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Branch Circuit Practice Questions for the California Exam

Branch circuit questions usually hinge on one word: continuous. Spot it and the 125% rule does the rest. Here is the rule, the trap, and an original question worked through.

Last reviewed June 2026

What the exam is really testing

  • Spotting a continuous load (three hours or more of operation).
  • The 125% rule for conductors and overcurrent devices, per 210.19 and 210.20.
  • Distinguishing a branch circuit (ends at the load) from a feeder (ends at another device).
  • Receptacle and lighting branch-circuit requirements.

The trap

Candidates size a continuous load at 100%. A 24-amp continuous load is not a 24-amp circuit, it is a 30-amp circuit. Miss the word continuous and you undersize.

Try an original question

Sample question · original

A continuous lighting load draws 24 amps.

Per NEC 210.19 and 210.20, what minimum branch-circuit conductor ampacity and overcurrent device rating are required?

  • A24 amps
  • B27 amps
  • 30 amps
  • D35 amps

Answer C. 210.19(A) and 210.20(A) require conductors and the overcurrent device to be rated at least 125% of a continuous load. 24 amps times 1.25 equals 30 amps.

  • NEC 2023 210.19(A)
  • NEC 2023 210.20(A)

Why the other answers tempt you

  • A: 24 amps ignores the continuous 125% requirement.
  • B: 27 amps is roughly 112.5%, which is not the rule.
  • D: 35 amps overshoots the 125% requirement.

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