JourneymanIQ
Maryland Journeyperson + Master Electrician Exam Prep

Pass the Maryland electrician exam.

The PSI exam is open book on the 2020 NEC and needs 70% to pass. Journeyperson is 70 questions, master is 90. About one in four passes. Find out where you stand before you book it.

Predict my score (free, 15 minutes) →See the plans →
70 questionsJourneyperson
90 questionsMaster
70%To pass
about 27 percentPass rate
Why good electricians fail this one

Open book, and only about one in four passes.

The Maryland Board's own meeting minutes report roughly a 27 to 28 percent pass rate across both tiers (182 of 684 passed January to September 2025; 2,549 of 8,948 since the exam's inception). Open book does not mean easy. The test rewards finding the rule fast under the clock, not memorizing it, and that is exactly the skill most guys never practice.

Open book is won on speed

You bring a tabbed 2020 NEC. The candidates who pass know where the answer lives before they open the book. Slow lookups bleed time, and time is what fails most people.

Maryland law is mixed in

Maryland law and rule, Business Occupations and Professions Article Title 6 and COMAR 09.09.01, is woven into the single exam, not a separate section. State code overrides the NEC where they conflict, and you have to know where.

The master exam is calculation-heavy

The master exam adds 20 more questions and leans hard on calculations: 30 of the 90 are calculation problems. Set them up wrong and the open book will not save you.

Start here

A free diagnostic before you pay for prep

Fifteen questions across the NEC article families the Maryland exam tests. No signup, no card. At the end you get a projected score and the exact article families costing you the most points, so you study the right thing instead of everything.

Start the free diagnostic →See the plans →

Maryland exam, straight answers

Maryland requirements

Journeyperson 4 years or apprenticeship, master 7 years, fees, and retake rules.

Practice test

The buying-intent page for Maryland practice-test searchers.

Free diagnostic

Find your weak articles before paying for prep.

Online prep

How to judge Maryland prep before you buy.

Failed the exam

The 30-day retake rule and a recovery plan.

Master exam

The 90-question, calculation-heavy master path.

Verified against the source · June 2026

Where these facts come from

Where do you stand right now?

Fifteen minutes tells you your projected score and your weakest article families. Then you know exactly what to drill before you pay the $65 exam fee and book it.

Predict my score →See the plans

Free. No card. 15 minutes to your weak-area report.

Common questions

  • How many questions are on the Maryland electrician exam?

    The journeyperson exam is 70 questions in 3 hours 30 minutes. The master exam is 90 questions in 4 hours. Both are open book on the 2020 NEC and need 70% to pass.

  • What score do you need to pass the Maryland electrician exam?

    70%. For the 70-question journeyperson exam that is 49 correct. You can retake after a 30-day wait.

  • Which NEC edition is the Maryland exam based on?

    The 2020 NEC, per the PSI candidate bulletin. Study the 2020 edition for the test.

  • Is the Maryland electrician exam open book?

    Yes, open book on the 2020 NEC, plus a silent non-programmable calculator. Permanent highlighting and printed tabs are allowed. No study guides, no handwritten notes, and you cannot write in the book.

  • Do I still need a local license in Maryland?

    Your state license is the license, but counties and Baltimore City can still require a separate local registration, permits, and inspections before you work there. Check the jurisdiction you work in.