- Every component - Code, Theory, and the 100-point Practical - requires a 75% passing score.
- Combination fee is $206.64, or $68.88 per component if you split testing sessions.
- Part 1 uses the 2020 NEC and 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code and allows a tabbed, highlighted code book plus a silent calculator.
- Passing scores stay valid for one year; the certificate itself runs on a three-year renewal cycle needing 16 CE hours.
Exam Structure at a Glance
The New Mexico EE-98J Journeyman Residential and Commercial Electrical Certificate Exam is administered through PSI on behalf of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division. The current PSI journeyman bulletin is dated April 13, 2023, and it lays out three distinct components that together make up your certification result. Before you build a study plan, memorize this skeleton - it's the backbone of everything else on this cheat sheet.
| Component | Format | Questions/Points | Time Limit | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 - Code | Open-book | 50 questions | 145 minutes | 75% |
| Part 2 - Theory | Closed-book | 50 questions | 120 minutes | 75% |
| Practical | Hands-on | 100 points | 120 minutes | 75% |
Note that each written component may include up to 10 unscored experimental questions, and PSI adds extra testing time to account for them - so don't panic if your actual question count or clock feels slightly higher than the base 50. For a deeper breakdown of how these pieces fit together, see the NM-EE98J Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 27 Content Areas.
Fees, Eligibility, and Timelines
Money and paperwork trip up more candidates than the actual electrical content does. Here's the condensed version.
- Application fee: $75, paid when you apply for eligibility to sit the exam.
- Combination exam fee: $206.64 for both written parts together, or $68.88 per component if you schedule them separately.
- Experience requirement: Four years and 8,000 hours of qualifying electrical work.
- Education credit: Approved schooling or training can count for half-time credit toward up to one-half of the total requirement.
- Score validity: A passing score on any component stays valid for one year, so don't let a passed Code exam expire while you retake Theory.
- Certificate term: Three years, with $75 renewal and 16 hours of approved continuing education - at least eight of which must be code-update instruction.
For the full math on out-of-pocket totals across application, testing, and renewal cycles, check the NM-EE98J Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown article. If you're still confirming that you actually qualify to sit the exam, review NM-EE98J Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you pay any fees.
Key Takeaway
Schedule Part 1 and Part 2 close together when possible. Because passing scores only hold for one year, spacing your two written attempts too far apart risks having to retake a component you already cleared.
Part 1 Code Domains Cheat Sheet
Part 1 is open-book and code-based, drawing from 11 domains built on the 2020 NEC and 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code. The question distribution is heavily weighted toward a handful of domains - know these weights so you don't over-study low-yield areas.
Domain 2: Services, Feeders, and Branch Circuits (7 questions)
The single largest Code domain. Expect sizing, ampacity, and load calculation scenarios drawn straight from tabbed code sections.
- Practice locating Article 220 and service-sizing tables quickly under time pressure
Domain 4: Grounding and Bonding (6 questions)
Grounding electrode systems, bonding jumper sizing, and equipment grounding conductor rules show up repeatedly.
- Tab Article 250 tables before test day - you will reference them multiple times
Domains 5, 6, and 9: Conductors/Cables, Raceways/Boxes, Motors/Transformers/Generators (5 questions each)
These three domains together account for 15 questions - nearly a third of Part 1 - so treat them as core, not supplementary, study material.
Smaller domains like Domain 8 (Lighting, Signs, and General-Use Equipment, 3 questions) and Domain 11 (Low Voltage, 3 questions) still matter for reaching 75%, but they deserve proportionally less prep time than the ones above. The full question count for every one of the 11 Code domains, plus study sequencing advice, is covered in the NM-EE98J Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Part 2 Theory Domains Cheat Sheet
Part 2 is closed-book, which changes the game entirely - you can't flip to a table mid-exam, so formulas and code concepts need to be memorized, not just located. Nine domains make up Theory, and one dominates the rest.
