Licensed electrician exam

[dbh6]

Hello All,

I plan on taking the exam at some point in my career if one is to seek licensing as an electrician, and specifically electrician for the industrial/manufacturing/automation field. I graduated in college as an electrical engineer, and doing this only for self growth, if their are any electrical engineers that also hold a electricians license, not to confuse the with a PE license (professional of engineering license) i would appreciate it if you can provide me a pdf or links that i can use to prepare for the exam thanks.

[Lancie1]

Well, I meet the first part, being an electrical engineer with BS and also a licensed electrician in the city where I live. I did nothing to prepare for taking the electrician license exam, except have about 20 years experience (at that time) as an electrical engineer.

[The Plc Kid]

I like Mike Holt's materials mikeholt.com

For exam prep I like Tom Henry's. Find out when Tom Henry has a class in your area. If you past the test exam in the tom henry's class you will ace your state exam.

Every state is different and has different requirements. In Georgia you must have 4 years of division approved experience under a licensed master of which 2 years of division approved education can qualify as 1 year and when I did mine you had to have 3 license holders to sign off on your experience.

In some states if you already have your EE degree you can take it without documented field experience.

[The Plc Kid]

Link for Tom Henrys http://www.code-electrical.com/index.html

The training is primarily focused on teaching how to use the code book to find the answer in a very fast manner and 90% of the test is code.

[dbh6]

Lancie 20 years experience in the field, i one day aspire to get there. @ The Plc Kid thanks on that link and i will look up Tom henry, you are indeed right it matters from state to state, hopefully i don't have to wait that long, and hoping i can use my experience in the field as a controls system engineer to counts towards it. If you come by other useful documents or links send it my way

Cheers!!

[jrwb4gbm]

I have no degree but do have Unlimited Class Electrical licenses in North and South Carolina. I would suggest getting an illustrated code book as a minimum. I would also recommend you contact the State Board of Electrical Examiners office in your state. They should send you a package of info. There are also questions other than electrical pertaining to legal requirements for operating a business on the exam. The info they provide should include literature covering this.
Link based on The Plc Kid post:
http://www.mikeholt.com/continuingEducation.php

[rootboy]

Originally Posted by dbh6

Lancie 20 years experience in the field, i one day aspire to get there. @ The Plc Kid thanks on that link and i will look up Tom henry, you are indeed right it matters from state to state, hopefully i don't have to wait that long, and hoping i can use my experience in the field as a controls system engineer to counts towards it. If you come by other useful documents or links send it my way

Cheers!!

20 years? Kids... I started in '75. Well, I fixed my first radio in '65, but I'm not sure that counts.

Taking the exam is all well and good, but what ever happened to apprenticeships? There is no substitute for hands-on experience.

In Colorado at the time, you had to have 8000 hours as an apprentice (notarized, signed by the shop owner, on company stationary) broken down into so many hours of industrial, commercial, and residential.

At that time, being an engineer (and coming into the trade as an apprentice) would knock two years off of the apprenticeship.

Back then the apprentice card cost a dollar, and lasted as long as you needed it to. (for example, my four year apprenticeship was the best seven years of my life)

[Paul T]

Originally Posted by dbh6

Hello All,

I plan on taking the exam at some point in my career if one is to seek licensing as an electrician, and specifically electrician for the industrial/manufacturing/automation field. I graduated in college as an electrical engineer, and doing this only for self growth, if their are any electrical engineers that also hold a electricians license, not to confuse the with a PE license (professional of engineering license) i would appreciate it if you can provide me a pdf or links that i can use to prepare for the exam thanks.

You might also find it useful to go to the local CC and sign up for the electrical code classes that they teach to the apprentice electricians. As has been said, a lot of the exam requirements are on the NEC and you'll learn how to "read" that and actually use it in the field. You won't have any problem with the calculations, but you'll be surprised by what you learn about how to read NFPA70 and where and how to apply it. And, if you do ever actually get an electrician's license, you are going to have to do code refreshers in a class every three years to keep it up to date. And if you think it's not necessary, it is. When you walk into class the first night and the instructor hands out a quiz, the first question of which is "Write down all Wiring Methods you are familiar with" you find out there is a lot to learn!

I don't think, in the US anyway, there is any licensing difference for industrial vs. anything else. I thought you were either licensed or not - but IDK, you licensed guys chime in please.

Of course, there is a world of difference if you choose to specialize in industrial systems vs. commercial and especially residential. Thank god, in NH I can do my own wiring and I have. Last remodel we did, the town inspector asked my wife if I'd finished the garage subpanel and wiring (after looking at other things in the job) when he did the final inspection. She said "Yes, do you want to go look?" He said "No, I've seen how he does things" and he signed the Occupancy Permit and handed it to her, LOL!

The other place to look for professional technical certifications is ISA. Look up International Society for Automation (when did THAT happen? Last time I was a member it was another name!) ISA has long had certifications for hands-on and technical skill sets specifically for industrial controls and automation systems.

[Lancie1]

Lancie 20 years experience in the field, i one day aspire to get there.

What happened on my test was that they announced that it was an open-book test based on the 1968 NEC (this was in 1971). Luckily I had bought 3 copies of the NEC, the current and the two previous versions. Every question turned out to have two answers, a correct answer based on the 1968 code (which was incorrect based on the 1971 code). Not being sure what they wanted, I spent the whole time explaining the differences in the code versions. It worked and I passed, even the high-voltage part, allowing my employer to do work in all areas.

[rootboy]

Originally Posted by Lancie1

What happened on my test was that they announced that it was an open-book test based on the 1968 NEC (this was in 1971). Luckily I had bought 3 copies of the NEC, the current and the two previous versions. Every question turned out to have two answers, a correct answer based on the 1968 code (which was incorrect based on the 1971 code). Not being sure what they wanted, I spent the whole time explaining the differences in the code versions. It worked and I passed, even the high-voltage part, allowing my employer to do work in all areas.

'71? okay, that makes me feel young!

Tennessee is odd that way too, we always are three years behind the current code. Don't ask me why...