Is Mike Holt good for the California General Electrician exam?

Yes for building NEC foundation. Mike Holt teaches the code deeply. The California exam adds two things on top of the code: the DIR domain weighting and finding rules fast in references provided at the test center. Pair the foundation with prep tuned to those.

What is the difference between Mike Holt and JourneymanIQ for California?

Mike Holt is a comprehensive video and workbook library you work through over months. JourneymanIQ is an adaptive practice platform that runs a free diagnostic, surfaces your weak DIR domains, and drills provided-reference speed in 30 to 60 days.

Can I use both Mike Holt and JourneymanIQ?

That is a common path. Use Mike Holt to build the NEC foundation if you have the time, then use JourneymanIQ in the last 30 to 60 days to find your weak spots and drill speed under the provided-reference rules.

Comparison · California

JourneymanIQ vs Mike Holt for the California General Electrician exam

Mike Holt has taught NEC for 40 years and the library is unmatched. JourneymanIQ is diagnostic-led adaptive prep tuned to the California DIR General Electrician outline. Two different tools for two different stages of getting ready.

Last reviewed June 2026

Side by side for the California exam

Feature	JourneymanIQ	Mike Holt
Tuned to the DIR General Electrician outline		NEC foundation, not DIR-specific
Free diagnostic of your weak domains
Adapts to what you keep missing		Static, you watch it all
Trains provided-reference lookup speed		Teaches the code, not the lookup drill
Show-the-work calculators + scaffolded lessons		Video lessons + workbooks
Built for a 30 to 60 day window		Best over 6+ months
Daily mobile sessions for working electricians		Self-paced video
Price	$49/mo or $129/3mo	$400 to $600 set

Honest read for the California exam. Mike Holt is the deeper foundation. JourneymanIQ is the last-mile, DIR-tuned sharpener.

What Mike Holt does well

The deepest NEC video library on the market, article by article.
Calculation books with worked examples that hold up year after year.
Strong free content that builds trust before you buy.
Best when you are starting from little NEC knowledge and have months to learn.

Where Mike Holt is weakest for the California exam

It teaches the NEC, not the DIR domain weighting (Installation 66%, requirements 22%, safety 6%, maintenance 6%).
No adaptive engine. You watch the same Article 250 lesson whether you scored 95% or 45% on grounding.
Volume can overwhelm a working electrician with 60 minutes a night.
It does not drill the real California skill: finding rules fast in references you do not get to tab yourself.

What JourneymanIQ does well for California

A free 15-question diagnostic that maps your weak DIR domains before you pay anything.
Adaptive practice that resurfaces the calculation types and topics you keep missing.
Scaffolded lessons and show-the-work calculators that teach the pattern, not just the answer.
Practice built around the current provided-reference rules, so you train the lookup, not just the rule.

When to pick which

Pick Mike Holt if

You are starting from little recent NEC knowledge.
You have 6 or more months before your exam.
You learn best from lecture-style video.

Pick JourneymanIQ if

You have a defined window of 30 to 60 days and need a daily plan that fits around your shift.
You want to drill your weak DIR domains, not scroll through content you already know.
You want to train speed under the provided-reference rules the California exam actually uses.

Use both if

You have 90+ days. Build the foundation with Mike Holt, then sharpen with JourneymanIQ in the last 30 to 60 days.

The bottom line

Mike Holt is a library. JourneymanIQ is a sharpening tool tuned to the California DIR exam. Start with the free diagnostic and let your weak domains tell you whether you need foundation, speed work, or both.

What you actually get

This isn’t another article. It’s the prep system.

Free diagnostic

15 questions, no signup. A domain-by-domain weakness map for the DIR General Electrician exam, so you study the gaps, not everything.

Take it free

Show-the-work calculators

Voltage drop, conduit fill, box fill, dwelling load. The math builds one step at a time, so you learn the pattern, not just the answer. Free, no login.

Open the calculators

Scaffolded lessons

Watch one worked, run one with help, then drill it cold. Every calculation type the exam tests, in plain language.

See the lessons

Drills that adapt

Original California questions and code-navigation drills. The platform resurfaces the calculation types you keep missing until they stick.

See plans

Find your path

If you failed it onceThe 60-day wait is the work window. Find your two weakest domains and attack those, not a re-read of what you already knew.Build a retake plan If you’re still checking the rulesWhat’s provided at the test center, the 8,000 hours, C-10 vs General Electrician. Get the current facts before you study the wrong thing.Check the requirements If codebook speed is the weak spotReferences are provided, so the exam rewards whoever finds the rule fastest. Train the lookup, not just the rule.Train codebook speed

Start here

See exactly where you stand on the California exam.

15 questions, about 15 minutes, no signup. You get a domain-by-domain weakness map for the DIR General Electrician exam, so you study the gaps instead of everything.

Take the free diagnostic