What's on the Utah Journeyman Electrician Exam? All 15 Areas and How to Study Them

What's on the Utah Journeyman Electrician Exam?

Since August 1, 2025, Utah's journeyman electrician exam is one combined theory and code test of 100 questions. Prov's candidate bulletin for DOPL publishes the outline as 15 areas with a question count for each, and the counts add up to exactly 100. You need 75% overall.

The outline (100 questions)

These counts are published by Prov, not our estimate. They are listed here by weight; the bulletin lists them alphabetically.

The bulletin gives area names and counts only. It does not map NEC articles to areas, and it does not say whether any questions are unscored.

Where the weight is

• Theory is about a third of the exam. Current, Resistance, Voltage, Voltage Drop and Power add up to 30 questions, and motors (6) lean on theory too. That is Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits, power and voltage-drop calculations, worked without the Code book telling you the answer.
• Grounding and Bonding is the single largest area at 10. Know Article 250 well enough to find a rule in seconds.
• Overcurrent Protection (9) and Services, Feeders and Branch Circuits (8) are the next biggest code areas: Articles 210, 215, 220, 230 and 240.
• Voltage Drop gets 7 questions of its own. Expect to calculate it, not just recognize the formula.
• State Laws and Rules is only 4, but they are 4 questions the NEC cannot answer.

Which code, and which law

The exam tests the 2023 NEC (NFPA 70-2023), which is also the edition Utah adopts under Utah Code 15A-2-103. A version of that statute taking effect January 1, 2027 still names the 2023 edition, and no move to the 2026 NEC has been announced for the exam.

The bulletin's reference list for the journeyman exam:

• NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2023
• Ugly's Electrical References, 2023 edition
• Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 1, sections 58-1-301 (license application) and 58-1-501 (unlawful and unprofessional conduct)
• Utah Admin. Code R156-1, sections 102, 308 and 309
• Utah Admin. Code R156-55b, the Electricians Licensing Act Rule
• Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 55, the Utah Construction Trades Licensing Act

There is no NFPA 70E on the journeyman list; that is on the master exam.

Two dated notes for the law questions:

• The bulletin labels R156-55b "2020", but the rule in force was amended effective August 1, 2025. Study the current text.
• Title 58, Chapter 55 is renumbered on January 1, 2027. Electrician qualifications move to a new Part 3 (58-55-303) and CE to 58-55-304. Use the numbering in force on your test date.

A study plan built on the weights

1. Theory first. Thirty questions on current, resistance, voltage, voltage drop and power. Work the formulas until they are automatic; Ugly's has them, but looking each one up costs time.
2. Then Article 250. Ten questions, the biggest single area.
3. Services, feeders, branch circuits and overcurrent. Seventeen questions from Chapter 2 and Article 240.
4. Wiring methods and equipment. Conductors, raceways, lighting and general-use equipment: 21 questions between them.
5. Motors and special occupancies. Six each. Article 430 and Chapters 5 and 6.
6. Read the state law references once, carefully. Four questions, drawn from the four Utah law and rule references above.
7. Tab your NEC with permanent tabs and highlight. Removable tabs and handwritten notes are not allowed in the exam.
8. Sit a timed, full-length exam. 100 questions in 4 hours is 2.4 minutes each.

Our free practice test gives you a feel for the questions on the 2023 NEC. The full exam prep has full-length practice exams weighted to this outline, with every answer explained. For the day itself, see Utah Journeyman Electrician exam day.