What is the passing score for the electrician exam?

For the states JourneymanIQ covers, Texas requires 70 percent on each part, California requires 70 percent, Michigan requires 75 percent, Washington requires 70 percent on each section, and Maryland requires 70 percent for journeyperson and master.

Is the passing score the same across all electrician exams?

No. Many state electrician exams use 70 percent, but Michigan Journeyman requires 75 percent. Washington also matters because the 70 percent requirement applies to each section, not just a combined overall score.

What is the passing score for the Texas TDLR Journeyman exam?

Texas requires 70 percent on each of the two parts: NEC Knowledge and Calculations. A strong NEC Knowledge score does not cover a weak Calculations score.

What is the passing score for the California General Electrician exam?

California General Electrician requires 70 percent on the 100-question exam. The current testing setup provides references at the test center, so candidates should train provided-reference speed.

What practice score should I aim for before exam day?

Use practice scores as a margin signal, not a promise. A score around 80 percent in mixed practice gives more room than sitting right at the pass line, but the safer move is to check weak sections with a diagnostic and fix the lowest domains first.

Common question / scoring

Electrician Exam Passing Score

Most electrician licensing exams use 70 percent, but do not treat that as universal. Texas needs 70 percent on each part. California needs 70 percent. Michigan needs 75 percent. Washington needs 70 percent on each section. Maryland journeyperson and master both use 70 percent.

Last reviewed July 2026

The pass line matters, but the section rule matters more. A state can require 70 percent and still fail you if one part or section falls below the line.

Passing score by state

State	Exam	Passing score	Questions	Time
Texas	TDLR Journeyman Electrician exam	70% on each of two separately-scored parts	85 (NEC Knowledge 59 + Calculations 26), two parts scored separately	130 minutes (NEC Knowledge) + 110 minutes (Calculations), timed separately
California	California General Electrician exam	70% to pass	100 questions across four DIR domains	4 hours 30 minutes
Michigan	Michigan Journeyman Electrician exam	75% to pass	80 questions	2 hours 30 minutes
Washington	Washington General Journey Level Electrician (01) exam	70% on each of two sections, scored separately	77 in two sections: NEC & Theory (60) + Washington Laws & Rules (17)	3 hours (NEC & Theory) + 1 hour (Laws & Rules)
Maryland	Maryland Journeyperson + Master Electrician exams	70% to pass	Journeyperson 70 / Master 90	Journeyperson 3 hours 30 minutes / Master 4 hours

Minimum-correct guide

These are plain math translations of the public pass lines. Always treat your official score report as the final source.

Texas NEC Knowledge: 42 of 59. Texas Calculations: 19 of 26.
California General Electrician: 70 of 100.
Michigan Journeyman: 60 of 80.
Washington NEC and Theory: 42 of 60. Washington Laws and Rules: 12 of 17.
Maryland Journeyperson: 49 of 70. Maryland Master: 63 of 90.

Why the pass line can fool you

A 70 percent threshold sounds forgiving until the exam is split into sections. Texas and Washington both punish an uneven score. If your calculation work is weak, a strong code-knowledge score does not rescue the failed part. If your Laws and Rules work is weak in Washington, the NEC section does not cover it.

Texas published FY2025 statistics show only 27.52% of attempts passing overall. The lesson is not panic. The lesson is that practice has to show the weak part before the real score report does.

What practice score should you aim for?

Practice scores are not a promise. They are a margin signal. If you are sitting near the official pass line in untimed practice, test-day pressure, slow lookup, or one bad calculation draw can pull you below it. A mixed-practice score around 80 percent gives more room, but only if your weak domains are not hiding under a good overall average.

How to use your score report after a failed exam

A failed score report is not just bad news. It is a repair map. Use it to identify the lowest section first, then spend the next study block on that section only. If you do not have a score report yet, use the free diagnostic to create a smaller version of that map before you pay for another attempt.

Take the free diagnostic

Official sources

The state facts above come from the verified JourneymanIQ exam knowledge graph, which is sourced to licensing boards and candidate bulletins. Recheck your board or vendor before scheduling because exam forms and policies can change.

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