Every Michigan journeyman candidate walks into the PSI test centre carrying the same thing: a soft-bound 2023 NEC, a copy of the Michigan Part 8 rules and a cheap calculator. Some of them walk straight back out to their car because their code book has hand-written tabs, and the proctor will not let it in the room.
The Michigan journeyman electrician test is a code-lookup race. Eighty questions in two and a half hours leaves under two minutes a question, and you need 75% to pass — higher than the 70% many other states use. Add a rule that caps you at two attempts a year, and a weak first try can cost you twelve months.
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This guide covers who can sit the Michigan journeyman exam, how it compares to the master exam, the format and content, exactly what you can and cannot bring into the room, how to study, and how to apply.
Quick Answer
The Michigan journeyman electrician test is an 80-question, open-book exam administered by PSI for LARA’s Bureau of Construction Codes. You get 150 minutes and need 75% to pass. Questions are based on the 2023 NEC and the 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules (Part 8), along with the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, 2016 PA 407.
To sit the exam you must be at least 20 and have 8,000 hours of experience obtained over at least four years under a licensed electrician (MCL 339.5715). You may bring a soft-bound NEC with factory tabs only, the Part 8 rules and PA 407 unmarked, and a basic calculator. The exam fee is $100, and you get two attempts within a year.
Key Takeaways
- The Michigan journeyman exam has 80 questions, a 150-minute limit and a 75% passing score
- It is based on the 2023 NEC as adopted by the 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Part 8, in force since March 12, 2024
- Eligibility requires age 20 and 8,000 hours over at least four years under licensed supervision
- Your NEC must be soft-bound with factory tabs only — homemade tabs and notes are not allowed
- PSI allows two attempts within one year; two failures can lock you out for a year
- The master license needs age 22, 12,000 hours over six years and two years as a journeyman
- Michigan does not offer journeyman or master license reciprocity with other states
The Michigan journeyman electrician test — who can sit it
Michigan licenses electricians under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, and the Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC) inside the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) decides who is eligible. PSI only runs the test. The path has three steps:
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- Registered apprentice. You register with LARA and work under the direct supervision of a licensed journeyman or master. Keep the registration active and renew it every year — hours on a lapsed registration may not be credited.
- Journeyman electrician. Under MCL 339.5715 you must be at least 20 and have at least 8,000 hours of experience obtained over a period of at least four years, under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician. Both the hours and the four years are required.
- Master electrician. Under MCL 339.5713 you must be at least 22, have 12,000 hours over six years or more under a master electrician’s supervision, and have held a journeyman license for at least two years.
Experience is documented on notarized employer verification showing dates, type of work, hours and the supervising Michigan-licensed electrician. No more than 2,000 hours count in any one year, which is why the four-year floor exists.
The apprentice supervision ratio
A Michigan apprentice must be under the direct personal supervision of a licensed journeyman or master, with at least one licensed electrician on the job site for each apprentice. The exception is single-family dwellings and multi-family dwellings of up to eight units, where two apprentices per licensed electrician are permitted. Hours worked outside that ratio are a violation for your employer and a risk to your own exam eligibility.
What “Part 8” and “PA 407” mean
Part 8 is the Michigan Electrical Code Rules — the administrative rules that adopt the NEC by reference with Michigan amendments. The 2023 Part 8 adopted the 2023 NEC and became enforceable on March 12, 2024, replacing the 2017 edition Michigan had used before. PA 407 is 2016 Public Act 407, the Skilled Trades Regulation Act that sets licensing, supervision and penalties. Both show up on the exam, and both are allowed in the room. Our breakdown of NEC editions from 2017 to 2026 explains why Michigan’s jump from 2017 to 2023 moved so many sections.
