Colorado Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: PSI, the Supplied Code Book, and Pacing 4 Hours

Colorado Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: What to Expect

The Colorado electrical exams are given by PSI at centers in Denver, Wheat Ridge, Centennial, Englewood, Broomfield, Lakewood, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Pueblo, Grand Junction and Durango, and at PSI centers in other states on request. Here is what the day looks like.

Before you go

• Schedule with PSI online or by phone once the Board approves your application. If space is open, you can book as late as the day before, up to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.
• Cancel or reschedule at least two days ahead — for a Monday exam, by the Saturday before. A voicemail does not count.
• Missing it costs the fee. No-shows, late cancellations, arriving after the start time and showing up without proper ID all forfeit your $78.

Arrival and ID

• Arrive 30 minutes early for sign-in. Late arrivals may be turned away.
• Bring one valid, unexpired ID with your photo and signature — a driver's license, state ID, U.S. passport or military ID — and the name must match the one you scheduled with exactly.

The code book is theirs, not yours

This is the part that surprises people. You do not bring an NEC. PSI hands you the 2026 NEC and a formula page at the center, and you may not write in, highlight, underline or tab them. Nothing else comes in with you.

That means no tabs to flip to Article 250 and no notes in the margins. You find everything through the index and the table of contents. If you have studied from a tabbed, highlighted book, practice with a clean copy before your exam — it is a different skill.

If you studied on the 2023 code, PSI will still hand you a 2023 book on request until December 1, 2026. After that, only the 2026 book is offered.

An online calculator is built into the exam.

Pacing

The exam has 90 scored questions in 4 hours, plus up to 10 unscored pretest questions with 30 more minutes for them. That is about 2 minutes 40 seconds per question.

• Answer what you know first; flag the long lookups and calculations and come back. You can change answers until time runs out.
• Never leave a question blank — an unanswered item scores the same as a wrong one.
• Check the clock at the halfway mark: about 50 questions done by 2 hours 10 minutes.

Scoring and after

You need 70% — 63 of the 90 scored items. Scoring is compensatory: your total counts, not a pass mark in each area, so a strong area can carry a weaker one. Your score is given to you immediately when you finish.

If you do not pass, you can schedule a retest ($73) the next day — not the same day — and sit it as soon as space allows.

Before you go

The best preparation is having already sat a full-length exam. Our free practice test gives you 10 questions weighted like the PSI outline, and the full exam prep has a timed 90-question practice exam on the 2026 NEC. For eligibility and hours, see Colorado Journeyman Electrician requirements.