What's on the ICC Journeyman Electrician Exam (R17)? All 9 Areas and How to Study Them
The ICC outline for the Standard Journeyman Electrician exam (R17): 80 questions across 9 areas, led by wiring methods (26%) and branch circuits and conductors (19%), on the 2023 NEC — the renumbered load-calculation rules, and a study plan built on the weights.
What's on the ICC Journeyman Electrician Exam (R17)?
The ICC Standard Journeyman Electrician exam (R17) follows ICC's national journeyman outline: nine areas, each a set percentage of the exam. It is 80 four-option multiple-choice questions in 4 hours, open book with the 2023 NEC and Ugly's Electrical Reference, and you need 70% overall.
The outline
| Area | Share of exam | About this many of 80 |
|---|---|---|
| Wiring Methods and Materials | 26% | 21 |
| Branch Circuits and Conductors | 19% | 15 |
| Equipment and Devices | 13% | 10 |
| Services | 11% | 9 |
| Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 11% | 9 |
| General Knowledge | 6% | 5 |
| Motors and Generators | 6% | 5 |
| Feeders | 4% | 3 |
| Control Devices | 4% | 3 |
ICC publishes percentages, not question counts, so the counts are rounded.
Where the weight is
- Wiring methods lead. At 26%, about 21 questions, it is more than one question in four.
- Branch circuits and conductors (19%) comes next. Together the top two areas are 45% of the exam.
- Equipment and devices (13%), services (11%) and special occupancies, equipment, and conditions (11%) are the middle tier, about 28 questions between them.
- Feeders, control devices, motors and general knowledge are 20% together. Small areas, but about 16 questions you should not give away.
On the 2023 NEC
R17 is the 2023 NEC series. ICC also gives the journeyman exam on the 2014 (F), 2017 (G) and 2020 (T) editions, so confirm with your jurisdiction that R is the series it wants. Study material written for an older edition numbers several load-calculation rules differently:
| Topic | Older editions | 2023 NEC (your exam) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-dwelling general lighting unit loads | Table 220.12 | Table 220.42(A) |
| Lighting load demand factors | Table 220.42 | Table 220.45 |
| Non-dwelling receptacle demand factors | Table 220.44 | Table 220.47 |
| EV charging load in a load calculation | No rule | 220.57: 7,200 VA or the nameplate, whichever is larger |
| Class 1 remote-control and signaling circuits | Article 725 | Article 724 (general rules in Article 722) |
A study plan built on the weights
- Wiring methods and branch circuits first. About 36 of the 80 questions.
- Then equipment, services and special occupancies. About 28 more.
- Learn the 2023 numbering. If your notes or older books cite Table 220.12 or Article 725, update them to the table above.
- Know where things are in both books. The exam is open book, so it rewards finding a section quickly as much as knowing it. Ugly's is allowed in any edition.
- Sit a timed, full-length exam. 80 questions in 4 hours is 3 minutes each.
Taking a state version instead? Kentucky's journeyman exam (703) is identical to R17, and Kentucky, Wyoming and South Dakota each have their own practice exams: see Kentucky, Wyoming and South Dakota.
Our free practice test gives you 10 questions on the 2023 NEC. The full exam prep has a timed full-length practice exam weighted like the ICC outline, with calculations worked out step by step and every answer citing its NEC section. For the day itself, see ICC Journeyman Electrician exam day.
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