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Exam Overview
There is no single national journeyman electrician exam. Each state licensing board, or a city or county where there is no statewide license, sets its own license requirements and exam, usually through a professional testing vendor such as PSI, Pearson VUE, or Prometric, or through the board's own testing program. The exams share the same core: they test your ability to apply the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and the electrical theory and calculations behind it. Many also include questions on state electrical laws and rules, and some add questions on safe work practices from OSHA and NFPA 70E.
Exam Pattern
Most journeyman exams are computer-based and contain roughly 70 to 100 four-option multiple-choice questions, with a testing time of about three to five hours. Some jurisdictions split the exam into separately timed and separately scored portions, for example an NEC knowledge portion and a calculations portion, or a code-and-theory portion and a state laws-and-rules portion. The exact question count, time limit, and structure are published in your jurisdiction's candidate information bulletin.
Most journeyman exams are open book. Candidates bring a bound copy of the NEC edition named in the bulletin, and many jurisdictions allow permanent tabs and highlighting but prohibit loose notes and handwritten additions. A few jurisdictions provide the code book on screen instead. A non-programmable calculator is normally permitted; phones, graphing calculators, and devices that store text are not.
What the Exam Covers
Content outlines vary by jurisdiction, but the same subject areas appear on nearly every journeyman exam. Calculations commonly account for about one-quarter to one-third of the questions, and grounding and bonding, branch circuits, and wiring methods are consistently among the heaviest code areas.
| SubjectArea | TypicalQuestions | GuideSection |
|---|---|---|
| Electricaltheoryandcalculations | Ohm's Law power three-phase current power factor transformers , , , , , | Section1 |
| seriesandparallelcircuits voltagedrop , | ||
| Definitionsandgeneralrequirements | Article100terms workingspace terminaltemperatureratings , , , | Section2 |
| equipmentmarkings | ||
| Branchcircuits feeders andload , , | Branch -circuit ratings GFCI and AFCI locations required outlets , , , | Section2 |
| calculations | dwellingandcommercialloadcalculations | |
| Servicesandovercurrentprotection | Serviceclearances serviceconductoranddisconnectrules standard , , | Section3 |
| OCPDratings taprules , | ||
| Groundingandbonding | Groundingelectrodes GECandEGCsizing bondingjumpers separate , , , | Section3 |
| buildings |
| SubjectArea | TypicalQuestions | GuideSection |
|---|---|---|
| Wiringmethodsandmaterials | Burialdepths supportintervals ampacitycorrectionandadjustment , , , | Section4 |
| boxfill conduitfill , | ||
| Equipmentforgeneraluse | Receptacles luminaires appliances motor circuits air-conditioning , , , , | Section5 |
| equipment transformers , | ||
| Specialoccupancies equipment , , | Hazardouslocations healthcare pools PVsystems EVcharging , , , , , | Section6 |
| andconditions | emergency systems limited -energy circuits , | |
| Safetyandworkpractices | OSHAelectricalrules lockout/tagout PPE approachboundaries , , , | Section7 |
The NEC Edition Tested
The NEC is revised on a three-year cycle, and each jurisdiction adopts an edition on its own schedule. Your exam is based on the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, which is named in the candidate bulletin. Section references in this guide follow the edition most widely enforced across the states. Most requirements tested at the journeyman level, including the table values used in calculations, are the same across recent editions. Where the newest edition relocates a rule, a Code Edition Note in the content review tells you where to find it.
The newest edition of the NEC reorganizes several parts of the Code. Load calculations move from Article 220 to a new Article 120, rules for systems over 1000 volts move to Articles 265 through 270, and the communications and limited-energy articles are consolidated. If your exam uses the newest edition, tab these new locations before test day.
Scoring and Results
Scores are based on the number of questions answered correctly, and a passing score of 70% or 75% is most common. Where portions are scored separately, you must usually pass each one and may retake only the portion you did not pass. There is no penalty for wrong answers, so answer every question. Candidates who do not pass receive a diagnostic report by content area; retake rules and fees are set by each jurisdiction.
Exam at a Glance
| ExamAspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Administeredby | Stateelectricallicensingboards(orlocaljurisdictions) usuallythroughPSI PearsonVUE Prometric , , , , |
| or a state-run testing program | |
| Basis | TheNECeditionadoptedbythejurisdiction pluselectricaltheoryandcalculations;manyexamsadd , |
| statelawsandrules | |
| Referencematerials | UsuallyopenbookwithaboundNEC;tabbingandhighlightingrulesaresetbythecandidatebulletin |
| Eligibility | Documented apprenticeship or on-the-job experience (often about 8 ,000 hours) and in many , |
| jurisdictions classroomtraininghours;setbythelicensingboard , | |
| Retakesandrenewal | Retakerules licenserenewalperiods andcontinuingeducationhoursaresetbythejurisdiction , , |
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