What is the clean way to practice motor FLC table lookups?
Always start from full-load current in the Article 430 tables, never the nameplate. FLC sizes the branch-circuit conductors and the protection. Nameplate FLA sizes only the overload. Practice by reading the table value first, then applying the rule, so you never plug the wrong current into the wrong calculation.
Last reviewed June 2026 · Answered by JourneymanIQ staff
Read FLC from the table first
For conductor sizing and short-circuit protection, the current comes from Tables 430.247 through 430.250, by motor type and voltage. Find that number before you do anything else.
Use the nameplate only for overload
Overload protection under 430.32 uses nameplate FLA, not the table. Service factor 1.15 or higher gets 125 percent, most others get 115 percent. Mixing FLA into a conductor calc is the single most common motor mistake.
Work the order the same way every time
Table FLC, then 125 percent for conductors under 430.22, then protection from Table 430.52, then overload from the nameplate. Same order every problem and motor questions stop being a coin flip.
Table FLC sizes conductors and protection. Nameplate FLA sizes only the overload. Never swap them.
Practice questions and explanations on JourneymanIQ are original. We paraphrase the NEC and cite article numbers, and we do not reproduce NEC text or real exam questions.
Find your weak topics before test day
The diagnostic is free, 15 questions, no signup. It shows you which NEC sections to focus on, in priority order.