How to pass the journeyman exam while working full time

The journeyman electrician exam is an open-book test on the NEC edition your state uses, plus state rules, and most states pass you at 70% or 75%. The plan below fits a 50-hour work week: about 5 hours of study a week for 10 weeks, spent on the calcs and on finding things fast in the book. California's General Electrician exam, for example, is 100 questions in 4 hours 30 minutes, which is 2.7 minutes a question (California DIR).

Haven't got your hours in yet? Start with how to get your journeyman electrician license, which covers hours, classroom and applying to the board.

01Who gives the exam in your state?

A testing company or the state itself, and your candidate bulletin from that outfit is the rulebook for test day.

As of 2026, from the boards' own pages:

Where these come from: Alaska Mechanical Inspection, California DIR, Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners, Florida Statute 489.5335, Idaho DOPL, Maryland Board of Electricians, Montana State Electrical Board, Utah DOPL, Washington L&I and Wisconsin DSPS. Confirm with your board, because vendors change.

Utah is the odd one. Its written theory exam can be taken remotely from anywhere in the U.S., but the practical has to be taken in person at an approved Prov center in Utah. Plan the drive.

02Is it open book, and can you tab your code book?

Almost always open book, but what you can bring and how you can mark it changes by state, so read your bulletin before you buy a single tab.

Real examples, as of 2026:

• Idaho: you bring your own references. Highlighting, underlining and permanent indexing done before the exam are allowed. Writing during the exam is not, and Post-its and loose papers get confiscated.
• Wisconsin: open book, but loose paper, removable tabs, sticky notes and paperclips are not allowed. Tabs that come with a bound code book are fine. You're limited to one binder (Wisconsin's SPS 305 and 316 plus three-hole-punched printed notes), the 2023 NEC codebook or handbook, and up to two bound reference books.
• North Carolina (contractor qualifier exam): you can refer to any part of your NEC, NFPA and NASCLA business books (NCBEEC).

The common thread: permanent tabs and highlighting, done before test day, by the bulletin's rules. Sticky notes are banned in both Idaho and Wisconsin, so leave them home unless your bulletin says yes.

03Which NEC edition is on your exam?

Whatever your state has adopted for testing, and right now that's anywhere from the 2020 to the 2026 edition.

Sources: Minnesota DLI, Arkansas rules, 17 CAR 210, Iowa DIAL, Wisconsin DSPS, Montana State Electrical Board and NCBEEC.

Article numbers move between editions. If you study out of your shop's 2020 book and test on 2023, the page you tabbed won't be where you think. Buy the edition your bulletin names.

04The calculations that show up

Load calcs, voltage drop, box fill and conduit fill come up on almost every journeyman exam, and they're where people lose the most time.

Load calculations (Article 220). Dwelling service and feeder calcs using the standard method, the optional method, and demand factors. Practice until you can lay one out on scratch paper without looking.

Voltage drop. The NEC treats it as a recommendation in informational notes (3% on a branch circuit, 5% total), not a hard rule in most cases, but exams still ask it. The single-phase formula is VD = 2 x K x I x L / CM, with K about 12.9 for copper.

Worked example: a 16-amp load, 120 volts, 100 feet one way, copper.

• 12 AWG (6,530 cmil): 2 x 12.9 x 16 x 100 / 6,530 = 6.32 volts, or 5.3%
• 10 AWG (10,380 cmil): 3.98 volts, or 3.3%
• 8 AWG (16,510 cmil): 2.50 volts, or 2.1%

So 8 AWG is the first size under 3% in this example.

Box fill (314.16). Count conductors, then multiply by the volume allowance for the size. Each conductor that originates outside the box counts once. Equipment grounds count as one (check your edition's rule when there are more than four). A device yoke counts as two of the largest conductor connected to it. Internal clamps count as one.

Worked example with 12 AWG (2.25 cubic inches each): 4 insulated conductors (4) + grounds (1) + one receptacle (2) + internal clamps (1) = 8. 8 x 2.25 = 18.0 cubic inches minimum.

Conduit fill (Chapter 9, Table 1, and Annex C). 53% for one conductor, 31% for two, 40% for three or more. For conductors all the same size, the Annex C tables do the math for you. Know where they are.

All of these are in NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code. Check the section numbers in your edition.

05A 10-week study plan for a 50-hour week

About 5 hours a week, 50 hours total, built around the work week.

Each week: three weeknights at 45 minutes, 2 hours on Saturday, and 45 minutes on Sunday.

Three habits that make the plan work:

1. Study tired, but not exhausted. Forty-five minutes after dinner beats three hours at midnight on a Sunday.
2. Use the job. When something comes up on site, look it up that night. Code you've already argued about on a job sticks.
3. Time yourself early. Speed in the book is the skill. Know your per-question budget (2.7 minutes in California) and practice to it.

06What happens if you fail, and how soon you can retake

You can retake, but most states make you wait, and some add steps after a second fail.

• Maryland: wait 30 days to reapply, then 60 days for any retest after that, paying the fee each time.
• California: wait 60 days from the failed attempt; the retest fee is $100.
• North Carolina (contractor qualifier): you can't retake the same classification for 90 days.
• Georgia: Georgia licenses electrical contractors, not journeymen. Fail its contractor exam twice and you must complete a review course before a third try (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 121-3-.03).

Sources: Maryland license FAQ, California DIR, NCBEEC. If you fail, ask for your score breakdown by topic and build the next study block around the weakest two.

07After you pass

Keep the card current. Most states want continuing education every renewal, and some tie it to the NEC cycle. See electrician continuing education requirements by state. If you plan to move, a card you earned by exam is the one that travels; see which states have electrician license reciprocity. For your state's board link and levels, see electrician license requirements by state.

Run your Pay Check to see what electricians with your new license make near you. Takes about a minute and your boss never hears about it.

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