California Supplemental (CSE) Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT a part of a means of egress?

1. Exit access

2. Exit

3. Exit discharge

4. Fire escape

The correct answer is: Fire escape

The means of egress is a critical concept in building safety and design, ensuring safe evacuation from a building during an emergency. It is divided into three primary components: exit access, exit, and exit discharge. Exit access refers to the part of the means of egress that leads to the exit, which includes corridors, doorways, and any other passages that people must traverse to reach an exit. The exit itself is designated as a portion of a building that provides a protected route to the exit discharge. Exit discharge represents the final part of the means of egress that leads directly outside the building to a safe area. In this context, a fire escape, while it may aid in evacuating a building, does not technically fall under the defined categories of means of egress in the building code, which specifically details exit access, exit, and exit discharge. The presence of a fire escape may offer secondary means of evacuation, but it does not constitute a formal part of the means of egress as outlined by regulations.