- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
- The Exam at a Glance: Prov Format, Fee, and Score
- Question Allocation Across the 10 Domains
- Open-Book Reference Rules You Can't Afford to Miss
- Domain-by-Domain Quick Hits
- Eligibility and Paperwork Snapshot
- Money Snapshot: Testing Fee vs. License Fee
- Renewal and Continuing Education Snapshot
- Route Confusion Check: Prov, NASCLA, and ICC 703
- A Domain-Weighted Review Schedule
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The Prov journeyman exam has 80 multiple-choice questions, three hours, open book, and a 70% passing threshold.
- Wiring Methods & Materials is the largest domain at 17 questions; Plan Reading carries 5.
- Only one NEC edition (2017, 2020, or 2023) plus Ugly's 2017 is allowed; permanent tabs and pre-existing ink notes only.
- The exam fee is $80 per attempt; the Electrician license fee is a separate $100 for a full 24-month term.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Doesn't)
This page condenses the facts a Kentucky journeyman candidate needs on one screen: format, fees, reference rules, domain emphasis, paperwork, and renewal basics. "KY-JE" here means the Kentucky Journeyman Electrician License Exam, taken for the Electrician (EE) license issued by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Electrical Licensing Division. The abbreviation itself is our project shorthand, not an official exam code, so you will not see it on state forms.
The route covered is the Prov, Inc. Journeyman Electrician examination, governed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky Electrical Licensing Division Candidate Information Bulletin (KY ELEC 2026.03.03). It is not the Master Electrician exam, the Electrical Contractor exam, or a generic national contractor test. If you want the deeper treatment behind any line below, our KY-JE study guide and complete guide to all 10 content areas go into more depth.
The Exam at a Glance: Prov Format, Fee, and Score
| Item | Prov Journeyman Electrician Exam |
|---|---|
| Questions | 80 multiple-choice |
| Time allowed | 3 hours |
| Book status | Open book (approved references only) |
| Delivery | Computer-based, English or Spanish |
| Where | Test centers, or remote proctoring through Examroom |
| Fee | $80 per attempt, including retakes |
| Passing threshold | 70% |
| Retakes | Allowed as often as necessary with no waiting period, subject to appointment availability and a new fee |
| Passed exam | Cannot be retaken unless the state requires it |
Two details trip people up. First, the scored/unscored split is unpublished, so do not assume all 80 items count the same way. Second, the 70% threshold and the retake policy are Prov rules for this route, not a universal policy across every testing route Kentucky accepts. For the arithmetic behind the threshold, see our passing score breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Passing score and pass rate are different things. The 70% threshold is published. No current exact-exam aggregate or first-attempt pass rate was publicly verified, so be skeptical of any site quoting a precise percentage. Our pass rate article explains what can and cannot be said.
Question Allocation Across the 10 Domains
The bulletin publishes question counts per subject area, totaling 80. Official percentages are not published, so we show counts only rather than inferring percentages. These domains are official examination subject areas, not a prep curriculum.
| Domain | Published Questions |
|---|---|
| 1. General Electrical Theory & Principles | 7 |
| 2. Plan Reading | 5 |
| 3. Wiring & Protection | 15 |
| 4. Wiring Methods & Materials | 17 |
| 5. Motors & Controls | 11 |
| 6. Equipment for General Use | 10 |
| 7. Special Occupancies | 5 |
| 8. Special Equipment | 4 |
| 9. Special Conditions | 3 |
| 10. Communication Systems | 3 |
| Total | 80 |
Reading the table as a strategist: Wiring Methods & Materials (17), Wiring & Protection (15), and Motors & Controls (11) together account for 43 of 80 questions. That is more than half the exam in three subject areas, which is why they deserve the largest share of your tab-and-navigate practice.
Open-Book Reference Rules You Can't Afford to Miss
"Open book" does not mean "bring anything." The reference rules are strict, and violating them can end a testing session before it starts.
Allowed
- Any one NEC edition: 2017, 2020, or 2023.
- Ugly's Electrical References, 2017.
- A basic four-function calculator.
- Permanent tabs.
- Highlighting and handwritten ink notes that were already in the book before test day.
Not allowed
- Moveable tabs and Post-it notes.
- Pencil notes.
- Loose or photocopied additions.
- Practice exams and unauthorized study guides inside your references.
