United States · Licensing exam
There’s no national electrician exam. Each state sets its own license rules, and some cities do too. Most exams are based on the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), and companies like PSI and Pearson VUE run them. This guide explains how it usually works and gives the official facts for Texas, California and Washington. There’s a free practice test further down, on electrical theory and the basics of the code.
Key facts
How it works
Topics
The formulas behind almost every calculation on the exam: Ohm’s law, the power formulas and power factor.
How current, voltage and resistance behave when loads are connected one after another or side by side.
The working calculations that fill the separate calculations part on exams like Texas’s.
Who writes the National Electrical Code, how editions work, and how to find your way around it in an open-book exam.
Why equipment is grounded and bonded, what the grounding conductor does in a fault, and how conductors are identified.
Breakers, fuses, continuous loads and the GFCI and AFCI devices that protect people and buildings.
Where the code covers motors, transformers, pools and solar, all regular topics on state exam outlines.
Free practice test
These 20 questions are our own. They cover electrical theory, like Ohm’s law, power formulas and series and parallel circuits, plus the basics of how the NEC is laid out. The real exam depends on your state. The Texas journeyman exam, for example, has 85 questions across two parts. Texas, California and Washington all use 70% as the pass mark, so 14 right out of 20 is a pass here. Keep a calculator handy. After each answer you can ask the tutor to explain it another way.
Sample of the exam: same format, 20 questions.
Test day
Study options
Start with two things: your state’s candidate bulletin, which is free and lists exactly what’s tested, and the edition of the NEC your exam uses. Most people also take an apprenticeship or a prep course. We’ve compared the courses, videos and training programs people use.
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official and free | |||
Texas electrician candidate bulletin (TDLR and PSI)Official · PDFUpdated September 15, 2026. It lists every subject on the journeyman and master exams with the number of questions from each, plus the open-book and calculator rules. Even if you’re not in Texas, it’s one of the clearest maps of what an electrician exam covers. | Free | The full bulletin, with topic outlines and question counts | |
California electrician certification bulletin and glossaryOfficial · PDF and videoThe September 2026 bulletin gives the topic split for each exam and the books its questions come from. The state also has a glossary of exam and code terms in English and Spanish, and CPS HR has a short video on using the on-screen code books. | Free | The bulletin, an English and Spanish glossary, and a tutorial video | |
Washington L&I electrical certification bulletinOfficial · PDFShows the sections, question counts and time limits for every Washington electrical certificate, from general journeyman to master. Dated October 30, 2025, so check with L&I for anything newer. | Free | The full bulletin | |
NFPA free accessOfficial · webThe NFPA publishes the NEC and lets you read its codes online for free. It’s handy for looking things up while you study. You can’t take it into the exam, and in Texas you need your own printed, soft-bound copy. | Free to read | Online reading access to NFPA codes and standards | |
Apprenticeship.gov Apprenticeship FinderOfficial · webRun by the US Department of Labor. Search “electrician” and your city to find open apprenticeship jobs with employers near you. Postings are marked if the occupation or employer is registered with the Office of Apprenticeship. | Free | Search and apply for open apprenticeships | |
| Apps and websites | |||
Mike Holt EnterprisesCourses · online, video and booksOne of the best-known names in NEC training. It sells journeyman and master exam prep libraries with videos, graphics and practice questions, and a separate Florida exam section. The free code forum is busy and useful for tricky questions. | Paid. Prices on the site | Free video clips, a weekly newsletter, a code forum and calculators | |
JADE LearningCourses · onlineOnline prep for journeyman and master exams. The study guide has 18 narrated lessons and 800 practice questions. The timed practice tests have over 600 state-specific questions, set to the NEC edition your state uses. | Subscription for 30, 60 or 90 days. Prices on the site | A 10-question practice test after you sign up | |
Tom Henry’s Code Electrical ClassesCourses · online and booksA long-running exam prep publisher. It has online journeyman and master license prep courses, plus exam book bundles. Call before you buy to check the NEC edition matches your state’s exam. | Paid. Prices on the site | - | |
| Video | |||
Mike Holt free video clipsVideo · webShort training clips on grounding and bonding, GFCI rules, theory, safety and exam prep. Some are on the 2020 or 2023 NEC and some on the 2026, so check the edition in each title against your exam. | Free | All the clips on the page | |
| In person | |||
IBEW and NECA apprenticeships (electrical training ALLIANCE)Apprenticeship · unionThe training arm of the electrical workers’ union (IBEW) and the contractors’ association (NECA). Apply through a local JATC. You need to be 18 or older, with a high school education and one year of high school algebra, and pass an aptitude test and a drug test. Veterans may qualify for direct entry. | Contact your local training center | - | |
IEC apprenticeshipApprenticeship · non-unionIndependent Electrical Contractors run a four-year program: at least 8,000 hours of paid work and 576 hours of classes. You work for an IEC contractor by day and go to class in the evening. Fill in the interest form and a local chapter gets in touch. | Paid work. Some tuition and book costs | - | |
Community colleges and trade schoolsLocalA good way in if you don’t have an apprenticeship yet. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says technical school graduates usually get credit toward an apprenticeship. Before you enroll, ask how the program’s hours count toward your state’s license. | Tuition varies a lot | - | |
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Explore
FAQ
It depends on your state. As of October 2026, the Texas journeyman exam has two parts: 59 NEC knowledge questions in 130 minutes and 26 calculation questions in 110 minutes. A few of those are unscored. California’s General Electrician exam has 100 questions in 4 hours 30 minutes. Washington’s general journeyman exam has 60 NEC and theory questions plus 17 on state law.
70% in Texas, California and Washington. Texas scores its two parts separately, so you need 70% on each one. If you fail one part in Texas, you retake it for another $78. Other states set their own pass marks, so check your state’s candidate bulletin.
