ICC Master Electrician Exam (T16, 2020 NEC): Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Requirements
What the ICC Master Electrician exam on the 2020 NEC takes in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia's ICC 211 for the Electrical Contractor License, Pittsburgh's T16 for the Electrical Trade License, experience rules, fees and the 75% pass mark.
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ICC Master Electrician Exam on the 2020 NEC: Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania has no state electrician license. Cities license electricians, and the two largest both use the International Code Council (ICC) master electrician exam. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code adopted the 2021 International Codes, which reference the 2020 NEC, on January 1, 2026, and both cities' exams now follow that code. ICC's national version of the exam on the 2020 NEC is T16; Philadelphia gives the same outline under its own exam number, 211.
Which edition? ICC's four master exams
ICC offers its master electrician exam on four NEC editions, all with the same outline:
| Exam | NEC edition |
|---|---|
| F16 | 2014 |
| G16 | 2017 |
| T16 (and Philadelphia's 211) | 2020 |
| R16 | 2023 |
A passing score on the wrong edition may not count, so check with your city before you book.
Philadelphia: Electrical Contractor License (ICC 211)
Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) issues one exam-based electrical license, the Electrical Contractor License. You need it for any electrical work in the city, low-voltage wiring included; there is no journeyman or apprentice license.
- Exam: ICC 211 Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) Standard Master Electrician, at Pearson VUE for $115. Since March 15, 2026 it is on the 2020 NEC and Ugly's Electrical Reference (any edition). The code edition is set by the date you take the exam.
- Experience: four years of electrical work for a licensed company. Two years of electrical education count as one year, and education can replace up to two.
- Coursework: 8 hours of NEC coursework from a Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry-approved provider in the 12 months before you apply.
- Insurance and fees: general liability $500,000, auto $300,000 and workers' compensation. The license is $262 (including a $60 nonrefundable application fee) and renews every year for $202.
More detail: Philadelphia electrical contractor license exam.
Pittsburgh: Electrical Trade License (ICC T16)
Pittsburgh's Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections (PLI) accepts the ICC National Standard Master Electrician exam as T16 (2020 NEC), G16 (2017) or F16 (2014), and tells applicants to choose the version for the most recent code year Pennsylvania has adopted. Since January 1, 2026 that is T16.
- Experience: six years of combined experience and education.
- Renewal: every 365 days, with 8 hours of continuing education from the previous 12 months.
- PLI may also accept older exam versions, or a pass letter from the old Pittsburgh-proctored exam, at the License Officer's discretion.
More detail: Pittsburgh electrical trade license exam.
The exam
- 100 multiple-choice questions in 5 hours, open book on the 2020 NEC and Ugly's Electrical Reference (any edition).
- ICC's master electrician exams require 75%.
- $120 for T16 at Pearson VUE ($115 for Philadelphia's 211), with a 10-day wait after a failed attempt.
Sources: ICC National Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin (published June 30, 2026), ICC Philadelphia Contractor/Trades bulletin (March 15, 2026), the City of Philadelphia's Electrical Contractor License page and L&I Changes Log (October 2026), and Pittsburgh PLI's Electrical Trade License page.
What is on the T16 exam breaks down the outline.
Practice for the exam
Our ICC T16 practice test is weighted like ICC's outline, which Philadelphia's 211 shares, and every question cites the 2020 NEC section.
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