Montana Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: What to Expect
Test-day logistics for PSI's Montana Journeyman Electrician exam: the Montana test centers, ID, which books you can bring and how they can be marked, pacing 60 questions in 3 hours, on-screen results and the retake rules.
Contents
Montana Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: What to Expect
Montana's electrician exams are given by PSI, by computer: the journeyman exam is 60 questions in 3 hours, open book, with 70% to pass.
Before the day
The State Electrical Board approves your application first and mails or emails an admission letter. Then you pay PSI's $75 fee and schedule online or at (855) 746-8173. You can cancel or reschedule without losing the fee if PSI gets your notice at least two days before the exam (for a Monday exam, by Saturday). A voicemail or email does not count.
Where you test
PSI's Montana test centers are in Billings (two sites), Butte, Great Falls, Kalispell and Missoula (two sites). You can also test at any PSI center elsewhere in the country. Arrive 15 minutes early: if you arrive after the start time, you are turned away and lose the fee.
Which code book
Bring the NEC edition your exam is on. Exams through December 31, 2026 are on the 2020 NEC; from January 1, 2027 the State Electrical Board moves them to the 2023 NEC. Check PSI's bulletin for your date when you schedule.
What to bring
- One current government photo ID with your signature, in the name you scheduled with.
- Your references: the NEC for your exam (tabs and indexes are fine), Montana's building codes amendments, copies of Montana's statutes and rules for electricians, and "Printreading" by David L. Hittinger for that NEC edition, if you use it.
- A calculator: silent, non-printing and non-programmable, without an alphabet keyboard, and not built for electrical calculations (an "Electrical Estimate Pal" is not allowed).
How your books can be marked
- Allowed: your own highlights, underlining and notes, made before the exam.
- Not allowed: writing, highlighting or adding tabs during the exam, or any loose or attached papers beyond the approved books. PSI reports violations to the Board.
Pacing
Three hours for 60 questions is 3 minutes a question, which is generous for an open-book exam. PSI may add a few unscored experimental questions that count against your time, so plan on about 2½ minutes. Answer the quick look-ups first and flag calculations for a second pass; you can return to any question before time runs out.
Results and retakes
Your score appears on screen when you finish, and a failing report shows your strengths and weaknesses by area. If you fail, you can pay and take the next exam. After a second failure, you must attend a Board-approved 8-hour electrical code seminar before a third try. You have one year from Board approval to pass, or you apply again.
Practice first
Our Montana Journeyman practice test is on the 2023 NEC as Montana amends it. For the content, see what is on the Journeyman exam.
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