- The NH-ME exam has 126 questions in 5 hours, open-book, with a 70% passing score.
- Administrative is the largest domain at 25 questions, followed by General Electrical Knowledge (21) and Motors and Generators (19).
- Confirm whether Prov's bulletin assigns NEC 2020 or NEC 2023 before buying code books or practicing code-specific questions.
- Exam fee is $90 for both initial and repeat attempts; master license processing runs $198 for a two-year term under Plc 1002.13.
Quick Facts Snapshot
If you only have five minutes before your NH-ME exam date, this is the section to read. The New Hampshire Master Electrician License Exam (NH-ME) is administered through Prov on behalf of the New Hampshire Electricians' Board, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. It's a computer-based, four-option multiple-choice, open-book test.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 126 |
| Time allowed | 5 hours |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Format | Computer-based, four-option multiple choice, open-book |
| Exam fee | $90 (initial and repeat attempts) |
| License processing (2-year term) | $198 under Plc 1002.13 |
| Delivery options | Test center or Examroom.ai remote proctoring |
| Voucher validity | 365 days from state approval |
Domain Question-Count Breakdown
Prov's bulletins list the same 126-question allocation across both editions currently in circulation. Knowing exactly how many questions come from each of the 12 content areas lets you weight your remaining study hours instead of guessing. The full domain-by-domain explanation lives in the NH-ME Exam Domains 2026 guide, but here's the cheat-sheet version:
| # | Domain | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Electrical Knowledge | 21 |
| 2 | Equipment for General Use | 9 |
| 3 | Motors and Generators | 19 |
| 4 | Control Devices | 5 |
| 5 | Special Conditions | 2 |
| 6 | Special Equipment | 2 |
| 7 | Special Occupancies | 3 |
| 8 | Services and Service Equipment | 12 |
| 9 | Branch Circuits and Conductors | 6 |
| 10 | Feeders | 8 |
| 11 | Wiring Methods & Materials | 14 |
| 12 | Administrative | 25 |
Four domains - Administrative (25), General Electrical Knowledge (21), Motors and Generators (19), and Wiring Methods & Materials (14) - together account for 79 of the 126 questions. That's roughly 63% of the entire exam sitting in just four content areas.
Administrative (25 questions - the largest domain)
This is not a "soft" section to skim. It covers New Hampshire licensing law, board rules, and procedural requirements, and it carries more weight than any technical domain on the test.
- Know which sections of the New Hampshire electrical statutes and rules govern master-level work
- Understand permitting, inspection, and licensee responsibilities as codified in state rule
- Don't assume field experience substitutes for reading the actual rule text
Motors and Generators (19 questions)
This domain is disproportionately technical relative to its question count and frequently costs candidates points because motor calculations require multi-step lookups under time pressure.
- Practice locating motor full-load current tables quickly in your reference material
- Review overload and branch-circuit protection sizing rules specific to motor circuits
- Time yourself - this domain rewards speed with the reference book, not memorization
Key Takeaway
Spend your final study hours on Administrative, General Electrical Knowledge, Motors and Generators, and Wiring Methods & Materials - together they determine the majority of your score. A full walkthrough of study sequencing is in the NH-ME Study Guide 2026.
NEC Edition and Bulletin Confusion
One of the most consequential things to verify before you study is which NEC edition your exam actually references. Prov has issued bulletins that don't agree with each other on this point: the August 6, 2026 bulletin labels the master exam as "2020" and lists NEC 2020, while the June 24, 2026 bulletin labels the same exam as "2023" and lists NEC 2023. Both bulletins show the identical 126-question, 12-domain allocation - only the code edition label differs.
This matters more on an open-book exam than it would otherwise, because your speed advantage comes from knowing exactly where a rule sits in your specific edition. If you tab a 2020 NEC and sit for an exam referencing 2023 language, your muscle memory for page locations won't transfer cleanly.
Registration, Fees, and Eligibility
Before you can schedule, you need standard eligibility: passing the journeyman examination and completing 2,000 hours of field experience as a journeyman. State approval from the Electricians' Board precedes scheduling - you can't book a seat with Prov until the board has cleared you.
- Exam fee: $90, and this applies to both your initial attempt and any repeat attempts - there's no discount for retesting.
- License application/renewal/reinstatement: $198 for a two-year term under Plc 1002.13, separate from the exam fee itself.
- Voucher validity: once approved, your testing voucher is valid for 365 days, giving you a full year window to schedule.
For the complete cost picture including how these fees stack across the licensing lifecycle, see the NH-ME Certification Cost breakdown, and for the full eligibility checklist see NH-ME Requirements 2026.
