What's on the ICC Residential Electrician Exam (G18)? The 2017 NEC Outline
ICC's content outline for the Residential Electrician exam G18: 60 questions on the 2017 NEC, the weight of each area, where each lives in the code, and how to study.
What's on the ICC Residential Electrician Exam (G18)?
ICC's G18 is 60 questions in 3 hours, open book on the 2017 NEC. ICC publishes the outline as percentages; the counts below are those percentages applied to 60 questions. Source: ICC's National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin (published June 30, 2026).
| Content area | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge (theory, load calculations, definitions) | 12% | about 7 |
| Services and Service Equipment | 22% | about 13 |
| Feeders | 13% | about 8 |
| Branch Circuits and Conductors | 25% | about 15 |
| Wiring Methods and Materials | 13% | about 8 |
| Equipment and Devices | 8% | about 5 |
| Special Occupancies (pools, low-voltage, alarms) | 7% | about 4 |
It is dwelling wiring only: required receptacle outlets, GFCI and AFCI locations, dwelling service and feeder load calculations, and pools.
Where each area lives in the 2017 NEC
- General knowledge: Articles 90, 100 and 110, plus Ugly's for theory and formulas.
- Services: Article 230, and service grounding and bonding in Article 250.
- Feeders: Articles 215 and 225, and the feeder load calculations in Article 220.
- Branch circuits and conductors: Articles 210, 220, 240 and 310.
- Wiring methods: Articles 300 to 398 (raceways, cables, boxes).
- Equipment and devices: Chapter 4 (luminaires, receptacles, appliances, HVAC).
- Special occupancies: Chapters 5 to 8 (pools, emergency systems, fire alarm and low-voltage circuits).
How to study
- Use a 2017 book. Many rules were renumbered or changed in 2020 and 2023, so newer study material sends you to the wrong section.
- Practice the lookups. You will not have time to look up every answer; know where the common rules live.
- Work the calculations by hand. Load calculations sit inside the areas rather than in a separate part.
Our ICC G18 practice test draws from every area in the same proportions. For test-day logistics, see the G18 exam day.
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