Michigan journeyman vs master exam — compared
Both exams are run by PSI on the same code books. The difference is mostly in who can sit them.
| Requirement | Journeyman | Master |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 20 | 22 |
| Experience | 8,000 hours over at least 4 years | 12,000 hours over at least 6 years |
| Supervised by | A licensed electrician | A master electrician |
| Prior license | None | Journeyman for at least 2 years |
| Statute | MCL 339.5715 | MCL 339.5713 |
| Exam provider and code | PSI · 2023 NEC + Part 8 | PSI · 2023 NEC + Part 8 |
The code book trap: the NEC you bring must be soft-bound with factory markings and factory tabs only. Hand-written notes, homemade tabs, highlighting in the Part 8 rules, spiral or ring binding and the NEC Handbook are all not allowed. Candidates who spend months annotating their own book find out at check-in that they cannot use it. Study in one book if you like — but buy a clean copy with factory tabs for test day.
Michigan journeyman exam format and content
The exam is computer-based, one question at a time, and you can mark questions to come back to. A tutorial of up to 15 minutes runs first and does not count against your time. Results are immediate, with a diagnostic report if you do not pass.
| Exam detail | Michigan journeyman electrician |
|---|---|
| Administered by | PSI, for LARA Bureau of Construction Codes |
| Questions | 80 multiple choice |
| Time allowed | 150 minutes (2.5 hours) |
| Passing score | 75% (60 of 80) |
| Code basis | 2023 NEC, 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8, 2016 PA 407 |
| Exam fee | $100 to PSI, non-refundable, valid one year |
| Attempts | Two within one year of eligibility |
| After two failures | Wait at least one year from the second failure (MCL 339.5715(3)) |
Content covers grounding and bonding, overcurrent protection, wiring methods, boxes and cabinets, services and feeders, motors and controls, special occupancies, load calculations, lighting and appliances, box and raceway fill, power-limited circuits, theory and general trade knowledge. Expect calculation questions on range demand loads, voltage drop and conduit fill from Chapter 9, plus plenty of lookups in Article 250.
How to apply and schedule, step by step
Step 1 — confirm your hours. Add up documented hours: at least 8,000, spread over at least four years, at no more than 2,000 a year, under a licensed electrician.
Step 2 — apply to LARA. Submit the journeyman examination application (form BCC-341) with notarized employer verification and the application fee, online or by mail. Only the state decides eligibility.
Step 3 — pay PSI and schedule. Once approved, pay PSI’s $100 exam fee and book a seat. The fee is valid for one year and is forfeited if you cancel less than two days ahead, arrive late or fail to bring proper ID.
Step 4 — prepare your references. Buy a soft-bound 2023 NEC with factory tabs, a clean copy of Part 8 and PA 407, and a basic non-programmable calculator.
Step 5 — sit the exam and use the clock. At 150 minutes for 80 questions, you have about 1 minute 50 seconds per question. Answer the quick lookups first, mark the long calculations and come back to them.
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After you pass — renewal and code-update CE
Your journeyman license is issued by LARA once you pass and pay the license fee. Michigan does not set a fixed number of CE hours every renewal; instead, MCL 339.5715(4) requires a board-approved course on the code update within 12 months after the state adopts a new code. That course is commonly 15 hours. Detroit and Grand Rapids also issue city-level licenses with their own paperwork, so check with the city if you work there.
The one that catches everyone: Michigan’s pass mark is 75%, not the 70% that most national practice tests are scored against. Scoring 72% on a practice exam feels like a pass and is not one here. And because PSI allows only two attempts within a year — with a one-year wait after a second failure under MCL 339.5715(3) — sitting the exam before you are consistently clearing 80% in practice is an expensive gamble.
Practise against the clock
NEC Exam Prep drills timed journeyman and master questions by NEC article, so you can see your real score against a 75% bar and find out which articles slow you down before test day (iPhone · Android).
What you can bring into the Michigan exam — and what you cannot
PSI enforces the reference list at check-in. If one item fails, you either leave it in your car or lose the appointment.
