- What the Pass-Rate Data Actually Shows
- Pass Rate vs. Passing Score: Two Different Numbers
- Format Factors That Shape Outcomes
- Where the 80 Questions Come From
- Reference Rules That Cost Candidates Points
- Retake Mechanics and What They Cost
- Other Accepted Testing Routes
- A Domain-Ordered Prep Sequence
- After You Pass: Eligibility, Fees, Renewal
- Frequently Asked Questions
- No current exact-exam aggregate or first-attempt pass rate for the Kentucky Prov journeyman exam has been publicly verified.
- The passing threshold is 70% on an 80-question, three-hour, open-book computer exam; the fee is $80 per attempt.
- Wiring Methods & Materials carries 17 of 80 questions, the largest single allocation.
- Prov allows retakes with no waiting period, but each attempt costs another $80 and needs an open appointment.
What the Pass-Rate Data Actually Shows
If you searched for the Kentucky journeyman electrician pass rate hoping for a tidy percentage, here is the honest answer: a verified, current, exam-specific pass rate has not been published in any source we could confirm. Neither the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) Electrical Licensing Division nor the testing provider, Prov, Inc., posts an aggregate or first-attempt pass percentage for the Electrician (EE) journeyman examination in the materials reviewed for this article.
That matters because pass-rate numbers circulate widely online, and many of them are unsourced, recycled from other states, or attached to a different credential that happens to share an abbreviation. This site covers one thing: the Kentucky Journeyman Electrician License Exam, the Prov-administered exam for the Electrician (EE) license. We will not hand you a figure we cannot trace to a source. For deeper context on how the exam is built, see our KY-JE difficulty guide, and for a companion view of the same topic, our pass rate overview.
Pass Rate vs. Passing Score: Two Different Numbers
Candidates routinely confuse these, so it is worth separating them cleanly.
| Concept | What it means | Status for the Kentucky Prov journeyman exam |
|---|---|---|
| Passing score | The minimum result you must earn on your own attempt | 70%, published in the Prov candidate bulletin |
| Pass rate | The share of all candidates who pass, however defined | No current exact-exam figure publicly verified |
| Scored vs. unscored items | How many of the 80 questions count toward your result | Split is unpublished |
| Domain percentages | Share of the exam by subject area | Official percentages unpublished; only question counts are given |
The passing score is the number that governs you. A 70% threshold on an 80-question exam is a fixed target regardless of how other candidates performed. Our passing score breakdown covers what that threshold means in practice. Because the scored/unscored split is unpublished, avoid doing precise "I can miss exactly N questions" arithmetic as if every item counts; treat any such calculation as an estimate.
Format Factors That Shape Outcomes
Without a published pass rate, the best predictor of your outcome is understanding the exam you are actually sitting. The Prov route for the Kentucky Electrician (EE) license works like this, per the March 3, 2026 Candidate Information Bulletin (KY ELEC 2026.03.03):
- Questions: 80 multiple-choice items
- Time: three hours
- Delivery: computer-based, in English or Spanish
- Location: test centers, or remote proctoring through Examroom
- Open book: approved references only
- Fee: $80 per attempt, retakes included
Three hours for 80 questions averages out to a little over two minutes per item, which sounds generous until you realize that an open-book exam rewards fast, accurate lookups rather than memory alone. Candidates who treat "open book" as "no need to prepare" tend to run short on time hunting through the NEC for answers they should have navigated to in seconds. Our exam dates and scheduling guide covers appointment logistics.
Where the 80 Questions Come From
The bulletin publishes question allocations for ten examination subject areas, in heading order: 7, 5, 15, 17, 11, 10, 5, 4, 3, and 3, totaling 80. Official percentages are not published, and we have not inferred them. These ten lines are examination subject areas, not a prep curriculum. For a deeper walkthrough, see our guide to all 10 exam domains.
| Domain | Published question count |
|---|---|
| Domain 1: General Electrical Theory & Principles | 7 |
| Domain 2: Plan Reading | 5 |
| Domain 3: Wiring & Protection | 15 |
| Domain 4: Wiring Methods & Materials | 17 |
| Domain 5: Motors & Controls | 11 |
| Domain 6: Equipment for General Use | 10 |
| Domain 7: Special Occupancies | 5 |
| Domain 8: Special Equipment | 4 |
| Domain 9: Special Conditions | 3 |
| Domain 10: Communication Systems | 3 |
The Big Three: Wiring & Protection, Wiring Methods & Materials, Motors & Controls
Together these account for 43 of the 80 questions, more than half the exam. A candidate who is weak here cannot make it up elsewhere.
- Wiring Methods & Materials (17): raceway and cable selection, installation rules, boxes and fittings, and the tables you must find quickly
- Wiring & Protection (15): conductor sizing, overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding concepts
- Motors & Controls (11): motor circuits, overload and short-circuit protection, control wiring logic
The Small Domains Still Matter
Special Occupancies, Special Equipment, Special Conditions, and Communication Systems together total 15 questions. At 70% to pass, a few misses in a "small" domain can be the difference. Plan Reading is only 5 questions, but it rewards practice with real drawings rather than reading about them.
Because the allocation is public, one reasonable reading of the "data" is this: the exam is broad. With ten areas, a candidate cannot skip any without giving back points. Our study guide expands on how to cover that breadth.
