Are You a Wiring Wizard or an Electrical Know-Nothing?

Last updated · 8 min play time


Elizabeth T. is a professional writer with experience in home decor and construction and writing how-to articles on dozens of DIY topics.

DIY Electrical Quiz Questions

30 Questions · 1.4M Plays · 98 Comments

Question 1

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    A European adaptor
  • B
    A junction box
  • C
    An electric receptacle
  • D
    An industrial outlet

Question 2

What holds a ceiling fan onto the ceiling?

  • A
    Romex cable
  • B
    A mounting bracket
  • C
    Magnetic force
  • D
    The electrical wires

Question 3

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    Steel conduit
  • B
    Romex cable
  • C
    Pipe wires
  • D
    Breaker wire

Question 4

What is a voltage surge?

  • A
    A special outlet strip for computers
  • B
    An unexpected rise in voltage
  • C
    Higher pricing for electricity during peak periods
  • D
    The initial spark when a circuit is completed

Question 5

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    A GFCI outlet
  • B
    A 220 volt outlet
  • C
    A hair dryer outlet
  • D
    A garbage disposal switch

Question 6

What is this pictured tool?

  • A
    Wire strippers
  • B
    An electrical wrench
  • C
    Needle-nose pliers
  • D
    Wire cutters

Question 7

What is wire gauge?

  • A
    The diameter of the wire
  • B
    The amperage of the wire
  • C
    The voltage of the wire
  • D
    The strength of the wire

Question 8

Where are electric meters most commonly located?

  • A
    On your breaker panel
  • B
    Outside, where the main electric line connects to the house
  • C
    Inside, where the main electric line connects to the house
  • D
    Inside, where your hot water heater is

Question 9

In most cases, to what should you attach a ground wire?

  • A
    To something metal
  • B
    To something wooden
  • C
    To something liquid
  • D
    To something plastic

Question 10

What does a "hot" wire do?

  • A
    Nothing
  • B
    It's a spare wire that doesn't work unless you trip the breaker
  • C
    It carries current back to the breaker panel
  • D
    It carries electricity from the power source to the outlet

Question 11

How can you tell the difference between a three-way switch and a two-way switch?

  • A
    They cost three times as much
  • B
    They're black
  • C
    You can't
  • D
    There's an extra terminal

Question 12

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    A wire nut
  • B
    A safety thimble
  • C
    A ground cap
  • D
    An electrical cap

Question 13

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    A fluorescent bulb
  • B
    A diode
  • C
    An electrical fuse
  • D
    A plasma level

Question 14

What is a dedicated circuit?

  • A
    An appliance with its own electric meter
  • B
    Another word for direct current
  • C
    An electrical circuit that serves just one item
  • D
    A properly labeled breaker box

Question 15

In most cases, what color is a neutral wire coded?

  • A
    White or Grey
  • B
    Green
  • C
    Black or Yellow
  • D
    Blue or Red

Question 16

What does G.F.C.I. stand for?

  • A
    Gigawatt Follower Circuit Interrupt
  • B
    Ground Fault Containment Insulator
  • C
    Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter
  • D
    Ground Float Circuit Insulation

Question 17

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    An electrical meter
  • B
    A voltage tester
  • C
    A wiring probe
  • D
    Needle-nose pliers

Question 18

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    Fish tape
  • B
    A cable spool
  • C
    A voltage tester
  • D
    Ground wire

Question 19

What is this pictured cable?

  • A
    Romex cable
  • B
    Exterior wire
  • C
    Speaker wire
  • D
    Fiberoptic cable

Question 20

What does the neutral wire do?

  • A
    It runs electricity to the fixture
  • B
    It's a spare wire that doesn't work unless you trip the breaker
  • C
    It's a grounded current-carrying conductor
  • D
    Nothing

Question 21

What is the purpose of a ground wire?

  • A
    It completes a three-way circuit
  • B
    It returns electicity to the breaker box
  • C
    It brings electricity to an appliance or fixture
  • D
    It provides a path back to the source of the electrical current in the event of a fault

Question 22

What is a watt?

  • A
    A measure of electric power
  • B
    A measure of electric cost
  • C
    A measure of electric resistance
  • D
    A measure of electric amperage

Question 23

What does LED stand for?

  • A
    Low Energy Diode
  • B
    Light Electric Diode
  • C
    Low Electrical DC
  • D
    Light Emitting Diode

Question 24

What is the diameter, in inches, of a solid 10 AWG wire?

  • A
    0.102 inches
  • B
    1.02 inches
  • C
    0.502 inches
  • D
    1.52 inches

Question 25

What is this pictured object?

  • A
    A halogen bulb
  • B
    An incandescent bulb
  • C
    An LED bulb
  • D
    A CFL bulb

Question 26

How can you find out your home's total available amperage?

  • A
    Lick each plug and do it by feel
  • B
    By adding the wattage of all your appliances
  • C
    Look at the amperage rating on the main breaker
  • D
    By reading the meter

Question 27

What kind of gloves will protect you from an electric shock?

  • A
    Boxing gloves
  • B
    Kid gloves
  • C
    100% rubber gloves
  • D
    Silk gloves

Question 28

What type of plug is this pictured object?

  • A
    Type D
  • B
    Type C
  • C
    Type B
  • D
    Type A

Question 29

What is this pictured tool?

  • A
    Wire strippers
  • B
    Side snips
  • C
    Linesman pliers
  • D
    Needle-nose pliers

Question 30

How does a modern dimmer switch work?

  • A
    By sending current through a resistor
  • B
    By turning the light circuit on and off very quickly
  • C
    By using the internet to control your bulbs
  • D
    By reducing the wattage of the bulb

Comments (98)

We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.

A lot of these questions have multiple answers. I am a licensed plumber with 50 years of experience, also I have done lots of electrical work as that is required in plumbing work and a lot of those answers have multiple answers.

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26 out of 30 that dimmer switch ? Humm.

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@Jrdillon..An interesting option, in the right circumstances..

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30/30..BANG!

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Got 26 out of 30.

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Lick it and see if you can tell the difference, haha..

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The Author should check with a professional Expert for the answers, at least two of the question answers are 75% wrong.

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Pulse width modulation is what's used: it takes advantage of the fact that our eyes can't tell the difference between a light that's permanently on, and one that's pulsing on and off at high frequency

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Dimmer switch answer is wrong.

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100% no formal training

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@dirtrider129...I agree... electrician for 35yrs...?

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Hvac Supervisor...got 25/30... im happy with that

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29 out of 30. I dont know about that dimmer switch answer, I dont quite believe that.

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The question that tripped me was the type of three conductor plug. I wasn't sure it it was a " A " type or " B " type, so I used a lifeline. I polled the audience and over 60% the audience selected " A ". So that what I did. Wrong! It's a " B " plug.

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21 out of 30 not bad for a welder not electrician

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22/30. Not bad for an electrical engineering hating mechanical engineer not based in the USA! PS - America. You really need to sort your cable colour convention out! ;-)

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Wtf this is crap , or I need smaller fingers ????

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It took answers i did not select

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good mental exercise

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dhy

Tells me I’m clueless when it comes to electrical issues.

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