Minnesota journeyman electrician exam: what to expect
Minnesota runs its own show: the Department of Labor and Industry writes and proctors the Class A journeyworker exam itself, provides every reference in the room, and moved the test to the 2026 NEC in July 2026. We verified the current format, fees, and rules against DLI's exam guide and the Minnesota statutes in July 2026. Full MN-specific practice content is on our roadmap; the verified exam intel is below.
Last reviewed July 2026
The short answer
The Minnesota Class A journeyworker exam is an 80-question test written and proctored by DLI itself, with 5.5 hours allowed and 70 percent to pass. All references are provided in the room: an untabbed soft-cover NEC, a laws and rules booklet, and a basic calculator. Since July 1, 2026 the exam tests the 2026 NEC.
The exam at a glance
- Who runs it: Minnesota DLI (state-administered, not PSI)
- Questions: 80 questions
- Time: 5.5 hours
- Passing score: 70 percent, no partial credit. Scores within 5 points of passing are automatically rechecked.
- References: Provided references only. DLI supplies an untabbed soft-cover NEC, a Minnesota laws and rules booklet, and a basic calculator. You bring nothing, and no phones are allowed anywhere in the building.
- Code edition tested: 2026 NEC, effective July 1, 2026 per DLI's licensing examination guide. Prep material built on the 2023 NEC is now out of date for Minnesota.
- Exam fee: $50 application and exam fee, nonrefundable
- Retakes: Reapply 30 days after the failure notification, with a new application and $50 fee. No published attempt limit.
Minnesota licensing authority
Minnesota licenses electricians at the state level through the Department of Labor and Industry, which writes and proctors its own exams rather than using a national vendor. The statutory term is journeyworker, not journeyman.
Authority: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), Construction Codes and Licensing Division
Official site: https://www.dli.mn.gov/workers/electrician-or-electrical-installer/electrical-licensing-basics
License types issued
Minnesota issues the following electrician license classifications:
- Class A Journeyworker Electrician (Minnesota's official term for journeyman)
- Class A Master Electrician
- Maintenance Electrician
- Power Limited Technician
Hour requirement
48 months (8,000 hours), including at least 24 months in wiring for, installing, and repairing electrical systems. Up to 2,000 hours of credit for an approved 2-year electrical course.
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 Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) before submitting an application — requirements occasionally change.
Code edition
Minnesota moved its licensing exams to the 2026 NEC effective July 1, 2026, one of the first states to do so. Confirm the current edition with DLI before you study.
What trips candidates up
- Minnesota officially says journeyworker, not journeyman. Same trade, different word in the statute and on the license.
- You cannot bring your own code book. Training with a tabbed personal NEC builds a habit the exam room takes away. Practice raw index navigation instead.
- Leaving the building during the exam is an automatic fail, plus a new application and fee. Restrooms are fine; food and drink are allowed at your seat.
- Results come by email in about 2 weeks. Nobody reads scores over the phone.
- An accredited electrical engineering degree qualifies you to sit the Class A master exam with zero field hours, and journeyworkers can sit for master after just 1 year.
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 Minnesota journeyworker exam?
80 questions with 5.5 hours allowed and 70 percent to pass, no partial credit. DLI writes and proctors the exam itself at its St. Paul office and at regional sites like Duluth, Rochester, St. Cloud, and Mankato.
Can you bring your code book to the Minnesota electrician exam?
No. DLI provides an untabbed soft-cover NEC, a laws and rules booklet, and a basic calculator. Nothing of your own comes into the building, including your phone.
What NEC edition does the Minnesota exam use?
The 2026 NEC, effective July 1, 2026 per DLI's examination guide. Any prep material built on the 2023 NEC is out of date for Minnesota exams.
What is the pass rate for the Minnesota journeyworker exam?
Minnesota does not publish pass rates, and exam materials are nonpublic under state statute. Any percentage you see on a prep site is a guess.
How many hours do you need to be a journeyworker in Minnesota?
48 months and 8,000 hours, with at least 24 months in wiring and installing. Up to 2,000 hours of credit is available for an approved 2-year electrical course, and hours are capped at 160 per month and 2,000 per year.
What you can do now while we build MN content
Even though we don’t yet have Minnesota-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 Minnesota 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 MN-specific practice questions and drills are live. We use waitlist demand to prioritize which state we ship next, so signing up genuinely moves Minnesota up our queue.
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