Which exam do Las Vegas journeyman electricians take?

The ICC R17 Journeyman Electrician exam (2023 NEC), delivered by Pearson VUE. Electrical Safety Professionals (ESP) lists R-series exams (R16/R17/R18) as the only acceptable new tests for the Nevada Electrical Qualifications Card.

Is the R17 exam open book?

Yes. ICC lists the R17 as open book: 80 questions, 4 hours, 70% to pass. Listed references include the 2023 NEC Handbook and Ugly's Electrical References; ICC states any copyrighted, bound book may be used at a test site.

Is the Nevada journeyman card a state license?

No. The Nevada Electrical Qualifications Card is issued by Electrical Safety Professionals (ESP), a nonprofit, and is required by the City of Reno, Clark County, the City of Las Vegas and the City of Henderson. It is different from a Nevada State Contractors Board (C-2) contractor license.

Texas Exam Prep Nevada / Las Vegas Exam Prep

Nevada / Las Vegas Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep

For electricians going for the Nevada Electrical Qualifications Card at journeyman level. Local governments including Clark County and the City of Las Vegas require it, and it's earned by passing the ICC R17 Journeyman Electrician exam on the 2023 NEC. VoltMark prepares you for the R17 with a free readiness check, a study path, code-navigation practice, and full timed simulations in the R17 format.

Take the free 15-question Nevada readiness check

No card. No account needed to start. Results by topic.

Who this track is for

Electricians working in or moving to Las Vegas, Clark County, Henderson or Reno who need the journeyman-level Electrical Qualifications Card. ESP lists 4,000 hours of experience or apprenticeship, plus your ICC pass letter, to apply.

Not this track: the Nevada State Contractors Board C-2 electrical contractor license. That's a separate license with its own trade exam and a separate Business & Law exam, and it requires four years of journeyman-level experience. VoltMark does not currently prepare you for the C-2 or its Business & Law exam.

The exam, verified

Credential	Nevada Electrical Qualifications Card (journeyman), issued by Electrical Safety Professionals (ESP), a nonprofit. Not a state license.
Required by	City of Reno, Clark County, City of Las Vegas and City of Henderson (per ESP)
Exam	ICC R17 Journeyman Electrician (the "R" series = 2023 NEC). ESP lists R16/R17/R18 as the only acceptable new tests.
Delivered by	Pearson VUE, in person
Code edition	2023 NEC
Format	80 questions, 4 hours, open book
Passing score	70%
References	2023 NEC Handbook and Ugly's Electrical References (any edition) are listed; ICC states any copyrighted, bound book may be used at a test site. Check the ICC bulletin for your appointment.
Law / business section	None on the R17
Fees	R17 exam $120 (ICC); card $85, valid 3 years (ESP)

What the R17 covers (ICC content outline)

Wiring Methods 26% · Branch Circuits 19% · Equipment 13% · Services 11% · Special Occupancies 11% · General Knowledge 6% · Motors 6% · Feeders 4% · Control Devices 4%.

Heads-up: Nevada uses the 2023 NEC for the R17 while Texas is on the 2026 NEC. Study from a 2023 code book.

What the free readiness check measures

Fifteen questions from VoltMark's 2023-NEC journeyman bank for the Nevada track, spread across as many exam topics as possible. Your result shows a score for each topic against the 70% bar, so you know where to start. Every question shows the explanation and the route to find it in the NEC. It's a sample, not a prediction of your exam score.

What you study next: the VoltMark path

Readiness check (free). Find your weakest topics.
Learn to find it. Every practice question has a guided lookup that walks you from chapter to article to index term to the exact section. On an open-book exam, that is the skill being tested.
Weak-area practice. Start with the heaviest-weighted areas you're weakest in (Wiring Methods and Branch Circuits are 45% of the R17). Missed questions come back first.
Calculations. Practice calculation questions with worked explanations, plus field calculators.
R17 simulations. Full 80-question, 4-hour timed exams drawn by R17 content area, scored against 70%.
Readiness checklist. Use the checklist below before you book at Pearson VUE.

