How to Read a Multimeter Tester

Plug the measurement probes into the multimeter. Two measurement probes are supplied with the multimeter. Plug the red probe into the positive terminal and the black probe into the negative terminal.

Rotate the dial on the front of the main unit in order to select the desired function. Even the most basic multimeter will have a choice between voltage, current and resistance. The multimeter should now show "0.00" on the screen. If necessary, select the measurement range by using the control on the main unit. Pressing the "Range" button normally cycles through different range values. If the measurement range is not known, select auto-range.

Bring the measurement probes into contact with the electrical component that is being tested. The screen should display a sequence of numbers, and this is the result of the measurement. Voltage is measured in volts or milli-volts, depending upon the measurement range. Current is measured in amps, and resistance is measured in ohms. There are two small letters that may appear to the right of the numbers, and these are "m" and "k". If a "m" is seen, this indicates the measurement is in one-thousandths of a unit. For example, if 3mA is seen, then this means the reading is 0.003 amps. If a "k" is seen, this indicates that the measurement is in thousands of a unit. For example, if 3k ohms is seen, then this means 3,000 ohms.