Journeyman Electrician Exam Practice Test PDF 2026

Passing the Journeyman Electrician licensing exam is the gateway to working independently on residential, commercial, and industrial electrical systems. Every state administers its own version of the exam, but all of them test the same core body of knowledge: the National Electrical Code, electrical theory, and applied calculations. This free Journeyman Electrician practice test PDF contains 60+ questions covering every major topic area — formatted and worded the way they appear on the actual state licensing exam.

Whether you are an apprentice approaching the end of your hours or a working electrician preparing for a first-time or retake attempt, these practice questions build the code fluency and calculation speed you need under timed exam conditions. Download the PDF, work through the NEC lookup questions with your codebook open, and use the explanations to build your understanding of the reasoning behind each answer.

NEC Code Articles and Definitions

The National Electrical Code is an open-book exam for most state licensing exams — but "open book" does not mean easy. Speed and precision in navigating the codebook are the real skills being tested, and those only come from repeated practice. Article 100 definitions appear on nearly every exam: you need to know the difference between a branch circuit and a feeder, a device and an appliance, a dwelling unit and a guest room. Articles 210 and 220 govern branch circuits and feeder calculations respectively — expect questions about 15A, 20A, and 30A branch circuit requirements, AFCI and GFCI protection mandates, and the standard method for calculating service loads. Article 240 covers overcurrent protection and tests your ability to size fuses and circuit breakers for conductors and equipment. Article 250 grounding and bonding is among the most heavily tested topics on every state exam — know the difference between grounding and bonding, electrode conductor sizing, and equipment grounding conductor requirements. Articles 300 and 310 govern wiring methods and conductor ampacity, and you will need to apply temperature correction and conduit fill derating factors. Article 400 covers flexible cords and cables, and Article 430 is the entire motor circuit article — one of the most calculation-intensive sections of the exam.

Electrical Theory and Calculations

Electrical theory questions test your ability to apply Ohm's law (V = IR), Watt's law (P = VI), and the power formula in series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits. You need to calculate total resistance, total current, voltage drops across individual components, and power dissipation in each branch. Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (the sum of voltage drops around any closed loop equals the source voltage) and Kirchhoff's Current Law (the sum of currents entering a node equals the sum leaving it) both appear on exam questions. AC circuit theory questions cover inductive reactance, capacitive reactance, impedance, and power factor — you need to know the difference between true power (watts), reactive power (VARs), and apparent power (VA), and how power factor is calculated as the ratio of true power to apparent power. Low power factor questions are common because they have real billing and equipment sizing implications. Voltage drop calculation questions appear frequently: you need to know the formula (VD = 2 × K × I × D / CM for single-phase) and apply it to conductor sizing scenarios.

Conduit Fill and Box Fill Calculations

Calculation questions are among the most time-consuming on the Journeyman exam, and conduit fill is the most common calculation type. NEC Chapter 9, Table 1 gives you the maximum fill percentages: 53% for one conductor, 31% for two conductors, and 40% for three or more conductors. Chapter 9, Table 4 gives you the internal dimensions of each conduit type (EMT, IMC, RMC, PVC), and Chapter 9, Table 5 gives you the cross-sectional area of each conductor size with each insulation type. Annex C provides a quick-reference table for common combinations — but knowing how to perform the calculation from scratch is essential for questions that involve mixed conductor sizes or conductor types not listed in Annex C. Box fill calculations use Article 314 and assign conductor equivalents to each element: each current-carrying conductor counts as one conductor equivalent based on the largest conductor in the box, each device counts as two, each equipment grounding conductor counts as one (total, regardless of how many), and fittings count as one per clamp assembly. Practice these calculations until you can complete them in under three minutes.

Motor Circuits and State Licensing

NEC Article 430 is one of the longest and most tested articles in the codebook. Motor circuit questions cover the full circuit from the service entrance to the motor terminals: feeder sizing (125% of the largest motor FLA plus the sum of all other motor FLAs), branch circuit conductor sizing (125% of motor FLA), short-circuit and ground-fault protection (maximum OCPD size per motor type — up to 250% for inverse time breakers on Design B motors), overload protection sizing (115% or 125% of FLA depending on service factor), and disconnecting means requirements. You need to be able to look up FLA values in NEC Tables 430.247 through 430.250 for DC, single-phase AC, and three-phase AC motors. Controller and contactor sizing questions also appear. For state licensing, most states require 8,000 hours of documented apprenticeship (4 years), a passing score on the state exam (typically 70% or higher), and payment of a licensing fee. Approved exam references vary by state — confirm whether your state allows the NFPA 70 codebook, state amendments, or both before your exam date. Exam time limits are typically 4 hours for 80–100 questions.

Download this free Journeyman Electrician practice test PDF and start building the code speed and calculation accuracy that separates passing candidates from those who retake. Work through every calculation with your NEC codebook open, review each answer explanation, and use our Journeyman Electrician online practice tests to keep sharpening your skills right up to exam day.

Pros and Cons at a Glance

Sample Journeyman Electrician’s Exam Practice Questions

Try these questions from our free Journeyman Electrician’s Exam practice tests. The correct answer and an explanation follow each question.

1. An electrician is installing a branch circuit for a 10 HP, 230V, 3-phase, continuous-duty induction motor. The motor will be supplied with 75°C rated THWN copper conductors. According to the NEC, what is the minimum size for these branch-circuit conductors?

   • A. 12 AWG
   • B. 8 AWG
   • C. 6 AWG
   • D. 10 AWG

Answer: D. 10 AWG

According to NEC Table 430.250, the Full-Load Current (FLC) for a 10 HP, 230V, 3-phase motor is 28A. NEC 430.22 requires that branch-circuit conductors for a single continuous-duty motor have an ampacity of not less than 125% of the motor's FLC. The calculation is 28A x 1.25 = 35A. Referring to NEC Table 310.16, in the 75°C column for copper conductors, a 10 AWG conductor is rated for 35A, making it the minimum required size.

Answer: D. 20A

First, determine the starting ampacity from NEC Table 310.16. For a 10 AWG conductor with THWN-2 insulation (rated 90°C), the ampacity is 40A. Second, since there are more than three current-carrying conductors bundled for over 24 inches, an adjustment factor from Table 310.15(C)(1) must be applied. For 10-20 conductors, the adjustment factor is 50%. The adjusted ampacity is calculated as: 40A * 0.50 = 20A. Since the ambient temperature is 30°C, no temperature correction is needed.

Answer: A. Ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection

NEC Article 680.21(C) mandates that outlets supplying single-phase pool pump motors connected to 120-volt through 240-volt branch circuits must be provided with ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection for personnel.

Answer: C. A hospital-grade receptacle

According to NEC Article 517.18(B), all receptacles provided for patient bed locations in general care areas must be listed as "hospital grade" to ensure higher durability and more reliable connectivity for medical equipment.

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