Study for the NC electrical exam by answering practice questions with your 2020 NEC open beside you. Find the section or table that supports each answer, and write out every calculation before checking the solution. You need to learn where to look in your code book, so you can answer questions quickly on the open-book exam. Follow JCR’s workbook and video lessons in order, then use timed mock exams to find and fix the topics you still miss.
Know the test and gather your books
The NC licensing exam is 100 questions over six hours for Limited, Intermediate, and Unlimited candidates. You need 70% to pass. It is open book, but you still need to find answers quickly. That works out to 3.6 minutes per question, including review time. See the official exam format and reference rules.
Have the 2020 NEC, 2013 NFPA 72 and NASCLA Contractors Guide, North Carolina Electrical 14th edition ready. The 14th is the only NASCLA edition allowed in the exam since June 16, 2026. Study NC electrical licensing law and Board rules too. Both are tested. Use the lighting and power plans included at the back of the exam handbook for plan-reading practice.
Use the workbook, video and code book together
Start with the next unit in your JCR Exam Prep Manual. Watch the lesson named in that unit, follow each code reference in your own book, and pause the video to solve the example yourself. Then answer the unit’s practice questions before opening the answer key.
For example, Unit 2 pairs with Navigating the Code, Parts I and II. When the lesson points to an article, find it yourself. Later, if a question asks for an equipment grounding conductor on a 100-amp circuit, locate Table 250.122, select the copper column, and explain why Table 250.66 is the wrong table for that conductor.
Keep a separate list of missed questions. Record the topic, code section and mistake: wrong rule, wrong calculation or slow lookup. Rewatch the relevant explanation and solve another question on the same topic.
Watch: how to navigate your NEC
Open your 2020 NEC and follow Jeff Rodriquez through the book’s structure and Article 90.3. Pause to find each chapter in your own copy.
Navigating the NEC Code Book (2020) | Electrical Exam PrepWatch JCR’s lesson on YouTube ↗
Get ready for the NC electrical exam
Learn to find answers in the code book, work through calculations and practice for test day.
All three options include JCR’s study materials. JCR also carries the 2020 NEC (NFPA 70) and 2013 NFPA 72 code books.
A six-week plan
We recommend 1-2 hours per day, with review and rest days. Follow the workbook units and video lessons below. If you have less study time, allow more weeks rather than skipping the practice questions.
| Week | Workbook and video topics | Practice to complete |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Units 1–5 | Test tips, NEC navigation, Ohm’s Law, ampacity and overcurrent protection. | Take a starting practice test. Complete the unit questions and find each cited rule in your NEC. |
| 2 — Units 6–8 | Standard load calculations, cooking appliances and feeder neutral loads. | Write every calculation step. Use Appendix B for math you need to review. |
| 3 — Units 9–12 | Optional and multifamily calculations, services, grounding and bonding. | Redo calculation problems without the worked answer. Identify which grounding conductor each question asks you to size. |
| 4 — Units 13–15 | Boxes, raceways, panelboards, wire bending and conduit fill. | Take another mixed practice test. Review grounding, then work box-fill and raceway questions. |
| 5 — Units 16–20 | Equipment, motors, special occupancies, cranes and NFPA 72. | Complete the matching unit questions. Give extra time to unfamiliar occupancies and fire-alarm lookups. |
| 6 — Unit 21 and review | Business practices, construction management and lighting plans. NC law and rules. | Work business, fire-alarm and plan questions, then a timed mock exam. Review weak topics and bring unresolved questions to your workshop. |
Reserve a six-hour block for a full mock exam. Use your usual 1–2-hour sessions to review the results and practice weak topics.
If you are studying independently, use the workshop days shown in the manual for mock-exam review and more practice on your weakest topics.
Use weeks seven and eight for mock exams
Take another full, timed mock exam with your approved books. Review every missed answer, guessed answer and slow lookup. Find the rule, rewatch the matching lesson where helpful, and solve more questions on that topic before taking the next mock exam.
Use different questions where available. Remembering an answer from last night does not show that you can solve a new problem. Keep drilling until your scores and timing improve across mixed sets, not just one familiar test.
Common study questions
Should I memorize practice answers?
Learn the method. Be able to locate the rule and explain the calculation with different numbers. Memorizing a letter choice will not help when the exam changes the conditions.
Can I use my workbook during the exam?
No. Study with it at home, then take timed mock exams using only the references NC permits. Prepare permanent tabs and permitted notes before test day. You cannot write in your reference books during the exam.
Practice the questions students miss most
Start with JCR’s five most-missed NEC mock exam questions. Each explanation shows the code rule and the mistake to avoid. Then try our five-question 2020 NEC practice test with your code book open before checking the answers.
Study sequence checked against JCR’s 2020 NEC Exam Preparation Instructional Manual, 4th edition, and matching video lessons. NC exam rules checked October 26, 2026.
