What is the 90-second rule on the electrician exam?
If a lookup or a question runs past about 90 seconds, mark it and move on. The open-book exam is a time race, and one stubborn question can cost you five easy ones at the back. Bank the points you can get fast, then come back to the hard ones with whatever time is left.
Last reviewed June 2026 · Answered by JourneymanIQ staff
Why the clock beats most candidates
Most people who fail knew enough to pass. They ran out of time before they could prove it. Protecting the clock is a skill, not a personality trait.
Mark and move
When a question or a book lookup crosses about a minute and a half, flag it and go. The questions are not worth different points, so a fast easy one is worth the same as a slow hard one.
Come back with what is left
After you have banked the gettable points, return to the flagged ones. You will often see them clearly the second time, and if not, you have not bled the whole exam dry chasing one answer.
Past 90 seconds, flag it and move. Bank the easy points before the hard ones eat your clock.
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