exam-room references included in this package.

Are the licensing law, Board rules, and NASCLA book allowed in the examination room?

No. These references are included for closed-book study and are not allowed in the testing room.

Is the North Carolina Unlimited examination open book?

Yes. Candidates may use the approved NEC and NFPA 72 references during the examination.

How many questions are on the examination?

The North Carolina Unlimited Electrical Contractor examination contains 100 multiple-choice questions.

How much time is allowed?

Candidates have a maximum of six hours to complete the examination.

What score is required to pass?

A minimum score of 70 percent is required to pass.

How much experience is required?

Applicants must document at least 9,000 hours of qualifying experience, including at least 8,000 hours of primary experience.

Is there a project-value limit for the Unlimited license?

No. The Unlimited classification permits electrical contracting projects regardless of project value.

Does passing the examination automatically issue the license?

No. Passing satisfies the examination requirement, but the applicant must complete the Board’s licensing process and meet the applicable financial, business, and listed qualified individual requirements.