Which of the following installations can be acceptable for smoke detectors?
a. Wall-mounted smoke detector located 3 inches down from the ceiling
b. Smoke detector located at the bottom of a shallow beam
c. Ceiling-mounted smoke detector located 2-1/2 inches from a wall
d. Smoke detector located adjacent (1 ft) to a supply diffuser

A portion of a home-improvement store has K11.2 ceiling-only sprinkler protection above double row racks. The owner is looking to store bagged charcoal (without any impregnated ignition fluid or plastic wrap) atop reinforced plastic pallets in this area. What would the commodity classification be for this arrangement if no plastics are intermixed?
a. Class II
b. Class III
c. Class IV
d. Group A Plastic

Solution | Posted 06/22/18

​Which of the following arrangements is not permitted for a new prison, under NFPA standards?
a. Sprinkler Protected, Type II (222) Construction, High-Rise Building
b. Sprinkler Protected, Type II (000) Construction, 3-Story Building
c. Sprinkler Protected, Type IV (2HH) Construction, 2-Story Building
d. Sprinkler Protected, Type V (000) Construction, 1-Story Building

Solution | Posted 06/21/18

Consider the following fire hydrant flow tests conducted at the same elevation:
   Test A: 75 psi Static, 60 psi Residual at 1,200 gpm
   Test B: 65 psi Static, 60 psi Residual at 1,800 gpm
   Test C: 70 psi Static, 45 psi Residual at 1,200 gpm

​Which of the following is true?
a. Test A would provide better pressure than Test B for a 1,500 sqft Light Hazard sprinkler system.
b. Test A would provide better pressure than Test B for a 3,000 sqft ESFR sprinkler system.
c. Test B would always provide better pressure than Test C for any type 􀃍re sprinkler system.
d. Both a and c.

Solution | Posted 06/20/18

A continuous membrane with a fire protection rating constructed to limit the spread of fire is which of the following?
a. smoke partition
b. fire compartment
c. fire barrier
d. proscenium wall

Solution | Posted 06/19/18

​Which of the following is typically not considered obstructed construction for fire sprinkler design?
a. concrete tees with solid members 5 inch wide and 2 ft tall
b. heavy timber construction with 4 inch solid wood beams
c. beam and girder construction with 6 inch steel beams 6 ft apart
d. panel construction with panels under 300 sqft

Solution | Posted 06/18/18

A class III commodity is encapsulated and stored on shelves within a large walk-in cooler. A dry system is being designed to serve this hazard. If the storage is anticipated to be 13 ft. in height with a 17 ft. ceiling, determine the required design density with the smallest remote area for high temperature sprinkler protection using the Control Mode Density/Area approach.
a. 0.14 gpm/sqft / 2,000 sqft
b. 0.14 gpm/sqft / 2,600 sqft
c. 0.15 gpm/sqft / 2,600 sqft
d. 0.17 gpm/sqft / 2,000 sqft

Solution | Posted 06/15/18

Inergen (IG-541) is being used for protection of several rooms which contain highly valuable historic documents. If the fire type is considered Class A and the design concentration of Inergen is provided, determine the clean agent-air mixture density.
a. 1.15 kg/cu. m
b. 1.25 kg/cu. m
c. 1.28 kg/cu. m
d. 1.44 kg/cu. m

Solution | Posted 06/14/18

A hospital's patient tower has an an exit access corridor with 1/2 hour partition fire resistance rating on
the first level. If the interior architect would like to provide side transoms (narrow windows) along the side
of the doors that lead to the exit access corridor, what fire resistance rating must the transoms have?
a. 1/3 hour
b. 1/2 hour
c. 3/4 hour
d. 1-hour

Solution | Posted 06/13/18

A fire alarm system containing horn/strobes, manual pull stations, fire sprinkler monitoring, and heat
detectors would be considered what type of fire alarm system?
a. manual, temporal-3
b. manual and automatic, temporal-3
c. manual, emergency voice/alarm communication
d. manual and automatic, emergency voice/alarm communication

Solution | Posted 06/12/18

Solution | Posted 06/11/18

Solution | Posted 06/08/18

Solution | Posted 06/07/18

​In which of the following scenarios is neither explosion protection nor suppression system required?
a. Flammable paint warehouse mixing rooms where open transfer of paint occurs
b. Dust ventilator equipment where the dust density can be above its lower flammability limit
c. Mechanical room where service equipment is subject to explosion
d. All of the above require either explosion protection or suppression systems

Solution | Posted 06/06/18

Solution | Posted 06/05/18

Solution | Posted 06/04/18

A kickoff typically implies something fun, like a football game or a concert event. Most people studying for the PE Exam don't exactly look forward to spending time learning and reading through the summer. I get it. 

