MD-JE Certification

What the MD-JE Certification Actually Is

On this site, MD-JE refers to the Maryland Journeyman Electrician License Exam. That is the label mdjeexam.com uses to identify the exam. The issuing sources use the term Journeyperson Electrician, so you will see both spellings depending on where you read. They describe the same credential path: the examination administered by PSI Services LLC for the Maryland State Board of Electricians, which sits within the Maryland Department of Labor.

It helps to be precise about what the exam is and is not. It is a multiple-choice knowledge examination. It does not create a practical, hands-on test, and it does not by itself make you a licensed journeyperson. Passing is one required step; the license is issued separately by the Board after you apply and submit supporting documents. If you are still sorting out the terminology, our explainers on what MD-JE is and what MD-JE stands for cover the naming in more detail.

Independent preparation, including everything on this site, is supplementary knowledge practice. It does not establish field competence, guarantee Board approval, or substitute for the work experience the Board requires. Our practice questions are independently authored; they are not actual PSI or Board questions and not an official mock examination. You can try them on the main MD-JE practice test site.

The Exam at a Glance

Notice what is not in this table: a fixed total item count and an aggregate appointment timer. Because PSI adds five to ten experimental questions that you cannot distinguish from scored ones, the total number of items on your screen is not fixed in the published material, so we do not state one. The practical consequence is simple: treat every question as if it counts. For a fuller look at the scoring threshold, see our MD-JE passing score breakdown.

The Seven Content Headings and Their Question Counts

The journeyperson outline on printed page 4 of the Master and Journeyperson Electrician Qualification Information Bulletin lists seven headings. The numbers attached to them are question counts, not percentage weights. They are 20, 20, 12, 6, 4, 2 and 6, which together account for the 70 scored questions. Do not confuse this with the separate master outline in the same document, which has its own structure and a Calculations domain that does not belong to the journeyperson table. For a domain-by-domain walkthrough, see our complete guide to all 7 content areas.

Note the lettering. The source continues its letter labels across the outline instead of restarting at "a" in each domain, which is why Domain 2 begins at "h" and Domain 7 begins at "c." Reading the letters as a sign of "missing" subtopics would be a mistake; they are simply continuation labels.

The 2020 NEC, Tabbing Rules and the Code-Transition Caveat

The only admitted reference

The retrieved bulletin identifies NFPA 70, the 2020 National Electrical Code, as the tested reference. It is not supplied at the testing center; you bring it. This is the only admitted reference named.

What you may and may not do to your book

• Permitted: indexing, highlighting and underlining.
• Prohibited: handwritten notes, study guides and additional papers.
• Tabs: the bulletin names Avery Swift Tabs Self-Adhesive Permanent Plastic Tabs and Redi-Tag Self-Stick Permanent Adhesive Index Tabs.
• Not allowed: removable flags and paper-insert tabs. Tabs that can be removed without ripping the page must be removed.

Tab your code book well before test day, and do it the permitted way. A beautifully organized book that gets pulled apart at check-in costs you time you cannot recover. Our one-page cheat sheet is a review aid for study sessions only; it is not something you can carry into the exam, and handwritten notes in your NEC are prohibited.

The 2026 NEC question, handled carefully

Here is where candidates get misled. Some commercial books are labeled for the 2026 NEC, and the Board's July 28, 2026 minutes discuss 2026 NEC examination questions as still under development. But proposals and anticipated development dates do not establish an effective replacement date for this examination. The retrieved bulletin names the 2020 edition. Unless and until the provider bulletin changes, the 2020 edition remains the documented scope.

Eligibility: Four Years, an Apprentice License and Board Approval

Ordinary eligibility is experience-based. The Board expects four years of principally providing electrical services under a Maryland-licensed master electrician, or under a similarly qualified government employee, supported by experience evidence and Board approval. Our full MD-JE requirements guide goes deeper on documentation.

There is a second condition that trips people up. Under COMAR 09.09.03.02, ordinary experience-route applicants on or after July 1, 2024 must have held a current Board or local apprentice license for four years during the qualifying work period. In other words, the hours alone are not enough if they were not logged under the proper apprentice licensure.

