Current Massachusetts Journeyman format: Part I contains 80 questions in 180 minutes and Part II Applied contains 30 questions in 60 minutes. Each part requires 70% to pass. Massachusetts electrician exams are currently open book under PSI and Board reference rules.
What Is the Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam?
The Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician examination is a two-part licensing test administered through PSI for the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians. Part I focuses on NEC-based trade knowledge and electrical systems. Part II tests applied calculations, schematics, materials, troubleshooting, Massachusetts amendments and licensing laws.
The standard licensing path requires substantial education and field experience before a candidate can sit for the exam. Massachusetts currently requires 600 hours of Board-approved education, a 15-hour Code Update class, and 8,000 hours of qualifying work over at least four years.
Exam answer: Part I has 80 questions, 180 minutes and requires 56 correct answers. Part II has 30 questions, 60 minutes and requires 21 correct answers.
2026 code transition: Massachusetts adopted its 2026 NEC-based Electrical Code effective April 24, 2026. The active PSI bulletin states that new exam items may be added seven months after a new code becomes enforceable. Candidates testing during this transition should verify the live PSI bulletin and the exact code edition permitted for their test date.
Wiring Methods and Devices is the largest Part I category with 18 questions, followed by Services with 11. General Knowledge contributes 8, while Grounding and Bonding contributes 7.
This page uses current PSI and Massachusetts Board materials as the controlling authority, with 1 Exam Prep course information used for study-product details and internal links.
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam Domains
Match your Massachusetts electrical license prep time to the current Part I and Part II PSI content outlines.
| Exam Area | What to Study | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Part I: Wiring Methods and Devices | Conductors, raceways, cables, boxes, devices, fill, support and installation requirements | 18 |
| Part I: Services | Service conductors, equipment, disconnects, ratings, load calculations and installation | 11 |
| Part I: General Knowledge | Electrical theory, trade knowledge, branch circuits, feeders, calculations and code application | 8 |
| Part I: Grounding and Bonding | Grounding electrode systems, bonding, equipment grounding and sizing | 7 |
| Part I: Overcurrent Protection | OCPD sizing, conductor protection, breakers, fuses and coordination concepts | 6 |
| Part I: Alarm Systems | NFPA 72, signaling systems and fire alarm requirements | 6 |
| Part I: Solar | PV circuits, conductors, disconnects, rapid shutdown and NEC solar provisions | 6 |
| Part I: Special Occupancies and Equipment | Hazardous locations, healthcare, pools, generators, EV and special installations | 5 |
| Part I: Motors | Motor conductors, overloads, short-circuit protection and controllers | 4 |
| Part I: Battery Storage | Energy storage systems, protection, disconnects and installation rules | 4 |
| Part I: Low-Voltage Distribution | Low-voltage systems and distribution concepts | 2 |
| Part I: Lighting | Lighting loads, luminaires, controls and NEC provisions | 2 |
| Part I: Transformers | Transformer sizing, protection, grounding and installation | 1 |
| Part II: Circuit Calculations | Ohm's Law, electrical formulas and applied calculations | 5 |
| Part II: Electrical Schematics and Plans | Plan reading, schematics, symbols and circuit interpretation | 5 |
| Part II: Materials and Components | Electrical materials, devices, equipment and component recognition | 5 |
| Part II: Troubleshooting and Testing | Diagnostic methods, test instruments, fault finding and system testing | 6 |
| Part II: Massachusetts Amendments | 527 CMR 12.00 Massachusetts Electrical Code amendments | 5 |
| Part II: Licensing Laws and Regulations | 237 CMR, MGL Chapter 141, licensing, supervision and Board rules | 4 |
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam Breakdown
Journeyman Part I80 questions | 180 minutes | 56 correct to pass
Journeyman Part II Applied30 questions | 60 minutes | 21 correct to pass
Testing ProviderPSI Services LLC
Licensing AuthorityMassachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians
Exam FormatTwo-part open-book examination
Largest Part I TopicWiring Methods and Devices | 18 questions
Largest Part II TopicTroubleshooting and Testing | 6 questions
Education Requirement600 hours of Board-approved electrical education
Experience Requirement8,000 hours over at least 4 years under required supervision
Code Update15-hour Board-approved Code Update class
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Licensing and Contractor Career Path
The Massachusetts Class B Journeyman Electrician license is the major personal license earned after apprenticeship-level education and supervised field experience. It is also the required foundation for electricians who later plan to advance toward a Class A Master Electrician license and greater contractor responsibility.
