Electrician Exam Simulator: What It Should Do and How to Use One
Most tools called simulators hand you a random mix of questions and a final score. That is not simulation. A real simulator runs timed, open-book, and in the exact format your state uses. Here is what that looks like and how to start one today for free.
Last reviewed June 2026
A real electrician exam simulator runs on a clock, lets you use your codebook, and covers both sections where your state splits the exam. The JourneymanIQ diagnostic meets those conditions, is free with no signup, and tells you which NEC sections to focus on first, in priority order, so every study hour goes where it moves your score.
What makes a simulator real
The real exam is not a knowledge quiz. It is a timed, codebook-allowed test of whether you can move fast enough, find the right table, and apply it before the clock runs out. A simulator that ignores the clock or bans the code is training you for a different test.
Three conditions separate a real simulator from a random question bank. First, a timer. Not a stopwatch you ignore, but a per-section countdown that mirrors the pacing of the real exam. Second, codebook access. Every state exam we support is open-book. You are allowed to bring your NEC. Practice that way. Third, the two-section format where it applies. California DIR, Washington L&I, and other states split the exam into two scored sections. A simulator that runs them as one undivided block does not reflect what you will face.
The two-section format, by state
Not every state splits the exam. Texas TDLR is a single 85-question session. But several states run two distinct sections, and they matter for pacing and for knowing where your weaknesses fall.
California DIR General Electrician: 100 questions across two sections, one focused on general electrical theory and the NEC, one on California Title 24 requirements. The California exam page has the section breakdown and sample questions.
Washington L&I 01 Journeyman: two sections, both open-book on the 2020 NEC. The Washington exam page covers the section structure, the approved codebook list, and practice questions built to each section.
Michigan LARA Journeyman: 80 questions, open-book on the 2023 NEC, single section. Maryland Journeyperson: 70 questions on the 2020 NEC. Maryland Master: 90 questions on the 2020 NEC. Both open-book. See the Michigan and Maryland pages for the relevant NEC tables and question banks.
Texas TDLR: 85 questions, single section, open-book on the 2023 NEC. The most common trap is candidates spending too long on calculations and running out of time for the code-lookup questions, which are actually the easier points. The Texas exam page has the official topic weights and a free sample bank.
How the diagnostic simulates test conditions
The JourneymanIQ diagnostic is a 15-question timed session. It is free and needs no signup. Questions span the NEC topics that appear most often on the real exam, calculations and code-lookup in proportion to your state. You can use your codebook while you run it, because the real exam lets you. Every answer has a step-by-step walkthrough, not just "B is correct," but the exact path through the NEC table or calculation that gets you there.
At the end, you see a score by topic. Not a single overall number. A breakdown that tells you whether you are bleeding points in grounding, in calculations, in branch circuit rules, or somewhere else. That tells you where the practice mode needs to start.
How the practice mode extends the simulation
After the diagnostic, the practice mode runs drills on your weak sections in the order the diagnostic ranked them. Every question comes with a full walkthrough: the controlling NEC article, the relevant table, and the reasoning path a master electrician would use to get to the right answer in under 90 seconds.
This is where the simulation does its real work. The goal is not to answer the practice question correctly. The goal is to make the lookup path fast enough that the clock stops being a factor on test day. Plans start at $49 for Pro and $129 for Pro+. See the pricing page for what each includes.
What we promise and what we do not
We do not promise you will pass. A 15-question diagnostic is not the same as an 85-question exam, and anyone who tells you otherwise is setting you up to be blindsided. What we do promise: after the diagnostic, you will know exactly which NEC sections to study, in priority order, based on what the diagnostic revealed. That is a concrete, verifiable thing. Put those sections in front of you and work through them before test day.
Run your first simulation in 15 minutes
Free. No signup, no card. Timed, open-book, scored by NEC topic. You finish knowing which sections to fix and in what order.