- Trade exam: 100 questions, 255 minutes, 70% (70 correct) to pass, open-book with PSI's 2023 NEC only.
- Total PSI exam fees across all three components: $180 ($84 trade, $47 Business and Law, $49 Alarm Systems).
- Grounding and Bonding is the largest domain on the 100-item trade outline - prioritize it.
- First-timers sit all three exams same day: 200 questions, 550 minutes total across separate components.
Quick Overview: What NJ-EC Actually Tests
The New Jersey Electrical Contractor License Exam (NJ-EC) is administered through the New Jersey Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, a unit of the Division of Consumer Affairs, with PSI Services LLC handling the actual computer-based testing. If you landed here needing a fast refresher before test day, this cheat sheet distills the numbers, domains, and mechanics you're most likely to blank on under pressure. For the full breakdown of how these pieces fit together, see the NJ-EC Study Guide 2026.
This page is built around the PSI bulletin revised March 5, 2026, and covers only the Electrical Contractor trade examination track - not a combined blueprint for every licensing component in New Jersey. If you're still confirming whether this credential applies to your career path, start with What Is NJ-EC? before diving into the numbers below.
Fees, Fees, and More Fees
NJ-EC candidates pay in layers: PSI exam fees, a Board application fee, and then licensing fees that scale with the triennial cycle. Memorize these before you touch a study guide, because a missed fee deadline can delay your test date more than a weak domain score.
- PSI trade exam fee: $84
- PSI Business and Law exam fee: $47
- PSI Alarm Systems exam fee: $49
- Total PSI fees (all three components): $180
- Board application fee: $100 (separate from PSI fees)
- Initial contractor license: $225 in year one of the triennial cycle, $150 in year two, $75 in year three
- Triennial license renewal: $225
For a line-by-line breakdown of how these amounts stack up against the total cost of getting licensed, check NJ-EC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Budget for $180 in PSI testing fees plus a $100 Board application fee before you even reach the license fee tiers - these are separate line items, not bundled into one payment.
The Three-Exam Structure at a Glance
First-time candidates don't just take "the NJ-EC exam" - they sit for three distinct components, typically on the same day. Each has its own question count, time limit, and 70% passing threshold.
| Component | Questions | Time Limit | Passing Score | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade Exam | 100 | 255 minutes | 70 correct (70%) | $84 |
| Business and Law | 50 | 130 minutes | 35 correct (70%) | $47 |
| Alarm Systems Electrical Contractor | 50 | 165 minutes | 35 correct (70%) | $49 |
| Combined Total | 200 | 550 minutes | - | $180 |
Notice the exact numbers here - they're a common source of confusion because candidates assume one uniform test format. The trade exam alone is open-book, computer-based, with an on-screen calculator provided. Business and Law leans on your NASCLA New Jersey guide, second edition, while Alarm Systems draws from a separate reference list entirely. For a deeper dive into exactly what "passing" means numerically across all three, read NJ-EC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Trade Exam Domains Ranked by Weight
The 100-question trade exam follows PSI's published outline across twelve domains. Grounding and Bonding is the largest domain, so it deserves disproportionate study time relative to smaller domains like Motors and Controls or Low Voltage and Communications Circuits. For the complete weighting and content breakdown of all twelve areas, see NJ-EC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 12 Content Areas.
Domain 6: Grounding and Bonding (Largest Domain)
This is the single highest-yield area on the trade exam. Candidates must be fluent in grounding electrode systems, bonding jumpers, equipment grounding conductors, and the distinctions between grounding and bonding paths as codified in the 2023 NEC.
- Grounding electrode conductor sizing
- Bonding of metallic enclosures and raceways
- Separately derived systems
Domain 1: General Electrical Knowledge
Foundational theory and code navigation skills that underpin every other domain - expect this to blend conceptually with later scenario-based questions.
- Ohm's Law and circuit fundamentals
- NEC article structure and cross-referencing
Domain 4: Overcurrent Protection
Breaker and fuse sizing, coordination, and protection device selection show up frequently in applied, scenario-style questions rather than pure definitions.
- Overcurrent device ratings vs. conductor ampacity
- Series and instantaneous trip considerations
The remaining domains - Raceways and Enclosures, Services Feeders and Branch Circuits, Conductors and Cables, Equipment for General Use, Special Occupancies, Special Equipment and Conditions, Motors and Controls, Low Voltage and Communications Circuits, and Safety - round out the 100-item outline. None should be skipped, but your marginal study hour is best spent reinforcing Grounding and Bonding before moving to the smaller domains.
Key Takeaway
If you only have time to deeply master one domain before test day, make it Grounding and Bonding - it's the largest slice of the 100-question trade exam.
