Statewide electrical licensing
and continuing education are becoming more and more common throughout
the United States.
Contact your local Building Department or official to find out current license requirements
for your area. For information about continuing education units,
check out our electrical
seminars.
Exam questions come from theory, common knowledge, and
the National Electrical Code© which would be the
same in any state. The main difference in testing in different
states are the questions involving state and local laws and rules.
Check out our list of frequently
asked questions about licensing and the electrical exam.
Some states are now requiring
an exam on Business and Law for the contractors license. Code
Electrical Classes Inc. offers business law seminars at its Orlando facility.
The major purpose of a license is to protect public health and safety
by preventing unqualified people from practicing a given profession
or occupation. Licensing is also a formal and legal way of defining
a profession and a means of including, in practice, those who
meet predetermined standards deemed to be necessary for the protection
of the public. For licensing information, check out The
Electrical License by Tom Henry.
Licensing is more than passing
an exam and paying a fee; it is being held responsible
and liable to penalties for incompetence or illegal/immoral actions.
Having a license suspended or revoked is not only to punish and
to avoid repetition of improper acts, it is to protect the general
public.
After passing the exam there are requirements that must be met
in most States. These requirements must be kept up to maintain
your license. All licenses, regardless of issuance date, are
subject to renewal, on a given date by the State. Failure to
maintain the requests can cause automatic termination of the
license.
Worker's Compensation Insurance - Submit
a certificate of worker's compensation insurance from an insurance
company authorized to do business in this State, and a statement
from the insurance carrier that the board will be notified of
any withdrawal, termination, or cancellation of the insurance.
Liability and Property Damage
Insurance - Submit
a certificate of insurance from an insurance company or agency
authorized to do business in your State, showing full policy
coverage of the applicant for comprehensive personal injury and
property damage liability. The dollar amount will vary from State
to State.
Place of Business - A licensed contractor shall have and
maintain a definite place of business where the license may be
served notice and legal process in the State within an area zoned
for such business and shall display therein his contractor's
license. A Post Office Box number is not accepted as a place
of business.
Fees - License fees will be due. Specific
amounts will be given at the appropriate time.
The difficulty for some taking
an exam is the questions come from a broad area of the electrical
trade and are not necessarily limited to only the type of
electrical work that you perform. For a list of books to help
you prepare for the electrical exam, check out our current catalog.
The exam is written for any electrician
that sits for the test that particular day. You may only wire
houses, but the electrician sitting behind you only wires hospitals
or gas stations. Some exam questions may come from areas of
the Code book you've never used in your work.
Local exams sometimes don't fully
evaluate ones craftsmanship and knowledge of the electrical trade.
National testing organizations have incorporated the latest technology.
A task analysis is used to develop a test that is a fair test
of ones knowledge in the electrical trade.
A task analysis is performed
by a committee of competent experts in the electrical field.
A field survey of tradespeople performing the tasks in the field
is listed in an outline with the degree of each task evaluated
and used in the exam.
Sure, I heard all the negatives
of being required to take an exam over the years. The statement
that always appears in my mind was said by Vince Lombardi: "Winning
isn't everything, but it sure beats the second choice".
The time has come to demand accountability
and it starts with you. Demand a license.
Written exams whether written
by a testing company, licensing board, or by the electrical inspector
are generally based on the same categories of questioning: Code,
theory, practical knowledge, etc.
The percentage of questions asked from the category may vary
due to the exams being customized to meet the requirements for
the area in which the exam is being given.
Some exams require a larger or
smaller percentage of questions asked from a category than another
area requires. This decision is made by the electrical board
members of that area.
