Virginia Electrician Exam

Need of a License: Master and journeyman electricians need a license to work in Virginia.

Who Grants a License: Electrician licenses are granted by the Virginia Board for Contractors.

Qualifications Needed to Receive a License

Master Electrician: A candidate must have one year of practical experience as a licensed Virginia journeyman and 10 years’ experience in the trade.

Journeyman Electrician: A candidate must have one of the following:

Four years’ experience and 240 hours of formal vocational training.
Five years’ experience and 160 hours of formal vocational training.
Six years’ experience and 80 hours of formal vocational training.
A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in an engineering curriculum and one year of practical experience.
Ten years’ experience.

Exam Requirements: A candidate for a master electrician license or a journeyman electrician license must pass the Master Electrician Examination or the Journeyman Electrician Examination, respectively.

How to Apply for the License: A candidate for licensure must complete/send an application to the Virginia Board for Contractors. The telephone to reach the board is (804) 367-8511.

Application forms can be found at Contractor Licensing Information.

Test Content

Master Electrician Exam - The electrical contractor exam consists of the following:

Virginia Portion: 24 items, 48 minutes
General Portion: 50 items, 100 minutes
Advanced Portion: 24 items, 60 minutes
Building Technical: 80 items, 160 minutes

The candidate needs at least a 70% grade to pass (75% for Virginia Portion).

The exam covers the following subject areas:

General Electrical Knowledge
Requirements for Electrical Installations
Electrical-Electronic Fundamentals Services
Feeders and Branch Circuits
Service and Feeder Requirements
Grounding and Bonding
Conductors and Cables
Raceways and Boxes
Special Occupancies
Special Equipment
Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting
Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
Motors and Controls
Utilization Equipment
Lighting
General Low Voltage Requirements and Communication Systems.

Journeyman Electrician Exam - The journeyman exam consists of 70 questions with a time limit of 210 minutes. A candidate needs at least a 70% grade to pass.

The exam covers the following subject areas:

General Electrical Knowledge
Requirements for Electrical Installations
Electrical-Electronic Fundamentals Services
Feeders and Branch Circuits
Service and Feeder Requirements
Grounding and Bonding
Conductors and Cables
Raceways and Boxes
Special Occupancies
Special Equipment
Electrical Signs and Outline Lighting
Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
Motors and Controls
Utilization Equipment

For more information about the test, see the Candidate Booklet.

Fees: There is an examination fee.

Who Administers the Test: PSI - They can be contacted at 800-733-9267 or online at https://candidate.psiexams.com/.

License Renewal Requirements: Licenses must be renewed every two years by the last day of the month in which they were issued.

Applicable Code: NEC 2017

To prepare for your electrician exam, use the following two practice exams by Ray Holder (Master Electrician and Certified Electrical Trade Instructor) which have 300 questions with fully explained answers:

For more information on licensing and exam prep, go to Tests.com's Journeyman and Master Electrician Test Guide.

And take Tests.com's free Journeyman Electrician Practice Test and the Master Electrician Practice Test.

For electrician exam preparation products and services, such as study guides, practice tests, flashcards and courses, go to Tests.com's Journeyman Electrician Exam and Master Electrician Exam listings.