Electrical Master Exam: How To Prepare And What To Expect

ZenTrades

Electrical Master Exam: How To Prepare And What To Expect

ZenElectrical
October 14, 2024
9 Min Read

Getting your master’s electrician license is the most advanced form of certification that you can obtain in an electrical trade career. But it’s not easy. You must complete at least four to five years in an apprenticeship program and have worked almost two years as a journeyman electrician to qualify for the master electrician examination.

The difficulty level of the examination can be more rigorous than usual, considering it is the highest level of specialization one can have in the electrician field. As per the fiscal year of 2022, only 20.72% of the candidates passed out of the total that took the master electrician exam. Hence, you need solid preparation to help you pass the test the first time, which can be tough since most people fail to do so.

Here, we will equip you with some tips and strategies to help you with solid exam prep and give you the confidence to ace your test with flying colors in one go!

However, depending on the area, region, and state, your passing criteria and syllabus could differ. That’s why it’s important that you first decide on the exam center where you wish to take your test and prepare yourself according to its requirements.

Understanding the Master Electrician Exam

Being a master electrician means you are your own boss in your career. You won’t need to work under anyone’s supervision but will most likely need to supervise other apprentice or journeyman electricians. The master electrician exam is not as easy as your journeyman electrician exam. You need better knowledge of electrical installations, electrical codes (NEC), and drafting blueprints.

The master electrician examination assesses your knowledge and expertise more thoroughly, stating that this is the highest level of certification in this field. Even though the specifics of the exam can vary with state, the general structure is almost the same across most regions.

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Eligibility Requirements

You need a valid journeyman electrician license to be eligible to sit for the master electrician exam. Additionally, candidates should have several years of experience as journeyman electricians, typically 4 to 8 years. Some states require a certain amount of classroom education or apprenticeship training.

Exam Format and Structure

The exam typically lasts 4 to 8 hours, depending on the jurisdiction and the specific requirements. It includes multiple-choice questions, practical applications, and sometimes written responses. Questions often cover both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The exam usually consists of several sections, each focusing on different electrical work and knowledge areas.

Most of the exam focuses on understanding and applying the NEC, including code interpretation, installations, safety, and compliance.

Common Sections Include:

Questions on fundamental electrical principles, such as Ohm’s Law, power calculations, and circuitry.
Understanding and applying local codes and regulations related to electrical work.
Scenarios and problems that require practical solutions, such as wiring diagrams, load calculations, and troubleshooting.

Some exams may include questions on business practices, contracts, and other legal aspects of running an electrical contracting business.

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Recommended Study Materials

National Electrical Code (NEC) Handbook: A primary resource for understanding the NEC.

State-specific codebooks and regulations: For local code knowledge.

Electrical theory textbooks: Covering fundamental principles and advanced topics.

Additionally, many organizations and educational institutions offer preparatory courses and practice tests to help candidates prepare for their exams.

Some master electrician examinations have an open-book policy. This means you will receive the guides and required textbooks to help you with the test. But again, that is dependent on the specific location or state you are in. You can call your nearest PSI for more detailed information.

Fees

For master electricians to take their examination and get their licensure, candidates must first fill out and submit their license application. After that, they will be eligible to sit for the test and get their license at the end of it.

There is a separate fee for the application form and for taking the test, which is the examination fee. Make sure to have all the necessary information before you make any decisions.

Start Preparing!

There are various ways one can start their master electrician exam prep. The most common is taking an online course. Numerous sites offer practice tests and mocks, which you can try to solve in a limited timeframe to assess your skills and speed.

Not just skills; speed is also one important aspect that you should put a laser focus on. The test comprises multiple choice questions you must solve in a particular timeframe, generally four hours.

To effectively prepare for the most important examination, you need to devise a stringent study plan.

Developing A Study Plan

You can draft your study plan according to your schedule and study requirements, but here’s a general draft that can help you get your plan on track.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Identify the topics you’re confident in and those that require more attention. Focus primarily on the areas where you need improvement, and dedicate extra time to practicing and mastering them.

Create a study schedule and stick to it.

If you’re studying and working at the time, it might get challenging to segregate your day efficiently to focus on studying. Thats why, creating a routine that suits might go a long way into helping you creating timeblocks so that you can focus on electrical projects and earning money, while keeping separate time blocks for studying.

Take the help of practice tests.

There are many tests available online that provide master electricians with mock exams to assess their knowledge base and expertise. These tests can help you get a glimpse of the areas you are adept at answering and the ones that take a little bit more time. Moreover, the pattern of these mock tests is quite similar to the main exam structure, which can help you prepare yourself better.

Focus on time management strategies.

Managing your time is one of the crucial aspects of taking advanced level examinations. The master electrician exam is time bounded with a set number of questions. You need to work on your time management strategies because you cannot afford to work on one question for too long. Or else you might end up missing out on the easy questions that you are adept at. At first, you can go about at your own pace and record the time it takes you normally. Then try to improve upon it and the type of questions that take up more of your time.

Conclusion

Applicants appearing for the master electrician examination are a lot compared to the pass rate of these examinations. Furthermore, it’s challenging for a lot of individuals to pass the test in one go. And to be successful at that, you need to make sure that your preparation is robust. You cannot afford to leave any gaps in your preparation which can later come back to blow up in your face.

If you need more resources and guides on how to ace your master electrician exam, and require additional details on the same, you can check out more of our blogs on master electricians.