Education: complete 600 hours of Board-approved electrical education.
Experience: document 8,000 hours of qualifying work over at least four years under a licensed Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician.
Code update: complete the required 15-hour Board-approved Code Update class.
Career path: after Journeyman licensure, electricians can continue building experience toward Master Electrician eligibility and electrical business opportunities.
What Is on the Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam?
Part I bars are scaled against Wiring Methods and Devices. Part II bars are scaled against Troubleshooting and Testing.
Part I: Wiring Methods and Devices18 questions
Part I: Services11 questions
Part I: General Knowledge8 questions
Part I: Grounding and Bonding7 questions
Part I: Overcurrent / Alarm / Solar6 each
Part II: Troubleshooting and Testing6 questions
Part II: Calculations / Schematics / Materials / Amendments5 each
Part II: Licensing Laws and Regulations4 questions
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam References and Study Materials
The exam is open book, but candidates should follow the exact reference editions and book-condition rules in the active PSI bulletin.
| Reference | Primary Use | Current Study Note |
|---|---|---|
| National Electrical Code | Wiring methods, services, grounding, overcurrent protection, motors, solar, battery storage and general code questions | Massachusetts currently enforces the 2026 NEC-based code, but candidates testing during the transition should verify the exact PSI exam edition |
| NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code | Alarm-system questions and signaling requirements | Part I includes 6 alarm-system questions |
| 527 CMR 12.00 Massachusetts Electrical Code | Massachusetts amendments and state-specific electrical requirements | Major Part II source and important for exam transition prep |
| 237 CMR 12.00 through 23.00 | Licensing, supervision, examination rules and Board regulations | Part II includes licensing-law questions |
| MGL Chapter 141 | Massachusetts electrician supervision and licensing law | Study alongside 237 CMR for state-law questions |
Your Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Licensing Roadmap
Complete education and supervised work, finish the code-update requirement, apply for PSI approval, study both exam parts, verify the current references and pass the Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician examination.
1
Complete 600 hours of electrical education
Finish a Board-approved Journeyman Electrician education program that satisfies Massachusetts requirements.
2
Document 8,000 hours of qualifying work
Complete at least four years of supervised electrical work under the required Massachusetts license supervision.
3
Complete the 15-hour Code Update
Finish the Board-approved code update requirement and retain documentation for your application.
4
Apply for examination approval
Submit the required education, employment and licensing documents through the current Massachusetts/PSI application process.
5
Study Part I by weight
Prioritize wiring methods, services, general knowledge, grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, alarms, solar and battery storage.
6
Train for Part II Applied
Practice calculations, schematics, materials, troubleshooting, Massachusetts amendments and licensing laws.
7
Pass both PSI exam parts
Earn at least 70 percent on Part I and Part II to qualify for Journeyman Electrician licensure.
Six-Week Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep Plan
Week 1
Blueprint and NEC Navigation
- Review Part I and Part II outlines
- Confirm current PSI reference editions
- Practice NEC index and article navigation
- Take a diagnostic exam
Week 2
Wiring Methods and Services
- Conductors and raceways
- Boxes, cables and devices
- Service calculations
- Disconnect and rating rules
Week 3
Grounding, Protection and Motors
- Grounding and bonding
- Overcurrent protection
- Motor circuits
- Transformers and low-voltage systems
Week 4
Alarm, Solar and Storage
- NFPA 72 alarm systems
- Photovoltaic systems
- Battery storage
- Special occupancies and equipment
Week 5
Part II Applied
- Ohm's Law calculations
- Schematics and plans
- Materials and components
- Massachusetts amendments and laws
Week 6
Timed PSI Simulation
- 80-question Part I practice
- 30-question Part II practice
- Reference-navigation drills
- Final weak-area review
Massachusetts Open-Book Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep Strategy
Do this during exam prep
- Practice with the exact references allowed for your test date
- Use qualifying permanent tabs and permitted highlighting
- Build fast NEC article and table navigation
- Practice 527 CMR 12.00 Massachusetts amendments
- Work Part II calculations and troubleshooting under time limits
- Complete full Part I and Part II simulations
Avoid these mistakes
- Bringing unauthorized references
- Using prohibited written answers or worked-out solutions
- Assuming the field-code edition automatically equals the active exam edition
- Ignoring Part II applied topics
- Studying only generic NEC questions
- Practicing without timing your lookups
Open-book strategy: identify the topic, choose the correct NEC article, Massachusetts amendment or licensing source, verify the controlling rule and exception, then answer and move on. Part I averages about 2.25 minutes per question. Part II averages about 2 minutes per question.
