What's on the Massachusetts Master Electrician Exam? Part 1 and Business and Law

What's on the Massachusetts Master Electrician Exam?

The Massachusetts Master (Class A) exam has two parts with different references, and you need 70% on each. The question counts below are from the Board's Candidate Information Bulletin, effective September 30, 2026.

Part 1: 90 questions, 240 minutes

Allowed in the room: the NEC, NFPA 72, and 527 CMR 12.00, the Massachusetts amendments. Questions may also come from Ugly's Electrical References and the American Electricians' Handbook, which you can't bring in.

Compared with the journeyman exam, Part 1 puts more weight on special occupancies (10 questions instead of 5) and motors (7 instead of 4), and it adds advanced theory and four state-specific questions drawn from the Massachusetts amendments.

Part II, Business and Law: 50 questions, 120 minutes

Allowed in the room:

• The NASCLA Contractor's Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management (the bulletin lists the Basic 12th edition)
• 237 CMR 12.00–23.00, the Board's rules
• M.G.L. c. 141, Supervision of Electricians
• M.G.L. c. 143, sections 3L, 3P and 50 (permits and notice of installation, appeals, hindering inspectors)
• M.G.L. c. 254, the lien law sections listed in the bulletin
• M.G.L. c. 151 (minimum wage and overtime) and c. 152 (workers' compensation), the listed sections
• The state's unemployment guide for employers
• OSHA's construction standards, 29 CFR 1926 (or PSI's OSHA excerpts)

The 16 licensing questions are the biggest single block on either part, and they come from Massachusetts law, not the NASCLA book: license classes, business entities, supervision, permits, appeals and renewal. The other 34 are general contractor business, mostly answerable from the NASCLA guide.

A few rules worth knowing cold

From the texts allowed in the room:

• Notice of installation. Under M.G.L. c. 143, § 3L, wiring installed for hire requires notice to the inspector of wires before work begins or within five days after it starts.
• Inspection before concealment. Rule 10 of 527 CMR 12.00 says work may not be covered until inspected; the inspector has 24 hours for excavations and 72 hours for other installations after proper notice, weekends and holidays excluded.
• Veteran credit. A veteran receives a 5% credit on each part of the exam (M.G.L. c. 141, § 2A; 237 CMR 14.02).

How to study it

1. Part 1: work the NEC by area, starting with wiring methods, services, grounding and special occupancies. Then read 527 CMR 12.00 with the 2026 NEC beside it. Massachusetts changes rules in Articles 210, 310, 334, 680, 690 and 700, among others.
2. Part II: read 237 CMR and M.G.L. c. 141 closely and tab them; that's where 16 questions come from. Then work the NASCLA chapters on contracts, estimating, risk, finance and safety.
3. Practice each part separately, because each one has to reach 70% on its own.

Our Massachusetts Master Electrician practice test has a practice exam for each part, weighted like this outline. For eligibility and fees, see Massachusetts Master Electrician requirements.