Lesson: how to navigate the 2023 NEC fast

Know the layout

Chapters 1–4 apply to all installations: general rules, definitions, wiring and protection, wiring methods and materials, and equipment for general use.
Chapters 5–7 are special occupancies, special equipment and special conditions. They modify or add to Chapters 1–4. That's where the R17's Special Occupancies questions live.
Chapter 8 covers communications. Chapter 9 holds the tables. The Informative Annexes follow; Annex C has the conduit-fill tables.
Article 100 holds the definitions.

High-use places in the 2023 NEC

Load calculations: Article 220 (in the 2026 edition these moved to Article 120. Don't mix editions.)
Conductor ampacity: Table 310.16, with adjustment and correction in 310.15
Box fill: 314.16
Conduit fill: Chapter 9, Table 1, dimensions in Tables 4 and 5, and Annex C
Grounding electrode conductor: Table 250.66; equipment grounding conductor: Table 250.122
Motors: full-load current tables 430.248 (single-phase) and 430.250 (three-phase); branch-circuit protection 430.52

Two routes to any rule

Index route: the most specific noun in the question, looked up in the Index.
Table-of-contents route: chapter → article → section headings.

The R17 allows the NEC Handbook and Ugly's. Decide in practice which book you'll reach for first on each topic. VoltMark shows both routes after every question.

Timed-exam strategy

Pace: 240 minutes for 80 questions is 3 minutes each. Bank time on quick definitions and lookups for the tables.
First pass: answer anything you can find in under a minute and flag the rest. Second pass: the lookups.
Never leave a question blank.
Tab the articles you use most: 220, 250, 310, 314, 430, and Chapter 9.

Readiness checklist

Every R17 content area on your VoltMark report is at or above 70%.
You've passed at least two full 80-question, 4-hour simulations.
You can reach any article in your tabbed 2023 NEC within about a minute.
You have your ESP application requirements lined up: hours documented, ICC pass letter after the exam.

After your readiness check

Take your lowest topic, weighted by how much of the R17 it covers, and work it until it clears 70%, using the guided lookup on every miss. Then the next topic. Once every area clears, switch to full R17 simulations.

What paid VoltMark adds

Free gets you the readiness check, 10 practice questions a day with explanations and code-navigation help, and sample flip cards. Paid unlocks everything: unlimited practice, full R17-format timed simulations, every flip-card deck, audio study, narrated answer coaching and the exam-day cram sheet.

What it costs and how billing works

$89 / monthJourneyman plan. Renews monthly until you cancel. Cancel anytime in Account → Manage subscription.

$249 one-timePass Package: 180 days of full access. Never renews.

Pass — or your money back. Complete the study path (30 study sessions and 3 full exam simulations, tracked automatically in your Account tab) and pass your exam, or get a full refund and free access until you pass. Full terms: Terms of Service.

How to purchase, and what happens after

Open VoltMark and choose Nevada (or take the free check above). The link sets Nevada for you.
Tap "Unlock the Nevada Pass Package," or any locked feature, and pick a plan.
Create your free account with an email address. Your progress carries over.
Pay on Stripe's secure checkout page.
When Stripe confirms your payment, your account is upgraded and every feature unlocks. Sign in with the same email on any device.

What VoltMark is not

VoltMark is an independent study product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ICC, Pearson VUE, Electrical Safety Professionals (ESP), the Nevada State Contractors Board, Clark County, any city, or NFPA. It is not a government agency, does not issue cards or licenses, is not legal advice, and is not approved continuing education. We never use actual exam questions. Always confirm current requirements with ESP and ICC before you test.

Start the free Nevada readiness check

Sources

ICC exam catalog, R17 Journeyman Electrician (2023 NEC): 80 questions, 4 hours, open book, 70%, $120, Pearson VUE (iccsafe.org). Checked 9/17/2026.
Electrical Safety Professionals: Nevada Electrical Qualifications Program; "How to Register" notice (June 2, 2026); 2025 Program Change Notice (electricalsafetypro.org). Checked 9/17/2026.
City of Reno, journeyman card page (reno.gov/journeyman). Checked 9/17/2026.
Nevada State Contractors Board, licensing requirements (nvcontractorsboard.com). Checked 9/17/2026.