Often, yes, but the rules differ. In Texas you bring your own soft-bound 2026 NEC, and you can highlight it and use the publisher’s tabs before the exam. In California you can’t bring anything. The code books are on screen during the exam. Washington lets you bring original published books, including ones with questions and answers in them.
In Texas you need 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a master electrician for a journeyman license, and you can take the exam once you have 7,000. A Texas master license needs 12,000 hours and two years as a journeyman. In California the General Electrician exam needs 8,000 hours. Other states set their own numbers.
In Texas the journeyman exam is $78, plus a $30 application fee, and the master exam is $78, plus $45. In California it’s $75 to apply and $100 for each exam attempt. Washington’s exam company, PSI, charges by exam time, from $45 for 1 hour to $105 for 7 hours.
Not in the states we checked. Texas, California and Washington all test you in person at a test center, and their bulletins don’t offer a take-home or remote option. You can do a lot of the learning online, though, including prep courses and free code videos. The work hours have to be done on the job.
A 24-ohm resistive load is connected to 120 volts. How much current does it draw?
5 amps Ohm’s law says current equals voltage divided by resistance (I = E ÷ R). So 120 volts ÷ 24 ohms = 5 amps.
A 1,500-watt space heater runs on 120 volts. How much current does it draw?
12.5 amps Power equals voltage times current (P = E × I), so current equals power divided by voltage. 1,500 watts ÷ 120 volts = 12.5 amps.
A current of 10 amps flows through an 8-ohm resistor. How much power does the resistor use?
800 watts When you know current and resistance, use P = I² × R. That’s 10 × 10 × 8 = 800 watts.
A load draws 10,000 volt-amperes at a power factor of 0.8. What is its true power?
8,000 watts True power equals apparent power times power factor. 10,000 VA × 0.8 = 8,000 watts.
Resistors of 10, 20 and 30 ohms are connected in series across 120 volts. What current flows in the circuit?
2 amps In series, resistances add: 10 + 20 + 30 = 60 ohms. Then I = E ÷ R = 120 ÷ 60 = 2 amps, and that same 2 amps flows through every resistor.
A 10-ohm and a 20-ohm resistor are connected in series across 120 volts. What is the voltage across the 20-ohm resistor?
80 volts Total resistance is 30 ohms, so the current is 120 ÷ 30 = 4 amps. The voltage across the 20-ohm resistor is 4 × 20 = 80 volts.
What is the total resistance of a 6-ohm resistor and a 3-ohm resistor connected in parallel?
2 ohms For two resistors in parallel, use product over sum: (6 × 3) ÷ (6 + 3) = 18 ÷ 9 = 2 ohms. The total is always less than the smallest branch.
In a parallel circuit, what happens to the total resistance when you add another branch?
It goes down Each new branch is another path for current. The source supplies more total current at the same voltage, so the total resistance goes down.
A 2-wire, 120-volt circuit carries 20 amps. The two conductors together have 0.3 ohms of resistance. What is the voltage drop on the conductors?
6 volts Voltage drop equals current times the resistance of the conductors: 20 amps × 0.3 ohms = 6 volts. That’s 5% of 120 volts.
A balanced three-phase load draws 20 amps per phase at 208 volts and a power factor of 1. About how much power does it use?
7,205 watts Three-phase power is volts × amps × 1.732 (the square root of 3). 208 × 20 × 1.732 = about 7,205 watts.
An ideal transformer steps 480 volts down to 120 volts. If the primary current is 10 amps, what is the secondary current?
40 amps In an ideal transformer, volt-amperes are the same on both sides. 480 × 10 = 4,800 VA, and 4,800 ÷ 120 = 40 amps. Voltage went down by 4, so current goes up by 4.
Who publishes the National Electrical Code?
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) The NEC is NFPA 70, published by the National Fire Protection Association. States and cities then adopt it, often with their own changes.
How often does the NFPA publish a new edition of the NEC?
Every 3 years The NEC is revised on a 3-year cycle. Recent editions are 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2026.
In the 2023 and 2026 editions of the NEC, where do you look first for the meaning of a defined term?
Article 100 Article 100 holds the NEC’s definitions. Starting with the 2023 edition, most definitions that used to be spread through other articles were moved into Article 100.
Which NEC article covers grounding and bonding?
Article 250 Article 250 is the grounding and bonding article. It’s one of the most tested parts of the code on journeyman and master exams.
What is the main job of an equipment grounding conductor?
To give fault current a low-impedance path so the breaker or fuse opens quickly If a hot wire touches a metal box or frame, the equipment grounding conductor carries that fault current back to the source. Because the path has low impedance, a lot of current flows and the overcurrent device trips fast.
Which insulation color identifies a grounded conductor, usually the neutral?
White or gray The NEC identifies grounded conductors with white or gray. Green, or green with yellow stripes, is kept for equipment grounding conductors.
A branch circuit supplies only a 16-amp continuous load. Using the NEC’s 125% rule for continuous loads, what is the smallest standard breaker size you could use?
20 amps A continuous load runs at full current for 3 hours or more. The overcurrent device is generally sized at 125% of it: 16 × 1.25 = 20 amps. Assume a standard breaker, not one listed for 100% continuous operation.
How does a GFCI decide when to trip?
It senses a difference between the current going out on the hot conductor and the current coming back on the neutral A GFCI compares the current on the hot and the neutral. If some current isn’t coming back, it’s leaking to ground, maybe through a person, so the GFCI trips at a few milliamps.
Which NEC article mainly covers motors, motor circuits and controllers?
Article 430 Article 430 covers motors, motor circuits and controllers. Texas puts motor questions on both the knowledge and calculations parts of its exams.