What You Can (and Can't) Bring to the Table
Reference material rules trip up more candidates than the actual code content. Get this wrong and you risk disqualification, not just a lower score.
- Trade exam: PSI supplies the 2023 National Electrical Code. It is the only permitted reference. Personal NEC copies are prohibited, and you may not mark or index the supplied book.
- Business and Law exam: Uses your own NASCLA New Jersey guide, second edition.
- Alarm Systems exam: PSI supplies its own 2023 NEC, but you bring the remaining approved references - NFPA 72 (2022), the listed 2025 NTC manuals, and CCTV from Light to Pixels, third edition, 2014.
Candidate-owned approved references may be highlighted, underlined, and permanently tabbed before testing, but Board approval is required, and once you're in the room, no added papers, temporary tabs, or writing in the reference books is allowed. Preparing your NASCLA guide and alarm references correctly, weeks in advance, is a task worth building into your prep calendar - not something to handle the night before.
Eligibility and Attempt Rules
Before you even schedule with PSI, you need to clear New Jersey's eligibility bar. Standard eligibility requires:
- Being over 21 years old
- A high-school diploma or equivalent
- Five years of qualifying experience immediately before application, via a four-year U.S. Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship followed by one year with 2,000 hours of practical hands-on journeyman work
Once you're eligible, your first examination attempt must occur within two years of eligibility. From there, PSI's attempt structure is unforgiving but predictable: you get three total attempts to pass all three components, with a mandatory six-month wait after a failed first or second attempt. If you haven't passed everything within five years, you must reapply to the Board from scratch. For the complete eligibility walkthrough, including apprenticeship documentation specifics, see NJ-EC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Key Takeaway
Three attempts, six-month waits between failures, and a five-year outer limit - plan your first sitting only when you're genuinely ready, not as a "test the waters" run.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Passing the exam is the beginning, not the end. Triennial license renewal costs $225, and maintaining an active license requires 34 continuing education hours per triennial cycle. That breaks down into:
- 10 in-person hours, comprising 9 NEC hours and 1 New Jersey law/rules hour
- 24 other approved hours, which can be completed through additional approved formats
Notably, your first triennial renewal period is exempt from the CE requirement - a detail many newly licensed contractors overlook when planning their first three-year cycle. Keep in mind, too, that a separate business permit is required to actually operate an electrical contracting business once licensed; the exam and license alone don't authorize you to contract independently.
A Last-Mile Study Schedule
If you're using this cheat sheet in the final stretch before test day, sequence your remaining review around domain weight rather than working front-to-back through your notes.
Grounding and Bonding + General Electrical Knowledge
- Drill grounding electrode conductor sizing tables
- Review bonding requirements for separately derived systems
- Rebuild Ohm's Law fluency for quick calculation questions
Overcurrent Protection + Services, Feeders, and Branch Circuits
- Practice breaker/fuse sizing scenario questions
- Review feeder and service load calculations
- Time yourself against the 255-minute trade limit
Business and Law + Alarm Systems Prep
- Tab and highlight your NASCLA guide (with Board approval)
- Organize NFPA 72 (2022) and NTC manual references
- Run a full 130-minute Business and Law practice session
Full Simulation
- Simulate all three components back-to-back if possible
- Confirm PSI center location and required ID
- Review reference book rules one final time
For a broader methodology on pacing your prep across the full domain list, the NJ-EC Study Guide 2026 walks through additional sequencing options. And if you're still weighing how difficult this exam truly is relative to your current knowledge, How Hard Is the NJ-EC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 offers a qualitative breakdown by domain.
Beyond exam mechanics, it's worth understanding who actually hires NJ-EC-licensed contractors and what the credential opens up professionally. If you're evaluating whether the time and fees are worthwhile, Is the NJ-EC Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NJ-EC Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis cover that ground in detail. You can also browse current openings that specifically require this license on NJ-EC Jobs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The trade exam has 100 questions with a 255-minute time limit, per PSI's explicit timing footnote. You need 70 correct answers (70%) to pass.
First-time candidates typically sit for the trade exam, Business and Law, and Alarm Systems Electrical Contractor exam on the same day, totaling 200 questions and 550 minutes across the three separate components.
No. PSI supplies the 2023 National Electrical Code for the trade exam, and it's the only permitted reference. Personal NEC copies, as well as marking or indexing the supplied book, are prohibited.
You have three total attempts to pass all components. A six-month wait is required after a failed first or second attempt, and if you don't pass everything within five years, you must reapply to the Board.
No. The first triennial renewal period is exempt from continuing education. After that, you need 34 CE hours per cycle, including 10 in-person hours (9 NEC, 1 New Jersey law/rules) plus 24 other approved hours.