Free Washington Journeyman Electrician Practice Questions
Six sample questions in the shape of the Washington General Journey Level Electrician (01) exam: four from the NEC and theory section and two from the Washington laws and rules section. Each shows the controlling reference, the math or the rule, and why the wrong answers look right.
Last reviewed June 2026
Good Washington test questions have to cover both scored sections, because you pass each one separately at 70%. The real exam is 60 NEC and theory questions in 3 hours, then 17 Washington laws and rules questions in 1 hour. A question bank that ignores the law section leaves you blind on a gate you have to clear on its own. And note the code section tests the 2020 NEC, not the 2023 edition.
Work each question the way you should on test day. Read it, decide which article or rule controls, then compute or look it up. Do not open the book without a hypothesis. If you want to see where you stand first, the free 15-minute Washington diagnostic scores both sections and shows what to study in priority order.
Question 1 of 6NEC & theory · branch circuits
A branch circuit protected by a 30A overcurrent device supplies a continuous load. What is the maximum continuous load permitted on the circuit?
A.20 A
B.24 Acorrect
C.30 A
D.37.5 A
Why B
The overcurrent device has to be rated at least 125% of the continuous load, which caps the continuous load at 80% of the device rating. 30 × 0.80 = 24 A. Same rule gives 12 A on a 15A circuit and 16 A on a 20A circuit.
2020 NEC 210.20(A)
Why the other answers look right
A:20 A would be the 80% limit on a 25A device, not a 30A device.
C:30 A is the device rating. A continuous load cannot ride at the full rating.
D:37.5 A applies the 125% factor in the wrong direction. The load shrinks, the device does not grow.
Question 2 of 6NEC & theory · grounding
A service is supplied by 500 kcmil copper service-entrance conductors. What is the minimum copper grounding electrode conductor?
A.4 AWG
B.2 AWG
C.1/0 AWGcorrect
D.3/0 AWG
Why C
Table 250.66 sizes the grounding electrode conductor from the largest ungrounded service conductor. Copper service conductors over 350 kcmil through 600 kcmil call for a 1/0 AWG copper GEC.
2020 NEC 250.66, Table 250.66
Why the other answers look right
A:4 AWG copper covers service conductors of 2 AWG or smaller.
B:2 AWG copper covers the 1/0 through 350 kcmil band. 500 kcmil is past it.
D:3/0 copper is the row for service conductors over 600 kcmil. Oversized here.
Question 3 of 6NEC & theory · voltage drop
A 2-wire 240V circuit feeds a 20 A load through 10 AWG copper conductors (10,380 circular mils) over a 150 ft one-way run. Using K = 12.9, what is the approximate voltage drop?
A.About 1.9 V
B.About 3.7 V
C.About 7.5 Vcorrect
D.About 15.0 V
Why C
Vd = (2 × K × I × L) / cmils = (2 × 12.9 × 20 × 150) / 10,380 = about 7.5 V, which is about 3.1% of 240 V. The informational notes suggest keeping the drop around 3%, so this run is right at the edge.
2020 NEC 210.19 informational note, Chapter 9 Table 8
Why the other answers look right
A:Too low. That would take a much larger conductor or a far shorter run.
B:3.7 V is the one-way drop. The formula's factor of 2 covers the round trip, and 240V 2-wire circuits count both legs.
D:15 V doubles the correct answer. Check the cmil value for 10 AWG.
Question 4 of 6NEC & theory · box fill
A device box has 18.0 cu. in. of usable volume. Counting conductor fill only, how many 12 AWG conductors is the box permitted to contain?
A.6
B.8correct
C.9
D.10
Why B
Each 12 AWG conductor counts as 2.25 cu. in. under the box fill rules. 18.0 / 2.25 = 8 conductors. Add a device, clamps, or grounding conductors and the count drops, so read what the question includes.
2020 NEC 314.16(B)
Why the other answers look right
A:6 would be the answer for a smaller box or after adding a device count.
C:9 uses the 14 AWG allowance of 2.0 cu. in. The conductors here are 12 AWG.
D:10 overfills the box. 10 × 2.25 = 22.5 cu. in. against 18.0 available.
Question 5 of 6Laws & rules · retakes
A candidate passes the NEC and theory section of the Washington general journey level (01) exam but fails the Washington laws and rules section. What happens next?
A.Retake the full exam after 30 days
B.Wait 14 days, then retake only the failed sectioncorrect
C.Wait 3 months, then retake the full exam
D.Reapply to L&I and start the process over
Why B
Washington scores the two sections separately. You wait 14 days to retest and you retake only the section you failed. The 3-month wait applies after a third failed attempt, and you have one year from approval to pass both sections.
L&I Electrical Examination Information
Why the other answers look right
A:The wait is 14 days, and the passed section does not have to be repeated.
C:The 3-month wait only kicks in after a third failed attempt.
D:No new application is needed inside the one-year window from approval.
Question 6 of 6Laws & rules · renewal
How much continuing education does a Washington general journey level (01) electrician need for each renewal?
A.8 hours every year
B.16 hours every 3 years
C.24 hours every 3 yearscorrect
D.48 hours every 3 years
Why C
The certificate renews every 3 years on your birthdate, with 24 hours of continuing education per renewal, including 8 hours of NEC code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC update. Clean factual questions like this are common in the laws and rules section.
L&I Electrician Licensing & Requirements
Why the other answers look right
A:Renewal runs on a 3-year cycle, not yearly.
B:16 hours is short. The requirement is 24 hours per 3-year renewal.
D:48 hours doubles the actual requirement.
What the full bank covers
The samples above span branch circuits, grounding, voltage drop, box fill, retake rules, and renewal. The full Washington bank works the same way across both sections of the (01) exam: original questions, never copied from PSI, each citing the 2020 NEC article or the Washington rule behind the answer. The adaptive engine surfaces more questions from whatever the diagnostic flags as weak, so you drill the section that is actually costing you points. For a timed run in the real two-section shape, use the Washington practice test, and for calculation reps go to calculations practice.
If the two law questions above surprised you, that is the most common gap. The laws and rules page breaks down the 17-question section, and the Washington study guide shows where it fits in a 30-day plan.
Washington prep checks before you pay
If you searched for Washington 01 electrician practice test, Washington electrician exam prep online, Washington 01 exam simulator, or Washington electrician exam questions, do not judge the page by question count alone. Those searches are really asking whether the prep handles the Washington 01 exam as two scored sections, not one loose pile of NEC questions.
Format
60 NEC and theory questions plus 17 Washington Laws and Rules questions.
Pass rule
70% on each section separately. One strong section does not rescue the other.
Reference rule
Open book on the 2020 NEC for the exam, plus RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B.
First step
Diagnostic first, so you know whether NEC or Laws and Rules needs the work.
It ignores the 17-question Washington Laws and Rules section.
It treats the exam as 2023 NEC instead of the 2020 NEC tested by PSI.
It gives one score target instead of making you pass each section at 70%.
