Pass the California General Electrician exam
Since 1 June 2026 the exam runs through CPS HR Consulting via Pearson VUE. The NEC 2023, NFPA 70E 2024 and the Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide are open on screen as searchable PDFs, and nothing comes in with you. Finding the rule is a Ctrl+F away; the exam tests whether you can apply it. Our 533 questions are written for that room.
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How electrician licensing works in California
Electricians who work for C-10 contractors are certified by the Department of Industrial Relations through the DLSE Electrician Certification Unit. The CSLB licenses contractors, not electricians. General Electrician is the broadest certification category.
You register for the exam with 8,000 hours of on-the-job experience; apprenticeship and trainee routes exist. Since 1 June 2026 CPS HR Consulting administers the exam at Pearson VUE test centers.
The mistake we see most: studying with PSI-style material that assumes copper conductors and tells you to ignore exceptions. This exam does neither. Every question states its own conditions, and the code is open on screen, so it tests whether you can apply the rule once you have found it.
Licensing and exam: General Electrician
- Eligibility
- 8,000 hours on the job; apprenticeship and trainee routes exist
- Exam format
- 100 multiple-choice questions, one form
- Pass mark
- 70%
- Time
- 270 minutes
- Fee
- $100; retest after 60 days with a new fee
- References
- None brought in. NEC 2023, NFPA 70E 2024, Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide 2022 on screen
- Calculator
- On-screen four-function only
- Code edition
- NEC 2023, no California amendment layer
- Renewal and CE
- TODO — verify on the ECU FAQ before publishing
Eligibility source: dir.ca.gov/DLSE/ECU/EleCat.html, fetched 2026-09-10.
The California exam, weighted the way CPS HR Consulting via Pearson VUE weights it.
Item counts per domain from the CPS HR candidate bulletin. One form, 100 items.
General Electrician
100 items · 270 minEvery practice question is tagged to one of these domains, so your study time follows the exam.
Five questions from the California bank
Answer one and read the whole explanation, exactly as the app shows it after every question.
WorkUgo5 questions from the California bank
Answer, then read the full explanation exactly as the app shows it after every question: the rationale, why each other option fails, and the worked solution on calculations.
What makes California different
Search-resistant practice
The real exam lets you Ctrl+F the code, so our questions test whether you can apply a rule once you have found it.
Four electric water heaters are being wired in a hotel's back-of-house areas. Which heater as described complies?
422.47 is one search away. The question asks which of four heaters meets both legs of its exception, and which second device is the wrong kind.
NFPA 70E and Cal/OSHA items included
Most prep material ignores these two references. Both are on screen in the exam room, and the Safety domain draws on them.
- NFPA 70E 2024 · 130.4(F)(3)
- NFPA 70E 2024 · Table 130.4(E)(a)
Books in the bank: NEC 2023 · NFPA 70E 2024 · Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide 2022
No amendment noise
Explanations cite NEC 2023 directly, with a note when the 2026 edition changed the rule, for people who work in other states.
Looking ahead: in the 2026 NEC this calculation moves out of Article 551 to 120.130 and its demand table becomes Table 120.130(A), with the same per-site values and the same 41 percent row for 36 or more sites, so the answer is 197 kVA under either book. California's examination is written to the 2023 book, where the rule is 551.73.
What electricians earn in California
Wage percentiles for electricians (SOC 47-2111) employed in California. Certification is what lets you work unsupervised for a C-10 contractor; where you land on this ladder depends on region, sector and years.
Hourly and annual wage by percentile, electricians, California
BLS OEWS, May 2025, Electricians (SOC 47-2111), California. Retrieved via O*NET OnLine, 2026-09-10. US median for comparison: $30.38/hr.
Plans for the California exam
Monthly, cancel any time.
Base
- 533 verified California questions
- Practice by domain
- Study mode and exam mode
- Full explanation on every question
- Progress by domain and difficulty
- Bookmarks, flags and history
Pro
Recommended- Everything in Base
- Timed mock exams: 100 questions, 270 minutes
- Pass-likelihood prediction
- Exam-journey planner
Prices come from the products API; the mock-only purchase is hidden for now.
Questions about the California exam
What candidates ask before they start. Facts as of 10 September 2026.
Contact usSince 1 June 2026 the exam is administered by CPS HR Consulting and delivered at Pearson VUE test centers. The certifying body is still the DLSE Electrician Certification Unit within the Department of Industrial Relations. Material written for the earlier PSI conventions is out of date.
No. You may not bring anything into the exam room. The NEC 2023, NFPA 70E 2024 and the Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide 2022 are provided on screen as searchable PDFs.
NEC 2023 (NFPA 70), NFPA 70E 2024 and the Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide 2022. They open as PDFs you can search with Ctrl+F, so finding a section is quick; applying it is the skill the exam tests.
An on-screen four-function calculator is provided. Personal calculators are not allowed, so the 132 calculation questions in our bank are worked the way you will do them on screen.
NEC 2023, cited directly with no California amendment layer, and stable through at least 2027–28. Where the 2026 NEC changed a rule, our explanation adds a note so you know which book you are reading.
8,000 hours of on-the-job experience to register for the exam. Apprenticeship and trainee routes exist; the ECU eligibility page lists the current categories.
Yes. The Safety domain (6 of 100 items) draws on NFPA 70E 2024 and the Cal/OSHA Pocket Guide 2022, and both are on screen during the exam. Our bank tags items to those references.
The CPS HR bulletin lists item counts per domain: Installation 66, Determination of electrical system requirements 22, Safety 6, Maintenance and repair 6. Every practice question is tagged to one of these domains.
You need 70% on the 100-question form. You can retest after 60 days by paying the $100 fee again.
No. WorkUgo is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by the Department of Industrial Relations, the DLSE Electrician Certification Unit, CPS HR Consulting or Pearson VUE. Our questions are original content.
Yes. Practice by domain, study mode and exam mode run in the browser on a phone. Your progress, bookmarks, flags and history are saved to your account.
Each question is checked against the code text, blind-solved, and audited for the edition the exam uses. Calculation items carry a worked solution with a code reference on every step.