Each means of egress must provide a:

• A. continuous path of travel to the level of exit discharge
• B. a direct connection to a stairwell
• C. multiple independent paths
• D. limited travel to exit discharge

Answer: (A)

The essential requirement is that every means of egress provides a continuous, unobstructed path of travel from the occupied space all the way to the level of exit discharge—the point where people reach the exterior or a public way. This guarantees there are no dead ends or blocked steps along the route, so occupants can move safely to safety in an emergency. The direct connection to a stairwell isn’t required for every path since some egress routes may discharge directly outside or onto another safe area. Having multiple independent paths isn’t the defining feature for each means of egress, though codes may call for redundancy in certain occupancies. Limiting travel to a short segment would fail to ensure safety, since the path must continue to the exterior or public way.