Question 1

What is the difference between an electrical PE license and an electrician trade license?

Accepted Answer

A Professional Engineer (PE) license is for engineers who design electrical systems and stamp drawings; it requires an engineering degree, the FE exam, ~4 years of experience, and a PE depth exam through NCEES and your state board. An electrician trade license (journeyman, master, contractor) is for tradespeople who install and maintain systems; it requires an apprenticeship and a state/local NEC-based exam. They are separate credentials with separate boards.

Question 2

Which PE exam do electrical engineers usually take?

Accepted Answer

Most power-system engineers take the PE Electrical and Computer: Power exam. NCEES also offers PE Electronics, Controls & Communications and PE Computer Engineering depth exams. All are computer-based, 80 questions, taken after passing the FE and gaining qualifying experience.

Question 3

How do you become a journeyman electrician?

Accepted Answer

Typically you complete about four years (~8,000 hours) of documented apprenticeship plus related classroom instruction, then pass a computer-based, open-book exam based on the National Electrical Code (NEC). Exact hours and prerequisites vary by state and local jurisdiction.

Question 4

Are electrical license exams open book?

Accepted Answer

Mostly yes, but in different ways. The FE and PE exams are open-book using an on-screen NCEES reference handbook only. Trade exams (journeyman, master, contractor) let you bring a tabbed, highlighted current NEC. All are computer-based and time-pressured, so fast code lookup is essential.

Question 5

What is a low-voltage or limited-energy electrician license?

Accepted Answer

It is a separate, limited-scope license for low-voltage systems such as fire alarm, data/communications, security, and audio-visual cabling (generally Class 2/3 circuits). It has its own exam and experience requirements that vary by state and system class.

Question 6

What is the pass rate for the PE Power exam?

Accepted Answer

NCEES publishes annual first-time pass rates for the PE Electrical and Computer: Power exam, which typically run in the roughly 50-60% range for first-time takers and noticeably lower for repeat takers. Rates shift year to year as NCEES updates the exam specification, so check the current NCEES pass-rate report for the exact figure before you plan around it.

Question 7

How hard is the FE Electrical and Computer exam?

Accepted Answer

The FE Electrical and Computer exam has a first-time pass rate generally in the 60-75% range according to NCEES data, making it somewhat more approachable than the PE depth exams — largely because it is taken close to graduation while coursework is still fresh, and it draws from a broad but foundational topic list rather than deep specialization.

Question 8

Is the journeyman electrician exam hard to pass?

Accepted Answer

Pass rates for journeyman electrician exams vary by state/jurisdiction and testing vendor (PSI, Prometric, etc.) and are not centrally published the way NCEES rates are, but the exam is widely considered manageable for well-prepared apprentices — the main failure point is usually NEC lookup speed under time pressure, not the underlying electrical theory.

Journeyman Electrician License