Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) Exam: A Practical Study Guide
The Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) exam tests the rules and the reference books behind the work. This guide lays out the job: the key facts from the official bulletin, what the exam covers, the books you need, sample questions with answers, and how to get ready. Pearson VUE gives the exam.
The Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) Exam at a Glance
Here's the rundown from the official bulletin:
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Time limit | 4 hours |
| Passing score | a minimum score of 70 |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $100 |
On exam day
- Test questions are in four-option, multiple-choice format with one correct answer per question.
Scheduling, changes and retakes
- Exams are scheduled through Pearson VUE at www.pearsonvue.com/ICC, where candidates can create an account, schedule an exam, locate a test center, purchase vouchers and request accommodations.
- Results for examinations taken electronically are available immediately after completion of the examination.
- You must wait 10 days before retaking a failed exam.
- After passing, contact the jurisdiction in which you wish to be licensed for any other licensing requirements, because the Code Council is not a licensing agency.
Source: Kentucky Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin, PUBLISHED January 17, 2026. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
What the Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) Exam Covers
The official content outline breaks the exam into 9 topics:
| Topic | Questions | Share of the exam |
|---|---|---|
| General Knowledge | 5 | 6% |
| Services and Service Equipment | 9 | 11% |
| Feeders | 3 | 4% |
| Branch Circuits and Conductors | 15 | 19% |
| Wiring Methods and Materials | 21 | 26% |
| Equipment and Devices | 10 | 13% |
| Control Devices | 3 | 4% |
| Motors and Generators | 5 | 6% |
| Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 9 | 11% |
How to Get Ready for the Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) Exam
Treat your reference books like your tools. On an open-book exam you don't need every rule memorized. You need to know which book holds it and where to find it.
Buy the books the bulletin lists, in the editions it names. An older or newer edition can put the answer on a different page, or change it.
Learn your way around each book before you study anything else. The table of contents and the index are your layout.
Highlight what you look up most. Check the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings before you add any.
Do the big jobs first. Wiring Methods and Materials and Branch Circuits and Conductors make up 45% of the exam.
Put in the reps with timed practice exams. The clock trains you to find answers at the pace the real exam needs: about 3 minutes per question.
Measure twice. When you miss a practice question, find the section in your book, read it and mark it. Keep at it until you pass practice exams consistently.
The Books for the Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) Exam
Where to get them:
Working the Exam on Test Day
Work the exam in two passes. On the first pass, answer everything you know and bookmark the rest. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions, though some lock the ones you've seen once you take a break. On the second pass, go back to your bookmarks and take them one at a time.
Don't get hung up on one question. You have 4 hours for 80 questions, which is about 3 minutes per question. Before you finish, make sure nothing is left blank.
Study Tips
Give yourself at least three to six weeks. Use your exam's candidate bulletin as your roadmap for what's tested, and spend your time on finding-it-fast skills over rote memorization. In practice, aim for three clean passes at 80% or higher — setting your practice bar above the real cut score gives you a comfortable margin on test day.
Know your way around each book's index and table of contents. Open-book exams reward speed: you need to find specific items quickly.
Every exam you take will be different from the last. New questions, new order, but always based on the exam bulletin in terms of topics, questions and time.
Reading the material cover to cover usually isn't enough to pass. This is a multiple-choice exam, and multiple choice rewards practice — the more questions you work through under real conditions, the more the terminology and question style become second nature.
Sample Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) Questions
These come from our practice question bank, each with its answer and the reference behind it.
Sample 1 — Services and Service Equipment
Question: A 400 A service uses 600 kcmil copper service conductors. What is the minimum size of a copper grounding electrode conductor that runs only to a concrete-encased electrode?
- A. 2 AWG
- B. 4 AWG
- C. 3/0 AWG
- D. 1/0 AWG
Correct Answer: B
Table 250.66 would require a 1/0 AWG copper grounding electrode conductor for 600 kcmil copper service conductors, but 250.66(B) says a grounding electrode conductor (or bonding jumper) that runs only to a concrete-encased electrode is not required to be larger than 4 AWG copper. So the minimum size required here is 4 AWG copper.
Reference: NEC 2023 Section 250.66(B), Table 250.66
Sample 2 — Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions
Question: What is the maximum voltage permitted for PV system dc circuits on or in one- and two-family dwellings?
- A. 600 volts
- B. 480 volts
- C. 1000 volts
- D. 1500 volts
Correct Answer: A
According to NEC 690.7, PV system dc circuits shall not exceed 600 volts on or in one- and two-family dwellings. For other buildings, the limit is 1000 volts.
Reference: NEC 2023 Section 690.7
Sample 3 — General Knowledge
Question: You are estimating the service load for a new dwelling unit and need to account for the small-appliance branch circuits. According to the NEC, what load must be calculated for each 2-wire small-appliance branch circuit?
- A. 1000 volt-amperes
- B. 1200 volt-amperes
- C. 1500 volt-amperes
- D. 1800 volt-amperes
Correct Answer: C
Per NEC 220.52(A), in each dwelling unit, the load shall be calculated at 1500 volt-amperes for each 2-wire small-appliance branch circuit as covered by 210.11(C)(1).
Reference: NEC 2023 Section 220.52(A)
Sample 4 — Motors and Generators
Question: For motor branch-circuit protection, what is the maximum percentage of full-load current permitted for an inverse time circuit breaker protecting a wound rotor motor?
- A. 150%
- B. 200%
- C. 250%
- D. 300%
Correct Answer: A
According to Ugly's Electrical References (Page 38), Table 430.52 shows that for wound rotor motors, the maximum setting for an inverse time breaker is 150% of full-load current.
Reference: Ugly's Electrical References 2020, Page 38
Why Practice Online Instead of With a PDF
A PDF is like reading about a job instead of doing it. Our practice exams are timed and on a screen, so you practice finding answers with the clock running. Each attempt draws a new set of questions from our bank, and your results break your score down by topic so you know where to put in more work.
Get Started
Take the free Kentucky Journeyman Electrician (ICC 703, 2023 NEC) practice exam to see where you stand, then put your time into the topics that need it. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.