S95 Regulatory Codes and Requirements — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What is the primary national standard governing fire alarm system installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance?

NFPA 13
NFPA 70
NFPA 72 (Correct answer)
NFPA 101

Correct answer: NFPA 72

NFPA 72, the National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code, is the primary standard covering all aspects of fire alarm systems.

Question 2: Under NFPA 72, the term 'Authority Having Jurisdiction' (AHJ) refers to:

The manufacturer of the fire alarm equipment
The organization or individual responsible for enforcing requirements (Correct answer)
The certified fire alarm technician
The building owner

Correct answer: The organization or individual responsible for enforcing requirements

The AHJ is the organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing code requirements and approving materials and installations.

Question 3: NFPA 72 Chapter 14 primarily covers which aspect of fire alarm systems?

System design specifications
Inspection, testing, and maintenance (Correct answer)
Signal transmission requirements
Alarm notification appliance design

Correct answer: Inspection, testing, and maintenance

NFPA 72 Chapter 14 specifically addresses inspection, testing, and maintenance requirements for fire alarm systems.

Question 4: According to NFPA 72, who is permitted to perform testing and maintenance of a fire alarm system?

Any licensed electrician
Qualified personnel with fire alarm training and experience (Correct answer)
The building owner only
Only the original installing contractor

Correct answer: Qualified personnel with fire alarm training and experience

NFPA 72 requires testing and maintenance to be performed by qualified personnel who have relevant training and experience in fire alarm systems.

Question 5: When a fire alarm system is taken out of service for maintenance, NFPA 72 requires notification to be given to:

Only the building occupants
The fire department and building owner or representative (Correct answer)
Only the installing contractor
Only the central monitoring station

Correct answer: The fire department and building owner or representative

NFPA 72 requires that both the fire department and the building owner or representative be notified when a fire alarm system is out of service.

Question 6: Under NFPA 72, what documentation must be provided upon completion of every fire alarm system installation?

A manufacturer's warranty certificate
As-built drawings and a record of completion (Correct answer)
A sales receipt from the equipment vendor
An annual insurance certificate

Correct answer: As-built drawings and a record of completion

NFPA 72 requires as-built drawings and a record of completion documenting the system's configuration and acceptance test results.

Question 7: A fire alarm control unit (FACU) is defined in NFPA 72 as the component that:

Generates audible alarm signals through speakers only
Receives initiating device signals and controls notification and auxiliary functions (Correct answer)
Monitors smoke detector photometric sensitivity
Connects the system to the public switched telephone network

Correct answer: Receives initiating device signals and controls notification and auxiliary functions

The FACU receives signals from initiating devices, processes them, and activates notification appliances and any auxiliary control functions.

Question 8: What type of test is performed on a newly installed fire alarm system before it is placed into service?

Monthly sensitivity test
Acceptance test (Correct answer)
Periodic annual inspection
Five-year internal inspection

Correct answer: Acceptance test

An acceptance test verifies that a newly installed fire alarm system operates correctly before being placed into service.

Question 9: During a fire alarm system acceptance test, NFPA 72 requires what percentage of installed devices to be tested?

25%
50%
75%
100% (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 100%

NFPA 72 requires 100% of all fire alarm devices to be tested during an acceptance test — no sampling is permitted.

Question 10: According to NFPA 72, smoke detector sensitivity must first be tested within how long after initial installation?

Within 1 year of installation (Correct answer)
Within 2 years of installation
Within 3 years of installation
Only when a detector fails to activate

Correct answer: Within 1 year of installation

NFPA 72 requires smoke detector sensitivity to be tested within 1 year after installation, then every alternate year thereafter.

Question 11: When a manual pull station is tested, the accepted method typically involves:

Using a magnet to simulate activation
Mechanically operating the device using a test key (Correct answer)
Bypassing the device electrically at the panel
Removing the device and bench-testing it

Correct answer: Mechanically operating the device using a test key

Manual pull stations are tested by mechanically operating them with a test key or by simulating the mechanical pull action per manufacturer instructions.

Question 12: NFPA 72 requires fire alarm test result documentation to include which of the following?

Only a pass/fail notation
Date, name of tester, devices tested, and test results (Correct answer)
Manufacturer's model numbers only
Building owner signature only

Correct answer: Date, name of tester, devices tested, and test results

Test documentation must include the date, identity of the tester, which devices were tested, and the results for each device tested.

Question 13: When a fire alarm device fails testing, what is the required sequence of actions?

