[51 Test Answers] FEMA IS-1105A: EC Made Easy: Elevation Certificate Overview

Here are the FEMA test answers to IS-1105.A: EC Made Easy: Elevation Certificate Overview.

Overview: The FEMA IS-1105.A course was published on 7/25/2019 to provide a basic overview of the FEMA Elevation Certificate (FEMA form 086-033 expires November 30, 2018).

Primary audience: The IS-1105 course is for Property & Casualty Insurance Agents, Professional Engineers & Surveyors, Financial Institutions, Floodplain Management Professionals, Flood Determination Companies, Flood Claims Adjusters, Community Officials and property owners.

FEMA IS-1105.A test answers

Each time this test is loaded, you will receive a unique set of questions and answers. The test questions are scrambled to protect the integrity of the exam.

1. The FEMA Elevation Certificate form may be obtained online at which website? 
A. Ready.gov
B. FEMA.gov✅
C. FloodSmart.gov

2. The Base Flood Elevation is important for the policyholder because a building with its lowest floor below the BFE stands a ______ chance of being flooded in any given year than a building with its lowest floor above the BFE. 
A. Greater✅
B. Lesser

3. Which measurement is considered the LFE for a building in a V Zone with an enclosure, if the enclosure is less than 300 square feet, has breakaway walls, and is used only for parking, storage, and access to the building? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)✅

4. If an existing Elevation Certificate uses an old form (that was in effect at the time the form was completed), you must throw it out and obtain a new one because all of the information is out of date. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

5. Breakaway walls are typically used with buildings located in A Zones. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

6. A slab-on-grade building can include a basement. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

7. The sunken living room in John’s home, which has a floor that is below grade on all sides, is considered a basement. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

8. The amount by which a building’s Lowest Floor Elevation exceeds the Base Flood Elevation is called: 
A. Overage
B. Spareboard
C. Surplus
D. Excess elevation
E. Freeboard✅

9. The Special Flood Hazard Area is land that has a 10% chance of flooding in any given year. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

10. A basement is any area of a building, including any sunken room or sunken portion of a room, having its floor below ground level (subgrade) on all sides. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

11. A stem wall is a structure in the middle of the foundation that anchors the building to the foundation. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

12. When rating a house constructed with stem walls, which measurement should be used as the LFE in an A Zone? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor (in this case, the top of the stem wall)✅
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)

13. Tom’s vacation home is located near a river in Zone A. It is built on columns and has an enclosure below the elevated floor (Diagram 6). Tom recently finished the enclosure so that he can use it as a game room. Which measurement would you use to properly rate the building for flood insurance? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member✅
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)

14. A crawlspace has its interior floor no more than 4 feet below the top of the next higher floor. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

15. You may be able to obtain an existing Elevation Certificate by contacting: 
A. The insurance agent
B. The local floodplain administrator✅
C. The lender

16. When a concrete floor is poured directly on a natural grade (ground), provides the foundation for the home, and does NOT include a basement or crawlspace, this type of building is called a: 
A. Foundation building
B. Building on piers or pilings
C. Padstone building
D. Slab-on-grade building✅

17. The LFE for rating purposes in an elevated building with enclosure would change from C2.b (Top of the Next Higher Floor) to C2.a (Top of Bottom Floor) if which were true? 
A. The enclosure is used for access to the building
B. The enclosure is used only for storage
C. The enclosure is used only for parking
D. The enclosure is used solely as a media room.✅

18. Dory’s home is elevated over a crawlspace in Zone A that is unfinished, and the building is equipped with proper flood openings. Which measurement would you use to determine the Lowest Floor Elevation? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor✅
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)

19. An Elevation Certificate is not required to rate most Post-FIRM buildings in the SFHA. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

20. The levels of Corinne’s slab-on-grade house are staggered by a half story. The entrance is at grade level, and the living area is below grade on one side. This is considered what type of building? 
A. Basement
B. Subgrade crawlspace
C. Crawlspace
D. Split-level✅

21. The highest ground surface (ground, grade, or dirt) next to the wall of the building is called: 
A. The Highest Complementary Grade
B. The Tallest Wall Near Ground Level
C. The Most Elevated Ground
D. The Highest Adjacent Grade✅

22. The Base Flood Elevation (BFE) measurement is found in which section of the Elevation Certificate? 
A. A
B. B
C. C✅
D. D

23. Which is a requirement of photographs that will be submitted with the Elevation Certificate for flood insurance rating purposes? 
A. The photos must be submitted with the application
B. The photos must capture key elements such as flood openings, type of foundation, and side-views if the building is split- or multi-level✅
C. The photos must be full-sized, 81/2″ x 11″

