Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) Exam: Step-by-Step Study Guide
Preparing for the Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) exam is easier one step at a time. This guide starts with the key facts from the official bulletin, then covers the topics on the exam, the reference books, sample questions with answers, and a simple way to prepare. Pearson VUE gives the exam.
Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) Exam Overview
Start with the facts. Here's what the official bulletin says:
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Time limit | 4 hours |
| Passing score | a minimum score of 70 |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
| Exam fee | $115 |
On exam day
- The exam uses four-option multiple-choice questions with one correct answer.
- In addition to the NEC, candidates may use Ferm's Fast Finder Index, Ugly's Electrical Reference, the NEC Handbook (hardcover) and Tom Henry's Key Word Index during the exam, with the exam based only on the code provisions.
Scheduling, changes and retakes
- Exams are scheduled through PearsonVUE at www.pearsonvue.com/ICC.
- Candidates must first apply to the Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety and receive approval before scheduling, and should wait 24-48 hours after the approval notice before scheduling.
- Results for examinations taken electronically are available immediately after the exam is completed.
- A failed exam may not be retaken until 10 days have passed.
- After passing, the candidate must contact the licensing jurisdiction for any other requirements needed to become licensed.
Source: Wyoming Electrical Contractor/Trades Examination Information Bulletin, PUBLISHED August 19, 2025. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
Topics on the Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) Exam
Next, the content. The official content outline has 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 | 12% |
| Control Devices | 3 | 4% |
| Motors and Generators | 5 | 6% |
| Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 9 | 11% |
Services and Service Equipment: Services and Fault Current; Service Load Calculations; Service Equipment & Service Conductors; Transformers; System Grounding and Bonding; Temporary Service Wiring; Service disconnecting means requirements and ratings; Overcurrent protection for services and ground-fault protection of equipment.
Wiring Methods and Materials: Raceway Installations; Underground Wiring Methods; Boxes and Enclosures; Cabinets, Panelboards, & Switchboards; Clearance and Guarding; Flexible Cords and Cables; Cable Wiring Methods (NM, AC, MC, MI, SE, UF, TC, ITC, and specialty types) — Uses Permitted and Not Permitted; Conduit Bending Calculations and Techniques.
Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions: Special Occupancies; Swimming Pools and Similar Installations; Mobile Home and RV Parks; Data Processing Equipment; Miscellaneous Special Equipment; Emergency Systems; Signaling and Fire Alarm Systems; Hazardous Location Classification (Classes, Divisions, and Zones).
A Simple Plan to Prepare for the Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) Exam
Step one is the books. This is an open-book exam, so the references on the bulletin's list are what you'll work from, while you study and in the exam room. Get the editions the bulletin names.
Step two is learning your way around them. Go through each book's table of contents and index until you know where the major subjects are. You don't need to memorize the books. You need to find things in them.
Step three is marking them up. Highlight the sections you use most. The exam facts above list the bulletin's rules on tabs and markings, so follow them exactly.
Step four is timed practice. Our practice exams run on a clock, so you get used to the real exam's pace: about 3 minutes per question.
Along the way, give the most time to the biggest topics. Wiring Methods and Materials and Branch Circuits and Conductors make up 45% of the exam.
The last step is consistency. Keep practicing until you pass several practice exams in a row. That's the signal you're ready.
Reference Books for the Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) Exam
Where to get them:
On Test Day
Go through the exam at a steady pace. On your first pass, answer the questions you know and bookmark the ones you don't. Every exam lets you come back to bookmarked questions, but some lock the ones you've seen once you take a break, so finish your bookmarks first.
On your second pass, return to your bookmarks one at a time. You have 4 hours for 80 questions, which is about 3 minutes per question, so keep moving and don't let one question hold you up. Before you finish, answer anything you skipped. A blank can't earn a point.
Study Tips
Know your way around each book's index and table of contents. Open-book exams reward speed: you need to find specific items quickly.
Skim the answer choices before you commit. You're hunting for the key term or vocabulary word that signals the right concept. The more you've practiced, the faster the right wording jumps out at you.
On technical questions, don't get bogged down in unfamiliar terminology. If you don't recognize a term, you're unlikely to figure it out on the spot—acknowledge it quickly and move on. Use the surrounding context, answer choices, and familiar terms to guide your reasoning, but don't linger on any single difficult question.
If you're stuck on a problem, don't waste time—move on. Before you do, however, quickly eliminate any obviously wrong answer choices. Even ruling out one or two options significantly improves your odds of guessing correctly. Eliminate what you can, make your best guess, then move on.
Sample Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) Practice Questions
Here are a few questions from our practice question bank, each with its answer and reference.
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: In elevator installations, what is the maximum fill percentage allowed for the sum of cross-sectional area of individual conductors in raceways?
- A. 30 percent
- B. 40 percent
- C. 50 percent
- D. 60 percent
Correct Answer: C
Per NEC Article 620.33, the sum of the cross-sectional area of the individual conductors in a raceway shall not exceed 50 percent of the interior cross-sectional area of the raceway. This is a special provision for elevator installations that differs from the standard Chapter 9, Table 1 fill percentages used in general wiring.
Reference: NEC 2023 Section 620.33
Sample 3 — General Knowledge
Question: If a circuit has a voltage of 240 volts and a resistance of 20 ohms, what is the power consumption?
- A. 2880 watts
- B. 12 watts
- C. 480 watts
- D. 4800 watts
Correct Answer: A
Using Ohm's Law formula P = E²/R (Watts = Volts²/Ohms), the power equals (240)² ÷ 20 = 57,600 ÷ 20 = 2,880 watts.
Reference: Ugly's Electrical References, 2023 ed., Ohm's Law, Page 1 (2020 ed.: Ohm's Law)
Sample 4 — Motors and Generators
Question: A 5 HP, 230-volt, single-phase motor has a full-load current of 28 A. What is the maximum rating of a nontime-delay fuse for its branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protection, before any increase needed for starting?
- A. 50A
- B. 60A
- C. 70A
- D. 90A
Correct Answer: D
Table 430.52 (Table 430.52(C)(1) in NEC 2023 and 2026): a nontime-delay fuse is sized at up to 300% of the motor's full-load current: 28 A x 3.00 = 84 A. Because 84 A is not a standard fuse rating, 430.52(C)(1) permits the next higher standard rating (Exception No. 1 in NEC 2017 and 2020; 430.52(C)(1)(a) in NEC 2023 and 2026): 90 A (240.6(A)). Only if 90 A cannot carry the starting current may the fuse be increased further, up to 400% of the full-load current.
Reference: NEC 2023 Section 430.52(C)(1), Table 430.52, 240.6(A)
Practicing Online vs. With a PDF
A PDF lets you read questions at your own pace. The real exam runs on a clock. 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 show your score by topic, so you always know what to study next.
Your Next Step
Take the free Wyoming Journeyman Electrician (ICC 385, 2023 NEC) practice exam to see where you stand. Then study the topics that need the most attention, one at a time. For the official rules, read the exam bulletin, and see the licensing board's website.