Fire Protection Prep

NICET ITWBS Level II study guide

NICET ITWBS Level II, administered by National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET), a division of NSPE, is mapped here as 8 topic areas; the heaviest are Inspection Frequencies & Procedures (22%), Testing Procedures & Flow-Test Math (22%) and System Types & Components (16%).

About this course: NFPA 25 look-ups at about 66 seconds a question — speed under open book is the skill.

NICET ITWBS Level II at a glance

Questions
168
Time allowed
185 minutes (Level II)
Passing standard
NICET scaled score on a sliding 0-700 scale
Format
Computer-Based Testing (CBT) at Pearson VUE
Standard / edition
NFPA 25 2023 edition
Administered by
National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET), a division of NSPE

Source: NFPA 25 2023 edition, National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET), a division of NSPE. Confirm current details with the exam owner before you book.

Topic areas and weights

Topic areaWeightConceptsGuide
Exam Orientation0%5Section below
System Types & Components16%9Topic page
Inspection Frequencies & Procedures22%9Topic page
Testing Procedures & Flow-Test Math22%10Topic page
Deficiencies, Obstruction & Impairment14%8Topic page
Documentation, Reporting & Work Management10%6Topic page
Safety & Building Features8%5Topic page
NFPA 25 Code Navigation8%7Topic page

Topic guides at a glance

System Types & Components

16% of the course blueprint, 9 concepts. Emphasized: What defines a wet-pipe system?, What defines a dry-pipe system, and how does it trip? and What makes a preaction system different?. Watch for: preaction and deluge are the same (preaction has CLOSED heads; deluge has OPEN heads).

Inspection Frequencies & Procedures

22% of the course blueprint, 9 concepts. Emphasized: How often are gauges inspected, and how does system type change it?, How often are control valves inspected, and what changes it? and How often is the main drain test performed?. Watch for: wet and dry gauges are inspected on the same schedule (wet monthly, dry/preaction/deluge weekly).

Testing Procedures & Flow-Test Math

22% of the course blueprint, 10 concepts. Emphasized: What does the main drain test do, and how do you read it?, What is the fire-pump annual flow test, and what must 150% flow hold? and How often are alarm-valve and dry-pipe trip tests done?. Watch for: the main drain test checks the sprinklers (it checks the water SUPPLY / control-valve integrity).

Deficiencies, Obstruction & Impairment

14% of the course blueprint, 8 concepts. Emphasized: How does NFPA 25 define a deficiency vs a critical deficiency?, What is an impairment, and what are the two kinds? and What do impairment procedures require?. Watch for: deficiency, impairment, and non-compliance mean the same thing (three distinct NFPA 25 categories).

Documentation, Reporting & Work Management

10% of the course blueprint, 6 concepts. Emphasized: What must every inspection or test produce?, What documents does a Level II technician plan and read? and Who is responsible for correcting deficiencies?. Watch for: the technician is responsible for correcting deficiencies (the OWNER is responsible for correction).

Safety & Building Features

8% of the course blueprint, 5 concepts. Emphasized: What personal jobsite safety does the exam grade?, How is test discharge managed safely? and What building features can compromise the system?. Watch for: test discharge just goes down the drain (it must be controlled to prevent damage/erosion/slips).

NFPA 25 Code Navigation

8% of the course blueprint, 7 concepts. Emphasized: How is NFPA 25 2023 organized?, Where do you go first for an interval question? and Where do you resolve a terminology trap?. Watch for: NFPA 25 is organized by activity, not system (it is organized by SYSTEM, then activity).

Study plan in this course

  1. The Riser-Room Briefing: Your NICET ITWBS Level II Exam — 5 cards · free
  2. System Types & Components: Wet, Dry, Preaction, Deluge — 9 cards · free
  3. The Frequency Matrix: Weekly to Multi-Year — 10 cards · full course
  4. Testing Procedures & Flow-Test Math — 10 cards · full course
  5. Deficiency, Impairment & Obstruction — 8 cards · full course
  6. Documentation, Reporting & Work Management — 6 cards · full course
  7. Safety & Building Features — 5 cards · full course
  8. Open-Book NFPA 25 Navigation — 7 cards · full course

Exam Orientation

Exam Orientation is one of the 8 areas in this course's NICET ITWBS Level II blueprint. It spans 5 concepts. The course teaches it in 1 study unit: The Riser-Room Briefing: Your NICET ITWBS Level II Exam.

What Exam Orientation covers

  • How many questions is the NICET ITWBS Level II exam, and how long do you get? — NICET ITWBS program page
  • Is the NICET ITWBS exam open-book, and what does that change? — NICET Computer-Based Testing FAQ
  • How is the NICET exam scored, and what passes? — NICET Score Reports FAQ
  • Which edition of NFPA 25 is the Level II exam built on, and since when? — NICET news release + ITWBS program page
  • Does passing the exam make you NICET-certified? — NICET ITWBS program page + certification requirements

Common mistakes in Exam Orientation

  • the pass mark is a percent-correct cut (it is a SCALED score, 500 of 700 passes)
  • NICET publishes a pass rate you can quote (it does not — never print a NICET pass %)
  • it is a closed-book memorization exam (it is OPEN-BOOK — the skill is fast navigation + application)
  • certification = passing the exam (certification also requires verified work experience)

Official references for Exam Orientation

  • NICET ITWBS program page
  • NICET Computer-Based Testing FAQ
  • NICET Score Reports FAQ
  • NICET news release + ITWBS program page
  • NICET ITWBS program page + certification requirements

In the app this area comes with 5 memory cards and 5 module-quiz questions and is part of the free starting modules.

Official references

  • NICET ITWBS program page
  • NICET Computer-Based Testing FAQ
  • NICET Score Reports FAQ
  • NICET news release + ITWBS program page
  • NICET ITWBS program page + certification requirements
  • NICET Level II PMs + NFPA 25: 2023
  • NICET Level II Performance Measures: 0304-3101..0304-3114
  • NICET PMs + OSHA conventions
  • NICET Performance Measures
  • NICET PMs + NFPA 25 Ch: 15
  • NICET CBT open-book format
  • NICET Score Reports FAQ + Computer-Based Testing FAQ
  • NICET news release
  • NFPA 25 2023 Ch: 5, 6, 13, 8, 7/9
  • NFPA 25 2023 backflow provisions
  • NFPA 25 2023 frequency tables

Start the free NICET ITWBS Level II modules → · Pricing · FAQ