What score do I need to pass the California General Electrician exam and how long is it?
You need 70 percent to pass the California General Electrician certification exam. It is 100 questions and you get 4 hours and 30 minutes to finish. That is roughly 2.7 minutes per question, so pacing is comfortable if you know where to look in the provided books. DIR approves eligibility and CPS HR Consulting runs the test.
Last reviewed June 2026 · Answered by JourneymanIQ staff
70 percent, scored as one block
There is no separate part scoring like Texas runs. The whole 100-question exam is scored together and you need 70 percent correct to pass.
Budget your 270 minutes
With 100 questions in 4 hours 30 minutes you have about 2 minutes 42 seconds each. Flag anything that takes a lookup longer than 90 seconds and circle back.
Know the weight before you walk in
Installation is 66 percent of the exam, calculations 22 percent, safety and maintenance or repair 6 percent each. Spend your study time where the points are.
70 percent to pass, 100 questions, 4.5 hours. Pacing is not your enemy. Knowing the books is.
Sources
Practice questions and explanations on JourneymanIQ are original. We paraphrase the NEC and cite article numbers, and we do not reproduce NEC text or real exam questions.
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