California
California Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep: the General Electrician Exam
California certifies journeyman-level electricians as General Electricians. The exam is 100 multiple-choice questions on the 2023 NEC in four and a half hours, taken at a testing center with the code provided on screen. This guide explains the format, the outline and how to turn it into a study plan.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | 100 questions in 4 h 30 min |
|---|---|
| Passing | 70% correct |
| Book policy | The reference is provided at the exam; you may not bring your own. |
| Reference | National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), 2023 edition |
| Exam fee | $100. DIR fees page (citing 8 CCR 292): $100 for taking or retaking the examination; $75 initial certification application fee is separate. Exam payments are neither refundable nor transferable. |
| Given by | CPS HR Consulting (scheduling and delivery through Pearson VUE) for California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Electrician Certification Unit (DLSE ECU) |
Which edition to study
The official outline names National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), 2023 edition. Study from that edition: questions are written against it, and section numbers and values differ between editions.
What you can bring
Nothing. The 2023 NEC, NFPA 70E (2024) and the Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry open on screen as searchable PDFs beside each question, and you reopen them on each new question. You may not bring your own code book, notes, a calculator, pens or pencils; an on-screen calculator is provided.
Because you search a PDF instead of turning tabbed pages, practice finding sections by the words the code uses, not by where a tab sits.
Beyond the code book
Six of the 100 questions are on safety, and the exam provides NFPA 70E and the Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide on screen for them. The course teaches jobsite electrical safety from the California safety orders in Title 8 that the Cal/OSHA guide summarizes.
The 2023 NEC and the California Electrical Code
California installs to the 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3), which is based on the 2023 NEC with state amendments. The Building Standards Commission's 2025 summary lists the new ones; most apply to OSHPD-regulated health facilities (Article 517 power sources and fuel, and exceptions in 700.12 repealed), and one removes mobile and manufactured homes from the tamper-resistant receptacle rule in 406.12.
The candidate bulletin provides only the 2023 NEC on screen and does not say whether questions follow the California amendments. None of the course's questions has an answer that these amendments change, so the course teaches the 2023 NEC as written. On the job, follow the California Electrical Code.
Free practice for this exam
- California journeyman practice test: 30 questions on the 2023 NEC across every outline area.
- NEC code practice test, 2023 edition: timed lookups.
- Which NEC edition each state tests.
- California electrician license requirements: every license level, hours, fees, renewal and the official lookup.
What the exam covers
The official outline gives the number of questions in each subject area. Spend the most time where the most questions are.
- Safety6 questionsGeneral Electrical Knowledge · Wiring and Protection · Wiring Methods and Materials
- Determination of Electrical System Requirements22 questionsTheory · Symbols and Diagrams · Feeder and Branch Circuit Sizing · Motors · Circuit Protection · Grounding and Bonding
- Installation66 questionsWiring Methods · Special Equipment · Special Occupancies · Lighting · Motors · HVAC/Refrigeration · Low Voltage Systems · Devices · Communications · Fire Systems · Box Sizing · Conduit Sizing · Conductor Sizing · General Equipment · Service Sizing · Lighting and Panel Boards · Clearances · Terminations · Grounding and Bonding · Overcurrent Devices
- Maintenance and Repair6 questionsTesting Equipment · Devices · Branch Circuits · Overcurrent Devices
What changed
- June 1, 2026: Exams on or after June 1, 2026 administered by CPS HR Consulting with Pearson VUE scheduling (DIR notice); references now provided on screen.
How to prepare
Start by attempting questions across the exam subjects. Separate the problems you can solve independently from those where you need help.
For calculations, work on the setup as well as the arithmetic. Identify the unknown, select the method, use the correct units, and check the result.
For code questions, practice locating and applying the relevant sections with your own book. Keep track of questions that take too long, even when you get them right.
As you improve, mix topics and use fresh timed practice to check whether you can choose the right approach without a lesson guiding you.
If you are retaking the exam
Use your score report to identify subjects that need attention. Then work out whether the difficulty is understanding the topic, setting up the calculation, finding the code section, or finishing in time. Each calls for different practice.
Revisit the underlying skills, then check your progress with questions you have not already memorized.
The course
A starting assessment finds what you already know. Each day you get a short list of work: new skills taught with a lesson and a worked example, practice until they stick, review of earlier skills, and mixed questions. Timed practice exams follow the official outline's weights.
$149 for six months of access.
Pass-or-refund guarantee. If you complete your study plan and do not pass your journeyman electrician exam, we will refund what you paid for the course. You have completed your study plan when, from the day your access starts to your exam date: (1) you finished at least 80 percent of the daily study lists the course assigned you; and (2) in your final 30 days of study you sat at least one full timed practice exam for each part of the exam. To claim, tell us within 30 days after your exam date, from the Guarantee page in your account, and include your score report. The course checks your study record when you claim and shows you the result. A person reviews every refund; we reply by email within five business days. One refund per person per purchase. Seats bought by an organization are covered for each learner on the same terms, with the refund paid to the organization for that learner's seat.
Official sources
- Electrical Certification Candidate Information Bulletin, DIR Division of Labor Standards Enforcement / CPS HR Consulting.
- Electrician Certification Program: Test Taking Information, DIR Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Dated October 22, 2026.
- Electrician Certification Program: Fees, DIR Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Dated January 24, 2019.
- Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB) page, DIR Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. Dated October 22, 2026.
- Guide to Title 24, based on the 2025 edition of the California Building Standards Code, California Building Standards Commission.
- Summary of California Code Changes in the 2025 edition of Title 24, California Building Standards Commission.
This page was checked against these documents on November 11, 2026. We compare every fact on this page with these documents each week; the last comparison, on November 11, 2026, found no change.