One exam, 100 questions
You need 70% overall. Calculations sit inside the outline areas rather than in a separate portion, and our full-length practice exam draws from each area in the same proportions.
Electrical Contractor trade exam
100 scored · 240 min- General Electrical Knowledge10
- Transformers and Equipment12
- Services, Feeders, and Branch Circuits16
- Raceways, Boxes, and Panelboards10
- Conductors and Cables12
- Control Devices8
- Motors and Generators12
- Utilization Equipment8
- Special Occupancies and Equipment12
110 items on the paper; 10 are unscored pretest items.
On the 2023 NEC
The Ohio electrical contractor exam tests the 2023 NEC, the edition the Ohio Building Code references. Study material written for the 2020 edition numbers these rules differently. Every question here cites the 2023 section.
| 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.
Frequently asked questions
How is the Ohio Electrical Contractor exam structured?+
One PSI trade exam of 100 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions in 4 hours — the pretest questions use your time. You need 70%. Services, feeders and branch circuits is the largest area at 16 questions; control devices and utilization equipment are the smallest at 8 each.
Which code edition is the exam on?+
The 2023 NEC; the bulletin says code questions are based only on that edition. Ohio's building code also references the 2023 NEC, with one change — the HVAC exception to the outdoor GFCI rule in 210.8(F) does not expire — but Ohio's changes are not on the exam's reference list, so our questions avoid that rule. No move to the 2026 NEC has been announced.
Is it open book? What can I bring?+
Yes: Ugly's Electrical References (2023), the 2023 NEC and/or the 2023 NEC Handbook, and the Electrical Field Reference Handbook (revised for the 2008 NEC) or the IBEW-NECA Field Reference Book. You may highlight, underline and tab them beforehand but not write in them. PSI provides an on-screen calculator, the only one you may use.
Is there a business and law exam too?+
Yes. Every OCILB license also requires the Contractor's Business and Law exam: 50 scored questions in 2 hours, open book, 70% to pass, on the NASCLA Contractor's Guide to Business, Law, and Project Management, Ohio 4th Edition, which PSI provides at the test center. A pass counts for 3 years toward additional trades. Our practice exams cover the electrical trade exam.
Who needs this license, and what do I need before I can sit the exam?+
OCILB licenses contractors for commercial electrical work; Ohio has no statewide journeyman or master license, so those cards are local. To sit the exam you need 5 years as a tradesperson in the trade immediately before applying (or 3 years of construction-business experience as a registered Ohio engineer), a BCI and FBI background check, and OCILB approval, which lasts a year. To be licensed you also need $500,000 of contractor liability insurance.
What does it cost, and what if I fail?+
OCILB charges $25 to apply and $25 to issue the license; PSI charges $69 per attempt. If you fail, you wait 60 days to retest, and after five failed attempts you reapply.
How often do I renew?+
Every year. You need 10 hours of continuing education a year, at least 5 of them on the electrical code.
Ready to pass your exam?
Practice the full exam on the current code, with every calculation worked out.
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