- 80 questions, 240 minutes, 75% passing score, open-book, computer-based via PSI Services LLC.
- Exam fee is $85; the separate master application fee is $190; the exam fee is valid for one year.
- Only NEC 2020, Printreading Based on the 2020 NEC, and Montana Building Codes Amendments are allowed - no personal notes, tabs, or highlighting.
- Standard eligibility needs 8,000 hours of journeyman-level experience with no more than 50% residential work.
Exam Format at a Glance
The Montana Master Electrician License Exam (MT-ME) is administered as a computer-based, open-book, multiple-choice test through PSI Services LLC, on behalf of the Montana State Electrical Board, Department of Labor and Industry. Candidates get 80 questions in 240 minutes, and the passing threshold is 75%. That works out to roughly three minutes per question if you spread time evenly, though most candidates move faster through code-lookup items and slower through calculation problems.
The current PSI bulletin - last updated June 21, 2022 - confirms this is the Master Electrician 2020 examination, tied to the NEC 2020 edition, effective June 10, 2022. If you're still mapping out what "open-book" actually means for scheduling and pacing, the MT-ME Study Guide 2026 walks through a full first-attempt strategy.
The Three Domains Tested
The MT-ME exam is organized around three content areas. Every one of the 80 questions falls into one of these buckets, so understanding what each domain actually demands is the fastest way to prioritize your remaining study time. For a deeper breakdown of each area with example topics, see the MT-ME Exam Domains 2026 guide.
Domain 1: National Electrical Code
This is the backbone of the exam. Expect direct code-lookup questions requiring fast, accurate navigation of the NEC 2020.
- Article numbering and table structure (know your index cold)
- Wiring methods, overcurrent protection, and grounding/bonding articles
- Montana Building Codes Amendments that modify or clarify base NEC language
Domain 2: General Trade Knowledge & Theory
Covers the practical and theoretical foundation a master-level electrician is expected to have beyond rote code citation.
- Circuit theory, motors, transformers, and basic electrical principles
- Print reading and blueprint interpretation, drawn from the approved printreading reference
- Job-site application of code requirements in real installation scenarios
Domain 3: Major Load Calculations
Calculation-heavy questions that test your ability to size services, feeders, and loads correctly under NEC methodology.
- Dwelling and commercial load calculations following NEC Article 220-style methods
- Demand factors and optional calculation methods
- Service and feeder sizing based on calculated loads
Key Takeaway
Load calculation questions typically take longer per item than pure code-lookup questions. Practice enough calculation problems that the formulas feel automatic - you don't want to be deriving demand factors from scratch during the exam.
Fees, Scheduling & Rescheduling Rules
Money and timing mechanics trip up otherwise well-prepared candidates. Here's what actually applies to the MT-ME:
- Exam fee: $85
- Master application fee: $190 (separate from the exam fee)
- Fee validity: The exam fee is valid for one year from approval
- Rescheduling window: Cancel or reschedule at least two days before your appointment
- Sequence: Board approval must happen before you can schedule with PSI
Bring your Board admission letter and a valid government-issued photo ID to the test center - without both, PSI will turn you away regardless of your appointment confirmation. For a full cost breakdown including how the two fees interact, check the MT-ME Certification Cost 2026 article. If you're trying to plan around specific testing windows, the MT-ME Exam Dates 2026 guide covers scheduling logistics in more detail.
Eligibility Snapshot
Before you can even sit for the exam, the Board needs to approve your application. Two main paths exist:
- Standard experience route: 8,000 hours of legally obtained, verified journeyman-level experience, with no more than 50% of that experience being residential work
- Education-based route: An accredited electrical-engineering degree plus 2,000 practical electrical hours
You'll need to submit experience, education, and license verification as applicable to your path. There's also a substantial-equivalency route for candidates holding a qualifying active, unrestricted out-of-state license - useful if you're relocating to Montana with existing master-level credentials.
Full documentation requirements, forms, and verification steps are covered in the MT-ME Requirements 2026 guide, which is worth reviewing before you start collecting paperwork.
