NC Electrical Contractor Exam (Unlimited) Pass Rate, Format & Study Guide

The NCBEEC examinations page lists the Unlimited classification exam at 100 multiple-choice questions in six hours, with a minimum grade of 70 required to pass. The exam is open book: the Board allows you to refer to any part of your NEC book, NFPA book and NASCLA Business book during the exam. The portal mock is a closed-book practice set, so look up reference answers in your own code book when you study. The NCBEEC/PSI Examination Information Handbook (July 2026) lists eleven content areas: Bonding and Grounding 11 percent, Overcurrent Protection 9, Wiring Methods and Terminations 10, Boxes and Fittings 7, Service Entrance and Equipment 9, Motors and Control Wiring 9, Special Occupancies and Hazardous Locations 9, Load Calculations 11, Appliances, Equipment, and Lighting 7, General 3 and Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications 15.

The Board licenses electrical contractors in North Carolina, and the Unlimited classification is one of its license classifications; passing its examination is a step toward that license.

Electricians and electrical business owners in North Carolina preparing for the Unlimited electrical contractor exam.

The certifying body does not publicly publish an official pass rate for this exam. Be wary of third-party sites citing a specific number here — treat any pass-rate claim you see elsewhere for this exam as unverified.

The NCBEEC says you are not eligible to take the same classification of exam again until three months after the date of the failed exam, and the same page says examinees must wait 90 days before retaking the same exam; you may review a failed exam once for $25.

The NCBEEC requires a minimum grade of 70 to pass. The portal mock uses 70 percent as the pass line, but remember that the real exam lets you use your code books. Format: 100 multiple-choice questions in six hours with approved code books allowed; the portal mock has 100 questions in 360 minutes and is closed book. No official pass rate is available for this exam, so none is quoted here.

The NCBEEC examinations page lists the Unlimited classification exam at 100 multiple-choice questions in six hours, with a minimum grade of 70 required to pass. The exam is open book: the Board allows you to refer to any part of your NEC book, NFPA book and NASCLA Business book during the exam. The portal mock is a closed-book practice set, so look up reference answers in your own code book when you study. The NCBEEC/PSI Examination Information Handbook (July 2026) lists eleven content areas: Bonding and Grounding 11 percent, Overcurrent Protection 9, Wiring Methods and Terminations 10, Boxes and Fittings 7, Service Entrance and Equipment 9, Motors and Control Wiring 9, Special Occupancies and Hazardous Locations 9, Load Calculations 11, Appliances, Equipment, and Lighting 7, General 3 and Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications 15. 100 multiple-choice questions · six hours · minimum grade of 70 · open book (NEC, NFPA and NASCLA Business book allowed) · delivered by PSI. The NCBEEC requires a minimum grade of 70 to pass. The portal mock uses 70 percent as the pass line, but remember that the real exam lets you use your code books.

• Bonding and Grounding11%
• Overcurrent Protection9%
• Wiring Methods and Terminations10%
• Boxes and Fittings7%
• Service Entrance and Equipment9%
• Motors and Control Wiring9%
• Special Occupancies and Hazardous Locations9%
• Load Calculations11%
• Appliances, Equipment, and Lighting7%
• General3%
• Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications15%

The content outline spreads questions across 11 areas: Bonding and Grounding (11.0%); Overcurrent Protection (9.0%); Wiring Methods and Terminations (10.0%); Boxes and Fittings (7.0%); Service Entrance and Equipment (9.0%); Motors and Control Wiring (9.0%); Special Occupancies and Hazardous Locations (9.0%); Load Calculations (11.0%); Appliances, Equipment, and Lighting (7.0%); General (3.0%); Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications (15.0%).

You must apply to the Board and get its approval before you can schedule the exam. The experience requirements depend on the classification, and the Board allows a retake under an alternate classification only if you meet that classification’s experience requirements.

The examination fee is $125 and is sent with the application; reviewing a failed exam costs $25 once, and each retake is a new fee.

License renewal and continuing education for electrical contractors are set by the NCBEEC; check the Board after you pass.

Start with the heaviest areas of the content outline: Laws, Rules, Basic Business Practices, and Practical Applications (15.0%); Bonding and Grounding (11.0%); Load Calculations (11.0%). Then work through the remaining areas, and finish with timed full-length practice runs of 100 questions in one sitting.

This guide follows the NCBEEC/PSI Examination Information Handbook of July 2026 and the NCBEEC examinations page; the Board updates the reference editions it uses, so check the handbook for the Code edition in force on your test date.