Iowa Journeyman Electrician - Highlighted and Tabbed Book Package

Prepare for the Iowa Journeyman Electrician Examination with a focused highlighted and tabbed book package built around the primary electrical code reference used on the current state exam. This package includes the 2023 National Electrical Code Handbook and Ugly's Electrical References to support code navigation, electrical calculations, conductor sizing, grounding and bonding, wiring methods, overcurrent protection, motors, equipment, special occupancies, and other subjects tested at the journeyman level.

The Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination is administered through PSI for the Iowa Electrical Examining Board. The current test is based on the 2023 National Electrical Code and covers general electrical knowledge, wiring and protection, wiring methods and materials, equipment for general use, special occupancies, special equipment, and special conditions.

This package is prepared with highlighting and permanent tabs to help candidates navigate the 2023 National Electrical Code Handbook more efficiently during study and during the open-book examination. PSI currently permits the approved NEC reference to be highlighted, underlined, indexed, and prepared with permanent tabs before the examination.

Please allow up to 15 business days for tabbed and highlighted book package orders.

The package also includes Ugly's Electrical References as a study resource. Ugly's is useful for reinforcing formulas, electrical theory, conductor information, voltage drop, grounding, motors, transformers, conversions, and practical electrical calculations. Under the current PSI examination rules, however, Ugly's Electrical References is not permitted inside the examination center.

Because the 2023 NEC or 2023 NEC Handbook is allowed during the Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination, candidates should make code navigation a major part of their preparation. The goal is not simply to have an open book available, but to know where to look, which article applies, how to use the index, and how to recognize tables, exceptions, and definitions that affect the answer.

What You Get

• National Electrical Code Handbook, 2023 – Highlighted and Tabbed
  Prepared with highlighting and permanent tabs to support more efficient navigation of the primary code reference allowed for the current Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination.
• Ugly's Electrical References
  A practical electrical study reference covering formulas, calculations, conductor information, voltage drop, motors, grounding, transformers, electrical theory, and commonly used field information. This book is included for study but is not permitted inside the current Iowa PSI examination center.

Please allow up to 15 business days for tabbed and highlighted book package orders.

Exam Details

The current Iowa Journeyman Electrician Examination contains 80 scored questions. Candidates have 180 minutes to complete the scored portion and must answer at least 70% correctly to pass.

The examination also contains 8 non-scored questions. PSI provides an additional 30 minutes for those non-scored items. The non-scored questions are used for examination-development purposes and do not affect the candidate's final score.

The current Journeyman Electrician content outline is:

• General Electrical Knowledge – 13%
• Wiring and Protection – 25%
• Wiring Methods and Materials – 19%
• Equipment for General Use – 19%
• Special Occupancies – 13%
• Special Equipment – 6%
• Special Conditions – 6%

Wiring and Protection is the largest single exam category at 25%. Candidates should be comfortable with branch circuits, feeders, services, overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding, conductor sizing, load calculations, and related NEC requirements.

Wiring Methods and Materials and Equipment for General Use each account for 19% of the exam. Together with Wiring and Protection, these three areas represent the majority of the scored test and should receive substantial study time.

Open Book Test

The Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination is an open book test, but only approved references may be used.

PSI currently permits candidates to bring either the NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, 2023 Edition or the NFPA 70 National Electrical Code Handbook, 2023 into the examination center. This package includes the 2023 NEC Handbook.

The approved reference may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the examination. Permanent tabs are also permitted. PSI defines a permanent tab as one that would tear the page if removed.

Temporary tabs, such as Post-it-style removable tabs, are not permitted. Loose papers or additional attached papers are also prohibited. Candidates may not write notes in the reference before or during the examination.

Ugly's Electrical References is not allowed inside the examination center. Candidates should use it during preparation for calculations and electrical theory, then practice solving similar problems without relying on that book.

The highlighted and tabbed NEC Handbook can help candidates develop a consistent navigation method. For example, questions involving grounding and bonding should immediately suggest Article 250, while services, feeders, conductors, motors, or special occupancies should direct candidates toward the appropriate NEC section without unnecessary searching.

Licensing Steps

Iowa electrical licensing is administered through the Iowa Electrical Examining Board within the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.