Exam-Day Rules: References, Tabs, Calculators
Because this is an open-book exam, the rules governing what you can bring - and how you can mark it up - are unusually specific and worth memorizing before test day.
Permitted References
Listed references include the American Electrician's Handbook, Ugly's Electrical References, and the specified New Hampshire laws and rules. Editions must match the authorized exam edition, which loops back to the NEC-edition confirmation issue above.
Marking Your Books
- Allowed: permanent tabs, highlighting, and pen underlining
- Prohibited: handwritten notes, movable tabs, and inserted study material
If you show up with sticky flags or loose insert sheets, expect them to be removed before you're allowed to test.
Calculators
Test centers permit a simple four-function calculator. If you're testing remotely via Examroom.ai, the instructions require physical calculators to be removed from the room entirely - plan to use whatever on-screen calculator function the remote platform provides instead.
Remote Testing Hardware
Examroom.ai remote delivery requires a compatible computer. An iPad or tablet is explicitly not accepted for remote testing, so confirm your device meets the technical requirements well before your appointment rather than discovering an incompatibility the morning of your exam.
Rescheduling, Vouchers, and Retakes
Scheduling mistakes are avoidable if you know the timing rules in advance:
- Cancellations/reschedules: must happen at least three days before your appointment
- Retake waiting period: you must wait two days between attempts before rescheduling a new sitting
- Voucher window: 365 days from state approval to actually sit for the exam
These aren't suggestions - missing the three-day reschedule window or trying to rebook inside the two-day retake gap can force you to forfeit a slot or pay again. For a fuller look at how scheduling windows work across the year, see NH-ME Exam Dates 2026.
Licensing, Renewal, and Continuing Education
Passing the exam is only part of staying licensed. Master electricians in New Hampshire must complete a 15-hour NEC-cycle update as continuing education, which must include at least one hour covering New Hampshire law, rules, and installation concerns. This code-cycle education requirement runs independently of the two-year license term set by Plc 1002.13 - the two clocks don't automatically sync, so track them separately.
Key Takeaway
Don't confuse your license renewal cycle (two years, $198 under Plc 1002.13) with your NEC-cycle continuing education requirement (15 hours, including at least 1 hour of NH law/rules) - they're tracked on different timelines.
If you're weighing whether the ongoing licensing costs and continuing-education obligations are worth it relative to what a master license opens up professionally, that trade-off is covered in Is the NH-ME Certification Worth It? and in the NH-ME Salary Guide 2026.
Last Two Weeks: Domain Triage
With a fixed 5-hour, 126-question format, your final two weeks should be organized around the question-count table above rather than a generic review calendar. Here's a compressed version built specifically around NH-ME's weighting:
High-weight domains
- Administrative (25 questions) - re-read the state rule sections and Plc references
- General Electrical Knowledge (21 questions) - drill definitions and fundamental calculations
- Motors and Generators (19 questions) - practice fast lookups in your tabbed reference
Mid-weight domains + full timed run
- Wiring Methods & Materials (14) and Services and Service Equipment (12) - review installation and sizing rules
- Feeders (8), Branch Circuits and Conductors (6), Equipment for General Use (9) - quick targeted review
- Sit one full 5-hour, 126-question timed practice run using your confirmed NEC edition
The low-weight domains - Control Devices (5), Special Occupancies (3), Special Conditions (2), and Special Equipment (2) - total only 12 questions combined. Skim them, but don't let them eat time you need for Administrative or Motors and Generators. This exact prioritization logic is walked through in more depth in the NH-ME Study Guide and the domain-by-domain guide.
For scored practice that mirrors the real 126-question, open-book structure, run full-length simulations on our NH-ME practice test platform before test day - timing yourself under the actual 5-hour limit is the single best way to catch reference-lookup slowdowns while you still have time to fix them.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 126 questions to complete within 5 hours, and it's open-book with a computer-based, four-option multiple-choice format.
You need 70% to pass. See NH-ME Passing Score 2026 for a full breakdown of what that means in raw question terms.
Prov's bulletins are inconsistent: the August 6, 2026 bulletin lists NEC 2020, while the June 24, 2026 bulletin lists NEC 2023 for the same master exam. Contact Prov directly to confirm the edition assigned to your specific appointment before buying books or tabbing references.
No. You must wait two days between attempts before rescheduling, and the retake fee is the same $90 as the initial attempt.
No. Remote delivery through Examroom.ai requires a compatible computer - iPads and tablets are not accepted for remote testing, and physical calculators must be removed from the remote testing room per the platform's instructions.