- What the MA-JE Credential Actually Is
- The Prerequisite Checklist at a Glance
- Classroom Hours, Code Update Hours and Work Hours: Three Different Things
- Application Mechanics: Documents, CORI and PSI
- Fees Separated Line by Line
- What You Qualify to Sit: Part I and Part II
- Test-Day Rules and the References You Can Bring
- The NEC Edition Question: Why We Are Not Guessing
- Eligibility Windows, Retakes and the Three-Attempt Rule
- After You Pass: Licensing, Renewal and Continuing Education
- A Domain-Aware Plan While You Finish Your Hours
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The MA-JE here is the Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician exam (Certificate B), issued through the MA Board of State Examiners of Electricians and tested by...
- You need 600 hours of approved education, 8,000 work hours over at least four years, and a 15-hour Code Update certificate.
- The regular application and testing charge is $226; initial license issuance costs $104 separately.
- Part I (80 questions) and Part II (30 questions) each need 70%, and both must be passed within 12 months.
What the MA-JE Credential Actually Is
"MA-JE" on this site means one thing: the Massachusetts Journeyman Electrician License Exam, the examination that leads to a Journeyman Electrician, Certificate B license. The licensing authority is the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians (MA BSEE), and the exam is administered by PSI Services LLC at authorized Massachusetts testing centers. If you want the plain-language definition before the details, our explainers on what the MA-JE is and what MA-JE stands for cover the naming.
This article focuses on the front door: who is allowed to sit the exam, what paperwork you need, what each piece costs, and what rules shape your preparation. Everything below is drawn from the PSI Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (effective November 1, 2024) and the Board's application materials. Where the sources conflict or could not be re-verified, we say so rather than smoothing it over.
The Prerequisite Checklist at a Glance
Massachusetts does not let you simply register and test. You must show education, supervised work experience, code-update training and a background authorization first. The core prerequisites are:
- A high-school diploma or equivalent
- 600 hours of approved journeyman education
- 8,000 qualifying work hours accumulated over at least four years
- A 15-hour approved Code Update certificate
- Supporting documentation from your school and employer(s)
- CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) authorization
| Requirement | Amount or Form | What It Proves |
|---|---|---|
| Education baseline | High-school diploma or equivalent | Basic academic eligibility |
| Approved journeyman education | 600 hours | Classroom grounding in theory and code |
| Work experience | 8,000 hours over at least four years | Supervised, qualifying field work |
| Code Update training | 15-hour approved certificate | Current code awareness |
| Documentation | School and employer records | That the hours above are real and verifiable |
| Background authorization | CORI | Board background screening |
Note the "at least four years" clause. Accumulating 8,000 hours faster than four years of calendar time does not shorten the timeline; both the hours and the elapsed time have to be satisfied.
Classroom Hours, Code Update Hours and Work Hours: Three Different Things
The most common source of confusion for applicants is blending three separate hour counts. They are independent requirements, and none of them is an exam timer.
The Three Hour Buckets
Each bucket is documented differently and satisfied differently.
- 600 hours of approved journeyman education: classroom instruction through an approved provider, evidenced by school documentation.
- 15-hour Code Update certificate: a short, approved update course focused on the code, evidenced by a certificate.
- 8,000 qualifying work hours: on-the-job experience over at least four years, evidenced by employer documentation.
A practical consequence: finishing your 600 classroom hours does not reduce the work-hour requirement, and the 15-hour Code Update does not count toward the 600. Track all three in a single spreadsheet from day one, with dates and the name of the person who can verify each entry. Employers change, schools close records, and reconstructing three years of hours from memory is a miserable way to delay your exam.
Application Mechanics: Documents, CORI and PSI
The application process runs through the Board's individual electrical license application on mass.gov, with testing scheduled through PSI. The Board's application for examination packages your eligibility evidence; PSI then handles registration and delivery.
What to Assemble Before You File
- Proof of your high-school diploma or equivalent.
- School documentation of your 600 approved education hours.
- Employer verification of your work hours and the four-year span.
- Your 15-hour Code Update certificate.
- Your completed CORI authorization.
Incomplete packets are the usual cause of delays. If an employer has closed or a supervisor is unreachable, start the documentation chase early, well before you want to test. For realistic timing on testing windows once you are approved, see our guide to MA-JE exam dates and scheduling.
Where You Can Test
Testing takes place at authorized Massachusetts testing centers. According to the bulletin, remote proctoring and out-of-state administration are excluded, so out-of-state candidates should plan travel rather than assume a home-based option.
Fees Separated Line by Line
Cost questions come up constantly, and the answers are cleaner when the charges are split by what each one pays for. The regular application and testing charge totals $226:
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| PSI application processing | $60 |
| Part I trade examination | $80 |
| Part II applied examination | $55 |
| State processing | $31 |
| Regular total | $226 |
Qualifying VALOR applicants pay $195, because the $31 state-processing charge is waived. The initial license issuance fee of $104 is separate and comes after you pass. If you need to retake, retake fees depend on which part you are repeating and total $135 if you must retake both parts. For the bigger picture including prep materials and renewal, see our MA-JE certification cost breakdown.
What You Qualify to Sit: Part I and Part II
Once approved, you take a computer-delivered, open-book examination in two parts. They are separate tests with separate timers and separate passing requirements.
| Feature | Part I (Trade) | Part II (Applied) |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 | 30 |
| Time | 180 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Passing standard | 70% (56 correct) | 70% (21 correct) |
| Published objectives | Domains 1-13 | Domains 14-19 |
Combined, that is 110 questions and four hours, but those numbers are an aggregate, not one interchangeable clock. Part II is an applied written examination, not a hands-on skills test, and it is not the master electrician's Business and Law exam. Each part must be passed on its own, and you need 70% on each, so a strong Part I does not offset a weak Part II. For the scoring mechanics, see MA-JE passing score explained.
