ICC G17 Journeyman Electrician Exam (2017 NEC) Practice Exam
Free Practice Exam
Test your knowledge with 10 questions from our pool of 20 free questions.
- 10 questions per attempt
- 30 minute time limit
- Unlimited attempts
- A new mix each time
- Instant results
Full Practice Exam
Complete exam simulation matching the real Pearson VUE test format.
- 80 questions (same as real exam)
- 240 minute time limit
- 9 topic areas covered
- 368 questions in pool
- Detailed explanations
ICC G17 Journeyman Electrician Exam (2017 NEC) — Practice Exam
What's on the exam
Questions per topic, out of 80The ICC G17 Journeyman Electrician Exam is 80 questions, 240 minutes, based on the 2017 NEC. You need a 70% — that's 56 correct answers — to pass.
This site gives you two ways to prepare.
Free practice exam: 10 questions per attempt, drawn from a limited pool. Retake it as many times as you want. It's a good way to get a feel for how the questions are worded and what the exam expects before you commit to deeper prep.
Full practice exam (paid): 80 questions, 240-minute timer — same format as the real thing. Questions are pulled from our full question bank, so every attempt is different. No duplicate exams. Coverage mirrors the exact topic breakdown provided by the official test provider across all nine tested areas.
Start with the free exam. If you're scoring well and want realistic full-length practice, move to the full exam.
The exam covers nine topic areas. Here's what each one actually demands.
General Knowledge — 5 items
Expect electrical theory basics: Ohm's Law, power formulas, series circuits. You'll also read plan symbols (NEC Handbook, Section 410.1 is the electrical symbols reference on this exam). Know how the NEC is structured — Article 90 scope, Article 90.2(A) coverage, Article 90.2(D) exemptions. Understand equipment approval: listing, labeling, and what "identified for the purpose" means. Working space and clearances around electrical equipment come from NEC Handbook, Sections 110.26(A) and (B) and Table 110.26(A)(1) — know the depth, width, and height requirements for different voltage and condition combinations.
Services and Service Equipment — 9 items
This is a calculation-heavy section. You'll size service conductors, apply service load calculations, and work through transformer math. Know the grounding electrode conductor sizing from NEC Handbook, Section 250.66 and Table 250.66. Supply-side bonding jumper sizing uses Section 250.102(C) and Table 250.102(C)(1). Ground-fault protection of equipment for services rated 1000A or more is covered under Section 230.95(A). The number of services permitted and when a second service is allowed ties to Section 230.2(C)(1). Clearances for service conductors from buildings reference Section 230.9(A).
Feeders — 3 items
Three questions, but don't skip it. Minimum feeder ampacity comes from NEC Handbook, Section 215.2(A)(1)(a). Feeder overcurrent protection sizing is Section 215.3. Equipment grounding conductor sizing for feeders uses Table 250.122. If a feeder is rated 1000A or more, ground-fault protection requirements apply — know the threshold and the rule. Feeder demand factor calculations use Table 220.42.
Branch Circuits and Conductors — 15 items
The heaviest calculation section. Branch circuit load calculations pull from NEC Handbook, Section 220.14(F) and Table 220.12. Conductor ampacity uses Table 310.16, with adjustment factors from Table 310.15(C)(1) for conduit fill and ambient correction. The 310.15(B)(7) rule for service and feeder conductors supplying dwelling units is tested here. AFCI and GFCI location requirements — know which rooms require which protection. Voltage drop calculations (single-phase and three-phase) use the formulas tied to NEC Handbook, Chapter 9, Table 8. You'll also need conductor identification rules: Section 200.2(B) and Section 210.5(C)(1)(b). Overcurrent protection for conductors comes from Section 240.4(D) and its subdivisions.
Wiring Methods and Materials — 21 items
This is the biggest section on the exam — more than a quarter of your score. You need to know EMT, FMC, LFMC, RMC, PVC, AC cable, NM cable, and underground methods cold. Box fill calculations use NEC 314.16(B) and Table 314.16(B). Pull and junction box sizing is NEC 314.28(A). Conduit fill uses Chapter 9, Table 1; conductor dimensions from Table 5; conduit dimensions from Table 4. EMT bends (358.26), support (358.30), and minimum size are all tested. PVC expansion fittings, bend radius, and support spacing appear. Underground burial depths come from Table 300.5. Know cabinet and panelboard wiring space requirements from Section 312.10(B). Flexible cord rules and box and enclosure fill are tested repeatedly.
Equipment and Devices — 10 items
Luminaire installation in closets (Section 410.16(B) and (C)), wet and damp locations, and recessed fixture clearances (Section 410.10(D)). Receptacle configuration, GFCI requirements by location (Section 406.9(A) and (B)(1)), and tamper-resistant requirements (Section 406.8). Appliance disconnecting means and GFCI protection for household appliances (Section 422.5(A)). Air conditioning equipment uses the MCA and MOCP markings — Section 440.6 governs conductor sizing. Fixture wire types, ampacity, and routing requirements reference Section 402.6, 402.8, and 402.9(A).
Control Devices — 3 items
Motor control circuit wiring, overcurrent protection (Section 430.72(C)(4)), and disconnecting means for motor control circuits (Section 430.74 and 430.75(A)). Controller markings and ratings are Section 430.8 and 430.83(C). Know hand-off-automatic (HOA) schemes and stop-start/jogging circuits at the functional level. Switch types and ratings — Section 404.14(A)(3) and 404.14(E) — appear here.
