NASCLA Electrical Contractor
Practice the NASCLA Electrical Contractor exam the way it is given — 100 questions weighted like the real outline, on the 2023 NEC, with every answer explained and cited.
One exam, 100 questions
You need 75 of 100. The areas below are NASCLA's outline from January 1, 2027, and our full-length practice exam is weighted to it; until December 31, 2026 the exam follows the older outline. PSI may add up to 10 unscored experimental questions.
NASCLA Electrical Contractor
100 scored · 270 min- Project Documents5
- Safety5
- Electrical Theory & Principles6
- General Code Requirements11
- Wiring & Protection22
- Wiring Methods & Materials14
- Equipment for General Use20
- Special Occupancies, Special Equipment & Special Conditions15
- Communication Systems2
About the NASCLA Electrical Contractor
Granted by National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA)
NASCLA Accredited Examination for Electrical Contractors (PSI): 100 open-book questions in 270 minutes, 75 to pass, on the 2020 or 2023 NEC. Accepted by participating state agencies in place of their own electrical contractor trade exam.
Eligibility Requirements
NASCLA sets no experience requirement for the exam itself, but you apply and are pre-approved by NASCLA at ned.nascla.org before you can book (applications are processed within seven business days). The state agency that licenses you sets its own experience and application rules.
On the 2020 or 2023 NEC
NASCLA bases code questions on the 2020 or 2023 NEC, and you may bring either edition (or its handbook). Our questions cite the 2023 NEC. If you bring a 2020 book, these are rules that moved between the two editions.
| Topic | 2020 NEC | 2023 NEC |
|---|---|---|
| Non-dwelling general lighting unit loads220.42 | Table 220.12 | Table 220.42(A) |
| Lighting load demand factors220.45 | Table 220.42 | Table 220.45 |
| Non-dwelling receptacle demand factors220.47 | Table 220.44 | Table 220.47 |
| EV charging load in a load calculation220.57 | No rule | 7,200 VA or the nameplate, whichever is larger |
| Class 1 remote-control and signaling circuitsArticles 722, 724 | Article 725 | Article 724 (general rules in Article 722) |
What's Included
Every plan gets the same full-access study library.
Scheduling & Fees
Where to take it
- Administered by
- PSI
- Phone
- (855) 746-8177
- Scheduling window
- After NASCLA approves you, PSI emails you how to register. Book online or by phone; you have one year from approval to test, and the exam fee is good for one year from payment.
- Reschedule policy
- Cancel or reschedule at least two days before the exam on the PSI website or by phone (not by voicemail or email), or the fee is forfeited.
- Retake policy
- Up to three attempts within one year of NASCLA approving you. If you have not passed by then, reapply once that year is over.
Fees
- Exam fee, paid to PSI (as the Arizona ROC lists it)
- $116
Keeping Your Certification Active
Renewal requirements
- Cycle
- Set by the state agency that licenses you
- Continuing education
- License renewal and continuing education are set by the state agency that accepts your result.
Reciprocity
A NASCLA result is not a license. After you pass, send your transcript through NASCLA's National Examination Database (ned.nascla.org) to each participating agency you apply to; each decides whether the exam replaces its own trade exam.
Sources: PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, NASCLA Accredited Examinations (bulletin 6677, pages dated 11/11/2026) · NASCLA: electrical exams, participating state agencies · Arizona ROC: applying for a license (NASCLA electrical exam option and fee) · NASCLA National Examination Database (application and transcripts)
Frequently asked questions
How is the NASCLA Electrical Contractor exam structured?+
NASCLA Accredited Examination for Electrical Contractors: 100 scored questions in 270 minutes, open book, and you need 75. PSI may add one to ten unscored experimental questions, which count against your time. From January 1, 2027, Wiring & Protection (22), Equipment for General Use (20) and Special Occupancies, Equipment and Conditions (15) carry the most weight.
What changes on January 1, 2027?+
The content outline. The exam stays at 100 questions, 270 minutes and 75 to pass, on the 2020 or 2023 NEC, but it shifts weight from theory (11 to 6), safety (9 to 5) and project management (8 to 5) toward the NEC chapters: Wiring & Protection rises from 17 to 22, Equipment for General Use from 13 to 20 and Special Occupancies from 8 to 15. PMBOK and ASHRAE 90.1 leave the reference list. Our practice exam is weighted to the 2027 outline.
Which code edition is the exam on?+
The 2020 or 2023 NEC: NASCLA says code questions are based only on those editions, and you may bring either one or its handbook. Our questions cite the 2023 NEC, and the table above shows the rules that moved since 2020.
Which states accept it?+
NASCLA lists the participating state agencies on its website, and each decides which NASCLA exam it accepts. Arizona's Registrar of Contractors accepts it in place of the C-11 and CR-11 trade exam, and Tennessee's Board for Licensing Contractors accepts it in place of the electrical contractor (CE) trade exam. Check with your agency before you apply.
What can I bring into the exam?+
The 2020 or 2023 NEC (or NEC Handbook), 29 CFR 1926 and 1910, the NASCLA Contractors Guide (Basic 14th edition), NFPA 70E (2024), Ugly's Electrical References (2023) and Holt's Understanding Electrical Theory for NEC Applications, plus a silent, non-programmable calculator. Books may be highlighted and permanently tabbed but not written in. A diagram and blueprint packet is handed out at the test center.
How do I apply and book?+
Apply to NASCLA at ned.nascla.org first; approval takes up to seven business days. NASCLA then passes your name to PSI, which emails you how to book online or by phone. You have one year from approval and up to three attempts in that year.
Does it replace the business and law exam?+
No. The NASCLA exam replaces a participating state's trade exam only. You still apply to your state agency and take any business and law exam it requires. After you pass, you send your transcript to each agency through NASCLA's National Examination Database.
Where do the Project Documents questions come from?+
The 2027 outline has five Project Documents questions, and the blueprint packet handed out at the test center is used on the exam. Our Project Documents questions come from the NASCLA Contractors Guide chapters on bidding and estimating, contracts, scheduling and project management, and subcontractors, each cited to the Basic 14th edition. We cannot reproduce PSI's packet, so practice reading plans from your own projects too.
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