Allowed
- 2023 National Electrical Code, soft-bound, with factory markings and factory tabs only
- 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules, Part 8, unmarked
- 2016 PA 407, the Skilled Trades Regulation Act, unmarked
- A basic, non-programmable calculator
- A plain straight-edge ruler with no printed calculations
Not allowed
- The NEC Handbook or any annotated edition
- Hand-written notes, homemade tabs or highlighting
- Loose papers, spiral-bound or ring-bound materials
- Phones, smart watches and other electronic devices
- Programmable calculators
The time budget
150 minutes ÷ 80 questions = about 1.9 minutes each. A definition lookup in Article 100 should take 30 seconds; a dwelling load calculation can take five minutes. Bank time on the fast ones so the slow ones do not run you out of clock.
Ways to study for the Michigan journeyman exam
| Method | Builds lookup speed | Covers Michigan rules | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timed practice questions | Yes | Partly | Low |
| Reading the NEC cover to cover | Slowly | No | Low |
| Michigan prep class | Yes | Yes | Highest |
| Part 8 and PA 407 review | N/A | Yes | Free |
The combination that works for most candidates is timed practice for speed plus a focused read of Part 8 and PA 407 for the Michigan-specific questions. Start with our NEC exam prep guide for a study plan, then measure yourself with the free NEC practice test — score it against 75%, not 70%.
Is a Michigan prep class worth it?
Pros
- Covers Part 8 and PA 407, which national material skips
- Structured schedule if you struggle to study alone
- Instructors know which calculations show up most
Cons
- The most expensive way to prepare
- Fixed class times clash with work schedules
- Does not replace hours of timed lookup practice on your own
Passing the Michigan journeyman exam
Do
- Practise with a clean, factory-tabbed 2023 NEC
- Score practice tests against 75%
- Read Part 8 and PA 407 at least once end to end
- Keep apprentice registration active every year
- Mark long calculations and return to them
Avoid
- Bringing a code book with homemade tabs or notes
- Studying from 2017 NEC material
- Using both attempts in quick succession
- Spending five minutes on one question early on
- Cancelling less than two days before your slot
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Michigan journeyman electrician test?
80 multiple-choice questions, with a 150-minute time limit. You need 75% — 60 correct answers — to pass.
Is the Michigan journeyman exam open book?
Yes. You may bring a soft-bound 2023 NEC with factory tabs only, the Michigan Part 8 rules and PA 407 without markings, and a basic calculator. Notes, homemade tabs and the NEC Handbook are not allowed.
What NEC edition is the Michigan exam based on?
The 2023 NEC, as adopted by the 2023 Michigan Electrical Code Rules (Part 8), which took effect on March 12, 2024.
How many hours do you need to take the Michigan journeyman exam?
At least 8,000 hours of experience obtained over at least four years, under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician, and you must be at least 20 years old (MCL 339.5715).
How much does the Michigan journeyman exam cost?
The PSI exam fee is $100. It is non-refundable, non-transferable and valid for one year from payment. LARA charges a separate application fee.
How many times can you take the Michigan journeyman exam?
PSI allows two attempts within one year. Under MCL 339.5715(3), after two failures within two years you must wait at least one year from the second failure before sitting again.
Does Michigan have electrical license reciprocity?
No. Michigan does not offer reciprocity for journeyman or master electrician licenses with other states, so out-of-state electricians must qualify and pass the Michigan exam.
The bottom line
The Michigan journeyman electrician test rewards speed in a clean code book more than anything else: 80 questions, 150 minutes and a 75% bar on the 2023 NEC and Michigan’s Part 8 rules. The two things that cost candidates the most are both avoidable — showing up with a code book that breaks PSI’s reference rules, and burning both attempts before practice scores are comfortably above 75%.
Confirm your 8,000 hours, buy a factory-tabbed 2023 NEC, and practise against the clock until 80% is routine. For the code changes that came with Michigan’s move to the 2023 edition, see our guide to how the NEC editions differ.
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