Practice Test Geeks(CAT) Certified Alarm Technician Level I Practice Test
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Alarm Technician Wiring & Circuits Flashcards

7 cards from real CAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Alarm Technician Wiring & Circuits flashcards as text

  1. A normally closed (NC) contact connected across a zone loop WITHOUT an end-of-line resistor would cause the panel to:

    Answer: Report a trouble condition

    Without the EOL resistor the panel cannot distinguish between a resting NC contact and a shorted wire, triggering a trouble indication.

  2. What is the MAXIMUM recommended total loop resistance for most conventional initiating device circuits?

    Answer: 50 ohms

    Most panels specify a maximum zone loop resistance of 50 ohms; exceeding this can prevent reliable alarm detection.

  3. Which cable listing is required for alarm wiring run in a plenum air-handling space?

    Answer: FPLP (Fire Power Limited Plenum)

    FPLP-rated cable has low-smoke, low-flame characteristics required for installation in air-handling plenums per NFPA 72 and NEC Article 760.

  4. When daisy-chaining motion detectors on a single zone, the technician should wire the alarm outputs in:

    Answer: Series (NC contacts in series)

    NC contacts wired in series form a continuous loop; any detector opening the contact breaks the loop and triggers an alarm.

  5. The purpose of a double-end-of-line (DEOL) resistor configuration is to:

    Answer: Allow the panel to distinguish between an open, a short, and a normal alarm

    DEOL uses two resistors of different values so the panel can identify three distinct states: normal, alarm (contact change), open, and short.

  6. A technician is pulling wire through an existing metallic conduit. Which wiring consideration is MOST important?

    Answer: Verifying fill capacity (conduit fill percentage) is not exceeded

    NEC Article 760 and conduit fill tables limit how many conductors can share a conduit to prevent heat buildup and installation damage.

  7. Stranded wire is preferred over solid wire for alarm installations primarily because it:

    Answer: Is easier to route through conduit and more flexible in terminal connections

    Stranded wire's flexibility reduces insulation cracking during installation and makes reliable terminations easier at device terminals.