| Who runs it | California DIR, administered by CPS HR Consulting / Pearson VUE |
| Format | ONE exam: 100 questions - 4 hours 30 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Open book? | YES - the 2023 NEC is PROVIDED at the test center (you may not bring your own) |
| Code edition | Raw national 2023 NEC (not Title 24 amendments) |
| Renewal | 32 hours CE + 2,000 industry work hours per 3-year cycle |
Unlike Texas's two-portion format, California's General Electrician certification is a single 100-question, 4.5-hour exam. Pacing is the hidden skill: 2.7 minutes per question sounds generous until you're 70 questions deep. Timed full-length practice is the only way to train it.
The 2023 NEC is supplied at the testing center; you cannot bring your own tabbed copy. Candidates who relied on their own tabs and highlights lose that crutch on exam day. Train navigation from a clean book: index-first lookups, table-of-contents routes, article structure.
Per the official candidate bulletin, the exam references the raw national 2023 NEC. California's Title 24 electrical code amendments are a separate thing for a separate purpose - do not study them for this exam. There is also no law or business section on the certification exam.
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