1. Complete an approved electrical apprenticeship pathway. The standard Class A Journeyman Electrician pathway requires completion of an apprenticeship training program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship or another training pathway accepted by the Board.
2. Accumulate the required training and practical experience. Candidates must satisfy the experience requirements associated with the approved program or qualification pathway.
3. Submit the required license application and testing sponsorship request. Iowa requires state authorization before the examination can be scheduled.
4. Receive authorization to test. After the Board approves the application, the candidate receives authorization to schedule through PSI.
5. Prepare for the 2023 NEC-based examination. Study all seven Journeyman examination categories and practice both code navigation and electrical calculations.
6. Prepare the approved NEC Handbook correctly. Use highlighting, underlining, indexing, and permanent tabs in accordance with PSI rules before entering the examination center.
7. Schedule and take the PSI Journeyman Electrician examination. The scored portion contains 80 questions and allows 180 minutes.
8. Earn a score of at least 70%. A passing examination result is required for the standard Class A Journeyman Electrician pathway.
9. Complete the licensing process with the Iowa Electrical Examining Board. Follow the Board's post-examination requirements for license issuance.

State Requirements

Iowa defines a Class A Journeyman Electrician as a person with the qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge necessary to wire for or install electrical wiring, apparatus, and equipment and to supervise apprentice electricians.

The standard Class A Journeyman Electrician pathway requires successful completion of a qualifying electrical apprenticeship training program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship or another training and experience pathway accepted by the Iowa Electrical Examining Board.

Applicants must also meet the examination criteria established by the Board. The current PSI Journeyman examination is based on the 2023 National Electrical Code.

Iowa requires prospective examination candidates to obtain testing sponsorship or authorization from the Board before scheduling the PSI exam. Candidates submit the applicable licensing and sponsorship materials, receive approval, and then schedule the examination through PSI.

Iowa also recognizes certain reciprocal licensing arrangements with other states. Reciprocity is a separate licensing pathway and is subject to the applicable Iowa requirements and the candidate's existing license status.

For electrical installations statewide, Iowa currently uses the 2023 National Electrical Code as the primary minimum electrical standard, subject to applicable state legislation.

Reference Books

• National Electrical Code Handbook, 2023
  The principal exam reference included in this package and an approved reference for use during the Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination. The Handbook contains the complete 2023 National Electrical Code together with explanatory material that can help candidates understand and apply requirements involving conductors, grounding, wiring methods, protection, equipment, special occupancies, and other electrical systems.
• Ugly's Electrical References
  A compact study resource covering formulas, conductor properties, Ohm's law, voltage drop, grounding, motors, transformers, calculations, conversions, and practical electrical information. It is useful for preparation but is not currently permitted in the Iowa PSI examination center.

Test Information and Study Materials

General Electrical Knowledge accounts for 13% of the examination. Candidates should understand electrical terminology, basic theory, voltage, current, resistance, power, conductor characteristics, calculations, and general trade concepts.

Use Ugly's Electrical References to reinforce equations and relationships during preparation, then practice completing those calculations without depending on the book because it will not be available during the actual examination.

Wiring and Protection accounts for 25%, making it the largest examination category. Review branch circuits, feeders, services, conductor ampacity, grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, load calculations, service equipment, disconnecting means, and related NEC requirements.

Grounding and bonding should receive focused attention. Candidates should understand grounding electrode systems, equipment grounding conductors, bonding jumpers, service bonding, separately derived systems, sizing rules, and the purpose of each grounding and bonding component.

Wiring Methods and Materials accounts for 19%. Study raceways, cable types, conductor installations, boxes, enclosures, fittings, support requirements, protection from physical damage, fill calculations, and permitted wiring methods in different locations.

Box fill and raceway fill can require both code navigation and calculations. Candidates should practice locating the appropriate NEC tables and applying the correct quantities and conductor sizes under timed conditions.

Equipment for General Use also accounts for 19%. Review motors, motor circuits, transformers, generators, appliances, luminaires, receptacles, switches, heating equipment, and other equipment commonly encountered in electrical installations.

Motor questions may require candidates to distinguish among conductor sizing, overload protection, short-circuit and ground-fault protection, disconnecting means, and controller requirements. Practice identifying which NEC rule applies to each part of a motor circuit.

