A building, or portion of a building, used for educational purposes above the 12th grade is classified as:

• A. An educational occupancy
• B. A business occupancy
• C. An institutional occupancy
• D. An assembly occupancy

Answer: (A)

Occupancy classification is about the intended use of a space and the type of occupants it serves, which then drives fire protection and egress requirements. A building used for formal instruction of people through education—such as high school and beyond—falls under an educational occupancy. The grade level doesn’t change the category; even colleges and universities are considered educational occupancies. The other options describe different purposes: business occupancy is for offices, institutional occupancy for facilities like hospitals or custodial care, and assembly occupancy for spaces where people gather for entertainment or events. So the space used for education above the 12th grade best fits as educational occupancy.