Journeyman electrician study guide
How to use this guide
Start with the exam guides, then work through the NEC topics the exam tests most: grounding and bonding, conductor ampacity, load calculations and motors. Each topic page explains the rules in plain words, gives the NEC section to look up, works an example and ends with real practice questions.
Exam guides
- How to pass the examHow to pass the journeyman electrician exam: learn the NEC layout, the most-tested articles, how to handle calculations and an 8-week study plan.
- Is the exam hard?How hard is the journeyman electrician exam? Official Texas pass rates, why calculations and code lookups trip people up, and what makes passing easier.
- Exam calculationsEvery journeyman exam calculation with worked examples: Ohm's law, voltage drop, three-phase and transformer current, box fill, motors and offsets.
- Free practice test20 questions with answers and explanations.
NEC topics
- Box fillHow to calculate box fill under NEC 314.16: counting conductors, clamps, device yokes and EGCs, volume per conductor, and a full worked example.
- Branch circuitsNEC Article 210 explained for the journeyman exam: 2023 GFCI and AFCI rules, required dwelling circuits, receptacle spacing and circuit ratings.
- Conductor ampacityHow to find conductor ampacity with NEC Table 310.16, correct for ambient temperature, adjust for bundling, and check 110.14(C) termination limits.
- Conduit bendingConduit bending for the journeyman exam: offset multipliers and shrink by angle, 3 and 4-point saddles, kicks, 90° take-up, and the 360° NEC limit.
- Conduit fillHow to calculate conduit fill with NEC Chapter 9: the 53/31/40 percent limits, 60 percent nipples, Table 4 and Table 5 areas, and Annex C.
- Dwelling load calculationsHow to do a one-family dwelling load calculation with the 2023 NEC standard method: 3 VA per sq ft, appliance circuits, demand factors, ranges, dryers.
- Grounding and bondingGrounding vs bonding explained, with GEC sizing (Table 250.66), EGC sizing (Table 250.122), bonding jumpers and electrodes, plus worked examples.
- Hazardous locationsHow the NEC classifies hazardous locations (Class I, II, III, Division 1 and 2, Zones), plus seal rules and fuel dispensing and repair garage basics.
- Motor circuitsSize a motor branch circuit with the 2023 NEC: table FLC from 430.6(A)(1), 125% conductors, 430.32 overloads, and 430.52 breaker and fuse limits.
- Overcurrent protectionHow to size breakers and fuses under NEC Article 240: standard ratings (240.6), next size up (240.4(B)), small conductor rule and continuous loads.
- Services and feedersNEC Article 230 and 215 for the journeyman exam: 230.24 clearances, service disconnects, 83% dwelling sizing and feeder ampacity with worked examples.
- Swimming poolsNEC Article 680 pool rules explained, with receptacle distances, GFCI, 680.26 equipotential bonding, overhead clearances and underwater lighting.
- TransformersHow to find transformer full-load current for single and three phase, use the turns ratio, and size overcurrent protection under NEC 450.3(B).
- Wiring methodsNEC Chapter 3 wiring methods explained: NM cable securing (334.30), EMT and PVC support, burial depths in Table 300.5(A), and 300.4 protection rules.
Electrical theory and laws
- Kirchhoff's lawsKirchhoff's current and voltage laws in plain words, applied to series and parallel circuits and multiwire neutral current, with worked examples.
- Ohm's lawOhm's law for the journeyman electrician exam: E = I × R, the Ohm's law triangle, units, resistive vs inductive loads, and step-by-step examples.
- Power factorPower factor explained for the journeyman exam: true, apparent and reactive power, PF = kW ÷ kVA, how low PF raises current, and capacitor correction.
- Series and parallelCurrent, voltage and resistance rules for series, parallel and combination circuits, total resistance shortcuts and voltage division, with worked examples.
- Three-phase powerThree-phase power and current formulas using 1.732, line vs phase voltage and current in wye and delta, 208Y/120 and 480Y/277, with worked examples.
- Watt's lawWatt's law for the journeyman exam: P = E × I, P = I²R, P = E²/R, watts vs volt-amperes, kWh, and what happens to a heater on lower voltage.
Your state's exam
Exam format, NEC edition, requirements and pass rates differ by state. See the journeyman electrician exam by state.