Michigan Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: PSI, Your Code Book, and Pacing 2½ Hours

Michigan Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: What to Expect

PSI schedules and proctors the Michigan electrical exams for LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes. The exams themselves are written by the Bureau's staff. Here is what the day looks like.

Where you test

There are seven PSI test centers for the Michigan electrical exams: Dearborn, Holt-Lansing, Southfield (two), Grand Rapids, Gaylord and Marquette. There is no remote option for the electrical exams, and the exam is given in English only.

After LARA approves your application, register at PSI's Michigan electrical page (test-takers.psiexams.com/mielec) or call 855-579-4635. To cancel or reschedule, give at least two days' notice, or you forfeit the fee.

What you can bring

The exam is open book. The bulletin allows these references:

• The NEC. Factory markings, highlights and factory tabs only. Other editions are allowed, but the questions are based on the 2023 NEC, so bring the 2023.
• 2016 PA 407, the Skilled Trades Regulation Act.
• 1972 PA 230, the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act.
• The Michigan Electrical Code Rules, Part 8.
• A straight-edge ruler with no calculations on it.

The three Michigan documents have strict rules. Print them from the BCC website and bind each one separately with three staples on the left edge. No highlighting, no marking and no tabs on them, and no loose or attached extra papers.

The NEC Handbook is not allowed.

One thing the scope covers that you cannot bring: the Skilled Trades Regulation Rules made under PA 407. Learn the main points before you go.

Calculator

Plan for this one. The electrical bulletin lists calculators among the personal belongings that must be stored, and it does not mention an on-screen calculator. (The separate bulletin for electrical inspectors and plan reviewers does allow one.) Confirm with PSI before your exam date, and practice doing load and theory math by hand in case you need to.

The clock

80 questions in 150 minutes (2½ hours). It is computer-based, with a mouse and keyboard, and each question has an on-screen link for comments. If you have approval for extra time, time-and-a-half costs an additional $50.

Pacing

That is just under 2 minutes per question, which is tight for an open-book exam.

• Know your NEC tabs before you go in. Grounding, services, feeders, overcurrent and load calculations are the heart of the exam. Finding Article 250 or Table 310.16 should take seconds.
• Do the law questions from memory where you can. The Michigan documents are untabbed, so lookups in them are slow.
• Do not let one calculation eat your time. Mark your best answer and move on.
• Check the clock at the halfway mark: about 40 questions done at 75 minutes.

Scoring

You need 75% to pass. Your score appears on screen at the end. If you fail, the score report includes a diagnostic section to help you see where to focus.

If you do not pass

The fee is $100 per attempt, paid to PSI. It is non-refundable and valid for one year from payment.

The retake limit is set by statute. Under PA 407, if you fail twice within two years, you must wait at least one year from the second failure and complete a board-approved course on the Michigan electrical code, electrical fundamentals or theory before testing again. The PSI bulletin words this differently in places, but the statute and LARA's own PSI page agree, so plan around them.

Also remember your approval lasts one year from LARA's first review. Every attempt has to fit inside it.

Before you go

Sit a full-length, timed practice exam first. Our free practice test gives you a feel for the questions on the 2023 NEC, and the full exam prep has full-length practice exams weighted to the bulletin's topics, with every answer explained. For eligibility, see Michigan Journeyman Electrician requirements.