Which NEC edition should Maryland calculation practice use?

Use the 2020 NEC. The PSI candidate bulletin lists Maryland journeyperson and master exams as open book on the 2020 NEC.

Is Maryland master calculation practice different from journeyperson?

Yes. The master exam is 90 questions in 4 hours and is more calculation-heavy than the 70-question journeyperson exam.

What calculations should Maryland candidates practice?

Start with voltage drop, box fill, conduit fill, grounding and bonding sizing, motors, load work, and table lookup on the 2020 NEC.

Maryland · calculations

Maryland Electrician Calculations Practice (Journeyperson and Master)

Maryland has two exam tiers, and the master exam leans harder on calculations. The practice plan should change depending on whether you are sitting for journeyperson or master.

Last reviewed June 2026

Journeyperson

70 q

Master

90 q

To pass

70%

Code

2020 NEC

The Maryland calculation set

Journeyperson and master candidates share the 2020 NEC, but master prep needs more calculation depth. Do not train both tiers the same way.

Informational notes

Voltage drop

Set the formula before the calculator. The wrong phase or distance creates a clean wrong answer.

314.16

Box fill

Count allowances before volume. This is a journeyperson staple and a master warm-up.

Chapter 9

Conduit fill

Use the correct fill percentage and table. Maryland's open-book format rewards fast table work.

250.66 and 250.122

Grounding and bonding sizing

Separate GEC from EGC before looking at answer choices. The table names are the memory hook.

Article 430

Motor calculations

Master candidates especially need motor conductor and protection rules clean under time.

Master tier

Master exam calculation load

The master exam is longer and calculation-heavy. Prep should add more load, feeder, service, and motor work.

A Maryland tier-aware practice block

Before the timer starts, decide which exam you are training for. A journeyperson candidate and a master candidate should not spend the week the same way.

Pick the tier: Journeyperson practice should protect pacing across 70 questions. Master practice should add heavier calculation reps.
Use the 2020 NEC: The PSI bulletin lists the Maryland exams as open book on the 2020 NEC. Practice with that edition.
Write the setup before the math: For each miss, write the article family, table, and formula before solving again.
Use the retake window correctly: If you failed, the 30-day wait is enough time to repair two weak calculation families if you do not restart everything.

Maryland calculation misses to watch

Using one generic path for journeyperson and master.
Studying a newer NEC edition when the exam is listed on the 2020 NEC.
Treating open book as a reason to skip timed lookup practice.
Leaving Maryland law and rule out of the single exam because it is not a separate section.

Use the diagnostic to choose the tier repair

If you are a master candidate and calculations are the weak spot, your next block should not be light journeyperson review. If you are journeyperson, pacing and clean lookup may matter more.

Where the facts come from

Find the Maryland calculation work that matters first

Take the free Maryland diagnostic and use the result to choose the next tier-aware calculation block.

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