Colorado journeyman electrician exam: what to expect
Colorado runs a three-tier system through the State Electrical Board: Residential Wireman, Journeyman, and Master, all tested by PSI with a provided code book. The exam flips from the 2023 NEC to the 2026 NEC on August 1, 2026. We verified the current format, fees, and rules against the live PSI bulletin and the Colorado rules in July 2026. Full CO-specific practice content is on our roadmap; the verified exam intel is below.
Last reviewed July 2026
The short answer
The Colorado journeyman electrician exam (PSI calls it Journeyman Wireman) is a 90-question test with 240 minutes allowed and 70 percent (63 correct) to pass. The code book is provided at the test center, no personal references allowed. Through July 31, 2026 it tests the 2023 NEC; from August 1, 2026 it tests the 2026 NEC.
The exam at a glance
- Who runs it: PSI Services
- Questions: 90 scored questions (all three tiers: Residential Wireman, Journeyman, Master)
- Time: 240 minutes, plus extra time for unscored pilot items
- Passing score: 70 percent (63 of 90)
- References: Provided references only. PSI hands you a clean NEC and a formula page at the test center. No personal books, no tabs, no marking the provided copy. An on-screen calculator is provided.
- Code edition tested: 2023 NEC through July 31, 2026. Effective August 1, 2026, all questions reference the 2026 NEC per the live PSI bulletin. If your exam lands near the flip, confirm the edition with PSI before you study.
- Exam fee: $78 per exam, $73 per retest, paid to PSI. Fee valid 1 year.
- Retakes: No waiting period and no attempt limit. You cannot rebook the same day, but you can retest as soon as a seat opens, sometimes within two days. $73 each retest.
Colorado licensing authority
Colorado licenses electricians at the state level through the State Electrical Board under DORA, with PSI administering the exams. Three individual tiers exist: Residential Wireman, Journeyman, and Master.
Authority: Colorado State Electrical Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA)
Official site: https://dpo.colorado.gov/Electrical
License types issued
Colorado issues the following electrician license classifications:
- Residential Wireman
- Journeyman Electrician (exam name: Journeyman Wireman)
- Master Electrician
- Electrical Contractor (business registration)
Hour requirement
Journeyman: 8,000 hours over at least 4 years, including 2,000 commercial or industrial, plus 288 classroom hours. Residential Wireman: 4,000 residential hours over at least 2 years.
Hour requirements typically combine on-the-job experience under a licensed electrician with classroom or related supplemental instruction. Confirm exact totals and qualifying-experience rules with the Colorado State Electrical Board before submitting an application — requirements occasionally change.
Code edition
Colorado exams test the 2023 NEC through July 31, 2026, then flip to the 2026 NEC on August 1, 2026 per the live PSI bulletin. Confirm with PSI which edition your sitting targets.
What trips candidates up
- You cannot bring your own code book. PSI provides a clean NEC and formula page, and you may not write on or tab them. Train raw index navigation, not tab-flipping.
- Exam first, application after. Anyone can schedule with PSI without Board pre-approval. Your hours get vetted when you apply for the license, so passing is not a guarantee of licensure.
- The 288 classroom hours apply to every journeyman applicant, and 2,000 of your 8,000 hours must be commercial or industrial. Pure residential experience dead-ends at Residential Wireman.
- The NEC edition flips August 1, 2026, from the 2023 to the 2026 NEC. No transition window has been announced for 2026, so do not assume one.
- Apprentices registered 6 or more years must sit the journeyman exam at least every 3 years until they pass. It is state law, not a suggestion.
Official sources
Facts on this page were last reviewed July 2026 against these primary sources. Rules change; when in doubt, the state’s page wins.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions is the Colorado journeyman electrician exam?
90 scored questions with 240 minutes allowed. You need 63 correct, which is 70 percent. Unscored pilot questions can appear with extra time added. The Residential Wireman and Master exams use the same format.
Can you bring your code book to the Colorado electrician exam?
No. PSI provides a clean NEC and a formula page at the test center, and you cannot write on, highlight, or tab them. No other materials are allowed, so your prep needs to build raw code navigation speed.
What NEC edition does the Colorado exam use?
The 2023 NEC through July 31, 2026. From August 1, 2026, all exam questions reference the 2026 NEC per the live PSI bulletin. Confirm with PSI which edition applies to your date before you study.
How many hours do you need for a Colorado journeyman license?
8,000 hours over at least 4 years, including 2,000 commercial or industrial hours, plus 288 classroom hours with transcripts. The Residential Wireman tier needs 4,000 residential hours over at least 2 years.
What is the Colorado journeyman exam pass rate?
Colorado does not publish pass rates. Neither DORA nor PSI releases official statistics for the electrical exams, so treat any percentage you see elsewhere as invented.
What you can do now while we build CO content
Even though we don’t yet have Colorado-specific practice questions, the underlying NEC concepts our diagnostic measures are universal. Voltage drop, conduit fill, motor sizing, grounding electrode systems, GFCI/AFCI requirements — these are tested on every state’s electrician exam regardless of jurisdiction.
Three things you can do today (free)
- Take the free diagnostic. 15 questions across the core NEC domains. 90 seconds. No signup. Tells you which topics will lose you points if you walked into any state electrician exam this week. Take it →
- Read our pass-rate analysis. Verified TDLR FY2025 pass rate (27.52%) and California 2022 figures. Useful context whether you’re sitting for Colorado or another state. See the stats →
- Drill the topics that decide most exams. Grounding vs bonding (Article 250), voltage drop calculation, conduit fill, motor sizing, GFCI/AFCI requirements, the wave-pass open-book strategy. All resource pages are free. Browse resources →
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Drop your email and we’ll let you know when CO-specific practice questions and drills are live. We use waitlist demand to prioritize which state we ship next, so signing up genuinely moves Colorado up our queue.
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