The NASCLA Electrical exam is a standardized examination administered by NASCLA (National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies) that tests electrical contractor competency. It's accepted by 17+ state and territorial agencies for licensing purposes, allowing electrical contractors to qualify for licenses in multiple jurisdictions by passing a single exam — saving significant time and money compared to taking separate exams in each state.

NASCLA offers three electrical contractor exam types, each tailored to a different level of electrical expertise and scope of work:

Electrical Contractor / Master Electrician — commercial-grade electrical work, the broadest credential.

Journeyman Electrician — mid-level practitioner credential for skilled electricians working under a master.

Residential Electrician — focused on residential electrical work only.

17+ jurisdictions accept NASCLA Electrical exam results, including Alabama, Arizona, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Coverage varies by license type (Electrical Contractor / Master Electrician, Journeyman, Residential) — see the state coverage table on this page for specific details by state and license type.

Administering agencies are state boards that proctor and oversee NASCLA Electrical exams within their jurisdiction — candidates take the exam under their authority.

Accepting agencies are state boards that recognize NASCLA Electrical results that were passed in other states, allowing those scores to be used for licensing in their state.

A state can be either, both, or neither depending on its statutory licensing requirements. Most states that accept NASCLA results also administer the exam, but some only accept results passed elsewhere.

In most jurisdictions, yes. Most states require electrical contractors to pass a separate Business Law exam in addition to the NASCLA Electrical trades exam. The specific Business Law exam required varies by state — some use a General Contractor Business Law exam, others use an Electrical-specific Business Law exam. Check the state-by-state reference graph on this page or contact your state's licensing agency for current requirements.

The two NASCLA exams test competency for different contractor specialties:

NASCLA Building (General Commercial) exam — tests competency for general contractor licensing, covering 12 subject areas spanning concrete, masonry, metals, finishes, mechanical, electrical, etc.

NASCLA Electrical exam — tests competency specifically for electrical contractor licensing, focused on electrical code, wiring, distribution, and electrical-specific topics.

They are completely separate exams with different subject matter. A contractor pursuing both general and electrical licensing would need to pass both exams. Explore NASCLA Building Contractor prep.

Effective NASCLA Electrical exam preparation combines three components: (1) an online prep course covering exam content and test-taking strategies tailored to the license type you're pursuing, (2) the required electrical code reference books for your exam version (Electrical Contractor / Master, Journeyman, or Residential), and (3) unlimited practice exams to build speed and identify weak areas.

Pre-highlighted and pre-tabbed reference books are especially valuable for the open-book portions of the exam — every minute saved on lookup is more time for answering questions.