Free Journeyman Electrician Quiz to Test Your Knowledge
This 10-question journeyman electrician quiz covers the code areas that show up on almost every state exam: general lighting loads, GFCI and AFCI protection, box and conduit fill, working clearances, and service disconnects. Answer all 10, then check your score against the scale below before you decide what to study next.
Real state exams weight recall and applied calculation differently. Texas TDLR’s journeyman exam runs two parts, 59 general items and 26 Texas-specific code items, according to the state’s candidate handbook. California’s DIR General Electrician exam is 100 questions in four hours with a 70 percent passing score, per the California Department of Industrial Relations. This quiz mirrors that mix rather than testing one narrow topic.
Take the 10-question journeyman electrician quiz
- Under NEC 220.41, dwelling-unit general lighting load is calculated at what rate? Answer: 3 VA per square foot, using the outside dimensions of the dwelling.
- How many 20-amp small-appliance branch circuits does NEC 210.11(C)(1) require, minimum, for kitchen and dining receptacles? Answer: Two.
- Per NEC Chapter 9, Table 1, what’s the maximum fill percentage for a conduit holding three or more conductors? Answer: 40 percent.
- Name three dwelling locations where NEC 210.8 requires GFCI protection. Answer: Any three of: bathrooms, kitchen countertop receptacles, garages, outdoor receptacles, laundry areas, unfinished basements, crawl spaces.
- Per NEC 210.52(A), what’s the maximum distance along a wall that a receptacle outlet can be from any point on that wall? Answer: 6 feet.
- At the 90 degree C column of Table 310.16, what’s the ampacity of 12 AWG copper THHN, and what’s it capped at for overcurrent protection under 240.4(D)? Answer: 30 amps at the table column, capped at 20 amps for general use unless a specific exception applies.
- Per NEC 230.71(A), how many disconnecting means can serve a single service? Answer: Up to six.
- What voltage drop percentages does the NEC’s informational note recommend for branch circuits and combined branch-plus-feeder runs? Answer: 3 percent branch circuit, 5 percent combined; both are advisory, not mandatory.
- What’s the functional difference between grounding and bonding? Answer: Grounding connects a system or equipment to earth; bonding joins metal parts together to provide a low-impedance path for fault current.
- What’s the minimum working clearance in front of a 120/208V panelboard under NEC Table 110.26(A)(1)? Answer: 3 feet, since the line-to-ground voltage is under 150 volts.
How to score your results
| Score | What it means |
|---|---|
| 9 to 10 correct | Exam-ready on these topics; move to timed full-length practice tests |
| 6 to 8 correct | Solid base; drill the specific questions you missed against the code book |
| 3 to 5 correct | Go back through NEC Chapters 2 through 4 before scheduling anything |
| 0 to 2 correct | Start with a structured study guide, not isolated quizzes |
Why do quiz questions like these show up on the real exam?
Because they test whether you can locate and apply a specific NEC section under time pressure, which is the actual skill the license certifies. State boards write their exams to be NEC-based, code-calculation, and safety-focused, which is why general lighting loads, GFCI/AFCI locations, and clearance rules appear on nearly every state’s journeyman exam regardless of which testing vendor administers it.
Does missing a question mean you’re not ready?
Not on its own. One or two misses on a 10-question quiz is normal, especially on numbers you haven’t reviewed recently. What matters is whether the misses cluster around one topic (all box-fill and conduit-fill questions, for example) or spread randomly across the code. Clustered misses point to a specific chapter to re-study; scattered misses usually mean you need more timed practice overall, not more reading.
FAQ
Is this quiz based on a specific state’s exam? No. It draws on NEC sections that appear across nearly every state’s journeyman exam, since almost all states adopt the NEC as their base code with local amendments. Check your state board’s current candidate handbook for state-specific additions before your exam.
How is this different from a full practice test? A full practice test runs the length and format of the real exam, often 80 to 100 questions on a timer. This quiz is a fast diagnostic, 10 questions, meant to flag weak areas before you invest hours in a full practice run.
Can I retake this quiz to track improvement? Yes. Since the questions and answers are fixed here, treat a second attempt as a memory check rather than a fresh diagnostic. For ongoing progress tracking, rotate in new practice questions from a full-length test bank as you study.
What should I study first if I miss the load calculation question? Start with NEC Article 220 in order: general lighting loads (220.41), small appliance and laundry circuits (220.52), then the demand factor tables. Load calculations build on each other, so skipping ahead to appliance and service sizing before the basics usually creates more confusion, not less.