Virginia master electrician exam: frequently asked questions

The Virginia tradesman examinations are administered through PSI for the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation.

Virginia Master Electrician exam preparation should include open-book code navigation and reference-use practice. Candidates should follow the current DPOR, Board for Contractors, and testing-provider exam instructions for the exact references, tabs, notes, calculators, and code edition allowed during testing.

The current Virginia PSI candidate bulletin lists the Master Electrician portion as 90 items with 270 minutes to complete the portion.

The current Virginia PSI candidate bulletin lists 270 minutes for the Master Electrician exam.

The Virginia Master Electrician examination requires a passing score of 70 percent, which equals 63 correct answers.

The current Virginia PSI candidate bulletin lists the passing score for the Master Electrician portion as 63.

Yes. Virginia DPOR states that pre-approval from the Board is required to sit for tradesman examinations. After approval, candidates schedule the exam through PSI.

Virginia Master Electrician licensing is regulated by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation through the Board for Contractors.

Yes. Virginia issues a statewide Master Electrician tradesman license for individuals who meet the Board’s requirements and pass the required examination.

No. A Virginia Master Electrician license is an individual tradesman license. Contracting as a business may require the proper contractor license, classification, business registration, and local permit compliance.

Virginia individual tradesman licensing is handled through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation and the Board for Contractors.

Yes. Virginia has a state Master Electrician credential regulated through DPOR and the Board for Contractors.

No. A Virginia Master Electrician license is an individual tradesman license. Electrical contracting activity may also require the proper contractor business license, depending on the work being offered or performed.

Candidates who plan to operate, qualify, advertise, bid, or contract through an electrical business should review Virginia contractor licensing requirements in addition to individual tradesman licensing requirements.

Yes. Candidates should confirm the required license classification, eligibility requirements, application process, code edition, reference rules, and post-exam licensing steps before scheduling or taking an exam.

The Virginia electrician examination references include the National Electrical Code, American Electricians’ Handbook, and Virginia Board for Contractors Individual License and Certification Regulations. Candidates should use the exact editions required for the scheduled exam.

No. Candidates may not write in reference materials during the examination. References may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the exam, but reference materials containing writing are not allowed.

No. Virginia exam rules allow permanent tabs only. Removable tabs are not allowed.

Yes. Virginia PSI rules allow permanent tabs only. Removable tabs are not allowed. References may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the exam, but they may not contain writing.

Calculation practice is important because master electrician exams can include load calculations, conductor sizing, branch circuit work, service and feeder calculations, box fill, raceway fill, motor calculations, transformer calculations, voltage drop, electrical theory, and other math-based topics.

Exam-room reference rules are controlled by the current Virginia testing instructions. Candidates should review the official rules before test day to confirm which books and materials are permitted.

NEC tabs help candidates locate major articles, chapters, tables, and subject areas faster during study. This supports stronger code-navigation practice and helps candidates become more comfortable using the NEC as a reference.

Yes. Candidates should review Virginia licensing responsibilities, contractor distinctions, supervision requirements, and any state-specific subjects listed in the current examination instructions.

The Virginia PSI candidate bulletin states that no study guides are permitted in the examination room. The study guides in this combo are designed for exam preparation before test day.

The exam outline includes Virginia regulation topics, general electrical knowledge, installation requirements, electrical-electronic fundamentals, services, feeders, branch circuits, grounding and bonding, conductors and cables, raceways and boxes, special occupancies, special equipment, electrical signs, motors and controls, utilization equipment, lighting, low-voltage requirements, communication systems, and fire detection and alarm systems.