Tennessee Electrician Exam

Electrician Practice

Need of a License: Master and journeyman electricians need a license to work in Tennessee.

Who Grants a License: Electrician licenses are granted by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors.

Qualifications Needed to Receive a License

Contractors: A candidate must submit an application listing their equipment, experience and reference, with a financial statement prepared by CPA/LPA with a reviewed or audited opinion. Subsidiaries must submit their parent company financial with a Guaranty Agreement. License limits are based 10% lesser of the applications working capital and net worth.

Journeyman Electricians: A candidate is required to submit their application and pass the LLE examination. Contractors holding a Tennessee electrical contractor’s license are exempt from the LLE license.

Exam Requirements: A candidate for a master electrician license or a journeyman electrician license must pass the Master Electrician Examination or the Journeyman Electrician Examination, respectively.

How to Apply for a License: A candidate for licensure must complete/send an application to the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. The telephone number to reach the board is (615) 741-2241.

License applications can be found here.

Test Content

Contractor – The electrical contractor exam consist of 50 questions on business & law management with a time limit of 120 minutes and 100 questions on the electrical contractor trade with a time limit of 240 minutes. A candidate needs at least a 73% grade to pass.

The exam covers the following subject areas:

  • Licensing Requirements
  • Estimating and Bidding
  • Business Organization and Financial Management
  • Tax Laws
  • Labor Laws
  • Project Management and Lien Law
  • Contracts
  • Risk Management
  • Environmental and Safety
  • General Knowledge and Electrical Installation Requirements
  • Building Code Requirements
  • Services, Feeders, and Branch Circuits
  • Overcurrent Protection
  • Grounding and Bonding
  • Conductors and Cables
  • Raceways and Boxes
  • Hazardous Locations, Special Occupancies, and Special Equipment
  • Low Voltage, Alarms, Signaling Systems, and Communications
  • Lighting, Signs and General Use Equipment
  • OSHA and NFPA 70E Safety
  • Motors, Transformers, and Generators

Journeyman Electrician Exam - The journeyman exam consists of 40 questions with a time limit of 120 minutes. It is an open-book test. A candidate needs at least a 73% grade to pass.

The exam covers the following subject areas:

  • Licensing Requirements
  • Estimating and Bidding
  • Business Organization and Financial Management
  • Tax Laws
  • Labor Laws
  • Project Management and Lien Law
  • Contracts
  • Risk Management
  • Environmental and Safety
  • General Knowledge and Electrical Installation Requirements
  • Building Code Requirements
  • Services, Feeders, and Branch Circuits
  • Overcurrent Protection
  • Grounding and Bonding
  • Conductors and Cables
  • Raceways and Boxes
  • Hazardous Locations, Special Occupancies, and Special Equipment
  • Low Voltage, Alarms, Signaling Systems, and Communications
  • Lighting, Signs and General Use Equipment
  • OSHA and NFPA 70E Safety
  • Motors, Transformers, and Generators

For more information about the Contractor exam, see the Candidate Booklet.

For more information about the journeyman electrician exam, see the Candidate Booklet.

Fees: There is an examination fee.

Who Administers the Test: PSI - They can be contacted at 800-733-9267 or online at https://candidate.psiexams.com/.

License Renewal Requirements: Licenses must be renewed biannually on the last day of the month of their issuance.

Applicable Code: NEC 2017


To prepare for your electrician exam, use the following two practice exams by Ray Holder (Master Electrician and Certified Electrical Trade Instructor) which have 300 questions with fully explained answers:

For more information on licensing and exam prep, go to Tests.com's Journeyman and Master Electrician Test Guide.

And take Tests.com's free Journeyman Electrician Practice Test and the Master Electrician Practice Test.

For electrician exam preparation products and services, such as study guides, practice tests, flashcards and courses, go to Tests.com's Journeyman Electrician Exam and Master Electrician Exam listings.