How long do I have to wait to retake the California General Electrician exam if I fail?
California requires a mandatory 60-day wait before you can retake the General Electrician exam. You re-pay the $100 exam fee for each attempt. Use that 60 days deliberately. The first-time pass rate was about 53 percent in 2022 and the repeat pass rate dropped to about 38 percent, so a casual retake tends to go worse, not better.
Last reviewed June 2026 · Answered by JourneymanIQ staff
60 days, no exceptions
The wait is built into the rules. You cannot re-sit sooner, so schedule the next attempt knowing you have time to actually fix what tripped you.
Repeat pass rates are lower
First-timers passed at about 53 percent in 2022. Repeat takers passed at about 38 percent. The people who walk back in without changing their prep drag that number down.
Diagnose, then drill
Installation is 66 percent of the exam and calculations another 22 percent. If you bombed, those two areas are almost always where. Rebuild your code-lookup speed there during the 60 days.
60 days is a gift, not a penalty. Repeat takers who change nothing pass less. Fix the gap, then go back.
Sources
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