Exit discharge is best described as what?

• A. The portion of the means of egress that leads occupants from an exit to a public way outside the building.
• B. The interior portion of the means of egress including the stairs.
• C. The lobby area inside the building.
• D. The path from the parking lot to the entry door.

Answer: (A)

Exit discharge is the outdoor portion of the means of egress that carries occupants from the exterior side of a building exit to a public way outside the building. It begins at the outside point of the exit and continues through exterior spaces—such as sidewalks, ramps, or exterior stairs—until reaching a street or other public right of way. This distinguishes it from the interior means of egress, like corridors and stairs inside the building, and from routes outside the building but not yet part of the egress sequence (such as the path from a parking lot to an entry door). The lobby inside remains part of interior egress, not exit discharge.