- Domain 20: Low Voltage, including Alarms - 8 questions, the second-largest Theory domain
- Domain 13: Services, Feeders, and Branch Circuits - 5 questions
- Domain 15: Grounding and Bonding - 5 questions
- Domain 14: Overcurrent Protection - 4 questions
- Domains 16 and 17: Conductors/Cables, Raceways/Boxes - 3 questions each
- Domains 18 and 19: Hazardous Locations/Special Occupancies, Lighting/Signs - 2 questions each
Since Theory is closed-book, calculation-heavy topics from Domains 12 and 13 (Ohm's Law, voltage drop, load calculations) need to be second nature before you sit down. A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator is allowed for this component just as it is for Part 1. To gauge whether your current prep is proportionate to this weighting, compare your study log against the domain list in NM-EE98J Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 27 Content Areas.
Practical Exam Point Breakdown
The 120-minute hands-on Practical is worth 100 points total, split across seven projects. Unlike the written exams' question counts, here the weighting is in points - and two projects dwarf the rest.
| Project | Points |
|---|---|
| Motor Control Project | 20 |
| Transformer Project | 20 |
| Complex Conduit Bending | 20 |
| Doorbell Project | 10 |
| Lighting Project | 10 |
| Simple Conduit Bending | 10 |
| Materials Identification | 10 |
Motor Control, Transformer, and Complex Conduit Bending together account for 60 of the 100 points. Losing points across all three simultaneously makes 75% mathematically difficult to reach, so prioritize repeated hands-on practice on these before polishing the smaller 10-point stations like Materials Identification or the Doorbell Project.
Key Takeaway
Run timed mock drills on the Motor Control and Transformer projects specifically - they carry the same 20-point weight as Complex Conduit Bending but are frequently under-practiced compared to bending.
What You Can Bring Into Part 1
Because Part 1 is open-book, your code reference prep matters almost as much as your content knowledge. Know the rules precisely:
- Bound copies of the 2020 NEC and 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code may be highlighted, underlined, indexed, and permanently tabbed before you arrive.
- Your book may not contain handwritten notes or loose inserted papers.
- A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator is permitted.
- Part 2 Theory is fully closed-book - no code references allowed at that station.
Build your tabbing system around the highest-weight domains first: Services/Feeders/Branch Circuits, Grounding and Bonding, and the Conductors/Raceways/Motors cluster. A well-indexed code book can save minutes per question on Part 1's 145-minute clock. For more on exactly what score you need across all three components, read NM-EE98J Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Final-Week Review Schedule
If you've already done the deep study cycle and just need a condensed pass before test day, use this compressed structure rather than generic flashcard review.
Heavy-Weight Code Domains
- Re-drill Domain 2 (Services/Feeders/Branch Circuits) and Domain 4 (Grounding/Bonding) tab locations
Theory's Domain 12 and Domain 20
- Closed-book recall drills on General Knowledge/Installation Requirements and Low Voltage/Alarms
Practical Run-Throughs
- Full timed runs of the Motor Control and Transformer projects, then Complex Conduit Bending
Logistics and Light Review
- Confirm bulletin details, verify tabbed code book compliance, review smaller Practical stations
If you're earlier in your prep and need the full-length version of this plan mapped against every domain, the NM-EE98J Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays it out week by week. And if you're still deciding how difficult this exam really is relative to your current experience level, How Hard Is the NM-EE98J Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks that down component by component.
Once you're certified, the credential opens doors with residential and commercial electrical contractors across New Mexico who need journeyman-level licensed staff. If you're weighing whether the time and fee investment pays off relative to your career goals, see Is the NM-EE98J Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and NM-EE98J Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis. For an overview of where certified journeymen typically find openings, NM-EE98J Jobs covers the hiring landscape in more depth.
FAQ
Each component - Part 1 Code, Part 2 Theory, and the Practical - requires 75% independently. There is no averaging across components.
No. Part 1 is open-book and permits a tabbed, highlighted 2020 NEC and 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code, but Part 2 Theory is fully closed-book.
Passing scores remain valid for one year, so plan your remaining component attempts within that window to avoid retesting one you already passed.
The combination fee for both written parts is $206.64, or $68.88 per component if scheduled separately, on top of the $75 application fee.
Motor Control, Transformer, and Complex Conduit Bending are each worth 20 points, together representing 60 of the exam's 100 total points.