Washington 01 journey level electrician exam: format, NEC edition and fee

The exam in brief

• Exam: 01 General Electrician
• Vendor: PSI
• NEC edition: 2020 (see the next section).
• Sections: NEC and Theory, 60 questions in 3 hours, and Washington codes (RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B), 17 questions in 1 hour.
• Passing score: 70% on each section, which L&I says you must pass separately.
• Unscored: 10 experimental questions may also appear. The time you spend on them does not come off your exam time.
• Book: open book. The bulletin allows any original copyrighted material, including books with questions and answers, and printed copies of RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B in a three-ring binder. Highlighting, underlining and permanent index tabs must be done before the exam. Removable notes and tabs are not allowed, and references may not be written in.
• Calculator: silent, nonprinting and non-programmable. If yours is in question, you use one provided at the site.
• Fee: PSI bills electrician exams by the hour. The bulletin's table runs from $45 for 1 hour to $105 for 7, and puts 4 hours at $75. This is on top of L&I's application fee, which is stated on its forms.
• Route: the 01 exam needs 8,000 hours of experience, no more than 4,000 of them in 4,000-hour specialties, and 96 hours of basic classroom instruction. Apply to L&I for examination. After L&I verifies your experience, it sends an approval letter with an Exam Unique ID that you use to set up your PSI account. You then have one year from the date of the letter to pass.
• Retakes: you retake only the sections you failed, at least 14 days apart. After three failures in a one-year period, the wait is 90 days.

Which NEC edition to bring

Both PSI's bulletin and L&I's exam page name the 2020 NEC, and the bulletin says code questions are based on the 2020 edition. NFPA's adoption table shows Washington enforcing the 2023 NEC since 1 April 2024, with a 2026 update projected for 31 December 2026. The exam names an older edition than the state enforces, and that can change, so confirm the edition with L&I or PSI before you buy a book. Most skills carry over between editions, but section numbers can move, so practice your lookups in the edition you will bring. The open-book rules guide shows how other states' book rules compare.

What it covers

The bulletin's 01 column puts 60 questions in the NEC and Theory section: sixteen NEC groups running from Article 90 to Article 830, plus 7 questions on general trade knowledge and theory. The largest groups are wiring methods (Articles 300 to 398) at 10, overcurrent protection at 6, grounding and bonding at 6, and services and special occupancies at 4 each. The bulletin calls each count approximate. The Washington codes section holds the other 17 questions, on RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B. Each NEC group falls into one or more of the twelve areas in our journeyman exam outline.

How our practice exam fits

Our practice exam lines up with Washington's NEC and Theory section. It is 100 questions in 240 minutes on the 2023 NEC, longer than that section's 60 in 3 hours and one edition newer. It does not cover RCW 19.28 or WAC 296-46B, and that section has its own 70% passing score, so study it from the state's text. It is not Washington's exam. See the journeyman exam guide for how other states compare.

Take the free 10-question journeyman check. It is written to the 2023 NEC, needs no signup, explains every answer and names your weakest area.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by NFPA, PSI or the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. NEC and National Electrical Code are registered trademarks of NFPA.

Sources

Show the list

• Electrical certification candidate information bulletin, PSI for Washington L&I, dated 10/30/2025. Retrieved 9 Nov 2026.
• Electrical examination, Washington L&I. Retrieved 9 Nov 2026.
• Electrician, Washington L&I. Retrieved 9 Nov 2026.
• NEC enforcement maps, NFPA. Retrieved 9 Nov 2026.