Where the sources disagree

The PSI journeyperson section describes up to three years of education credit. The current Board requirements, however, place that allowance under master eligibility, and the applicable apprentice-license regulation states four years. Because of this conflict, do not assume an automatic reduction in the experience requirement for the journeyperson route. Get a determination from the Board in writing before you plan around any credit.

The Board also describes an approved-apprenticeship experience waiver involving 576 classroom hours, 8,000 work hours and a certificate issued within two years. That is an experience-related route, and it is not presented as an automatic exemption from the examination. Reciprocity and local examinations are likewise alternative routes rather than replacements for this exam. Note a source conflict on reciprocity as well: the older bulletin says there are no out-of-state journeyperson waiver provisions, while the current Board application page lists Virginia, Delaware and DC reciprocity with conditions. If you are coming from one of those jurisdictions, ask the Board which path applies to you.

No exam-preparation course is mandatory. Whether you want one is a personal decision, and our overview of MD-JE training options can help you weigh that.

Fees, Registration and Test-Day Mechanics

Separate the examination cost from the licensing cost, because they are paid at different stages. For a complete pricing picture, see our MD-JE certification cost breakdown.

Registration steps and rules

1. Apply online only. The bulletin carries an online-only application notice effective March 31, 2025.
2. Get prior approval. PSI requires Board approval before you can schedule.
3. Match your identification. You need valid photo and signature identification whose name matches your registration.
4. Arrive 30 minutes early.
5. Cancel at least two days in advance if you cannot attend, because the fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable.

For scheduling specifics, see MD-JE exam dates and scheduling.

The retake waiting period is unsettled

Two sources give different answers. PSI specifies 30 days from the most recent failed attempt. The Board FAQ says 30 days before the first reapplication and 60 days for subsequent retest requests. Rather than guess, confirm Board and PSI authorization before you commit to a rebooking date, and do not pay for a slot you may not be permitted to use.

What Published Pass-Rate Evidence Does and Does Not Show

It is tempting to search for a single pass rate. The published evidence does not support one clean number. Board meeting minutes report journeyperson results on a monthly basis, and they do not agree with one another in a way that can be tidily combined:

• The April 28, 2026 minutes report March journeyperson results of five passes among 27 tests, which the Board rounds to 19%.
• The June 23, 2026 minutes label May results as 12 of 36, rounded to 33%.
• The July 28, 2026 minutes also label their reporting period May, but give 5 of 39, rounded to 13%, with other table inconsistencies.

After You Pass: Licensing, Renewal and Continuing Education

Applying for the license

A passing score does not issue your license. You apply separately to the Board and provide your supporting documents within 30 days of the license application. That 30-day window runs from the license application, not from the examination date, so do not treat it as a deadline that starts when you leave the testing center.

Renewal

Licenses run two years from issuance. Journeyperson renewal requires five qualifying continuing-education hours completed in the preceding 24 months, plus the USD 18.50 renewal fee. Eligible subjects include applicable NEC and local variants and relevant NFPA electrical-service standards. Do not apply the master electrician's separate ten-hour total or its master-specific classroom minimum to your own renewal; those belong to a different license class.

Careers and pay

Passing opens doors, but earnings depend on employer, scope of work and experience. We deliberately do not quote a statewide salary figure. A single employer's reported pay listing is not a statewide benchmark and is not evidence of a license-related earnings premium. If you want to think through the value question, see our salary guide, the ROI analysis and the overview of MD-JE jobs.

A Domain-Ordered Study Sequence

Because the outline is question-count driven, your schedule should be too. The sequence below ties each phase to a specific domain and to the reason it sits where it does. Treat it as a starting frame, not a guarantee. For a broader plan, see the MD-JE study guide.

Once you have worked through a domain, check your retention with independently authored questions on the MD-JE practice site. That kind of practice builds recall and lookup speed. It does not replace field experience or reflect actual exam items.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a broader introduction to the credential, you can also read our MD-JE certification overview or what MD-JE certification means, then return to the practice questions when you are ready to test your recall.