California · NEC 2023
California General Electrician exam facts
These figures come from DIR and the Pearson VUE candidate bulletin. One Pass Prep does not publish a pass rate. One Pass Prep is not affiliated with the California DIR, DLSE, the Electrician Certification Unit, Pearson VUE, or CPS HR Consulting.
Which exam this is
California DIR, Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, Electrician Certification Unit certifies a General Electrician: a person who performs work for an electrical contractor installing, constructing, or maintaining electrical systems covered by the National Electrical Code. DIR’s page for that classification requires 8,000 hours, with a cap on how many hours from each kind of work can count. This is not the CSLB C-10 electrical contractor license, and it is not the Texas journeyman exam.
DIR’s FAQ lists five certification exams: General Electrician, Residential Electrician, Fire/Life Safety Technician, Voice Data Video Technician, and Nonresidential Lighting Technician. This practice set is the General Electrician exam only.
Length, score, and references
The Pearson VUE bulletin lists 100 multiple-choice questions and 4 hours 30 minutes. To pass, that bulletin says you need a minimum score of 70%. DIR’s FAQ lists the general electrician exam as 100 questions and 4 hours. Use the bulletin you are given when you schedule, and treat the FAQ’s 4 hours as the other published figure.
The bulletin’s content outline, which matches DIR’s test-info page:
- Safety: 6%
- Determination of electrical system requirements: 22%
- Installation: 66%
- Maintenance and repair: 6%
The bulletin says the exam may also contain questions based on trade knowledge or general industry practice. References provided on the screen are NFPA 70, the 2023 National Electrical Code; NFPA 70E, 2024; and the Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide for the Construction Industry, updated 2022. You may not bring your own books. Other textbooks are named as sources used to write items and are not provided in the testing center.
DIR’s FAQ says the exam is also offered in Spanish, that questions are multiple choice, and that a missed appointment forfeits the fees. One answer on that FAQ names a $75 retest application fee and a $100 examination fee. Confirm the current fee before you pay. This page does not keep a fee schedule of its own.
What this site has
The free starter is 32 original questions on NEC 2023 installation and calculation work, plus a few safety and maintenance items. It does not cover the full outline, NFPA 70E in depth, or the Cal/OSHA pocket guide. There is no timed 100-question form. Items still need a licensed electrician’s review. Full Access for this exam is $19/month when it is your first exam and +$10/month when you add it beside another exam. That checkout is not open.