Minnesota Power Limited Technician Exam Day: What DLI Provides, the Rules, and Pacing 5½ Hours

Minnesota Power Limited Technician Exam Day: What to Expect

Minnesota gives its electrical license exams itself, through the Department of Labor and Industry, not through a testing company. The power limited technician exam runs the same way as the electrician exams.

Before you go

• Schedule ahead. Walk-ins are not allowed, and you can reschedule only once. Missing a rescheduled exam means a new application and fee.
• Exams at DLI's St. Paul office start at 8:15 a.m. and end at 1:45 p.m.
• Arrive at least 30 minutes early with a picture ID.

What DLI gives you — and what you can't bring

DLI provides everything you are allowed to use:

• a soft-cover 2026 NEC with no tabs or other aids,
• the Laws and Rules Booklet (the Minnesota Electrical Act and Rules 3800 and 3801),
• a basic desk calculator.

No other materials or electronic devices — including phones — are allowed in the building. If you study from a 2023 code book, switch to a clean 2026 copy: the 2026 edition moved the limited-energy cable tables into Articles 722 and 723, and you will be looking for them without tabs.

The rules in the room

• You can't ask the proctor about the questions.
• Food and drink are allowed, and you may use the restroom, but you may not leave the building until you finish — leaving is an automatic fail.
• Giving or receiving help, or copying questions or making notes about them, is an automatic fail.

Pacing

80 questions in 5½ hours is about 4 minutes each.

• Work through the questions you know first; flag the table lookups and come back.
• Answer every question: each is worth the same, with no partial credit.
• At the halfway point (about 11:00 a.m.) you want 40 done.

Results and retakes

You need 70%. Results are emailed, generally within two weeks. If you fail, you can apply to retake 30 days after you are notified, with a new application and the $50 fee.

Before you go

Sit a full-length practice exam first. Our free practice test gives you 10 questions on the 2026 NEC, and the full exam prep has a timed 80-question practice exam. For eligibility, see Minnesota Power Limited Technician requirements.