Massachusetts Master Electrician License: Requirements, Fees, and the Two-Part Exam
What the Massachusetts Board requires for a Class A master license: a year as a Massachusetts journeyman, the 150-hour master curriculum, the 15-hour code course, the $135 PSI exam with its Business and Law part, and renewal every three years.
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Massachusetts Master Electrician License: Requirements and the Exam
The Massachusetts master electrician license is the Class A license, issued by the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. It is built on the journeyman license: you need a year as a Massachusetts journeyman before you can apply. PSI gives the exam at five Massachusetts centers. Everything below comes from the Board's Candidate Information Bulletin (effective September 30, 2026), its rules in 237 CMR, and M.G.L. c. 141.
Eligibility
| Requirement | Master electrician (Class A) |
|---|---|
| License | One year as a licensed Massachusetts journeyman electrician |
| Education | The 150-hour master curriculum |
| Code course | A certificate for the 15-hour code update course from a Board-approved provider |
| Approval | The Board must approve your application before you can schedule |
The one-year rule names a Massachusetts journeyman license specifically, so a journeyman license from another state does not start that clock. If you are coming from out of state, see the reciprocity note below.
How to apply
You apply to the Board, and fees are paid in the state's eLIPSE portal. The application includes your registration information, education documentation, proof of your journeyman year, a CORI (criminal record) authorization, and your 15-hour course certificate. Once you are approved, PSI emails a confirmation and you schedule. Approval lasts 12 months.
The exam
| Item | Massachusetts Master (Class A) |
|---|---|
| Vendor | PSI |
| Part 1 | 90 questions, 240 minutes |
| Part II, Business and Law | 50 questions, 120 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% on each part |
| Format | Open book, computer-based |
| Code | 2026 NEC as amended by 527 CMR 12.00 |
Part 1 is the code exam: services, grounding, wiring methods, special occupancies, motors, solar and battery storage, plus four questions on state-specific requirements and six on advanced electrical theory. Part II is the same Business and Law exam the Systems Contractor license uses, and 16 of its 50 questions are on Massachusetts licensing. The area-by-area breakdown is in what is on the Massachusetts Master exam.
Massachusetts adopted the 2026 NEC on April 24, 2026, and under the Board's seven-month rule, questions on it can appear from November 24, 2026.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Part 1 exam (PSI) | $80 |
| Part 2, Business and Law (PSI) | $55 |
| Application and license fees | Paid in eLIPSE; see the Board's fee schedule |
Retakes
Each part is scored on its own, and you retake only the part you failed, within 12 months of your approval. Wait at least 24 hours between attempts. After three unsuccessful attempts the Board requires a documented review with an approved provider, an exam preparation course or the 15-hour course; after six, you repeat the full required education.
Running a business
A master license is what lets you take responsibility for electrical work in Massachusetts, and the Board's rules in 237 CMR cover how a business entity is licensed through a master (or systems contractor) who acts for it, and what happens when that licensee leaves. Those rules are also what the 16 licensing questions on Part II draw from, so reading 237 CMR prepares you for both.
Renewal
Master licenses expire on July 31 every third year. Renewal requires 21 clock hours of continuing education in the three-year period, including the 15-hour course on the current Massachusetts Electrical Code.
Moving from another state
There is no automatic reciprocity list. Under M.G.L. c. 141, § 2B the Board may license an electrician from another state without the exam if it finds that state's standards substantially the same. Ask the Board before you apply.
Practice for the exam
Our Massachusetts Master Electrician practice test has a separate practice exam for each part, weighted like the Board's outline: the 2026 NEC with the Massachusetts amendments for Part 1, and Massachusetts licensing, contracts, lien law and the rest of the business topics for Part II.
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