Journeyman
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Washington journeyman electrician exam

Updated · Written for the 2023 NEC

Short answer

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) certifies electricians, and its journeyman-level credential is the (01) general journey level electrician certificate. The exam is given by PSI. It has two open book sections, 60 NEC and theory questions in 3 hours and 17 Washington laws and rules questions in 1 hour, and you need 70% on each section. The exam is based on the 2020 NEC. Since July 1, 2026, you qualify by completing an approved 8,000-hour apprenticeship.

Who licenses journeyman electricians in Washington

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) issues all electrician certificates through its Electrical Program. Washington says "journey level" rather than "journeyman." The (01) general journey level electrician "may perform all types of electrical and telecommunications installations," according to L&I.

You apply to L&I first. When L&I approves your application, it sends you an eligibility notice with an Exam Unique ID, and you use that ID to book the exam with PSI, says the PSI candidate bulletin.

The Washington journeyman electrician exam

The (01) electrician exam has two sections, and you take both on your first attempt. These details come from the PSI candidate bulletin (dated 10/30/2025) and L&I's electrical examination page.

ItemDetails
Testing vendorPSI Services LLC
Section 1NEC and theory: 60 questions, 3 hours
Section 2Washington codes (RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B): 17 questions, 1 hour
Total77 scored questions, 4 hours
Unscored questionsUp to 10 experimental questions, with their time not counted
Open bookYes, all electrical exams are open book
Passing score70% on each section
NEC edition2020 NEC
Exam feePSI bills electrician exams by the hour. The bulletin lists $75 for 4 hours

The NEC and theory section covers Articles 90 to 830, with the most questions on wiring methods (Articles 300 to 398), overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding, and services. It also includes general trade knowledge and theory questions, which the bulletin says may include general math and electrical theory calculations.

You may bring original copyrighted references, the RCW and WAC printed in a binder, and a silent, nonprogrammable calculator. Highlighting, underlining and permanent tabs are allowed. Handwritten notes, sticky notes and removable tabs are not.

Requirements to take the exam

Since July 1, 2026, you must complete a registered 8,000-hour electrical apprenticeship to qualify for the (01) exam. WAC 296-46B-945 requires at least 4,000 of those hours to be new industrial or commercial installations. It also requires basic trainee classes, 96 hours where 8,000 hours of experience is required.

The temporary trainee route, which allowed qualifying on hours and classroom time without an apprenticeship, expired on July 1, 2026. L&I's July 2026 newsletter says only registered apprentices can now gain hours in the 01 category.

Other routes in WAC 296-46B-945 include an equivalent out-of-state apprenticeship, an out-of-state journey level certificate earned by exam, or at least 16,000 hours of out-of-state experience. L&I's apprenticeship page lists approved (01) programs, which can also be in Oregon or Montana.

Retake rules come from WAC 296-46B-960. You have one year from approval to pass all sections, and you retake only the sections you failed. After a failed attempt you wait two weeks. After three failures in one year, you wait three months between attempts. L&I has proposed extending the window to two years and cutting the longer wait to 60 days, so check the current rule.

Washington journeyman electrician exam pass rate

The first-time pass rate for the (01) exam is about 51 to 52 percent. L&I staff reported this to the Electrical Board at its July 30, 2026 meeting, measured over a rolling one-year period. At the April 30, 2026 meeting, staff reported it as "just under 50 percent," in line with earlier reports.

Staff also said past manual reviews put apprenticeship completers in roughly the 70 percent range, though L&I does not publish that as a formal statistic. Specialty exams pass lower, about 27 percent for the 02 residential exam.

How hard is the Washington journeyman electrician exam?

The Washington (01) exam is hard: about half of first-time candidates fail. The bulletin warns that "on-the-job experience is typically not enough to ensure a passing grade" and recommends classroom education.

Open book does not make it easy. You get about 3 minutes per NEC question, so there is no time to read the code from scratch. The 17-question Washington codes section is scored on its own, so a few missed law questions can fail you.

How to pass the Washington journeyman electrician exam

Study the 2020 NEC, because that is the edition the Washington exam uses. Washington installations currently follow the 2023 NEC, which the 2026 NEC replaces on December 31, 2026, according to L&I's January 2026 newsletter. L&I's September 2026 newsletter says the exams will move to the 2026 NEC in July 2027. Our practice questions follow the 2023 NEC, so check the changes between editions for the topics you study.

  1. Tab and highlight your 2020 NEC before test day, using only permanent tabs. Practice finding articles fast, especially Chapter 3 wiring methods, Article 250 and Article 240.
  2. Print RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B, put them in a binder and learn where things are. This section is scored on its own.
  3. Practice the math. Work through the exam calculations guide for Ohm's law, voltage drop, conductor sizing and motor problems.
  4. Take timed mock exams at 3 minutes per question. Start with our free practice test.
  5. If you fail one section, focus on that section. You only retake what you failed within your one-year window.

For a general study plan, see how to pass the journeyman electrician exam.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the Washington journeyman electrician exam?

The (01) exam has 77 scored questions: 60 on the NEC and theory and 17 on Washington laws and rules. PSI may add up to 10 unscored experimental questions.

Is the Washington electrician exam open book?

Yes. You can bring the 2020 NEC, the RCW and WAC in a binder, other original copyrighted references and a nonprogrammable calculator.

What NEC edition is the Washington exam based on?

The exam is based on the 2020 NEC, according to the PSI bulletin and L&I. L&I says the exams will be updated to the 2026 NEC in July 2027.

What is the pass rate for the Washington journeyman electrician exam?

About 51 to 52 percent of first-time candidates pass the (01) exam, according to L&I's July 2026 report to the Electrical Board.

Can I still qualify for the 01 exam as a trainee without an apprenticeship?

No. Unless L&I received your complete application before July 1, 2026, you need a registered 8,000-hour apprenticeship or an out-of-state route.

Sources

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