CHFM Practice Exam 2025 – Complete Study Guide

The correct answer is new ambulatory health care occupancy that is sprinklered. In this category, the corridor walls do not require a specific wall rating due to the presence of sprinkler systems, which provide additional fire protection and can effectively control or extinguish fires before they can spread significantly.

In health care facilities, particularly ambulatory settings designed with sprinkler systems, the code recognizes that the risk of fire spread is mitigated by these systems. Therefore, the stringent requirements for wall ratings that apply to non-sprinklered facilities are relaxed when sprinklers are present, allowing for greater flexibility in design and construction.

The other options involve existing health care facilities or those that are non-sprinklered, where stricter wall ratings are typically mandated to prevent the spread of fire and to protect occupants. In these situations, the lack of adequate automatic fire suppression systems necessitates more robust fire safety measures, including specific wall ratings that serve as barriers to limit smoke and heat spread in case of a fire event.

Thus, the presence of sprinkler systems in new ambulatory health care occupancies creates a scenario where the risk level is reduced, eliminating the requirement for rated corridor walls.