Journeyman electrician exam book rules: tabs, highlighting and editions
Journeyman electrician exams are open book in every state bulletin we read, but "open book" comes with rules, and a test center can turn away a book that breaks them. Here is what the Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan and Utah bulletins say, and what to check in yours.
What the four bulletins allow
| State | NEC edition | Tabs and marks | Other books | Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 2023 | Highlighting, underlining and indexing done beforehand; permanent tabs only; no writing | OSHA construction standards (29 CFR 1926) and Ugly's Electrical References; no NEC Handbook or spiral-bound NEC | Silent, non-printing, non-programmable calculator allowed |
| Virginia | 2020 | Highlighting, underlining and indexing done beforehand; permanent tabs only; no writing | NFPA 70E is on the reference list; no study guides | Handheld calculators are on the prohibited list |
| Michigan | 2023 | Factory markings, highlighting and factory tabs only | Michigan's licensing act and electrical code rules; no NEC Handbook | Listed among personal items you cannot bring |
| Utah | 2023 | See the bulletin | Ugly's Electrical References 2023 and Utah statutes and rules | Not stated in the sections we read |
From the bulletins read on 7 November 2026. Where a bulletin does not say whether an on-screen calculator is provided, we do not guess. Each state sets its own rules and can change them, so read your bulletin and confirm with your board before exam day.
California and Connecticut work differently: California provides the 2023 NEC on screen and you bring no book (California exam guide), and Connecticut's bulletin allows the NEC Handbook, which Oklahoma's and Michigan's ban (Connecticut exam guide). Iowa allows the NEC Handbook but not Ugly's (Iowa exam guide), Kentucky allows Ugly's and formulas written in pen before the exam (Kentucky exam guide), and Colorado, like California, gives you the book at the test center (Colorado exam guide). Arkansas allows highlighting and underlining in pen, but no formula sheets or printed indexes glued or taped into the book (Arkansas exam guide). Delaware bans handwritten notes and formula sheets in the book (Delaware exam guide), Idaho allows highlighting and permanent indexing before the exam but no writing during it (Idaho exam guide), and Nebraska adds OSHA and NFPA 70E references and a blueprint packet handed out at the center (Nebraska exam guide). Montana allows your own notes in its approved books (Montana exam guide), Vermont's reference list names handwritten NEC notes while its book rules bar notes written in a reference book (Vermont exam guide), and Maine's open-book list adds Maine's laws and rules to the 2026 NEC (Maine exam guide).
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Set up your book before exam day
- Buy the edition your state names. A different edition can move the rule you need to a different section.
- Tab by article, not by question. Put permanent tabs on the articles you use most: Article 100 definitions, Article 210 branch circuits, Article 220 load calculations, Article 240 overcurrent protection, Article 250 grounding and bonding, Article 310 conductors, Article 314 boxes, Article 430 motors, and Chapter 9 tables. Use tabs your state allows.
- Highlight only if allowed, and only before the exam.
- Practice with the same book. Every lookup you rehearse in your own copy is time saved at the test center.
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Not affiliated with or endorsed by NFPA, PSI or Prov, or any state licensing board. NEC and National Electrical Code are registered trademarks of NFPA.
Sources
Show the list
- Oklahoma candidate information bulletin, PSI. Retrieved 7 Nov 2026.
- Virginia tradesman candidate information bulletin, PSI. Retrieved 7 Nov 2026.
- Michigan electrical candidate information bulletin, PSI. Retrieved 7 Nov 2026.
- Utah electrical candidate information bulletin, Prov. Retrieved 7 Nov 2026.
Facts come from the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.
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