Hawaii Solar Power Systems Contractor (C-60) Books Allowed into Exam Package

Hawaii Solar Power Systems Contractor (C-60) Books Allowed into Exam Package

If you’re preparing for the Hawaii Solar Power Systems Contractor (C-60) trade exam, one of the smartest things you can do is study using the exact book you’ll have access to during testing. This package is built around the National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020—the reference PSI provides in the testing center for the C-60 exam. That matters because C-60 is a timed, open-book exam where your success depends heavily on how quickly you can locate the right article, table, definition, or exception and apply it correctly.

The C-60 classification covers the work of assembling and installing photovoltaic panels, batteries, controls, and related low-voltage DC wiring. On the exam, you’ll see questions that test photovoltaic theory, system components, installation practices, and jobsite safety, along with a significant portion on estimating, calculations, and design. Even when you know the concepts, you still have to execute under time pressure—finding the correct NEC section quickly and avoiding common traps like missing exceptions, overlooking definitions, or applying the wrong table.

This is why a “books allowed into the exam” package is different from a general book bundle. The goal is not to overwhelm you with extra resources you can’t use on exam day. Instead, it’s to help you build NEC navigation speed and exam-focused confidence so you can handle the most common C-60 tasks:

• Recognize what the question is really asking (installation requirement, component selection, safety practice, or design decision).
• Identify the correct NEC location (article, section, table, or definition).
• Confirm the details (conditions, exceptions, required language, and cross-references).
• Apply it correctly without second-guessing.

Studying with the NEC isn’t about memorizing pages. It’s about building a reliable method. Candidates who perform well on timed open-book exams train a repeatable process: identify → locate → verify → apply. This package supports that approach by focusing your preparation on the reference you’ll have available at the testing center.

Another advantage: practicing with the NEC improves your real-world readiness. Solar work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. PV systems interface with electrical requirements, installation practices, inspection expectations, and safety standards. Learning how to use the NEC efficiently is not just exam prep—it’s a professional skill you’ll carry into the field.

What You Get

• National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020

This package is intentionally focused on the book that PSI provides in the testing center for the C-60 exam. That allows you to study in a way that matches the exam environment and build confidence that your prep aligns with what you can actually use on test day.

Exam Details

The Hawaii C-60 Solar Power Systems Contractor trade exam is structured as follows:

• Number of Questions: 50
• Time Allowed: 120 minutes
• Minimum Passing Score: 75%

The content areas and item counts for C-60 are:

• Photovoltaic Theory: 5
• Electrical Interconnection: 8
• Permitting, Inspection, and Utility Interconnections: 3
• Photovoltaic Components: 10
• Photovoltaic Installation: 7
• Estimating, Calculations, and Design: 12
• Safety (OSHA): 5

This breakdown is extremely useful for planning your study time. The largest slice of the exam is Estimating, Calculations, and Design, followed by Photovoltaic Components and Electrical Interconnection. A strong strategy is to spend consistent time building comfort with calculations and design thinking while also developing steady, repeatable NEC lookup habits.

Because the exam is timed, “knowing” the NEC is only part of the equation. You also need to be able to move through it efficiently. That’s what transforms open-book exams from stressful to manageable: you don’t waste time searching—you go directly to the right place and confirm what you need.

Open Book Test

The Hawaii C-60 Solar Power Systems Contractor exam is an OPEN BOOK examination. The testing center provides the National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020 edition for your use during the exam, and no highlighting or notes may be made in the book during the exam.

It’s also important to know what “open book” means in practice for C-60:

• You will have access to the NEC (2020) provided by the testing center.
• Other reference materials are not allowed in the examination center for the C-60 exam, including the National Electrical Safety Code (2017), Ugly’s Electrical References, and Photovoltaic Systems (3rd edition).

So how do you use an open-book format to your advantage? You train for it.

Open-book contractor exams are not designed for leisurely reading. They’re designed to test whether you can retrieve and apply correct information quickly. That’s why working from the NEC—the book you’ll have access to—can be such a practical advantage. As you practice, you’ll start building your own “mental map” of where common topics live:

• Where definitions are located and how they impact interpretation
• How tables are organized and when specific conditions apply
• How exceptions change the default rule
• How to confirm a requirement using cross-references

That navigation skill is what reduces second-guessing and improves speed. When you can confirm details quickly, you stay calmer, manage time better, and answer more consistently.

Licensing Steps

Hawaii contractor licensing is administered through the State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Professional and Vocational Licensing (PVL) division, Contractors License Board. Examinations are administered by PSI Services, LLC. A typical pathway for trade exam candidates generally looks like this:

1. Apply to the Contractors License Board for the classification you need (C-60 Solar Power Systems Contractor).
2. Wait for Board approval before registering—candidates are not allowed to register for the exam until the Board approves the application and sends an approval notice.
3. Register and schedule with PSI once you are eligible. Scheduling options may include test center or remote proctored formats (based on PSI availability and your exam selection).
4. Take and pass the C-60 examination within your eligibility window.
5. Complete any remaining licensing steps required by the Board based on your application type and classification.

One timeline detail you should plan around: eligibility to test is valid for six (6) months, and you may test multiple times within that six-month period. If you do not pass within six months, you must reapply by filing a new application.

Because timing matters, a practical approach is to start building your study momentum early, then increase intensity after you receive authorization to test. That keeps your preparation efficient without risking the stress of a last-minute cram.

State Requirements

The Contractors License Board requires applicants to be approved before they are allowed to register for the examination. After Board approval, you will receive an approval notice indicating which exam(s) you are eligible to take and the date by which the exam(s) must be passed.

