Arkansas Residential Master Exam Day: Prov, the 2023 NEC, and Pacing 60 Questions

Arkansas Residential Master Electrician Exam Day: What to Expect

The residential master exam is 60 questions in 3 hours, given by Prov for the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners. If you sat the residential journeyman exam, the booking and book rules will be familiar, but the exam itself is half again as long and covers far more of the Code.

Booking

With Board approval in hand (good for 183 days):

1. Go to provexam.com/scheduler, choose "New Test-Taker", and select "AR - Arkansas Department of Labor - Electrical Examining Board".
2. Pick the residential master license, not the master. They are different exams.
3. Enter your details (including your SSN), choose a date, time and site, and pay $80 by card. You can also book at (801) 733-4455.

Cancel or reschedule at least 3 days before your date to keep the fee.

Where

• 10 Prov test centers in Arkansas, or any Prov center in the US.
• Remote testing through Examroom.ai.

The book

Open book. The only listed reference is the 2023 NEC (NFPA 70).

• Highlighting and underlining before the exam are allowed. No marking during it.
• Permanent tabs only. No movable tabs, no Post-its.
• No handwritten notes, formula sheets, Tom Henry or Kelly indexes, or added stickers.
• Photocopies only where the bulletin allows; the book title must be exact.

Older and newer editions are "always permitted", in Prov's words, but the items are keyed to 2023. A 2026 NEC, the edition Arkansas now adopts, will not always give the 2023 answer.

Tabbing for this outline

The residential master outline reaches across seven NEC chapters, so a tab at each chapter start is the minimum. Then add depth where the items are:

• Chapter 2 (13 items): Articles 210, 220, 230, 240 and 250.
• Chapter 3 (12 items): Article 310's ampacity tables, Article 314 box fill, and Chapter 9's conduit fill tables.
• Chapter 4 (10 items): the equipment articles from 400 to 440.

Calculator

The bulletin does not say whether calculators are allowed. It bans "any other electronic devices" and does not describe an on-screen calculator. With 9 general theory items and dwelling load calculations in Chapter 2, this matters. Ask Prov before test day.

Pacing

3 minutes per question.

• Theory first, or at least fast. The 9 theory items cannot be looked up; do not burn time searching for them.
• Spread your attention. Unlike the residential journeyman exam, no single chapter dominates. Expect to move around the whole book.
• Answer every question. It is four-option multiple choice, no penalty for guessing.
• Halfway check: about 30 done at 90 minutes.

Scoring

70% to pass: 42 of 60 if it is a straight percentage. The bulletin does not say whether scores are raw or scaled, or whether any items are unscored. Results are immediate and go to the Board. There is no law or business section.

If you do not pass

• Retest after 2 days; each attempt is a new fee.
• Unlimited attempts within one approval, per Prov.
• The Board's rules allow it to require an applicant who did not complete an apprenticeship to complete up to two years of one before retesting.

After you pass

Obtain the license within 6 months after the end of the month you tested, or retest. It is $50 a year and valid in Arkansas only; the residential master license does not reciprocate.

Before you go

Our free practice test gives you a feel for the questions on the 2023 NEC, and the full exam prep has timed, full-length practice exams weighted to the residential master outline. For eligibility, see Arkansas Residential Master Electrician requirements.