2017 NEC tabs belong on the tables and sections exams hit hardest, labeled with 2017 numbers: Table 310.15(B)(16), not Table 310.16, and 310.15(B)(7), not 310.12. Tennessee, Nevada, Arizona and Kansas all grade on the 2017 edition, and all four allow permanent tabs only. Sticky notes and movable tabs come out before you start. Tabbing a 2020 book instead? Use JCR's 2020 NEC tab guide with exam rules by state. Tabs only help if you drill with them, so pair this page with how to find NEC answers fast on an open-book exam.
Don't build a tab set from scratch. JCR's 2017 NEC package includes permanent code tabs for the heavily tested articles, tables and sections, along with the course that teaches you to use them.
Inside the $495 package: the permanent tab set, 100 video lessons (21 hours), a 152-page printed manual, a printed mock booklet and 312 online questions, among them a full 100-question timed mock.
Get the 2017 NEC package: $495
Testing in Tennessee? Get the Tennessee package. Want to check your speed first? Take the free 2017 NEC mock.
2017 NEC tab rules for the Tennessee, Nevada, Arizona and Kansas exams
These rules come from the Prov Tennessee candidate bulletin, PSI's Nevada bulletin and Arizona ROC outlines, and ICC's test site regulations for Kansas. Your candidate bulletin has the final word.
| State and exam | Books | Tabs | Highlighting and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee: LLE and CE (Prov) | 2017 NEC, Ugly's Electrical References (2020) and OSHA 29 CFR 1926. The CE adds the American Electrician's Handbook, 17th edition, and for a limited time NFPA 70E (2017) and the 2021 IBC. Through December 31, 2026, Prov also accepts books the prior vendor recommended. | Permanent tabs only, such as gummed or self-adhesive tabs. No repositionable tabs or Post-it notes. | Highlighting and underlining allowed, but no marking during the exam. No handwritten notes, photocopies, formula sheets or add-on indexes. |
| Nevada: C-2 (PSI) | 2017 NEC or the 2017 NEC Handbook, plus NFPA 72 (2010 or 2013). Ugly's and OSHA 1926 stay out of the room. | Permanent tabs only. Sticky notes come out before you start. | Highlight, underline and index before exam day. No writing in the books and no loose or attached papers. |
| Arizona: R-11, C-11 and CR-11 (PSI) | 2017 NEC, NFPA 72 (2016) and OSHA 29 CFR 1926. Ugly's stays out of the room. | Permanent tabs only, meaning tabs that would tear the page if pulled. | Highlight, underline, annotate and index before exam day. No writing during the exam. |
| Kansas: KGD, KGH and KGX (ICC, Pearson VUE) | 2017 NEC and Ugly's Electrical Reference, any edition. Books must be bound (original binding, three-ring binder or stapled), with no photocopies of copyrighted material. | Must be permanently attached, so they can't come off without destroying the page. | Notes in ink and highlighting allowed. Pearson VUE's whiteboard marker is for the whiteboard only, never your books. |
Printable-insert tabs? Prov's Tennessee bulletin allows self-adhesive tabs with printable inserts. The PSI and ICC rules for Nevada, Arizona and Kansas don't mention inserts, so check your candidate bulletin before you use them there.
Where to put tabs in a 2017 NEC code book
Tab where the questions are: calculations, ampacity, grounding, boxes, raceways and motors. Here is the core set, with 2017 numbers.
| Tab | 2017 NEC location | Why it's tested |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions | Article 100 | Terms that decide the answer |
| Working space | 110.26 and Table 110.26(A)(1) | Depth of working space by voltage and condition |
| GFCI | 210.8 | The 2017 dwelling list is narrower than 2020's |
| Load calculations | Article 220: Table 220.12, Table 220.42, Table 220.54, Table 220.55, 220.82 and Table 220.84 | Lighting, dryer, range and optional-method demand |
| Overcurrent protection | 240.4 and 240.6(A) | Standard sizes and the next-size-up rule |
| Grounding and bonding | Table 250.66, Table 250.122, Table 250.102(C)(1) and 250.53(G) | GEC, EGC and bonding jumper sizes, rod electrodes |
| Burial depth | Table 300.5 | Minimum cover by wiring method |
| Ampacity | Table 310.15(B)(16), Table 310.15(B)(2)(a) and Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) | Ampacity, ambient temperature correction, more than 3 current-carrying conductors |
| Dwelling services | 310.15(B)(7) | The 83% rule for dwelling service and feeder conductors |
| Box fill | 314.16, Table 314.16(A) and Table 314.16(B) | Box volumes and volume per conductor |
| Motors | Article 430: 430.32, Table 430.52, Table 430.248 and Table 430.250 | Overloads, breakers and full-load current |
| Transformers | Table 450.3(B) | Transformer overcurrent protection |
| Special occupancies | Articles 680 and 690 | Pools and solar. Arizona's R-11 and C-11 outlines each put 10 questions on photovoltaics. |
| Conduit fill | Chapter 9 Tables 1, 4, 5 and 8, and Annex C | Percent fill, raceway and conductor areas, conductor properties, same-size fill tables |
Exam trap: 2020 numbers in a 2017 book
If you studied from 2020 material, watch these. The 2017 location is the one that matches your book and the scored answer.
| Rule | 2017 NEC (tab this) | 2020 NEC |
|---|---|---|
| Conductor ampacity | Table 310.15(B)(16) | Table 310.16 |
| Ambient temperature correction | Table 310.15(B)(2)(a) | Table 310.15(B)(1) |
| More than 3 current-carrying conductors | Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) | Table 310.15(C)(1) |
| Dwelling service and feeder, 83% | 310.15(B)(7) | 310.12 |
| Rod with 8 ft in contact with soil | 250.53(G) | 250.53(A)(4) |
The same goes for tabs. A tab set printed for the 2020 NEC will point to sections that don't exist in a 2017 book.
