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 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.
The short answer
What is the Maryland Journeyperson + Master Electrician exams?
The Maryland electrician exam is a PSI test: journeyperson is 70 questions in 3 hours 30 minutes, master is 90 in 4 hours. Both are open book on the 2020 NEC and need 70 percent to pass. About one in four passes across both tiers.
Key facts
- Exam
- Maryland Journeyperson + Master Electrician exams
- License
- Journeyperson + Master
- Authority
- Maryland State Board of Electricians (MD Board of Electricians)
- Delivered by
- PSI Services
- Questions
- Journeyperson 70 / Master 90
- Time
- Journeyperson 3 hours 30 minutes / Master 4 hours
- Pass score
- 70% to pass
- NEC edition
- 2020 NEC
- Reference rule
- Open book on the 2020 NEC only, plus a silent non-programmable calculator. Permanent tabs and highlighting allowed; no study guides or handwritten notes.
- Retake
- Wait 30 days from your most recent attempt to retest, and pay the $65 exam fee again. Your exam approval is valid for one year.
- Pass rate
- About one in four passes across both tiers
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.
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 readiness report and the exact article families costing you the most points, so you study the right thing instead of everything.
Maryland exam, straight answers
Maryland requirements
Journeyperson 4 years or apprenticeship, master 7 years, fees, and retake rules.
Practice test
Original Maryland practice questions in the real exam format, with worked answers.
Exam simulator
Timed practice matched to journeyperson or master pacing.
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.
Open-book rules
The 2020 NEC, calculator, tab, and note rules for PSI test day.
Calculations practice
Tier-aware calculation prep for journeyperson and master candidates.
Journeyperson vs master
Pick the credential that fits your hours and what you need to unlock first.
Master exam
The 90-question, calculation-heavy master path.
Exam format
Journeyperson 70 questions, master 90, open book on the 2020 NEC, 70% to pass.
Exam cost
The $65 PSI fee per tier, the license fee, and what a retake runs.
Passing score
70% to pass, and why only about one in four clears it.
How hard is it
Open book, but about 27% pass. Where the difficulty really sits.
Verified against the source · June 2026
Where these facts come from
- Maryland State Board of Electricians — License Requirements. Journeyperson (4 years / approved apprenticeship) and Master (7 years) eligibility, the statewide license structure, and fees.
- PSI Maryland Master & Journeyperson Candidate Bulletin. Confirms PSI administration, open book on the 2020 NEC, Journeyperson 70 q / Master 90 q, 70% to pass, and the 30-day retake wait.
- Maryland Electricians Act (SB 762, 2021). The 2021 law that created statewide Journeyperson and Apprentice licenses and renamed the Board of Master Electricians.
- COMAR 09.09.02.01 (continuing education). The 2-year renewal cycle and CE requirement (Journeyperson 5 hours, Master 10 hours).
Where do you stand right now?
Fifteen minutes tells you your readiness report and your weakest article families. Then you know exactly what to drill before you pay the $65 exam fee and book it.
Free. No card. 15 minutes to your weak-area report.
See the actual work, free
This is what every Maryland question looks like inside.
Take a real one. Pick your answer, then watch a master walk the exact codebook flip path and the math, step by step. No signup to try it.
Voltage dropNEC 210.19, Informational Note2020 NEC
A 120-volt single-phase circuit carries 16 amps to a load 100 feet away on 12 AWG copper (6,530 circular mils). Using VD = (2 x K x I x L) / CM with K = 12.9, what is the approximate voltage drop?
Know your exam
What test day actually looks like in Maryland.
You sit the PSI exam open book on the 2020 NEC with a silent, non-programmable calculator. Permanent tabs and highlighting are fine, no study guides and no handwritten notes. Which exam you sit depends on your tier.
What you sit
Journeyperson, 70 questions, 3 hours 30 minutes
Open book on the 2020 NEC, 70 percent to pass.
Master, 90 questions, 4 hours
Same rules, and calculation-heavy: 30 of the 90 are calculation problems.
On the clock
Open book, but only about one in four passes. The test rewards finding the rule fast under the clock. Maryland law is woven into the single exam, not a separate section, and state code overrides the NEC where they conflict.
Where the points are
For journeyperson, codebook navigation speed decides it. For master, the calculation block is where the exam is won or lost.
Verified June 2026 against Maryland State Board of Electricians (MD Board of Electricians) and the current exam bulletin
Where to start, free
You do not need 200 hours. You need these, in this order.
Overwhelmed by where to begin for the Maryland exam? Tell us your situation and we will lay out the exact next steps. Free, no signup. Check them off as you go.
This is my
My exam is
Test date
Four to eight weeks is the sweet spot. Here is the order that puts your hours where they count.
0/7 done
Want this built around YOUR weak spots?
This list is the path. The diagnostic makes it personal: 15 questions, 90 seconds to start, and we rebuild this around the exact Maryland sections you are losing points on.
Take the free diagnosticWhat you get for Maryland
One place to get ready, built for the Maryland exam.
Maryland weak spots named. Next drills ready. The work stays focused.
- Journeyperson + master questions
Original NEC questions for both Maryland exams, each with a step-by-step codebook walkthrough so you do not go blank on an open-book lookup.
- Study guides
Plain-English coverage of grounding and bonding, wiring methods, equipment and devices, motor controls, wiring and protection, and a Maryland exam strategy guide.
- 4 working calculators
Voltage drop, box fill, conduit fill, and dwelling load demand. The same NEC math the exam tests.
- 30-day daily roadmap
One task a day. Builds streaks. Tracks completion. Pin rewards at 7, 14, 21, and exam day.
- Exam Readiness Score
Weighted math tells you exactly how ready you are. Updates after every session.
- Spaced repetition
Questions you missed come back at the right interval. SM-2 lite, calibrated for retention before test day.
- Mobile + desktop access
Practice on the truck, the bus, the couch. Works everywhere a browser does.
- Clear billing
Pro Monthly can be canceled from your account. Pro+ is one payment for 3 months and does not auto-renew.
Two plans. Pick the one that fits your test date.
Same full access on both. Check out right here, the diagnostic is always free.
Pro Monthly renews until canceled · Pro+ is one-time 3-month access
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.