United States · Licensing exam
Most electricians learn through a paid apprenticeship. You work under a licensed electrician and take classes alongside, often for four or five years. A trade school can get you started, and an exam prep course helps in the final months. Start with your state’s free candidate bulletin, because it lists exactly what’s tested. We checked the options below in October 2026.
Updated 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.
Checked October 2026
The 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.
Checked October 2026
Shows 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.
Checked October 2026
The 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.
Checked October 2026
Run 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.
Checked October 2026
One 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.
Checked October 2026
Online 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.
Checked October 2026
A 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.
Checked October 2026
Short 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.
Checked October 2026
The 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.
Checked October 2026
Independent 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.
Checked October 2026
A 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.
Checked October 2026
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Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.