Where the Questions Concentrate
The Board publishes official question allocations per domain. The headline items:
Part I: Domains 1-13 (80 questions)
Allocations in heading order: General Knowledge 8, Services 11, Grounding and Bonding 7, Wiring Methods and Devices 18, Motors 4, Transformers 1, Low-Voltage Distribution 2, Special Occupancies and Equipment 5, Overcurrent Protection 6, Lighting 2, Alarm Systems 6, Photovoltaic 6, Energy Storage Systems 4.
- Wiring Methods and Devices is the single largest subject at 18 items.
- Services (11) and General Knowledge (8) follow.
- Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Systems together account for 10 items, so they are not afterthoughts.
Part II: Domains 14-19 (30 questions)
Allocations in heading order: Circuit Calculations (Ohm's Law) 5, Electrical Schematics and Plans 5, Materials and Components 5, Troubleshooting and Testing 6, Massachusetts Amendments 5, Licensing Laws and Regulations 4.
- Troubleshooting and Testing is the largest Part II subject at 6 items.
- Massachusetts Amendments and Licensing Laws and Regulations together account for 9 items of purely local knowledge.
These are official item counts, not percentage weights, and we deliberately do not convert them into percentages the Board has not published. For a domain-by-domain walkthrough, see MA-JE exam domains: all 19 content areas.
Test-Day Rules and the References You Can Bring
Because the exam is open-book, your reference setup is part of your eligibility prep. Approved references include the NEC, NFPA 72, the Massachusetts amendments and the licensing regulations. A qualifying nonprogrammable calculator is also permitted.
The Handwritten-Note Conflict
The bulletin addresses highlighting, underlining and permanent tabs. It is, however, internally inconsistent about prewritten margin notes: one section prohibits handwritten notes, while another permits them. We cannot resolve that contradiction for you.
The NEC Edition Question: Why We Are Not Guessing
The state code page previously reviewed identifies adoption of a 2026 code. But adoption by the state does not by itself establish when the examination switches to that edition. The retrieved bulletin contains conflicting statements, a July timing reference and a separate seven-month update statement, that do not line up cleanly.
For that reason, we do not publish an edition-locked question bank or tell you which NEC edition your test will use. This is a verification hold, not a gap in our research effort. Until the Board or PSI gives an explicit examination-date confirmation, the responsible approach is to ask them directly and buy the code book they confirm. Review the official Massachusetts Electrical Code page and the Board's policy listings for updates.
Eligibility Windows, Retakes and the Three-Attempt Rule
Qualifying is not a one-shot event. Two rules govern how long your approval stays useful:
- The 12-month window: both parts must be passed within the applicable 12-month eligibility period.
- The three-attempt rule: after three unsuccessful attempts, the bulletin requires additional education before you may try again.
Because each part is scored independently, passing one part does not erase the need to pass the other within the window. Plan your scheduling so a retake, if needed, still falls inside the 12 months. If you want a realistic read on difficulty before you schedule, our pieces on how hard the MA-JE exam is and the MA-JE pass rate give context without inventing numbers the Board has not published.
After You Pass: Licensing, Renewal and Continuing Education
Passing both parts leads to the initial license issuance ($104). Certificate B then renews on a triennial cycle with a July 31 renewal date under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 141, Section 3.
Continuing Education Under 237 CMR 17.01
The regulation requires 21 CE hours per renewal cycle, divided as follows:
- 15 hours of approved code, business and law instruction
- 6 hours of professional development
Think of the licensing requirements as a loop: the 15-hour Code Update you needed to qualify is a preview of the code-focused education you will keep doing for as long as you hold the license. If you are weighing the long-term payoff of all this effort, see whether the MA-JE certification is worth it and the MA-JE salary guide.
A Domain-Aware Plan While You Finish Your Hours
You do not have to wait until the day your 8,000th hour is logged to begin preparing. Here is one way to sequence study around the domains with the most weight and the most local risk, while you are still accumulating hours:
Build the Part I core
- Start with Wiring Methods and Devices (18 items) and Services (11 items).
- Add Grounding and Bonding (7 items) because it ties both together.
Cover the modern topics
- Study Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Systems (10 items combined).
- Add Alarm Systems and Overcurrent Protection (6 items each).
Prepare the applied Part II
- Drill Circuit Calculations, Schematics and Plans, and Troubleshooting and Testing.
- Learn Massachusetts Amendments and Licensing Laws and Regulations from the actual texts.
For a full preparation roadmap, see our MA-JE study guide, and when you are ready to test your knowledge against realistic items, try the MA-JE practice tests. Our one-page MA-JE cheat sheet is a handy final review.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need a high-school diploma or equivalent, 600 hours of approved journeyman education, 8,000 qualifying work hours over at least four years, a 15-hour approved Code Update certificate, supporting school and employer documentation, and CORI authorization.
The regular application and testing charge is $226: $60 PSI application processing, $80 for Part I, $55 for Part II and $31 state processing. VALOR applicants pay $195 after the $31 waiver. Initial license issuance is a separate $104.
Not necessarily the same sitting, but both parts must be passed within the applicable 12-month eligibility period. Each part independently requires 70%: 56 of 80 on Part I and 21 of 30 on Part II.
The bulletin addresses highlighting, underlining and permanent tabs, but it contradicts itself on handwritten margin notes. Confirm PSI authorization before annotating any reference you plan to bring.
After three unsuccessful attempts, the bulletin requires additional education before you can try again. Retake fees depend on which part you repeat and total $135 if both parts must be retaken.
For a broader look at the credential itself, see our overview of MA-JE certification, and use this page as your starting checklist for the Massachusetts journeyman route.