Since licensing requirements can vary by applicant type and can change over time, your most reliable step is to follow the current Hawaii application instructions issued through the DCCA PVL Contractors License Board. While you’re working through that process, you can keep moving forward by focusing on what you can control right now:

• Study planning: set weekly milestones for content areas (especially calculations/design and components).
• NEC familiarity: learn how the book is organized, then practice retrieving information quickly.
• Exam execution practice: use timed drills to train your ability to answer efficiently under a 120-minute limit.
• Professional readiness: reinforce safety mindset and inspection-minded decision making, since both are represented on the exam.

The best candidates don’t rely on memory alone. They train a system for finding and verifying information under time pressure.

Reference Books

• National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020
  The NEC (2020) is the reference provided in the testing center for the Hawaii C-60 exam. It is the most important book for building your open-book test strategy: fast navigation, accurate interpretation, and confident application. During study, focus on developing speed with definitions, tables, and common rule structures (including exceptions and cross-references).

Exam Room Approved Books

For the Hawaii C-60 Solar Power Systems Contractor exam, the National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020 edition is the reference provided in the testing center for use during the exam. Other common solar/electrical references are listed as not allowed in the examination center for C-60, so this package is intentionally focused on the NEC.

Test Information and Study Materials

To prepare effectively for the C-60 exam, your study should match the exam environment: timed, open book, and centered around the NEC. The most productive preparation doesn’t look like passive reading. It looks like active practice.

Here are study methods that work especially well when your exam-day reference is the NEC:

• Timed lookups (navigation drills): Pick a topic, set a timer for 2–4 minutes, and practice finding the relevant code section. Repeat until you can locate it reliably without wandering.
• Definition-based practice: Many test questions hinge on a single defined term. Train yourself to confirm meanings instead of assuming. Definitions often change how rules apply.
• Table confidence: Tables can be points-rich and time-consuming. Practice using them correctly, including reading notes and conditions that apply to a table’s values.
• Exception awareness: A common open-book trap is finding the “main rule” and missing an exception. Train yourself to scan for exceptions every time you locate a rule that looks relevant.
• Calculation repetition: Since calculations/design are a large portion of C-60, do small sets of problems consistently. Repetition improves both accuracy and speed.
• Scenario practice: Turn study topics into real-world mini scenarios: component selection, interconnection decisions, inspection readiness, and safe installation steps. Then confirm answers by locating the NEC support.

As you practice, track what slows you down. Your “slow list” becomes your best study plan because it’s tailored to your performance. Each week, shrink that list by revisiting those topics with timed drills.

Finally, practice your exam pacing. With 50 questions in 120 minutes, you have an average of just over two minutes per question. Some questions will take longer because they require deeper code lookups or multi-step reasoning. That’s normal—but it makes a disciplined strategy even more important:

• Answer quick-confidence questions first
• Mark time-consuming questions and return after you’ve collected easier points
• Use the NEC to verify, not to wander—know when to move on and come back

When you train that pacing ahead of time, the exam feels more controlled and less stressful.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep supports candidates by focusing on preparation that fits how trade exams actually work—organized study, reference navigation habits, and practice-oriented training. For the Hawaii C-60 exam, that means helping you build skill with the reference you can use during testing: the NEC (2020).

This package supports your progress in practical ways:

• Exam-aligned study focus: You prepare with the same core reference provided at the testing center, so your practice matches your exam-day environment.
• Reference navigation discipline: Working from the NEC helps you develop the “find and verify” skill that open-book exams reward.
• Practice-first preparation: The NEC is most useful when you train with it actively—timed lookups, scenario practice, and repeated verification—so you build speed and confidence.
• Confidence through structure: When your preparation is organized and repeatable, you reduce second-guessing and improve consistency under time limits.

We never guarantee outcomes—passing depends on your preparation and meeting Hawaii’s licensing requirements—but we do focus on giving you a realistic, trade-aligned way to prepare so you can approach the C-60 exam with better execution and stronger confidence.

FAQ

Is the Hawaii C-60 Solar Power Systems Contractor exam open book?

Yes. The C-60 exam is an open-book exam. The testing center provides the National Electrical Code (NEC), 2020 edition for use during the exam, and you are not allowed to make highlighting or notes in the provided book during the exam.

Is the NEC the only book allowed for the C-60 exam?

For C-60, the NEC (2020) is the reference provided in the testing center for your use during the exam. Other common references are listed as not allowed in the examination center for this specific exam, which is why this package focuses on the NEC.

How many questions are on the C-60 exam and how much time do I get?

The C-60 trade exam includes 50 questions, you are allowed 120 minutes, and the minimum passing score is 75%.

What topics are covered on the Hawaii C-60 exam?

The exam covers photovoltaic theory, electrical interconnection, permitting/inspection/utility interconnections, photovoltaic components, photovoltaic installation, estimating/calculations/design, and OSHA safety.

Do I register for the exam before my license application is approved?

No. Candidates are not allowed to register for the examination until the Contractors License Board approves the application and sends authorization to test. After approval, you receive information indicating which exam(s) you are eligible to take and the date by which you must pass.

How long is my eligibility to test valid?

Your eligibility is valid for six (6) months, and you may test multiple times during that six-month period. If you do not pass within six months, you must reapply by filing a new application.

What is the best way to study for a timed open-book NEC exam?

Train your ability to locate and verify information quickly. Use timed lookups, practice confirming definitions and exceptions, and do regular calculation repetition. Open-book exams reward speed and accuracy, so the goal is to build confident navigation and correct application—not to rely on memory alone.