Continue testing and report the failure at year-end
Tag the device, take corrective action, and retest to confirm repair (Correct answer)
Notify the fire department and wait for their instructions
Replace the entire initiating device zone

Correct answer: Tag the device, take corrective action, and retest to confirm repair

Failed devices must be tagged to identify the defect, corrective action must be taken promptly, and the device must be retested to confirm proper operation.

Question 14: Central station signal transmission must be tested per NFPA 72 at a minimum frequency of:

Weekly
Monthly
Annually (Correct answer)
Every 5 years

Correct answer: Annually

NFPA 72 requires the transmission of signals to the central station to be tested at a minimum annually to ensure the communication path is functional.

Question 15: According to NFPA 72, where must fire alarm inspection and testing records be kept?

Only at the monitoring station
On the premises and available to the AHJ upon request (Correct answer)
Only with the installing contractor's office
Only at the local fire department

Correct answer: On the premises and available to the AHJ upon request

NFPA 72 requires that records of inspections and tests be maintained on the premises and made available to the AHJ upon request.

Question 16: When a deficiency is identified during a fire alarm inspection, the building owner must:

Wait until the next scheduled inspection to address it
Correct the deficiency within the timeframe specified by the AHJ (Correct answer)
Accept the deficiency as normal aging of the system
File for a code variance before taking any action

Correct answer: Correct the deficiency within the timeframe specified by the AHJ

Deficiencies found during inspection must be corrected within the deadline set by the AHJ, which may be immediate for life-safety-critical items.

Question 17: A fire alarm system 'impairment' is defined as a condition in which:

A single smoke detector is temporarily dirty
Part or all of the fire protection system is out of service (Correct answer)
The system's firmware requires an update
Monthly testing is overdue by one day

Correct answer: Part or all of the fire protection system is out of service

An impairment occurs whenever any part of the fire protection system is out of service, triggering specific notification and fire watch requirements.

Question 18: When a central monitoring station places a fire alarm system in 'test mode,' this means:

The system is permanently disabled for the day
Test signals will not be dispatched to emergency responders during testing (Correct answer)
The system operates at reduced detection sensitivity
The backup batteries are being load-tested

Correct answer: Test signals will not be dispatched to emergency responders during testing

Test mode prevents test activations from being dispatched to the fire department, allowing technicians to activate devices without triggering unnecessary emergency responses.

Question 19: The NFPA 72 'record of completion' must be signed by:

The building owner alone
The contractor or installer responsible for the installation (Correct answer)
The local fire chief only
The equipment manufacturer's representative

Correct answer: The contractor or installer responsible for the installation

The record of completion must be signed by the responsible contractor or installer, certifying the work was completed per approved plans and NFPA 72 requirements.

Question 20: When a notification appliance circuit (NAC) develops an open-circuit fault, the fire alarm control unit will typically:

Continue operating with no indication of the fault
Display a trouble condition indicating the circuit fault (Correct answer)
Automatically dispatch the fire department
Shut down the entire fire alarm system

Correct answer: Display a trouble condition indicating the circuit fault

An open NAC generates a trouble condition on the FACU, alerting supervisory personnel that the circuit requires maintenance.

Question 21: Repeated false alarms caused by inadequate fire alarm system maintenance can result in:

No consequences if the alarms do not recur within 30 days
Increased AHJ oversight, required remediation, and potential fines (Correct answer)
Automatic system replacement at government expense
Transfer of building ownership to the fire department

Correct answer: Increased AHJ oversight, required remediation, and potential fines

Repeated preventable false alarms can lead to increased AHJ scrutiny, mandatory corrective action, and fines or cost-recovery fees from emergency responders.

S95 Regulatory Codes and Requirements

What is the primary national standard governing fire alarm system installation, inspection, testing, and maintenance?

🃏 S95 Flashcards — Study This Quiz as Flip Cards →

📚 Want to go deeper? Read the Full S95 Study Guide →

What Practice Test Geeks adds beyond an AI chat for S95

An AI chatbot can quiz you, but it can't reproduce the exam conditions or keep your record. Here you get:

A timed, full-length S95 mock exam — 35 questions in 53 minutes with a 70% pass mark, modeled on the official exam's question count and time limit, followed by a score report broken down by exam domain.
A fixed S95 question bank: the same test every attempt, so your score is comparable from one try to the next instead of changing with every regenerated quiz.
Progress saved on your device: completed tests, scores and missed questions stay in My Progress, so you can retake only what you got wrong.
A printable S95 cheat sheet you can print or save as a PDF.
S95 flashcards built from the same question bank.

Start the Timed S95 Mock Exam →

These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

nyc.gov — Fees, renewal, score validity, eligibility, retake policy, score release, test dates, test delivery, exam format, passing score · verified Oct 2026