How I passed Fire Alarm Nicet II
After passing the NICET 2 test, I decided it would be fair to share what I have learned and what I needed to pass the NICET 2 test..
Let's get right to it then.
Books I Used for Study
NFPA 72 2013
IBC 2012
NEC NFPA 70 2011
NFPA 170 2015 (symbols have changed slightly and did not 100 % match any study material for sale online)
Highlighted the letters of the index that designate the beginning of alphabetical order.
How I Prepared for the NICET Level II Test
All tabs had the chapter name and the chapter number. Chapter 14 of NFPA 72 2013 edition, I was tabbed in between inspection and testing, so I could flip to either instantly. I tabbed the largest smoke detector section of annex A. Didn't need it but maybe one time. Studied pretty deep on how to do voltage drops in my head. In the process of doing so, I even made myself a voltage drop calculations table in AutoCAD and in Excel. Studied on elevator recall and HVAC related duct detectors mostly about what circumstances duct detectors are to initiate an alarm and what circumstances it should initiate a supervisory signal. I highlighted any numbers that seemed important, such as response time. I highlighted (with just a dot) anytime I saw an asterisk next to a code number. That asterisk told me to look in the annex. annex A for further notes, B for details. A is where everything is. If it isn't there, find the same number in annex B, C, etc. Got very familiar with the sections and what they pertain to. Tabbed just the start of them.
NICET Level II Test - How it Went
Test was 150 minutes long, 99 questions. I used 110 of those minutes then went back and double checked my answers. Had 23 minutes left over. Never touched the scratch pad once. Opened my books 10 - 15 times max. I used the on-screen calculator any time a math question came up, which was maybe twice total. I didn't care if it was 2+2, I was going to do the math solely through the calculator and not count on my own knowledge. Same with the use of the books. I had zero intention of memorizing answers. My plan was to use only the answers the book gave me; but, after my studying, there were so many answers I knew off the top of my head.
Items I studied in Depth
HVAC related material, NFPA 72 code 17.4 -17.4.4 & 21.7-21.7.8
Supervisory signals - 17.16
Protected premises - 23.8
Central supervising station - 26.3
Pathway class designation - 12.3
Elevator recall - 21.3
Testing and inspection - 14 (ALL OF IT)
Heat detector Table 17.6.2 and 17.6.3.5.1. Read all material between. Understand that material.
These were all main study items for me and made the test so much easier to accomplish.
My intention in posting this was not to give any answers to the NICET test material, nor was it to give away anyone's lesson material. The idea was to help the fire alarm industry be employed with people who can pass the NICET tests; which in turn, provides more knowledgeable installers.
I hope I have helped someone. If you have any questions, comments or disagreements please feel free to respond below and I will either make corrections, additions or answer your question accordingly.
Here's a good place to practice looking things up for fire alarm. Even if you know the answers, locate the answers in your reference material for practice.