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Contractor Exam Prep Options
2026 Massachusetts Journeyman Study Guide + NEC with Tabs
Massachusetts-Specific Open-Book Prep
- Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician study guide
- 2026 NEC paperback
- NEC tabs
- Trade knowledge and calculations review
- Timed NEC-navigation practice
Exam Prep Study Guide + Flash Card Combo
Practice-Focused Journeyman Prep
- 12 practice exams
- 2 full final exams
- 200+ flash cards
- Open-book and recall practice
- 2026 NEC-based study
Journeyman + Calculations + NEC Super Combo
Complete Technical Study Package
- Massachusetts Journeyman study guide
- Electrician Calculations Study Guide
- Flash cards
- 2026 NEC with tabs
- Calculation and code-navigation review
Exam-edition reminder: the featured 1 Exam Prep packages are built around the 2026 NEC, matching Massachusetts' current field code. The active Part I exam-prep product still identifies the prior exam-cycle references, so candidates should verify the exact NEC and NFPA 72 editions permitted for their scheduled PSI test date.
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Is the Foundation for Advanced Electrical Licensing
The Massachusetts Class B Journeyman Electrician license is a statewide personal license that allows qualified electricians to perform electrical work within the scope of the license and provides the foundation for later Master Electrician eligibility.
· Part I: 80 questions
· Part I: 180 minutes
· Part II: 30 questions
· Part II: 60 minutes
· 70% required on each part
· 600 education hours + 8,000 work hours for the standard path
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Contractor Exam Prep FAQ
Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam Basics
The current PSI bulletin lists 80 questions for Journeyman Electrician Part I.
Candidates currently receive 180 minutes, or three hours, for Part I.
A minimum score of 70 percent is required. On the current 80-question Part I exam, that equals 56 correct answers.
The current PSI bulletin lists 30 questions for the Part II Applied examination.
Candidates currently receive 60 minutes for Part II.
A minimum score of 70 percent is required. On the current 30-question Part II exam, that equals 21 correct answers.
Yes. Massachusetts electrician examinations are currently open book, subject to the approved-reference and book-condition rules in the active PSI bulletin and Board policies.
Yes. Part I and Part II are scored independently, but both must be passed to obtain the Journeyman Electrician license.
Wiring Methods and Devices is the largest current Part I category with 18 questions.
Troubleshooting and Testing is the largest current Part II category with 6 questions.
The current PSI blueprint lists 11 Services questions.
Massachusetts Licensing, NEC Transition and Contractor Prep
The standard path requires 600 hours of Board-approved electrical education.
The standard path requires 8,000 hours of qualifying electrical work completed over at least four years under the required Massachusetts supervision.
Yes. The current application requirements include a 15-hour Board-approved Code Update class.
Massachusetts currently enforces the 2026 NEC-based electrical code, but the active PSI materials still reflect the prior exam cycle and state that new exam items may be added seven months after a newly enforced code. Candidates testing during this transition should verify the live PSI bulletin and permitted code edition for their exact test date.
Part II currently covers circuit calculations, electrical schematics and plans, materials and components, troubleshooting and testing, Massachusetts amendments, and licensing laws and regulations.
Massachusetts permits qualifying permanent indexing or tabs and allows highlighting and underlining, subject to the current Board and PSI reference rules.
Handwritten notes are generally restricted. The current PSI bulletin and Board policies distinguish permitted highlighting, underlining and limited reference markings from prohibited answers, step-by-step solutions, diagrams and inserted materials. Candidates should check the current policy before test day.
Start with Wiring Methods and Devices, Services, General Knowledge, Grounding and Bonding, Overcurrent Protection, Alarm Systems, Solar and Battery Storage.
Start with troubleshooting and testing, then circuit calculations, schematics and plans, materials and components, Massachusetts amendments, and licensing laws.
1 Exam Prep Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep Video
Explore Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep Resources
2026 Massachusetts Journeyman Study Guide + NEC
Journeyman Study Guide + Flash Card Combo
Journeyman + Calculations Super Combo
Massachusetts Journeyman Part I Online Exam Prep
Current PSI Massachusetts Electrician Bulletin
Massachusetts Electrician License Application
Massachusetts Electrical Code
Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians
237 CMR 13 Eligibility Requirements
237 CMR 14 Examination Rules
237 CMR 22 Required Electrical Education
Massachusetts Electrician Exam Prep Collection
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