Approved References & What You Can Bring
The MT-ME is open-book, but the list of what you can actually bring into the testing room is short and strictly enforced:
| Allowed | Not Allowed |
|---|---|
| NEC 2020 (with factory markings/highlights, factory-installed tabs) | Personal handwritten notes |
| Printreading Based on the 2020 NEC | Personal highlighting or underlining |
| Montana Building Codes Amendments | Personal tabs added to the code book |
| Approved calculator (see below) | Added papers of any kind |
Note the distinction: factory-installed tabs and factory markings that come pre-printed in your NEC book are fine. Anything you personally add - sticky tabs, pen marks, sticky notes - is prohibited. Bring a clean, unmarked-by-you copy or one with only manufacturer tabs.
Calculator Rules
Given how calculation-heavy Domain 3 is, your calculator matters. You can use either the on-screen calculator provided by the testing software or a physical calculator that meets these criteria:
- Silent operation
- Battery-operated
- Nonprogrammable
- Nonprinting
- No alphabetic keyboard
If you're used to a specific physical calculator for load calculations, test it against these rules well before exam day - don't discover at check-in that your device has a disqualifying feature.
Retake Policy
Failing isn't the end of the road, but the consequences escalate the more times it happens:
- Second failure: Wait six months, then complete an approved eight-hour code seminar before retesting
- Third or subsequent failure: Wait one year, reapply, and complete two eight-hour seminars before retesting
These waiting periods make first-attempt preparation genuinely valuable - a failed attempt isn't just a fee and a re-schedule, it's months of delay plus mandatory seminar hours. If you want a realistic sense of what makes this exam challenging in the first place, read How Hard Is the MT-ME Exam?, and for a breakdown of what the 75% threshold actually means question-by-question, see MT-ME Passing Score 2026.
Key Takeaway
Treat your first attempt as the only attempt worth planning for. The six-month and one-year retake delays make "I'll just retake it" a costly fallback, not a casual backup plan.
Renewal & Continuing Education
Passing the exam and getting licensed is not the finish line. Montana master electrician licenses renew biennially, by July 15 of even-numbered years. Renewal requires 16 approved continuing-education hours, including at least eight NEC-update hours.
A few nuances worth flagging:
- Upgrading to master status does not create a first-renewal education exemption - you still owe the full CE requirement on your first renewal cycle as a master.
- The Board has listed a 50% renewal-fee abatement for the 2026 cycle, which is worth factoring into your budgeting if your renewal falls in that window.
- An individual master electrician license is separate from an electrical contractor license - passing the MT-ME and holding a master license doesn't automatically authorize you to operate as a licensed contractor entity.
Last-Week Review Plan
In the final stretch before your PSI appointment, spend your remaining hours in a way that mirrors how the exam is actually weighted across the three domains rather than reviewing everything equally.
National Electrical Code drills
- Time yourself locating specific articles and tables in NEC 2020
- Re-run any Montana Building Codes Amendments that modify base NEC sections
Major Load Calculations practice
- Work dwelling and commercial load calculation problems until the sequence is automatic
- Confirm your approved calculator behaves as expected under timed conditions
General Trade Knowledge & Theory + mixed review
- Review printreading fundamentals from the approved reference
- Run full-length mixed practice sets to simulate the 240-minute pace
Logistics and light review
- Confirm admission letter and photo ID are ready
- Light review only - no new material the day before
For a fuller explanation of how much weight each domain deserves relative to total question count, the MT-ME Exam Domains 2026 guide is the right companion piece to this cheat sheet. And if you haven't run a timed simulation yet, our practice test platform is the closest thing to a dry run of the actual PSI interface and pacing.
FAQ
The exam has 80 multiple-choice questions administered over 240 minutes, with a passing score of 75%.
Only NEC 2020, Printreading Based on the 2020 NEC, and Montana Building Codes Amendments are approved. Personal notes, highlighting, underlining, and added tabs are prohibited, though factory markings and factory-installed NEC tabs are allowed.
The exam fee itself is $85, separate from the $190 master application fee. The exam fee is valid for one year after Board approval.
After a second failure, you must wait six months and complete an approved eight-hour code seminar. After a third or subsequent failure, you must wait one year, reapply, and complete two eight-hour seminars.
Renewal is biennial, due by July 15 of even-numbered years, and requires 16 approved continuing-education hours, including at least eight hours on NEC updates.