Reference Rules That Cost Candidates Points
An open-book exam has strict rules about the books, and misunderstanding them can disrupt your attempt before you answer a single question. Per the Prov bulletin for this route:
- Approved codebooks: any one NEC edition from 2017, 2020, or 2023
- Also approved: Ugly's Electrical References, 2017
- Calculator: a basic four-function calculator is permitted
- Allowed in your books: permanent tabs, highlighting, and pre-existing handwritten ink notes
- Not allowed: moveable tabs, Post-it notes, pencil notes, loose or photocopied additions, practice exams, and unauthorized study guides
- During the test: do not write in, highlight, or otherwise annotate your references
The practical lesson: prepare your books early, in ink and with permanent tabs, and leave them that way. Pencil annotations you made while studying could become a problem on test day. Also note that this route's reference list is not the same as other accepted routes (more on that below), so do not mix instructions between testing providers.
Retake Mechanics and What They Cost
Even without a published pass rate, you can plan for the possibility of a second attempt. Under Prov's rules for this exam:
- You may retake a failed exam as often as necessary, with no mandated waiting period
- You are limited by the next available appointment
- Each attempt costs another $80
- A passed exam cannot be retaken unless the state requires it
These are Prov rules, not a universal policy across every route Kentucky accepts. No-wait retakes lower the pressure of a single failed attempt, but they do not make rushing sensible: an unprepared retake mostly converts $80 into information. Use a failed attempt diagnostically, noting which subject areas felt slow or unfamiliar, then target those before rebooking. Our cost breakdown separates testing fees from licensing charges so you can budget for more than one attempt.
Other Accepted Testing Routes
Prov is the route this site covers, but it is not the only one DHBC accepts. The DHBC New Application Checklist (February 4, 2025) accepts examination evidence from Prov, NASCLA, and Pearson VUE. This matters for pass-rate research because any figure you find may belong to a different provider's exam, and the exams are not interchangeable.
| Item | Prov (this site's route) | ICC 703 via Pearson VUE |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 multiple choice | 80 multiple choice |
| Time | Three hours | Four hours |
| Fee | $80 per attempt | $100 |
| NEC references | 2017, 2020, or 2023 (one edition) plus Ugly's 2017 | NEC 2023 plus Ugly's, any edition |
NASCLA's Kentucky participating-agency page also recognizes journeyman and master routes from February 2025 with a three-year score window, but that is an association page, not the state issuer, and it does not mean every applicant takes a NASCLA exam. Choose your route deliberately and study the reference rules for that specific exam. The current regulation also provides a three-year passing-score validity period, so plan your application timeline so a passing score does not lapse before you use it.
A Domain-Ordered Prep Sequence
Since generic study advice is everywhere, here is one focused, Kentucky-specific sequencing idea built around the published question counts rather than a one-size-fits-all calendar.
Wiring Methods & Materials first
- It is the largest domain at 17 questions, so build navigation speed in your approved NEC edition here
- Tab your book permanently in ink-compatible ways while you learn where things live
Wiring & Protection, then Motors & Controls
- Fifteen and eleven questions respectively; practice calculation-style items with a four-function calculator
- Work through motor circuit protection and control logic with Ugly's as a quick-reference partner
Equipment for General Use, Theory, and Plan Reading
- Ten, seven, and five questions; Plan Reading improves most from practice with actual drawings
The four small domains, then timed full-length practice
- Special Occupancies, Special Equipment, Special Conditions, and Communication Systems total 15 questions
- Finish with timed 80-question sets to check your pace against the three-hour limit
The logic is simple: start where the points are, and save timed full-length practice for when your reference navigation is reliable. You can test yourself on the main practice test site as you progress, and see our training overview for formal instruction options.
After You Pass: Eligibility, Fees, Renewal
A passing score is necessary but not sufficient. The Electrician license has its own eligibility and fee structure, separate from the $80 exam fee. For full detail, see our requirements guide.
Eligibility pathways
The standard route requires 8,000 verifiable electrical-trade hours accumulated after the sixteenth birthday.
- Documentation: a notarized employer or former-employer statement signed by an electrical contractor or master electrician, or an accepted alternative such as appropriate tax records
- An approved apprenticeship with at least 288 classroom hours can substitute for 4,000 work hours
- An eligible electrical-technology associate degree or diploma, or two years of qualifying college-level teaching, can also substitute for 4,000 work hours
- These are alternative credit pathways, not a universal 288-hour requirement for every applicant
Licensing charges are separate from testing
A full 24-month Electrician license is $100. The initial 13-to-24-month, birth-month-based term is prorated between $54 and $100. Renewal is $100 for the biennial term. Obtain the latest required form rather than assuming an older form date controls the fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
No current exact-exam aggregate or first-attempt pass rate has been publicly verified. The published, fixed figure is the 70% passing threshold, not a pass rate. Be skeptical of any percentage that cites no source, date range, or definition.
The Prov route has 80 multiple-choice questions and a three-hour time limit, delivered by computer in English or Spanish, at a test center or through Examroom remote proctoring.
Yes. Prov permits retakes as often as necessary with no waiting period, subject to appointment availability. Each attempt costs another $80. A passed exam cannot be retaken unless the state requires it.
Any one NEC edition from 2017, 2020, or 2023, plus Ugly's Electrical References, 2017. Permanent tabs, highlighting, and existing ink notes are allowed; moveable tabs, Post-its, pencil notes, and loose additions are not. A basic four-function calculator is permitted.
No. The $80 fee covers one exam attempt only. The Electrician license is a separate charge, $100 for a full 24-month term or a prorated $54 to $100 for the initial term, with $100 renewal for the biennial term.