Journeyman Electrician Practice Test: What to Expect and How to Prepare

The journeyman practice test you need depends on your state. Texas is 85 questions, closed-book, 2020 NEC. California, Michigan, Washington, and Maryland are open-book, ranging from 70 to 100 questions on the 2023 or 2020 NEC. Take the free 15-minute diagnostic first to see which NEC topics need the most work.

How the journeyman exam format differs by state

Five states are live on JourneymanIQ today, and each one has a different exam format. Here is what you are walking into.

Texas (TDLR Journeyman). 85 questions, closed-book, 2020 NEC. PSI testing centers. Topics are weighted toward general wiring, grounding, overcurrent protection, and calculations. There is no codebook in the room, so Article 250, 310, and 220 load calculations need to be in your head before you sit down. See the Texas TDLR exam guide.

California (DIR General Electrician). 100 questions, open-book, 2023 NEC. One of the longer exams in the country. The 2023 code cycle adds arc fault and GFCI requirements that earlier editions did not have, so if your codebook is the 2020 edition, you are studying the wrong version. See the California General Electrician exam guide.

Michigan (LARA Journeyman). 80 questions, open-book, 2023 NEC. Michigan moved to the 2023 code cycle, so questions on receptacle and AFCI requirements reflect the newer article language. See the Michigan LARA Journeyman exam guide.

Washington (L&I 01 Journeyman). Two open-book sections on the 2020 NEC. The exam is split, which means your time management strategy has to account for a break point mid-test. See the Washington L&I exam guide.

Maryland (Journeyperson). 70 questions, open-book, 2020 NEC. Maryland also has a Master license exam at 90 questions. The Journeyperson exam is more focused on field wiring rules than service design. See the Maryland Journeyperson exam guide.

What a journeyman practice test should cover

Any practice resource worth your time should weight questions the same way the real exam does. The NEC articles that show up most across all five states are:

Article 100 definitions (you need the exact code language to eliminate wrong answers). Article 210 branch circuits. Article 215 feeders. Article 220 load calculations. Article 240 overcurrent protection. Article 250 grounding and bonding. Articles 300 to 358 wiring methods and raceways. Article 430 motors. Table 310.16 ampacity. Chapter 9 conduit fill and voltage drop.

Every question on JourneymanIQ includes a step-by-step walkthrough of why the correct answer is correct and why each wrong answer is wrong. Knowing why B is correct matters. Knowing why A looks correct but is not is what keeps you from picking A on the real exam.

The fastest way to find your weak sections

Random practice questions give you a score. They do not tell you what to do with it. If you answer 60 questions and get 72 percent, you still do not know whether your grounding answers are solid and your calculations are the problem, or the other way around.

The free diagnostic is 15 questions, about 15 minutes, no signup required. It scores you by NEC topic and returns a priority list of which sections to drill first. That is the starting point. After you have the list, use Pro or Pro+ to drill those topics with adaptive question sets that re-weight toward your weak areas after every session.

What we do not promise

We do not promise you will pass. The journeyman exam is a real test with a real failure rate. What we do promise: after the diagnostic, you will know which NEC sections to focus on, in priority order, based on where you actually struggled. That is a concrete, actionable next step. Whether you act on it is up to you.

Pro plan is $49. Pro+ is $129 for three months of full access including the adaptive engine and the complete question bank across all five states. Both plans are worth the look once you have taken the free diagnostic and know your weakest areas. See what is included.