Is the Washington 01 Electrician Exam Open Book?
Washington is open book, but it is not just an NEC exam. You need reference speed in the 2020 NEC and in the Washington law and rule materials.
Last reviewed June 2026
Sections
2 scored
Code
2020 NEC
Law
RCW/WAC
Score
70% each
What Washington generally allows
Washington gives more reference access than many states, but the second section means your law materials matter as much as your NEC.
Allowed
- National Electrical Code, 2020 Edition
- Washington electrical laws (RCW 19.28) and rules (WAC 296-46B), printed and in a binder
- Any original copyrighted material, including question-and-answer books such as Ugly's or a fast-finder
- A silent, non-printing, non-programmable calculator
Keep out of the room
- Handwritten notes in the book or binder.
- Sticky or removable tabs.
- Writing in the book during the exam.
- A study setup that ignores the printed law and rule binder.
The Washington trap
The exam uses the 2020 NEC even though the field code moved forward. It also has a separate Laws and Rules section that needs 70% on its own. A strong NEC score does not save a weak law score.
How to practice with Washington references
Split your reference practice the way the exam is split: NEC lookup in one block, RCW and WAC lookup in another.
- Use the 2020 NEC: Practice against the exam edition, not the newer field code.
- Build a clean law binder: Print RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B and practice finding scopes, permits, supervision, and renewal rules.
- Keep sections separate: Run NEC and Theory practice separately from Laws and Rules because the exam scores them separately.
- Repair only the failed section: If your score report shows one failed section, drill that section first before restarting everything.
Where the facts come from
Find out whether NEC or law is the weak section
The free Washington diagnostic separates NEC and Theory from Laws and Rules so the next study block goes where the score needs it.