North Carolina Electrician PrepLicense, exam and code, in one place

Checked against primary sources 2026-09-05

Before you drive

NC Electrical Exam Day: ID, Centers and What to Bring

Two things end a North Carolina exam day before it starts: identification the center will not take, and a reference book that breaks the binding or marking rules. Both are in the Board's handbook, both are checked at the door, and neither is negotiable on the morning.

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On this page
  1. The identification rule, exactly
  2. The books you bring
  3. The seven test centers
  4. If your city is not on the list
  5. The 90 day authorization and the cancellation rule
  6. After the paper
  7. Questions people ask
  8. What this page cites

The identification rule, exactly

You need two forms of valid, non-expired, signature bearing identification. One of the two must carry a photograph.

The handbook gives primary identification as a state driver's license or a passport. Secondary identification includes a credit card or a birth certificate.

A student identification card is not acceptable. An employment identification card is not acceptable. Those two are named as refusals in the handbook, which suggests they are the two people turn up with.

Check the expiry date on both of the ones you plan to carry, and check that both are signed. A valid, unexpired card with no signature on it does not meet a rule that says signature bearing.

The books you bring

Every examination this Board runs is open book for part of its material, and you supply the books.

The 2020 National Electrical Code is required for all of them. The 2013 edition of NFPA 72 goes in as well for Limited, Intermediate, Unlimited, SP-SFD and SP-FA/LV. That is the whole list of what you carry.

The licensing law in Chapter 87 Article 4, the Board's rules in 21 NCAC 18B and the NASCLA Contractors' Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, North Carolina Electrical Edition, are closed book study references. Lighting and Power Plans are printed at the back of the handbook, for Limited, Intermediate and Unlimited only.

References must be softbound, spiral or hardbound. Loose leaf references are not allowed. Anything you highlighted, underlined or annotated has to have been done before the examination session, and writing during the examination is prohibited.

Temporary tabs, which the handbook describes as post-it notes or stapled tabs, are not allowed and must be removed before testing. Book rules goes through all of it in detail, because this is where references get taken away.

The seven test centers

The handbook lists a PSI site in seven North Carolina cities.

The Board's examinations page lists the same seven cities. Addresses move, so check the address on your own confirmation rather than this page on the morning.

If your city is not on the list

Greensboro, Durham and Cary have no site on that list. Greensboro and Durham candidates travel to Raleigh or Winston-Salem, and Cary candidates travel to Raleigh.

That is a real cost on a six hour paper. Book a center you can reach without a rushed drive, because arriving flustered to a timed open book examination is a poor trade against twenty minutes of travel.

Our city pages carry the nearest center for each: Greensboro, Durham, Charlotte and the rest.

The 90 day authorization and the cancellation rule

Approval to test lasts 90 days from the date of approval. That is the window inside which the examination has to happen.

An appointment can be cancelled and rescheduled without losing the fee if the cancellation notice is received two days before the scheduled examination date.

Missing an appointment forfeits the fee. The application and examination fee is $125 and is not refundable, so a no show costs the whole thing.

After the paper

The pass standard is a minimum grade of 70 out of a possible score of 100, and the Board's rules state it that way for every qualifying examination.

If it does not go your way, the wait is three months in the same classification and the Board publishes a re-apply form. An examination review is available at $25.

Retakes covers the sequence. If it did go your way, the next step is on the licensing side rather than the exam side: the contractor license and the fees.

Questions people ask

What ID do I need for the NC electrical exam?

Two forms of valid, non-expired, signature bearing identification, one of which must carry a photograph. A driver's license or passport works as primary, and a credit card or birth certificate as secondary.

Is a work badge acceptable as ID?

No. The handbook names employment identification and student identification as not acceptable, so bring something from the primary and secondary lists instead.

Where are the PSI test centers in North Carolina?

Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greenville, Raleigh, Wilmington and Winston-Salem. The addresses are on this page and in the handbook, and the Board's examinations page lists the same seven cities.

Is there a test center in Greensboro or Durham?

Not on the handbook's list. Greensboro and Durham candidates travel to Raleigh or Winston-Salem, and Cary candidates travel to Raleigh.

Can I reschedule my exam?

Yes, without losing the fee, if the cancellation notice reaches PSI two days before the scheduled date. Missing the appointment forfeits the fee.

How long is my approval good for?

Ninety days from the date of approval. The examination has to be taken inside that window.

Can I write in my code book during the exam?

No. Writing during the examination is prohibited. Highlighting, underlining and annotation have to be done before the session.

Put it to the test

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All questions here are original. They are not actual exam questions, and no question bank can promise you a pass.

What this page cites

If your book is the other edition

The 2023 to 2026 section crosswalk maps every section that moved, both directions, $29 once.

Built and maintained by Jeff Clerisier, Trojan Digital Marketing.

Every rule here is cited to the section it comes from, and corrections are logged in public with the date. This is study material rather than electrical advice, and it does not replace your own code book or your inspector.

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