What's on the ICC Master Electrician Exam (T16 and Philadelphia 211)? The 2020 NEC Outline
ICC's content outline for the Master Electrician exam on the 2020 NEC, shared by T16 (Pittsburgh) and Philadelphia's ICC 211: 100 questions, the weight of each area, where each lives in the 2020 NEC, and how to study.
What's on the ICC Master Electrician Exam on the 2020 NEC?
ICC's T16 and Philadelphia's ICC 211 are both 100 questions in 5 hours, open book on the 2020 NEC, with the same nine content areas and weights. ICC publishes the outline as percentages; the counts below are those percentages applied to 100 questions. Sources: ICC's National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin (published June 30, 2026) and ICC's Philadelphia Contractor/Trades bulletin (March 15, 2026).
| Content area | Weight | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge (theory, load calculations, definitions, plan reading) | 12% | about 12 |
| Services and Service Equipment | 16% | about 16 |
| Feeders | 4% | about 4 |
| Branch Circuits and Conductors | 16% | about 16 |
| Wiring Methods and Materials | 19% | about 19 |
| Equipment and Devices | 10% | about 10 |
| Control Devices | 3% | about 3 |
| Motors and Generators | 8% | about 8 |
| Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 12% | about 12 |
ICC's national outline lists what each area covers: service load calculations and fault current, transformers, system grounding and bonding, branch-circuit calculations, GFCI and AFCI protection, raceways and boxes, panelboards and switchboards, motors and generators, pools, emergency systems, and signaling and fire alarm systems.
Where each area lives in the 2020 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).
- Control devices and motors: Article 409 and Article 430, plus 440 and 445.
- Special occupancies: Chapters 5 to 8 (hazardous locations, pools, emergency systems, fire alarm and low-voltage circuits).
Watch the edition
Much of today's study material is written for the 2023 NEC, which renumbered the load-calculation tables you use most. On the 2020 exam, look for:
- the general lighting unit loads in Table 220.12,
- lighting demand factors in Table 220.42,
- non-dwelling receptacle demand factors in Table 220.44,
- Class 1 remote-control and signaling circuits in Article 725 (2023 split it into Articles 722, 724 and 725).
If you last studied on the 2017 NEC, note that 2020 moved the conductor ampacity table to Table 310.16.
How to study
- Use a 2020 book. Tab Articles 220, 230, 250, 310 and 430 first; they carry the most questions.
- 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 T16 practice test draws from every area in the same proportions. For test-day logistics, see the T16 exam day.
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