Colorado journeyman electrician exam
Colorado journeyman electricians are licensed by the State Electrical Board, part of the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) in the Department of Regulatory Agencies. The exam is given by PSI: 90 scored questions in 240 minutes, and you need 70% (63 correct) to pass. Since 1 August 2026 the questions follow the 2026 NEC, and the code book is provided at the test center. To get the license you need 8,000 hours of experience over at least four years, 2,000 of them commercial or industrial, plus 288 hours of classroom education.
Who licenses journeyman electricians in Colorado
The Colorado State Electrical Board licenses journeyman electricians statewide. The board sits within the Division of Professions and Occupations at the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), and the Electrical Licensing Guide says it licenses, registers and regulates electricians, apprentices and electrical contractors.
The board contracts with PSI to run the exam, according to the candidate information bulletin. In that bulletin the journeyman exam is listed as "Journeyman Wireman". The license itself is the Journeyman Electrician (JW) license.
The Colorado journeyman electrician exam
The Colorado journeyman exam is a computer-based test with 90 scored questions and a 70% pass mark. PSI's Colorado bulletin, updated 18 June 2026, lists the following.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Testing vendor | PSI Services LLC |
| Questions | 90 scored, plus up to 10 non-scored |
| Time limit | 240 minutes, plus 30 minutes added for the non-scored questions |
| Passing score | 70% (63 of 90 scored questions) |
| Open book | Yes. PSI provides the NEC and a formula page. You cannot bring your own book or write, highlight or tab the one provided |
| NEC edition | 2026 NEC from 1 August 2026. The 2023 book is available on request until 1 December 2026 |
| Calculator | An online calculator is provided |
| Exam fee | $78 |
| Retest fee | $73 |
| Results | Given on screen right after the exam |
Questions by content area on the journeyman exam:
| Content area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Grounding and bonding | 14 |
| General electrical knowledge | 11 |
| Services, feeders and branch circuits | 9 |
| Electrical calculations | 9 |
| Conductors and cables | 8 |
| Overcurrent protection | 6 |
| Special equipment | 6 |
| Motors | 6 |
| Raceways and boxes | 5 |
| Special occupancies | 5 |
| Electrical devices | 5 |
| Transformers | 4 |
| Photovoltaics | 2 |
The exam uses compensatory scoring, so a strong area can make up for a weak one. PSI has ten test centers in Colorado, from Fort Collins to Pueblo and Grand Junction. DORA announced in 2022 that the electrical exams are also available in Spanish through PSI.
Requirements to take the exam
For the journeyman license you need 8,000 hours of experience earned in no less than four years, with 2,000 of those hours in commercial or industrial work, according to the DPO Applications and Forms page. All applicants also need 288 hours of classroom education, documented with a transcript or similar statement. The page says there is no grandfathering of any apprentice registration.
Experience is documented on the board's Affidavit of Experience form, completed by the electrical contractor who supervised the work. The Electrical Licensing Guide adds that the 2,000 commercial or industrial hours must be earned in no less than two years.
The order of steps differs from many states. You register and pay for the exam directly with PSI, with no board approval first. The bulletin says that after you pass, you file the license application with DPO and upload your result. Passing does not guarantee a license if your hours or education fall short, so take the exam only once you qualify.
Colorado has journeyman reciprocity with 14 states through NERA, including Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Nebraska. The full list is on the DPO page.
Colorado journeyman electrician exam pass rate
Colorado does not publish journeyman electrician exam pass rates. Neither the State Electrical Board's pages nor PSI's Colorado bulletin include pass or fail figures, so any Colorado pass rate you see elsewhere is not official.
For context only, Texas publishes its figures: its journeyman pass rate for fiscal year 2025 was 27.52%, according to TDLR exam statistics. Texas uses a different exam, so this is not a Colorado number.
How hard is the Colorado journeyman electrician exam?
The Colorado exam is a demanding code test, but its format is clear and published. You have about 2 minutes 40 seconds per scored question, which is enough time to look things up if you know where they are in the code. It is not enough to read whole articles.
The challenge is the clean book rule. PSI hands you a 2026 NEC with no tabs, notes or highlighting, so you need to know the index and the article layout well. Grounding and bonding is the largest area at 14 questions, and nine questions are calculations, so weak math costs points quickly.
How to pass the Colorado journeyman electrician exam
Study from the 2026 NEC, because that is the edition the Colorado exam has used since 1 August 2026. If you prefer the 2023 book, you can ask PSI for it until 1 December 2026. Our practice questions follow the 2023 NEC, so check the changes between editions for the topics you study.
- Weight your study to the outline. Grounding and bonding, general electrical knowledge, services and feeders, and calculations add up to 43 of 90 questions.
- Practice with an untabbed code book. Since you cannot mark the PSI copy, learn to find articles through the index.
- Drill calculations. The bulletin tells you to know basic electrical theory formulas for the calculations area. Our exam calculations guide covers the common types.
- Take timed tests. Aim to finish 90 questions inside 240 minutes with time to check answers. Try our free practice test to check your pace.
- Don't skip the small areas. Motors, transformers and photovoltaics together are 12 questions.
For a general study plan, see how to pass the journeyman electrician exam.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Colorado journeyman electrician exam?
The exam has 90 scored questions plus up to 10 non-scored questions, according to the PSI bulletin. You won't know which ones are non-scored.
What score do you need to pass the Colorado journeyman exam?
You need 70%, which is 63 of the 90 scored questions. Your score is shown right after you finish.
Is the Colorado journeyman electrician exam open book?
Yes. PSI provides the NEC and a formula page at the test center. You cannot bring your own code book or any other materials, and you cannot write in, highlight or tab the book provided.
Which NEC edition does the Colorado exam use?
From 1 August 2026 the questions follow the 2026 NEC, after the board voted to adopt it at its 27 May 2026 meeting. PSI will provide the 2023 book on request until 1 December 2026.
How soon can you retake the Colorado journeyman exam?
You cannot book a new exam on the same day, but the bulletin says you can call the next day and may retest as soon as the following day, depending on space. The retest fee is $73.
Sources
- Colorado State Electrical Board Candidate Information Bulletin, PSI (updated 18 June 2026), checked November 2026
- PSI Colorado State Electrical Board exam registration, checked November 2026
- Colorado Electrical Applications and Forms, Division of Professions and Occupations, checked November 2026
- Colorado Electrical Homepage, Division of Professions and Occupations, checked November 2026
- Electrical Licensing Guide, Division of Professions and Occupations, checked November 2026
- State Electrical Board meeting minutes, 27 May 2026, checked November 2026
- Electrical, plumbing exams now available in Spanish, DORA, checked November 2026
- Texas electrician exam statistics FY2025, TDLR, checked November 2026