• Electrical licensing in Virginia is at 3 levels: journeyman, master, and contractor. To become either a journeyman electrician or a master electrician, there are two examination portions that must be passed: statutory and regulatory portion and the trade portion. To become an electrical contractor, a Virginia Class A, B, or C license must also be obtained along with a master electrician’s license.
• Pre-approval from the state is required to sit for the examination.
• To sit for the trade examinations, a candidate must document that they have met one of the following experience requirements. Individuals who hold a currently valid license or certification from another state as a journeyman or master tradesman may sit for the same level examination by providing a copy of that license or certification card.

Journeyman license:

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  • Two years of practical experience in the trade and a degree or certification showing the completion of a two year program from either a trade or technical school, or a community college; or
  • Four years of practical experience in the trade and 240 hours of formal vocational training in the trade; or
  • Five years of practical experience in the trade and 160 hours of formal vocational training in the trade; or
  • Six years of practical experience in the trade and 80 hours of formal vocational training in the trade; or
  • A bachelor’s degree received from an accredited college or university in an engineering curriculum related to the trade and 1 year of practical experience in the trade; or
  • Ten years of practical experience in the trade, verified by an affidavit from those who observed the candidate’s work in the trade

Master license:

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  • One year of practical experience as a licensed Virginia journeyman; or
  • Ten years of practical experience in the trade, verified by an affidavit from those who observed the candidate’s work in the trade.

This type of contractor allows contracts including the construction, repair, maintenance, alteration, or the removal of electrical systems under the national electric code.

Applications for licensure can be obtained from the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation State Board for Contractors by calling 1-804-367-8511.

You are required to submit your application to the Board prior to taking the examination.  Applications can be downloaded HERE.

YOU MUST FIRST OBTAIN PRE-APPROVAL FROM THE BOARD PRIOR TO TAKING THE EXAMINATION.  PRE-APPROVAL APPLICATIONS CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM HERE. 

• The statutory and regulatory portion has 10 questions and a time limit of 30 minutes.
• A 70% is required to pass.
• The fee for the statutory and regulatory portion is $30.
• Topics on this exam include standards of practice; standards of conduct; renewal and reinstatement; definitions; qualification for licensure; and revocation of licensure.

• The journeyman electrician portion has 60 questions and a time limit of 180 minutes
• The master electrician portion has 80 questions and a time limit of 240 minutes.
• Both examinations require a 70% to pass.
• The fee for the journeyman portion is $70 while the master portion has a fee of $90.
• Topics on both examinations include general electrical knowledge; requirements for electrical installations; electrical-electronic fundamentals; services, feeders, and branch circuits; service and feeder requirements; grounding and bonding; conductors and cables; raceways and boxes; special occupancies; special equipment; electrical signs and outline lighting; motors and controls; utilization equipment; lighting; general low voltage requirements; communication systems; and fire detection and alarm systems.

• To schedule your exam, contact PSI at 1-800-733-9267.

The following references are permitted to be taken into the examination. These references may be tabbed (with a permanent index tab) and highlighted. For the Statutory and Regulatory portion, “Individual License and Certification Regulations” may be printed online free of charge. For the trade portion, the references may be purchased from our online contractor’s bookstore.

•  Individual License and Certification Regulations (Statutory and Regulatory portion only)
• 2005 National Electrical Code (Trade portion only)
• American Electrician’s Handbook (Trade portion only)

We currently offer the Virginia Electrical Exam in an online practice test format.  Our electrical practice includes over 400 real NEC questions.  Each time you take the practice test, the questions are randomly generated from our database.  Therefore, you will never see the same test twice, guaranteeing you the best review possible for your examination.

Online Practice Tests: $99 

We now have practice tests online! Click here to enroll or call 1-800-952-0910!