- Writing in, highlighting, or otherwise annotating references during the test.
Domain-by-Domain Quick Hits
Because the exam is open book, the skill being tested is largely navigation and application: finding the right NEC article or Ugly's table quickly and applying it correctly. The notes below point you at the kinds of tasks each subject area rewards. They are editorial treatments, not additional official domains.
Domain 4: Wiring Methods & Materials (17 questions)
The heaviest domain. Expect questions on selecting and installing raceways, cables, boxes, and fittings.
- Know where each wiring method article lives in your NEC so you can jump straight to permitted uses and installation limits.
- Practice box fill, conduit fill, and bending-related questions with your calculator and tabs.
- Rehearse support and securing requirements, since these are fast to look up but easy to misread.
Domain 3: Wiring & Protection (15 questions)
The second-largest block covers conductors and the devices that protect them.
- Conductor ampacity, correction and adjustment, and overcurrent protection selection.
- Grounding and bonding fundamentals, which pair naturally with protection questions.
- Service and feeder sizing logic, including how to stay organized through multi-step calculations.
Domain 5: Motors & Controls (11 questions)
A calculation-friendly domain where the open-book table work pays off.
- Motor circuit conductor sizing, overload protection, and branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protection.
- Control circuit basics and disconnecting means.
- Locate the motor tables in your references before test day so you are not hunting under time pressure.
Domain 6: Equipment for General Use (10 questions)
Everyday equipment installation: lighting, appliances, receptacles, and similar items.
- Know the general-use equipment articles and their installation requirements.
- Expect application questions rather than pure recall.
Domain 1: General Electrical Theory & Principles (7 questions)
Ohm's law, power relationships, series and parallel behavior, and the calculations that underlie everything else.
- These questions are quick points if your fundamentals are sharp, and your four-function calculator is enough.
Domain 2: Plan Reading (5 questions)
Interpreting drawings, symbols, and schedules.
- Small by count, but it is a skill many field electricians underpractice. Reading scales, symbols, and notes accurately is the whole game.
Domains 7 through 10: The Smaller Blocks
Special Occupancies (5), Special Equipment (4), Special Conditions (3), and Communication Systems (3) total 15 questions combined.
- Each is small, but the questions are often straightforward lookups if you know which NEC chapter to open.
- Spend your time learning where the special-chapter articles sit rather than memorizing content.
Eligibility and Paperwork Snapshot
The standard Electrician route requires 8,000 verifiable electrical-trade hours accumulated after your sixteenth birthday. The state wants documentation, not just a claim. The DHBC checklist calls for a notarized employer or former-employer statement signed by an electrical contractor or master electrician that describes your hours and the work performed, or an accepted alternative such as appropriate tax records.
What goes in the application packet
- The completed application and fee.
- Your exam score report.
- A passport-sized color photograph.
- Supporting work and education evidence.
Alternative credit pathways
Some candidates can substitute for part of the work-hour requirement. These are alternatives, not extra requirements for everyone:
- Completion of an approved apprenticeship program with at least 288 classroom hours can substitute for 4,000 work hours.
- An eligible electrical-technology associate degree or diploma can substitute for 4,000 work hours.
- Two years of qualifying college-level teaching can also substitute for 4,000 work hours.
The checklist also describes a conditional route after two years of a qualifying minimum four-year apprenticeship, with the remaining program completed within four years of licensure. Do not confuse that with a different provisional-license category. The governing details, including program-affidavit requirements, are in 815 KAR 35:060. For a fuller walk-through, read our eligibility and prerequisites guide.
Money Snapshot: Testing Fee vs. License Fee
Kentucky separates what you pay to test from what you pay to be licensed. Budget for both.
| Cost | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prov exam attempt | $80 | Charged every attempt, including retakes |
| Electrician license (full 24-month term) | $100 | Paid to DHBC, separate from testing |
| Initial term (13 to 24 months, birth-month based) | $54 to $100 | Prorated using the proration table on Form EL-3 |
| Biennial renewal | $100 | Obtain the latest renewal form |
Older descriptions of annual licensing and a $50 fee are historical. Current law and forms control. One quirk worth knowing: the regulation incorporates an October 2024 renewal form, while the linked Form DHBC L-1 PDF bears an older date. The $100 Electrician renewal amount is independently established by the current regulation, so request the newest form rather than assuming the older date governs. We itemize everything in the certification cost breakdown.
