Journeyman Electrician

Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep

Study the NEC the way the journeyman exam tests it, then check yourself with original practice questions that cite the code section behind every answer.

Electrician in a hard hat and safety glasses wiring a wall-mounted meter
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What the Journeyman Exam Covers

A journeyman electrician licence lets you do electrical work without direct supervision, usually under a licensed electrical contractor. States set the rules, but almost every journeyman exam is built on the National Electrical Code, published by NFPA as NFPA 70. Your testing vendor's candidate bulletin lists the subject areas and how many questions come from each. The same areas appear on most outlines:

  • Definitions and general requirements (Articles 100 and 110), including working space.
  • Branch circuits, feeders and services (Articles 210, 215 and 230).
  • Load calculations (Article 220), the most common calculation topic.
  • Conductors and overcurrent protection (Articles 240 and 310).
  • Grounding and bonding (Article 250).
  • Wiring methods, boxes and raceway fill (Chapter 3 and Chapter 9).
  • Motors and special equipment (Article 430 and Chapters 5 to 7).

How to Use This Section

Start with the NEC study guide (listed below). It walks through the code layout and the articles that carry the most points. Then work through the calculations guide, which covers ampacity corrections, box fill, dwelling loads, motors and voltage drop with worked examples. When the rules feel familiar, take the practice test. Each attempt draws 25 questions from a pool of 57, shuffles the answers and shows the NEC section after every answer. Look up each reference yourself, because finding the rule fast is half the exam.

Edition and State Rules

Our questions follow the 2023 NEC. If your state uses a different edition, some section numbers and values will differ, so confirm against the code book you will take into the exam. Eligibility rules, such as required on-the-job hours, also vary. In Texas, for example, the Occupations Code requires 8,000 hours under a master electrician; see our Texas journeyman electrician guide. For other states, use your licensing board's website.

A Simple Study Plan

  1. Read the candidate bulletin and note the NEC edition, time limits and permitted materials.
  2. Learn the code layout until you can open to the right article without the index.
  3. Drill the high-frequency tables: 310.16, 314.16(B), 250.66, 250.122, 430.248–430.250 and Chapter 9.
  4. Practise calculations on paper with the same calculator you will bring.
  5. Take timed practice tests and review every miss against the code text.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the journeyman electrician exam open book?

Most state journeyman exams allow a bound copy of the NEC edition named in the candidate bulletin, but rules on tabs, highlighting and notes vary by testing vendor. Check your bulletin before test day.

Which NEC edition should I study?

Study the edition your state or jurisdiction has adopted and your exam bulletin names. NFPA publishes a new edition every three years, and states adopt them on different schedules.

Are these real exam questions?

No. Every question is original, written from the code text by our editorial team, with an explanation and an NEC reference.