Special Occupancies represents 13%. Review locations and facilities subject to additional NEC requirements, including hazardous locations and other occupancies that require specialized wiring methods or equipment.

Special Equipment accounts for 6%. These questions may involve specialized electrical equipment with installation requirements that differ from general-use equipment.

Special Conditions also accounts for 6%. Candidates should review emergency systems, standby systems, interconnected power-production sources, energy-storage systems, and other NEC subjects that operate under special conditions.

A useful study strategy is to divide preparation into code navigation and calculation practice. During code-navigation sessions, identify the article or table before opening the book. During calculation sessions, practice formulas involving voltage, current, power, resistance, conductor sizing, load calculations, and voltage drop.

Because the NEC Handbook is allowed in the testing center, candidates should become familiar with the highlighted and tabbed layout before exam day. Repeated use of the same tabs helps create a visual connection between a subject and its location in the code.

Timed practice is also important. The scored portion provides 180 minutes for 80 questions, which gives candidates an average of approximately 2.25 minutes per scored question. Efficient use of the code book can help preserve time for calculations and more complex application questions.

When a practice question is missed, determine whether the error came from selecting the wrong NEC article, overlooking an exception, misunderstanding a definition, making a calculation error, or taking too long to locate the requirement. This makes each missed question useful for planning the next study session.

As the test date approaches, practice with the same NEC Handbook configuration that will be used at the examination center. Candidates should know how the permanent tabs are organized and which sections they are intended to locate.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep supports Iowa Journeyman Electrician candidates through organized study guidance, electrician-focused review, practice-oriented preparation, electrical calculations, and open-book reference-navigation strategies.

The Iowa Journeyman Electrician Highlighted and Tabbed Book Package provides a prepared 2023 National Electrical Code Handbook designed to make major NEC sections easier to locate during study and during the PSI examination.

The included Ugly's Electrical References supports preparation involving electrical formulas, conductor information, voltage drop, motors, transformers, grounding, and other practical calculations. Candidates can use it to strengthen technical knowledge before transitioning to examination-style practice with only the allowed reference.

1 Exam Prep encourages candidates to organize study according to the published PSI percentages. Additional time can be devoted to Wiring and Protection, Wiring Methods and Materials, and Equipment for General Use while still reviewing every examination category.

Reference navigation is a major part of preparation for this exam. A highlighted and tabbed NEC Handbook can help candidates develop a consistent system for finding code information efficiently under timed conditions.

The goal is to strengthen electrical knowledge, improve calculation accuracy, build faster NEC-navigation skills, and provide a more organized preparation structure for the Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination.

How many questions are on the Iowa Journeyman Electrician exam?

The current examination contains 80 scored questions plus 8 non-scored questions.

How much time is allowed?

PSI provides 180 minutes for the scored portion and an additional 30 minutes for the non-scored questions.

What score is required to pass?

Candidates must answer at least 70% of the scored questions correctly.

Is the Iowa Journeyman Electrician exam open book?

Yes. The Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination is an open book test using approved references.

Can the 2023 NEC Handbook be used in the exam?

Yes. PSI currently allows either the 2023 National Electrical Code or the 2023 National Electrical Code Handbook in the examination center.

Can the NEC Handbook be highlighted and tabbed?

Yes. The approved reference may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the examination. Permanent tabs are allowed, while temporary removable tabs are prohibited.

Can Ugly's Electrical References be taken into the exam?

No. Ugly's Electrical References is not permitted in the current Iowa PSI examination center. It is included in this package as a study and calculation resource.

Which NEC edition is used?

The current Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination is based on the 2023 National Electrical Code.

What is the largest exam category?

Wiring and Protection is the largest category at 25% of the scored examination.

Do I need approval before scheduling the exam?

Yes. Candidates must complete the Iowa Electrical Examining Board's applicable application and testing sponsorship process before scheduling the examination through PSI.

How long does the highlighted and tabbed package take to process?

Please allow up to 15 business days for tabbed and highlighted book package orders.

Why use the Iowa Journeyman Electrician Highlighted and Tabbed Book Package?

The package combines a prepared 2023 NEC Handbook for open-book code navigation with Ugly's Electrical References for electrical theory and calculation practice, supporting organized preparation for the current Iowa Journeyman Electrician examination.