Important Illinois licensing fact: Illinois does not have one statewide electrician licensing exam. Electrical licensing and electrical contractor requirements are generally established locally by cities, villages, counties, or municipalities.
Illinois Electrician Contractor Licensing Overview
Illinois is different from states that issue a single statewide Journeyman or Master Electrician license. Your required exam can depend on the jurisdiction where you intend to work.
Some candidates need Chicago's Supervising Electrician examination. Others may need an ICC Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, or Residential Electrician exam. Other municipalities can establish their own requirements.
Statewide electrician exam: None
Licensing model: Local / municipal
Major Chicago exam: Chicago 303 Supervising Electrician
ICC pathways: Master, Journeyman and Residential Electrician
Exam code edition: Varies by jurisdiction
Illinois Licensing Model Local municipal, city, village or county licensing
Statewide Electrician Exam No single statewide examination
Electrical Contractor Licensing Local registration and licensing requirements may apply
Chicago Exam Chicago 303 Supervising Electrician
Chicago Questions 150
Chicago Time 4 hours
Chicago Passing Score 70 or higher
Chicago Format Open book
Chicago Code 2018 Chicago Electrical Code
ICC NEC Editions 2017, 2020 or 2023 NEC depending on exam code
Chicago 303 Supervising Electrician Exam Weighting
The Chicago 303 exam contains 150 questions. Approximately 125 questions focus on Chicago Electrical Code material and 25 address Electrical Principles and Practices.
Chicago Electrical Code 125 questions
Electrical Principles & Practices 25 questions
Chicago Electrical Code Exam Emphasis
Wiring Methods & Materials 22–25 questions
Wiring & Protection 18–22 questions
Equipment for General Use 12–14 questions
Special Occupancies 12–14 questions
Special Conditions 12–14 questions
Special Equipment 12 questions
General Provisions 10–12 questions
Communication Systems 10–12 questions
Titles 2, 4 & Chapter 13 Supplement 8–10 questions
Chicago 303 Supervising Electrician Exam Prep
Chicago uses a dedicated Supervising Electrician examination rather than a generic statewide Illinois Master Electrician test.
Candidates should prepare for both electrical theory and heavy Chicago Electrical Code use. More than 75% of exam answers are documented in the Chicago Electrical Code according to the official examination study guidance.
Questions: 150
Time: 4 hours
Passing score: 70 or higher
Format: Open book
Principal reference: 2018 Chicago Electrical Code
Chicago Electrical Code Navigation
High-Value Code Topics
- Wiring methods and materials
- Wiring and protection
- Services and feeders
- Branch circuits
- Grounding and bonding
- Overcurrent protection
Advanced Code Topics
- Special occupancies
- Special equipment
- Special conditions
- Communication systems
- General provisions
- Chicago municipal provisions
Electrical Principles & Practices
About 25 questions on the Chicago exam focus on electrical principles, calculations, plans, and workplace safety.
Electrical Knowledge
- Fundamental electrical theory
- Blueprint reading
- Conductors
- Conduit
- Grounding
- Services
Calculations & Safety
- Transformers
- Delta and wye loads
- Power factor
- Volt-amperes
- Voltage drop
- OSHA safety
Illinois Electrician Calculations to Practice
Loads & Conductors
- Service-load calculations
- Feeder calculations
- Branch-circuit loads
- Conductor ampacity
- Voltage drop
- Conductor resistance
Advanced Electrical Math
- Three-phase current
- Delta-connected loads
- Wye-connected loads
- Transformer calculations
- Power factor
- Volt-amperes
ICC exam reminder: Some Illinois municipalities may recognize ICC electrical exams. Always verify the exact exam code and NEC edition required by your local licensing authority before purchasing books or exam prep.
ICC Electrical Exam Pathways in Illinois
Master & Journeyman Electrician
- G16-N Master Electrician — 2017 NEC
- T16-N Master Electrician — 2020 NEC
- R16-N Master Electrician — 2023 NEC
- G17-N Journeyman Electrician — 2017 NEC
- T17-N Journeyman Electrician — 2020 NEC
- R17-N Journeyman Electrician — 2023 NEC
Residential Electrician
- G18-N Residential Electrician — 2017 NEC
- T18-N Residential Electrician — 2020 NEC
- R18-N Residential Electrician — 2023 NEC
- Local acceptance varies
- Confirm jurisdiction before registering
- Prepare with the matching NEC edition
Which Electrical Code Should You Study?
