Journeyman Electrician Study Plan by Area

Start from the weights

The five heaviest areas in our outline:

• Electrical theory and calculations: 14
• Grounding and bonding: 10
• Conductors and cables: 9
• Raceways, boxes and fill: 9
• Lighting, signs and utilization equipment: 9

Together that is 51 of 100. Overcurrent protection and special occupancies follow at 8 each. Definitions, services and feeders, and motors sit at 7, with branch circuits and low-voltage systems at 6. The outline is our own map of what states share, so your state's numbers will differ a little. The section after the weekly order shows how to adjust.

A six-week order

This is a template, not a promise about hours. Stretch it or squeeze it to fit your shifts and your exam date. Each week pairs a heavy area with lighter ones, so every week carries about a fifth of the points.

Week 1: theory and definitions (21 items). Ohm's law, power, series and parallel circuits, three-phase and voltage drop, then Articles 100 and 110. Theory is pure method, so drill it by hand. The voltage drop guide and our Ohm's law and power formulas post cover the formulas.

Week 2: grounding, bonding and overcurrent (18 items). Article 250 first, then Article 240. Size grounding electrode conductors and equipment grounding conductors from their own tables, as our grounding electrode conductor guide shows, and learn the standard overcurrent device ratings.

Week 3: conductors, branch circuits, services and feeders (22 items). Ampacity with correction and adjustment in Article 310, using the order in our conductor ampacity guide. Then Article 210 branch circuits and dwelling load calculations in Article 220.

Week 4: raceways, boxes, motors and transformers (16 items). Fill problems are counting problems, so work conduit fill and box fill until they are quick. Give motors a full session, because Article 430 uses its own current tables, as our motor calculations guide explains.

Week 5: equipment, special occupancies and low voltage (23 items). Lighting, signs and appliances, then hazardous locations, pools, health care, solar PV and EV charging, then Class 2 and Class 3 circuits and fire alarm wiring. These areas are wide but shallow, so focus on finding each article fast rather than memorizing it.

Week 6: timed rehearsal. Take a full timed practice exam with the NEC you will bring and the calculator your bulletin allows. Score each area, then spend the rest of the week on the two areas that cost you the most.

Adjust the order for your state

Most state bulletins publish their own weights. Where yours differs from our outline, move the weeks to match.

• Utah puts voltage, current, resistance, power and voltage drop together at 30 of its 100 questions. Give theory two weeks and trim the time on the lighter areas. Four questions cover Utah's laws and rules. See the Utah exam guide.
• Virginia gives 10 of its 70 items to its own regulations, and only 2 to electrical fundamentals. Shorten week 1, add a regulations session, and practice your lookups in the 2020 NEC Virginia tests. Conductors and raceways, at 7 items each, are its heaviest NEC areas. See the Virginia exam guide.
• Michigan lists its topics without weights and adds its licensing act and electrical code rules. Keep the order above, add a session on the act and rules, and rehearse at Michigan's pace of 80 questions in 150 minutes. See the Michigan exam guide.
• Oklahoma weights lighting and signs and special occupancies near the top, so move week 5 earlier. See the Oklahoma exam guide.

California and Connecticut publish outlines of their own, covered in the California and Connecticut guides. Testing in Texas? Use the Texas journeyman study plan instead.

Keep a miss log by area

After every practice set, write one line per miss: the area, the article or table you needed, and why you missed it. "Read the 75 degree column when the terminals were rated 60" teaches more than "wrong". Sort the log by area each Sunday. A heavy area with many misses goes to the front of next week, and a light area with one miss can wait. By week 4 the same few reasons will explain most of your misses, and that list is your real plan.

Start with the free check

A plan works best when it starts from your own score, not a guess. Take the free 10-question journeyman check. It is written to the 2023 NEC, needs no signup and names your weakest area, so you know where week 1 really starts.

FAQ

How many weeks should a journeyman electrician study plan be?

That depends on your schedule, your starting score and your exam date. The six-week order above is a template you can stretch or squeeze. Keep the heavy areas early and the timed rehearsal last.

Which area should I study first?

The heaviest area where you score lowest. In our outline that is often electrical theory and calculations, at 14 of 100 items, but your free check score is the better guide.

Does this plan cover my state's law and rules?

No. The plan covers the NEC and calculation areas states share. Read your state's licensing law and rules from your board, and give them their own session.

Which NEC edition should I study?

The edition your state's bulletin names. Our practice exam uses the 2023 NEC, which Oklahoma, Michigan and Utah test. Virginia tests the 2020 edition, so practice lookups in that book.

Sources

• Journeyman electrician exam outline, Bonding Jumper, for the twelve shared areas and their weights. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
• Utah electrical candidate information bulletin, Prov, effective 31 Oct 2026, last revised 9 Nov 2026. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
• Tradesman candidate information bulletin, PSI for Virginia DPOR, dated 7/23/2026. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
• Electrical candidate information bulletin, PSI for Michigan, effective 8/20/2026. Checked 9 Nov 2026.
• Candidate information bulletin, PSI for the Oklahoma Construction Industries Board, effective 9/11/2026. Checked 9 Nov 2026.