Iowa Residential Electrician Exam Day: PSI, the 2023 NEC, and Pacing 2 Hours

Iowa Residential Electrician Exam Day: What to Expect

For many candidates, the Iowa Residential Electrician exam is the first licensing exam they have taken. It is a two-hour, computer-based PSI test, given in Iowa at Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Sioux City and West Des Moines, or at any other PSI center in the US. Here is what to expect.

Getting a seat

First comes the Electrical Examining Board's sponsorship letter, emailed to you with a PSI registration code. It allows two attempts or six months. Then:

• Schedule with PSI online or at (855) 746-8173, up to the day before, until 6:00 pm Central.
• Pay $87. It is non-refundable and non-transferable, and good for six months from payment.
• Change plans at least two days ahead. Later than that, or by voicemail or email, and you lose the fee.

If you are an apprentice testing at 5,000 hours, you can pass now; the license is issued once you reach 6,000.

The one book you can bring

Open book, one reference:

• NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2023 edition, or
• NFPA 70, National Electrical Code Handbook, 2023.

Ugly's Electrical References is not allowed. The bulletin names the 2011, 2014 and 2017 editions; leave any edition at home.

Preparing your book:

• Highlight, underline and tab it ahead of time. No marking it on exam day.
• No written notes in the book.
• Permanent tabs only. Sticky notes come out.
• No loose pages inside.
• A printed download must be bound.

Bring the 2023 NEC exactly as published. Iowa's 2026 HF 2800 changes to AFCI, GFCI and other dwelling rules apply on the job, but the exam is written to the printed 2023 NEC.

Calculator and scratch paper

An online calculator is built into the exam. You may also bring a silent, battery-operated, non-programmable calculator with no paper tape and no letter keys. PSI gives you one sheet of scratch paper and a pencil and takes them back at the end.

The clock

Item	Residential
Scored questions	50
Time for scored questions	120 minutes
Unscored pretest questions	5, with 15 extra minutes
Total seat time	135 minutes
Tutorial	up to 15 minutes, not counted

Use the tutorial. It does not cost exam time, and it is the place to get comfortable with the screen and the calculator.

Pacing

You have 2.4 minutes per scored question, a little under 2.5 counting the pretest items and their extra time.

• Wiring and Protection and Wiring Methods and Materials are about half the exam. Fast access to Articles 210, 220, 250, 314 and 334 is what saves time.
• Do arithmetic and theory items without the book.
• Do not chase one answer. If a lookup runs long, choose your best answer and move on.
• Answer every question. Five are unscored, and you cannot tell which.
• Halfway check: about 27 items done at a little over an hour.

Scoring

You need 70%, which is 35 of 50 scored items. Your result shows on screen right away, and a failing result includes a diagnostic report by content area.

If you do not pass

You can call PSI the next day and retest as early as two days later, if a seat is open, on the second attempt your sponsorship letter covers. Each attempt is $87. Iowa caps attempts:

• After two fails: wait six months and complete 12 hours of Board-approved CE on the NEC, then two more attempts.
• After four fails: another six months and 12 more CE hours, for two more.
• After six fails: only by petition to the Board, after a further six months.

Read the diagnostic report before rebooking and study the weakest areas first.

Before you go

Sit at least one full-length, timed practice exam. Our free practice test shows the question style on the 2023 NEC, and the full exam prep has full-length practice exams weighted to the PSI outline. For what each area covers, see what is on the Iowa residential exam.