24. Marcus’s house is elevated on a full-story foundation in Zone A (Diagram 7). He uses the area for parking his cars. He does have proper flood openings in the walls of his foundation. Which measurement would you use to properly rate the building for flood insurance, according to the NFIP? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)✅

25. To qualify as a split-level, slab-on-grade building, the building may NOT include an attached garage. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

26. Jennifer’s house in Zone V is elevated on pilings and has an enclosure below the elevated floor (Diagram 6). She uses the enclosure solely for parking her vehicle, and the enclosure has proper flood openings. What measurement should you use as the Lowest Floor Elevation (LFE)? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor – 12″ or 18″ from the bottom of slab
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)✅

27. A single-family home in an A Zone has an attached garage. The garage has proper openings on the side and back, machinery and equipment that service the building are located inside the garage. Which EC item is considered the Lowest Floor Elevation for rating purposes? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)✅
E. C2.e Lowest Elevation of Machinery or Equipment

28. Which is an example of machinery or equipment used to service a building? 
A. Air compressor✅
B. Lawn mower
C. Water softener

29. The formula to determine a building’s elevation difference is: Lowest Floor Elevation (LFE) minus Base Flood Elevation (BFE) = Elevation Difference. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

30. The lower the Lowest Floor Elevation is above the Base Flood Elevation, the lower the premium the insured will generally pay. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

31. If the distance from the crawlspace floor to the top of the next higher floor is more than 5 feet, or the crawlspace floor is more than 2 feet below grade (LAG) on all sides, use Building Diagram 2 for a basement. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

32. In a split-level building constructed on a basement in Zone A, which measurement would be used for the Lowest Floor Elevation? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor (in this case, the basement floor)✅
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor (in this case, the living room floor)
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)

33. A minimum of 2 photographs must be submitted with all new flood insurance applications and renewal policies for elevation-rated buildings in an A or V Zone. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

34. A subgrade crawlspace has its interior floor no more than 2 feet below the top of the next higher floor. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

35. In Zone A, the basement floor is always the lowest floor for rating purposes. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

36. In Section C of the Elevation Certificate, you will find Item C2.a. This is where you would look for the measurement of the Top of the Next Higher Floor. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

37. When working with Diagrams 6 through 8, Item C2.b (Top of the Next Higher Floor) will be the lowest floor for rating in A Zones if the enclosure or crawlspace has proper openings and is used as a living space. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

38. Quan’s home is built on a subgrade crawlspace that has proper flood openings. Which measurement is used as the Lowest Floor Elevation in an A Zone? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor✅
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)

39. Angela recently purchased a newly constructed home in the Special Flood Hazard Area. In which flood zone(s) is Angela required to have an Elevation Certificate in order to obtain flood insurance? 
A. In the low- to moderate-risk Zone B
B. In the low- to moderate-risk Zone C
C. In the A or V Zones✅

40. Buildings with subgrade crawlspaces are treated as non-elevated buildings for rating purposes. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

41. When flooding occurs, proper flood openings allow the water to flow in and out of the building without damaging the foundation by equalizing pressure. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

42. Vinyl or aluminum skirting you see around a manufactured home is NOT an enclosure for rating purposes since water can flow through it. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

43. Cole’s house is constructed on piers. Below the elevated floor, Cole has an area that is enclosed solely with insect screening. Diagram 5 (Elevated Buildings with No Enclosures) would apply to Cole’s home. 
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

44. A policyholder can change the flood zone his or her building is in by elevating the building above the Base Flood Elevation. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

45. Solid (perimeter) foundation walls are an acceptable means of elevating buildings in V and VE Zones. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

46. Measurements such as the Top of Bottom Floor are found on the EC Building Diagrams and in which section of the Elevation Certificate? 
A. A
B. B
C. C✅
D. D

47. What is not considered to be a proper flood opening? 
A. Permanent openings that allow for movement of water
B. One square inch of opening for each square foot of enclosure
C. Minimum of two openings on different sides of the enclosure
D. No more than two feet above the adjacent grade✅

48. In Section C of the Elevation Certificate, the measurement in Item C2.c (Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member) is only used in which flood zone? 
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. V✅
E. X

49. Gary’s Gas Guzzlers is located in a commercial building with an attached garage. The top of the garage floor is located below the Top of Bottom Floor (C2.a) of his attached office. What measurement should be used as the Lowest Floor Elevation (LFE) in an A Zone? 
A. C2.a Top of Bottom Floor✅
B. C2.b Top of the Next Higher Floor
C. C2.c Bottom of the Lowest Horizontal Structural Member
D. C2.d Attached Garage (Top of Slab)
E. C2.e Lowest Elevation of Machinery or Equipment

50. Section A of the Elevation Certificate is for Community Information. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

51. When seeking a full-risk rating in an A or V Zone, you are required to submit an Elevation Certificate. 
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE