Maryland Electrician Exam Codebook Speed: 2020 NEC Lookup Practice
Maryland is open book on the 2020 NEC, but the Board's own numbers show the exam is still hard. The problem is not having the book. The problem is getting to the right rule before the clock burns you.
Last reviewed June 2026
Journeyperson
70 q
Master
90 q
To pass
70%
Code
2020 NEC
Retake
30 days
Pass rate
about 27 percent
The Maryland trap
Maryland is open book, yet the Board minutes report only about a 27 to 28 percent pass rate across both tiers. The master exam is especially calculation-heavy. If each calculation sends you wandering through the NEC, four hours disappears fast.
What Maryland lets you bring
Maryland's open-book rule is narrower than many candidates expect. Set up the book legally before exam day.
- National Electrical Code, 2020 Edition
- A silent, non-printing, non-programmable calculator
The 30-minute Maryland lookup drill
Use the 2020 NEC and drill the article paths that decide both journeyperson and master questions.
- Journeyperson path: rule first: For journeyperson practice, name the NEC article family before you open the book. Branch circuits, grounding, wiring methods, ampacity, box fill, and motors cover the core score.
- Master path: calculation setup: For master practice, write the calculation setup before touching the answer choices. Then use the NEC table only to confirm the missing value. This keeps math questions from turning into page hunts.
- Retake path: score report first: If you failed, use the 30-day wait to drill the two weakest article families. Do not restart with broad reading unless the score report shows broad weakness.
Why Maryland needs tier-aware lookup practice
A journeyperson candidate and a master candidate should not drill the same way. Journeyperson prep needs clean rule selection and pacing across 70 questions. Master prep needs heavier calculation setup, especially load, conduit fill, voltage drop, and motor questions, because calculations make up a large share of the 90-question exam.
Where the facts come from
- Maryland State Board of Electricians — License RequirementsJourneyperson (4 years / approved apprenticeship) and Master (7 years) eligibility, the statewide license structure, and fees.
- PSI Maryland Master & Journeyperson Candidate BulletinConfirms 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).
Find your slowest exam topics first
The free diagnostic shows which article families are costing you time and points before you pay for prep.