Chicago Candidates
- Current Supervising Electrician exam uses the 2018 Chicago Electrical Code
- Chicago-specific provisions are heavily tested
- Generic NEC prep alone is not enough
ICC & Municipal Candidates
- Some exams use the 2017 NEC
- Some exams use the 2020 NEC
- Some exams use the 2023 NEC
- Newer NEC editions can support current-code learning
- Use the approved test-day edition for the actual exam
Illinois Electrical Contractor Registration
Passing an electrician examination does not always complete the electrical contractor licensing process.
A municipality may separately require contractor registration, insurance, business information, a qualifying electrician, certificates, or other local documents before a contractor can legally perform electrical work.
Technical qualification: electrician, Master, Supervising, Journeyman or other approved credential.
Business qualification: local electrical contractor registration and municipal requirements.
Illinois Electrician Contractor Exam Prep Roadmap
Start with the jurisdiction, then match your exam prep to the exact examination and code edition required.
1
Identify the jurisdiction
Determine the city, village, municipality or county where you need electrical licensing.
2
Confirm the license classification
Determine whether you need Journeyman, Master, Supervising, Residential or contractor registration.
3
Confirm the exam and code edition
Identify the testing provider, exact exam code, question format and approved reference edition.
4
Study wiring and protection
Build strong knowledge of services, feeders, branch circuits, grounding and overcurrent protection.
5
Master wiring methods
Practice raceways, cables, conductors, boxes, fittings and installation requirements.
6
Practice calculations
Work voltage drop, transformers, three-phase systems, services and conductor calculations.
7
Complete timed practice exams
Match your practice sessions to the question count, time limit and reference rules of your actual exam.
Six-Week Illinois Electrician Exam Prep Plan
Week 1
Jurisdiction & Code
- Confirm exam
- Confirm code edition
- Learn code organization
- Diagnostic test
Week 2
Wiring & Protection
- Services
- Feeders
- Branch circuits
- Grounding
Week 3
Wiring Methods
- Raceways
- Cables
- Boxes
- Conductors
Week 4
Equipment & Special Systems
- Motors
- Transformers
- Special occupancies
- Communication systems
Week 5
Calculations
- Voltage drop
- Three-phase math
- Transformers
- Service loads
Week 6
Timed Simulation
- Full practice exams
- Code-lookup drills
- Calculation review
- Missed-question review
Illinois Electrician Contractor Exam Prep FAQ
Illinois Licensing
No. Illinois electrician and electrical contractor licensing requirements are generally handled by local municipalities, cities, villages or counties.
Electrical contractor registration and licensing requirements are generally established by the local jurisdiction where the contractor intends to work.
Contact the local licensing authority and confirm the license classification, testing provider, exam code and required code edition.
Chicago 303
Chicago 303 is the City of Chicago Supervising Electrician examination administered through Continental Testing Services.
The examination contains 150 questions.
Candidates receive four hours.
Candidates must earn a score of 70 or higher.
Yes. Candidates may use the approved clean printed Chicago Electrical Code reference according to current Continental Testing rules.
The current exam uses the 2018 Chicago Electrical Code as its principal code reference.
The official study guide states that more than 75 percent of examination answers are documented in the 2018 Chicago Electrical Code.
Wiring Methods and Materials is one of the largest published exam areas, with approximately 22 to 25 questions.
ICC Electrical Exams
Some Illinois jurisdictions may recognize ICC electrical exams. Always confirm the exact ICC exam code accepted by your local authority.
ICC lists G16-N for the 2017 NEC, T16-N for the 2020 NEC and R16-N for the 2023 NEC.
ICC lists G17-N for the 2017 NEC, T17-N for the 2020 NEC and R17-N for the 2023 NEC.
ICC lists G18-N for the 2017 NEC, T18-N for the 2020 NEC and R18-N for the 2023 NEC.
Study Strategy
Practice service loads, feeders, conductor ampacity, voltage drop, three-phase current, transformers, delta and wye loads, power factor and volt-amperes.
First identify your exact exam and code edition. Then prioritize wiring methods, wiring and protection, services, feeders, grounding, motors, transformers, calculations and special installations.
No. Exam references vary by jurisdiction. The 2026 NEC may support current-code education, but candidates must verify the edition approved for their actual examination.
Not necessarily. Municipalities may separately require contractor registration, insurance, business information, a qualifying electrician or other local documents.
Prepare for Your Illinois Electrician Contractor Exam
Build code-navigation speed, electrical calculation accuracy, wiring-method knowledge, grounding expertise, motor and transformer skills, and exam-specific confidence for Chicago, ICC, municipal and electrical contractor licensing.
Illinois Electrician Exam Prep
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