My hope is to make the studying less painful and a little fun. Here's what is coming your way from this site in 2018:

A popular resource for examinees and experts alike returns June 1st - our Daily Problem series. This is a separate subscription from the Weekly Blog. If you're interested in updating your subscription preferences, signup here and check which series you would like to receive.
​

The 2018 PE Prep Guide is in, and now shipping worldwide. It's my most popular and best-selling resource for Fire Protection PE Exam Prep. If you're taking the SFPE PE Online Review Course, you'll see it regularly used throughout the curriculum.

If you're interested, the 2018 Guide is on sale for one more day - get 15% off when you order on or by Friday, May 25th.

Looking for extra practice? The Weekly Exam Series is your ticket to regular practice that simulates actual exam conditions. It's a series of 20 mini exams that simulate the Fire Protection PE Exam in a weekly, 1-hour session. 

Track your progress like never before - new this year - not only will you see your results each week compared against peers, but you'll see your results compared to those who passed and did not pass last year's exam. Track your progress each week and see where your results project on the actual PE Exam.

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Halocarbon clean agents are effective fire extinguishing products due to what principal(s):
i. oxygen dilution
ii. heat extraction
iii. chemical combustion interruption

a. ii only
b. i and ii only
c. ii and iii only
​d. i, ii, and iii

Solution | Posted 10/16/17

Which of the following occupancies have no difference in maximum permitted travel distance for sprinklered versus unsprinklered buildings?
a. Existing Day Care
b. Residential Lodging
c. Existing Mercantile
​d. New Business

Solution | Posted 10/12/17

Which of the following would be considered a typical fire load for a bedroom?
a. 0.4 - 0.8 lb/sqft
b. 3.2 - 5.5 lb/sqft
c. 11 - 14 lb/sqft
d. 43 - 48 lb/sqft

Solution | Posted 10/10/17

The worst expected symptoms for humans when concentration of carbon monoxide reaches 1600 parts per million is which of the following:
a. no adverse effects for up to 8 hours of exposure
b. dizziness after 45 minutes of exposure
c. nausea, headache, and dizziness after 20 minutes of exposure
d. unconsciousness and danger of death after 10-15 minutes of exposure

Solution | Posted 10/09/17

Determine the flow (in gpm) through an extended coverage pendent K16.8 sprinkler at 85 psi.
a. 52 gpm
b. 155 gpm
c. 348 gpm
​d. 1428 gpm

Solution | Posted 10/06/17, Updated 10/16/17

An open, unobstructed space connects an entry level lobby with a balcony on the level above in a fully-sprinklered residential building while separated from the remainder of the building with a smoke barrier. If the space only has low hazard contents and meets egress requirements, what type of space does it qualify as?
a. Atrium
b. Communicating Space
c. Convenience Opening
​d. Two-Story Opening with Partial Enclosure

Solution | Posted 10/06/17, Updated 10/16/17

A Level 2 Aerosol is to be boxed and stored on pallets at 15 feet with a ceiling height of 26 feet. Which of the following sprinkler protection criteria is acceptable?
a. Standard Spray (K-factor at least 8.0) Sprinklers; 0.30 gpm/sqft over 2,500 sqft
b. ESFR upright K14.0, quick-response, 12 sprinklers at 50 psi
c. ESFR pendent K16.8, quick response, 12 sprinklers at 35 psi
d. ​ESFR pendent K22.4, standard response, 12 sprinklers at 25 psi

Solution | Posted 10/02/17

Historically, places of assembly have had major loss of life due to what unique building elements?
a. combustible loads that aid in rapid fire growth
b. inadequate exiting
c. overcrowding
​d. all of the above

Solution | Posted 09/29/17