Motors and Generators — 5 items
Motor branch-circuit conductor sizing at 125% of full-load current uses NEC, Page 501 (Section 430.22) and the FLC tables referenced in Section 430.6(A)(1). Short-circuit and ground-fault protection ratings come from Table 430.52 (Ugly's, Page 38). Overload protection sizing and trip settings are tested. Disconnecting means ratings and location: Section 430.102(B) and 430.110(A). Generator conductor sizing ties to NEC, Page 547 (Section 445.13).
Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions — 9 items
Classified location definitions (Division 1, Division 2) and hazardous material groups tie to NEC 2017 Tennessee, Section 500.5. Swimming pool wiring rules reference NEC Handbook, Pages 615–616 and 625–626. Mobile home and RV park requirements, emergency system rules, and sign wiring (Article 600 sections) are all in play. Know intrinsically safe systems (Section 504.80(C)) and the basics of low-voltage circuits (Sections 720.5–720.7).
Question 1 — Wiring Methods and Materials
You are a residential electrician installing flexible metal conduit (FMC) to connect a clothes dryer on an adjustable platform that requires movement after installation. What additional requirement applies?
- A. An equipment grounding conductor must be installed within the FMC
- B. The FMC must be trade size 1 inch minimum
- C. The FMC must be no longer than 3 feet total
- D. A bonding bushing must be installed at each end of the FMC
Correct Answer: A
Per NEC Handbook, Section 348.60, when FMC is used where flexibility is necessary to minimize vibration or to allow movement after installation, an equipment grounding conductor must be installed inside the conduit. FMC alone does not qualify as the EGC in these applications. The other options describe requirements that don't apply here — there's no 1-inch minimum for this use, the 6-foot length limit applies to specific appliance connections, and bonding bushings are not required on both ends in this scenario.
Question 2 — Branch Circuits and Conductors
A 120/240V single-phase service has a 200A unbalanced load. What is the minimum neutral conductor size if the calculated neutral load is 60% of the ungrounded conductors?
- A. 1/0 AWG
- B. 2/0 AWG
- C. 3/0 AWG
- D. 4/0 AWG
Correct Answer: A
Calculate: 200A × 60% = 120A neutral load. Check NEC Handbook, Table 310.16 — 1/0 AWG copper (THHN) is rated 150A at 75°C, which covers the 120A load. No need to go to 2/0 or larger. This is a two-step problem: multiply, then look up the table. Candidates who skip the multiplication and go straight to the full 200A rating will oversize and get it wrong.
Question 3 — Equipment and Devices
An AC unit is marked MCA 42A, MOCP 50A. What is the minimum conductor ampacity required?
- A. 35A
- B. 40A
- C. 42A
- D. 50A
Correct Answer: C
MCA stands for Minimum Circuit Ampacity — it's the floor for conductor sizing per NEC 440.6. You size the conductors to the MCA, not to the MOCP. The MOCP (Maximum Overcurrent Protection) governs the breaker, not the wire. Using the MOCP of 50A for conductors is a common error that this question is designed to catch.
Passing is 70% — 56 out of 80 correct.
Your first practice score is a diagnostic. It tells you where the gaps are, not whether you're going to pass. If you score well above 70% on the first full attempt, focus your review on the topics where you dropped points. If you're at or below the passing line, treat that as useful information: you know which sections need work before exam day.
The nine topics are weighted differently. Wiring Methods and Materials alone is 21 items — more than a quarter of the exam. Branch Circuits and Conductors is 15 items. Between those two sections, you're looking at 45% of your total score. If your practice breakdown shows weakness in either area, that's where to spend your time first.
Scoring close to 70% on practice usually means more work is needed. The real exam doesn't give partial credit, doesn't have retries, and has a cost attached to a failed attempt. Build a comfortable margin before you sit.
Box fill and conduit fill. These are multi-step calculations — count the conductors, apply the correct volume allowance from Table 314.16(B), then check against Table 314.16(A). Missing one fitting or device costs the whole problem.
Voltage drop formula errors. Single-phase and three-phase formulas are different. Using the wrong one, or pulling resistance values from the wrong conductor size in Chapter 9, Table 8 or Table 9, is a common source of wrong answers under time pressure.
MCA vs. MOCP confusion. On HVAC equipment questions, candidates regularly use the overcurrent protection rating to size conductors. The MCA governs conductors; the MOCP governs the breaker. Know the difference cold.
Motor FLC table selection. Section 430.6(A)(1) requires using the NEC table value — not the nameplate — for branch-circuit sizing and protection. Candidates who use the nameplate amps get the wrong answer.
Working space clearance conditions. Table 110.26(A)(1) has three condition columns. Picking the wrong condition — especially Condition 1 vs. Condition 2 — is an easy point to lose.
Running out of time. With 80 questions in 240 minutes, that's 3 minutes per question. Calculation-heavy questions in Branch Circuits and Wiring Methods can eat that up fast. Know your formulas before exam day, not during it.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam name | ICC G17 Journeyman Electrician |
| Code basis | 2017 NEC |
| Total questions | 80 |
| Time limit | 240 minutes (3 minutes/question) |
| Passing score | 70% (56 correct) |
| Exam provider | ICC (International Code Council) |
| Number of topic areas | 9 |
| Free practice | 10 questions per attempt |
| Full practice | 80 questions, full question bank |