What's on the South Dakota Electrical Contractor Exam? All 9 Areas and How to Study Them
The ICC outline for the South Dakota electrical contractor exam (530): 100 questions across 9 areas, with more weight than the journeyman exam on general knowledge, services and motors, on the 2023 NEC — and a study plan built on the weights.
Contents
What's on the South Dakota Electrical Contractor Exam?
The South Dakota Electrical Contractor exam (530) follows the national ICC master outline; South Dakota has no master title, so its contractor license is the master-level license. The outline has nine areas, each a set percentage of the exam. It is 100 four-option multiple-choice questions in 5 hours, open book with the 2023 NEC and Ugly's Electrical Reference, and you need 70% overall. With 100 questions, each percentage is also the number of questions.
The outline
| Area | Share of exam |
|---|---|
| Wiring Methods and Materials | 19% |
| Services | 16% |
| Branch Circuits and Conductors | 16% |
| General Knowledge | 12% |
| Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 12% |
| Equipment and Devices | 10% |
| Motors and Generators | 8% |
| Feeders | 4% |
| Control Devices | 3% |
How it differs from the journeyman exam
Both exams use the same nine areas, but the weights shift:
| Area | Journeyman | Contractor |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | 6% | 12% |
| Services | 11% | 16% |
| Motors and Generators | 6% | 8% |
| Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 11% | 12% |
| Branch Circuits and Conductors | 19% | 16% |
| Wiring Methods and Materials | 26% | 19% |
| Equipment and Devices | 13% | 10% |
| Control Devices | 4% | 3% |
| Feeders | 4% | 4% |
General knowledge doubles and services gain five points; wiring methods drop seven. Wiring methods is still the largest single area.
On the 2023 NEC
South Dakota's exams moved to the 2023 NEC on December 2, 2024, and the state applies the 2023 NEC, with its amendments, to installations permitted on or after November 12, 2024. Study material written for an earlier edition numbers several load-calculation rules differently:
| Topic | Earlier editions | 2023 NEC (your exam) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-dwelling general lighting unit loads | Table 220.12 | Table 220.42(A) |
| Lighting load demand factors | Table 220.42 | Table 220.45 |
| Non-dwelling receptacle demand factors | Table 220.44 | Table 220.47 |
| EV charging load in a load calculation | No rule | 220.57: 7,200 VA or the nameplate, whichever is larger |
| Class 1 remote-control and signaling circuits | Article 725 | Article 724 (general rules in Article 722) |
A study plan built on the weights
- Wiring methods, services and branch circuits. 51 questions, just over half the exam.
- General knowledge and special occupancies. 24 more, and general knowledge is where the contractor exam differs most from the journeyman.
- Load calculations on the 2023 tables. Services and feeders are 20 questions together; make sure you are using Tables 220.42(A), 220.45 and 220.47, not the older numbers.
- Know where things are in your books. The exam is open book, so it rewards finding a section quickly as much as knowing it.
- Sit a timed, full-length exam. 100 questions in 5 hours is 3 minutes each.
Our free practice test gives you 10 questions on the 2023 NEC. The full exam prep has a timed full-length practice exam weighted like the ICC outline, with calculations worked out step by step and every answer citing its NEC section. For the day itself, see South Dakota Electrical Contractor exam day.
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