How to put tabs on a code book
- Start at the back and work forward so the tabs line up.
- Pinch each tab onto both sides of the page so it bonds.
- Tab well before exam day so you have time to drill with the finished book.
- Highlight before exam day, not during, in every one of the four states.
- Keep the book out of a hot truck. Heat can weaken adhesive and print.
Find it fast: 5-question lookup drill
Each question asks where a rule lives in the 2017 NEC. Time yourself with your tabbed book. Under 30 seconds per lookup is a good target.
Question 1
You need the correction factor for THWN conductors in a 40°C ambient. Where is it in the 2017 NEC?
- Table 310.15(B)(1)
- Table 310.15(B)(2)(a)
- Table 310.15(B)(3)(a)
- Table 310.16
Question 2
Where is the rule that lets a 200 A dwelling service use conductors sized for 83% of the rating?
- 310.12
- 220.82
- 310.15(B)(7)
- Table 310.15(B)(16)
Question 3
You need the minimum copper equipment grounding conductor for a 60 A circuit. Which table?
- Table 250.66
- Table 250.122
- Table 250.102(C)(1)
- Table 310.15(B)(16)
Question 4
What is the fastest place to find how many 12 AWG THHN conductors fit in 3/4 in. EMT?
- Chapter 9, Table 1
- Annex C, Table C.1
- Table 314.16(B)
- Table 310.15(B)(3)(a)
Question 5
A ground rod must be installed so at least 8 ft of its length is in contact with the soil. Where is that installation rule in the 2017 NEC?
- 250.53(A)(4)
- 250.53(G)
- 250.66(A)
- Table 250.66
Drill answers
Show the answer to question 1Hide the answer to question 1
1. B, Table 310.15(B)(2)(a)
The 2017 ambient temperature correction table, based on 30°C, is Table 310.15(B)(2)(a). Table 310.15(B)(1) is its 2020 number, and Table 310.15(B)(3)(a) is the adjustment table for more than 3 current-carrying conductors.
Show the answer to question 2Hide the answer to question 2
2. C, 310.15(B)(7)
In the 2017 NEC the 83% dwelling service and feeder rule is 310.15(B)(7). A 200 A service needs 200 × 0.83 = 166 A, so 2/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum. 310.12 is the 2020 location.
Show the answer to question 3Hide the answer to question 3
3. B, Table 250.122
Equipment grounding conductors are sized from the rating of the overcurrent device in Table 250.122. Table 250.66 sizes grounding electrode conductors, and Table 250.102(C)(1) sizes bonding jumpers and the grounded conductor on the supply side.
Show the answer to question 4Hide the answer to question 4
4. B, Annex C, Table C.1
When every conductor is the same size and type, Annex C gives the count directly. Table C.1 covers EMT. Chapter 9 Table 1 only gives the fill percentage, which is the long way around.
Show the answer to question 5Hide the answer to question 5
5. B, 250.53(G)
The 2017 NEC puts rod and pipe electrode installation, including the 8 ft in contact with soil, in 250.53(G). The 2020 edition moved it to 250.53(A)(4).
2017 NEC tabs FAQ
Are tabs allowed on the Tennessee electrical exam?
Yes, permanent tabs only. Prov's rules for the LLE and CE allow highlighting and permanent tabs, but not movable tabs, sticky notes or handwritten notes.
Can I use 2020 NEC tabs on a 2017 code book?
Not well. Several heavily tested tables were renumbered in 2020, so 2020 labels such as Table 310.16 won't match a 2017 book, which uses Table 310.15(B)(16).
Can I write notes in my 2017 NEC for the exam?
It depends on the state. Kansas (ICC) allows notes written in ink, and Arizona allows annotations made before exam day. Tennessee bans handwritten notes, and Nevada bans writing in the books.
Can I buy JCR's 2017 NEC tabs separately?
Not right now. JCR's standalone tab set is printed for the 2020 NEC. The 2017 tabs come in the $495 2017 NEC package.
Do I need different tabs for the journeyman and master exams?
No. The Kansas KGH journeyman and KGD master exams both use the 2017 NEC and Ugly's, so one tabbed 2017 book covers both. The same 2017 tab set also fits the Tennessee, Nevada and Arizona exams.
Get a tabbed 2017 NEC study plan
Practice lookups free first, then get the permanent tabs and the full 2017 NEC course in one package.
See the 2017 NEC self-study package: $495, tabs included. Testing in Tennessee? Use the Tennessee package.
Sources
- Prov Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors bulletin, version 1.6 (revised November 4, 2026)
- PSI Nevada C classification bulletin (March 25, 2026)
- PSI Arizona contractor bulletin (February 18, 2026) and the PSI/ROC R-11 and C-11/CR-11 outlines
- ICC State of Kansas bulletin (October 12, 2026) and ICC's what-to-bring rules
- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2017 edition
Reviewed November 6, 2026. NEC references are to the 2017 edition.
