What's on the Montana Journeyman Electrician Exam? NEC, Theory and Montana's Amendments
What PSI's Montana journeyman electrician exam covers: 60 open-book questions on the National Electrical Code and general trade knowledge and theory. PSI publishes no question counts, so here is a study blueprint by NEC chapter, plus the Montana amendments that come with the 2023 NEC.
Contents
What's on the Montana Journeyman Electrician Exam?
PSI's Montana Journeyman exam is 60 questions in 3 hours, open book, and you need 70% (42 correct). It is on the 2020 NEC through December 31, 2026 and the 2023 NEC from January 1, 2027, when the State Electrical Board rolls the exams to the edition Montana adopted on September 26, 2026.
PSI's outline is two lines
PSI lists only two content areas:
- National Electrical Code
- General Trade Knowledge & Theory
There are no question counts. State law adds that the exam tests the NEC and the Board's rules and laws (MCA 37-68-305). The blueprint below is ours, not PSI's: weighted by NEC chapter, with calculations, trade knowledge and theory, and a few questions on Montana's amendments.
| Area (our blueprint) | Where to look | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Branch Circuits, Feeders, Services and Overcurrent Protection | Articles 210-242 | 9 |
| Wiring Methods and Materials | Chapter 3 | 9 |
| General Trade Knowledge and Theory | Ohm's law, power, transformers, voltage drop | 8 |
| Grounding and Bonding | Article 250 | 6 |
| General Requirements and Definitions | Articles 90, 100, 110 | 5 |
| Equipment for General Use | Chapter 4 | 4 |
| Motors, Motor Circuits and Controllers | Articles 430, 440 | 4 |
| Calculations | Article 220, Chapter 9, box fill | 4 |
| Special Occupancies | Chapter 5 | 3 |
| Special Equipment | Chapter 6 | 3 |
| Montana Amendments and Rules | ARM 24.301.401 and the permit rules | 3 |
| Special Conditions and Communications Systems | Chapters 7 and 8 | 2 |
| Total | 60 |
Montana's amendments to the 2023 NEC
With the 2023 NEC, Montana's rule (ARM 24.301.401) changes several provisions you are likely to see:
- GFCI (210.8): no GFCI required for refrigerators and freezers in dwelling kitchens; the 250-volt receptacle references are deleted from 210.8(A) and (B); outdoor outlets for septic alarm and well circuits are excluded; listed HVAC equipment is exempt under 210.8(F) Exception No. 2.
- AFCI (210.12): kitchens are removed, and unfinished basements are added for dwelling units.
- Service disconnects (230.71): up to six disconnecting means in a single enclosure, a group of enclosures, a switchboard or switchgear.
- Feeder surge protection (215.18(B)): the SPD may sit in the distribution board that supplies the subpanels.
- Manufactured homes (550.33(A)): SER cable is allowed to a home with service equipment on its outside wall, in raceway outside and supported per Article 338 underneath.
The amendments are an allowed reference in the exam room, so bring a copy.
What moved from the 2020 to the 2023 NEC
If you studied on the 2020 book, these load-calculation tables were renumbered: Table 220.12 became Table 220.42(A), Table 220.42 became Table 220.45 and Table 220.44 became Table 220.47. Electric vehicle charging is now counted at 7,200 VA or the nameplate, whichever is larger (220.57), and Class 1 circuits moved from Article 725 to Article 724.
How to study
- Know which edition your exam is on. Before 2027, the 2020 NEC; from January 1, 2027, the 2023 NEC.
- Tab Chapters 2 and 3. Branch circuits, services and wiring methods are close to a third of our blueprint.
- Practice the theory. Ohm's law, power, series and parallel circuits and transformer ratios are the general trade knowledge PSI names.
Our Montana Journeyman Electrician practice test draws from these areas in the same proportions. For eligibility and fees, see the requirements.
Ready to pass Montana Journeyman Electrician?
Start your prep with unlimited practice tests and codebook-referenced answers.
Start Studying →
