Bring the code book your exam actually uses. Most JCR students test on the 2020 NEC. A few states still use 2017. Check which NEC edition your exam uses before you buy a book.
JCR sells the 2020 National Electrical Code and permanent NFPA 70/72 tabs. Permanent tabs are allowed in most testing centers. Removable tabs are not.
North Carolina
Limited, Intermediate, and Unlimited exams use the 2020 NEC (open book) and NFPA 72 2013 (open book), per the NCBEEC exam handbook.
- You may also bring the NASCLA Contractors Guide, North Carolina Electrical 14th edition for the business questions. The NASCLA guide is allowed on every NC electrical exam, including the specialty exams.
- Laws and board rules are also tested.
- You bring your own books. The board does not hand you a code book at the test center.
- The full list of allowed references is in the PSI candidate handbook.
How to get an NC electrical license
Studying for your electrical exam? JCR's $495 self-study package has 500+ practice questions (digital and printed), 100 video lessons, a 152-page study manual and permanent code tabs. Videos and the digital practice exams open right after you order.
Testing in North Carolina? Take JCR's NC exam prep class: two full days in person ($845) in Raleigh, Asheville, Mooresville (Charlotte area) or Winston-Salem, or live on Zoom on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. 93% pass rate for JCR classroom students.
Virginia
Journeyman and Master exams use the 2020 NEC. Also bring Virginia's tradesman regulations and the other references named in the current PSI bulletin.
How to get a Virginia electrical license
South Carolina
The Commercial Electrician exam uses the 2020 NEC plus South Carolina's official code modifications. The Residential Electrical exam uses the 2017 NEC. Both routes also have a separate business-law exam.
How to get a South Carolina electrical license
Tennessee state exams vs. Memphis/Shelby County
Tennessee’s state-administered LLE (Limited Licensed Electrician) and CE (electrical contractor) trade exams use the 2017 NEC, per the Prov candidate bulletin. Memphis/Shelby County follows a separate local ICC T16/T17 path based on the 2020 NEC. Do not mix those two. Compare the Tennessee 2017 NEC path with the Memphis/Shelby 2020 NEC path before buying a code book.
Books for other 2020 NEC exams
Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington also test electricians on the 2020 NEC. Each one sets its own list of allowed references, so check your candidate bulletin or the state requirements page before exam day.
Books for 2017 NEC exams
The PSI trade exam for a Nevada C-2 electrical contractor license still uses the 2017 NEC. If that is your exam, buy the 2017 book, not 2020.
Taking a JCR live class?
Bring the same book you'll use on exam day. For most students that's the 2020 NEC. North Carolina students also bring the 2013 NFPA 72. You'll be working in your own book the whole time, so it's worth tabbing it before the first session.
Not sure which book you need? Start with your state how-to, or see the 50-state requirements page.
Electrical exam book questions
What books can I bring to the North Carolina electrical exam?
The 2020 NEC and the 2013 NFPA 72, both open book. You may also bring the NASCLA Contractors Guide, North Carolina Electrical 14th edition for the business questions. Bring your own copies. The test center does not hand out code books.
Which NEC edition does my electrical exam use?
Most JCR students test on the 2020 NEC. Tennessee's state LLE and CE exams, South Carolina's Residential Electrical exam and Nevada's C-2 trade exam use the 2017 NEC. Check your candidate bulletin before you buy a book.
What books do I need for the Virginia electrician exam?
The 2020 NEC for the Journeyman and Master exams, plus Virginia's tradesman regulations. The current PSI bulletin lists the other allowed references.
Studying on your own? The $495 self-study package includes a 152-page study manual, 100 video lessons, a 500+ question mock exam, and permanent code book tabs. Pair it with your exam's code book, such as the 2020 NEC (NFPA 70) and, in North Carolina, the 2013 NFPA 72. Choose your exam
Related guides: NEC adoption by state · 2020 NEC practice test · 2017 NEC practice test
JCR checked the North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Nevada C-2 book lists against each exam's official handbook or bulletin on October 21, 2026.