The California General Electrician certification exam

100 questions, 4 hours 30 minutes, 70% to pass, and the code book is on the screen in front of you. Here is what that actually means, what it costs, and how to get to the desk.

Questions: 100
Time: 4:30
To pass: 70%
All-in cost: $175

Getting to the desk

1 Apply to the DLSE A $75 application to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, with proof of your hours. Approval is what makes you eligible to book.
2 Book the exam $100 an attempt, scheduled through Pearson VUE. Your approval stays good for 12 months — let it lapse and you apply and pay for that again.
3 Sit it 100 questions, 4 hours 30 minutes, open book on screen. Restroom breaks only, and the clock keeps running.
4 If you fail A 60-day wait before you can sit it again, and the $100 fee again.

On the day

Bring: Two forms of original, signed ID. A photocopy means you are turned away and the fee is gone.
Leave behind: No books, notes, pens or your own calculator. An on-screen calculator is provided.
Breaks: Restroom only, and the clock keeps running. Eat beforehand — it is 4 hours 30 minutes.
Guessing: There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so never leave one blank.

Administered by CPS HR Consulting through Pearson VUE for exams on or after 1 June 2026. Check the candidate bulletin for the current rules before you book — fees and procedures are the state's to change, not ours.

Common questions

Is the California General Electrician exam open book?

Yes. The 2023 NEC, NFPA 70E and the Cal/OSHA construction pocket guide are supplied inside the testing software and are searchable. You may not bring your own copies, and there is no paper reference at the desk.

How many questions is it and how long do you get?

100 questions in 4 hours 30 minutes, and you need 70% to pass. That works out at about 2:42 a question including the time you spend searching the code.

What does it cost?

$100 for the exam itself, on top of a $75 application to the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement — $175 in total before any study materials.

What happens if you fail?

You wait 60 days before you can sit it again, and you pay the $100 exam fee again. Your application approval stays good for 12 months from the date it was granted; let it lapse and you apply and pay for that as well.

Which edition of the NEC should I study?

The 2023 NEC. California adopted the 2025 California Electrical Code for field work from 1 January 2026, but the exam runs on the plain 2023 NEC with no California amendments. Prep material built on a different edition will have section numbers that do not line up.

Who administers the exam?

CPS HR Consulting, delivered through Pearson VUE, for exams on or after 1 June 2026. Check the candidate bulletin for the current rules before you book.

What "open book" really means here — and why it makes the exam harder, not easier.
What's on the exam — the official outline, weighted.
A six-week study plan — navigation first, knowledge second.
Ten free practice questions — no account needed.

Written by Chris Furman · last reviewed September 2026

I built Electrician Cards after watching a friend prepare for this exam and discovering how much of the published advice is written for a closed-book test. I am not an electrician — everything here is researched from the candidate bulletin, the 2023 NEC's own structure, and the official content outline, and it is checked against them again whenever it changes. Always verify against the code book itself.