Renewal and Continuing Education Snapshot
Licensing and CE run on different clocks, and mixing them up is a common mistake.
- License term: Under KRS 227A.100, licenses issued or renewed on or after July 15, 2024 renew biennially, tied to your birth month.
- CE requirement: The statute retains at least six approved CE hours per year.
- Safety cap: Under 815 KAR 2:010, no more than two annual CE hours may be safety.
- Carryforward: Excess-hour carryforward is allowed only within the regulation's limits.
Key Takeaway
Do not assume that any 12 hours taken anywhere in the two-year cycle satisfy the annual obligation. The annual educational requirement is distinct from the two-year license term, and older CE language references twelve-month reporting. Confirm with DHBC before applying carryforward or reporting-period rules.
Route Confusion Check: Prov, NASCLA, and ICC 703
DHBC's New Application Checklists (February 4, 2025) accept examination evidence from Prov, NASCLA, and Pearson VUE. NASCLA's Kentucky participating-agency page recognizes journeyman and master routes from February 2025 with a three-year score window, but that page comes from an association, not the state issuer, and it does not mean every applicant takes NASCLA.
The separate ICC 703 Kentucky Standard Journeyman Electrician exam is administered through Pearson VUE. Compare it side by side so you do not import the wrong rules into your prep:
| Feature | Prov Journeyman (this sheet) | ICC 703 via Pearson VUE |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 | 80 |
| Time | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Fee | $80 | $100 |
| References | One NEC (2017, 2020, or 2023) plus Ugly's 2017 | NEC 2023 plus Ugly's, any edition |
The ICC 703 comparison facts do not replace the Prov outline, fee, books, or three-hour limit used throughout this sheet. If your scheduling confirmation says Prov, follow the Prov rules. Exam logistics, windows, and booking steps are covered in our exam dates and scheduling guide.
A Domain-Weighted Review Schedule
Rather than a generic study plan, weight your weeks by where the points are. This sample sequence front-loads the heaviest domains and saves the small lookup-heavy blocks for the end, when your tab system is already working.
Fundamentals and Plan Reading
- Drill Ohm's law and power calculations (Domain 1).
- Practice reading symbols, scales, and schedules (Domain 2).
- Install permanent tabs in your single chosen NEC edition and Ugly's.
Wiring Methods and Wiring & Protection
- Work Domain 4 and Domain 3 together: 32 of 80 questions.
- Time yourself finding ampacity tables, fill tables, and support requirements.
Motors & Controls and General-Use Equipment
- Run motor sizing problems end to end using the motor tables.
- Cover Domain 6 application questions.
Special Chapters and Full Simulation
- Skim Domains 7 through 10 for article locations.
- Take at least one timed, three-hour, 80-question simulation with only your approved references.
If you are unsure how demanding this will feel for you, our difficulty guide helps you calibrate. When you are ready to test your navigation speed, use the KY-JE practice test to simulate timed conditions, and return to the main practice site for additional question sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Prov journeyman exam has 80 multiple-choice questions with a three-hour time limit. It is open book, delivered by computer in English or Spanish, at a test center or through Examroom remote proctoring.
The published passing threshold is 70%. This is separate from any pass rate, and no current exact-exam aggregate or first-attempt pass rate was publicly verified. See the passing score article for more.
Prov approves any one NEC edition from 2017, 2020, or 2023, plus Ugly's Electrical References, 2017. Choose one edition and practice with it consistently. A 2026 article date does not establish a 2026 NEC exam.
No. Moveable tabs, Post-it notes, pencil notes, and loose or photocopied additions are not permitted. Permanent tabs, highlighting, and pre-existing handwritten ink notes are allowed, but you cannot write in or annotate references during testing.
The $80 Prov fee is paid per exam attempt, retakes included. The Electrician license fee is separate: $100 for a full 24-month term, with the initial term prorated from $54 to $100 depending on your birth month. Renewal is $100 for the biennial term. Full details are in our cost breakdown.
Not necessarily. An approved apprenticeship with at least 288 classroom hours, an eligible electrical-technology associate degree or diploma, or two years of qualifying college-level teaching can each substitute for 4,000 work hours. These are alternative pathways, so confirm your documentation against 815 KAR 35:060 and the DHBC checklist.