Get Wired 101 Midterm Practice Test 2026 – All-in-One Guide to Mastering Your Exam!

Ground-fault protection works by sensing a difference between the current leaving on the hot wire and the current returning on the neutral. If leakage to ground is detected, the device trips to cut power and prevent a shock. There are three common ways to provide this protection: a GFCI circuit breaker installed in the panel, which protects the entire circuit; a GFCI receptacle at an outlet, which protects that outlet (and any outlets fed from it) by tripping when leakage occurs; and a portable GFCI extension cord, which adds ground-fault protection to tools or appliances plugged into it. These options cover fixed protection at the panel, outlet-based protection, and portable protection for damp or outdoor work sites. A standard breaker or a non-GFCI receptacle (or a non-GFCI extension cord) doesn’t monitor leakage and thus doesn’t provide ground-fault protection.