MA-ME Certification

What Is the MA-ME Certification?

The MA-ME certification - the Massachusetts Master Electrician License Exam - is the technical examination that leads to a Class A electrician's license in Massachusetts. It is administered on behalf of the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, Division of Occupational Licensure, with PSI serving as the testing provider. Passing the exam is the gateway to owning and operating an electrical contracting business under a Class A license, rather than simply working as an employee under someone else's license.

This site focuses specifically on Part 1, the technical exam most people mean when they say "the master electrician exam." If you're still deciding whether this path fits your career goals, the overview at What Is MA-ME? and the plain-language breakdown in MA-ME Meaning are good starting points before you dig into exam mechanics.

Who Issues and Administers It

Licensure authority rests with the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, operating under the Division of Occupational Licensure. The Board sets eligibility rules, education requirements, and renewal cycles under state statute, including Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 141, Section 3. Actual test delivery - scheduling, scoring, and candidate bulletins - is handled by PSI, which runs computer-based, open-book testing at approved Massachusetts test centers.

Because the Board and PSI split responsibilities, candidates deal with two different systems: Board-driven eligibility review (education hours, journeyman license status, CORI checks) and PSI-driven exam logistics (applications, scheduling, results). Understanding this split up front avoids confusion later in the process, which is covered in more depth in MA-ME Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Two-Part Exam Structure

Earning the Class A license requires passing two separate, independently scheduled exams:

Both parts must be passed within 12 months of application approval. If that window closes before you've cleared both exams, you'll need to reapply and satisfy eligibility requirements again. This makes scheduling discipline just as important as content mastery - a theme explored further in MA-ME Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.

Part 1 is the technical core of the license - code application, calculations, and field knowledge across 14 content domains. Part II tests business operations, licensing law, and contractor obligations rather than electrical theory. Many candidates underestimate Part II because it feels "less technical," but its 70% threshold is just as strict.

Part 1 Domain Breakdown

Part 1's 90 questions are distributed unevenly across 14 domains. Knowing the exact weighting lets you prioritize study time instead of spreading effort evenly across topics that matter far less on exam day.

The remaining domains carry fewer questions but still matter: Motors (7), Advanced Electrical Knowledge and Electrical Theory (6), Overcurrent Protection (6), Alarm Systems (6), Photovoltaic (6), State Specific Electrical Requirements (4), Energy Storage Systems (4), Low-Voltage Distribution (2), Lighting (2), and Transformers (1). A full breakdown of what each domain actually tests - with example topics per area - is available in MA-ME Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 14 Content Areas.

Eligibility Requirements

Before you can even schedule Part 1, the Board requires:

• An active Massachusetts journeyman electrician license
• At least one year actively engaged in electrical work as a licensed journeyman
• 150 hours of approved master-electrician education
• Required code-update documentation and a completed CORI check

Applications go through PSI's online system, but the underlying eligibility review is the Board's job. Gaps in journeyman work history or incomplete education hours are common reasons applications stall. If you're unsure whether your background qualifies, review MA-ME Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before submitting anything.

Registration and Fees

The initial application and examination package costs $276, broken down as:

• $75 PSI processing fee
• $80 technical examination (Part 1) fee
• $55 Business and Law (Part II) fee
• $66 state application charge

Passing both exams doesn't automatically grant the license - initial license issuance carries an additional $155 charge. If you fail a part and need to retake it, retake fees are separate from the original package: $80 to retake Part 1, or $55 to retake Part II. A full cost breakdown, including how these fees compare across the full licensing timeline, is in MA-ME Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Exam Day and Reference Materials

Part 1 and Part II are both delivered as computer-based, open-book tests at approved Massachusetts testing centers. "Open-book" here means specific, approved references - not any electrical book you want to bring.

• Permitted references: the NEC, Massachusetts amendments in 527 CMR 12.00, and NFPA 72
• Permitted calculator: a silent, nonprinting, nonprogramming battery-operated calculator
• Prohibited materials: Ugly's Electrical References and the American Electricians' Handbook

Candidates who show up expecting to lean on Ugly's or the Handbook are often surprised at the test center - these popular field references are explicitly disallowed. Practicing with only the approved NEC, 527 CMR 12.00, and NFPA 72 materials during prep is the only way to simulate real exam-day conditions accurately. Our practice test platform is built around this exact reference set so you're not training with tools you can't actually use in the room.

Passing Score and Retake Rules

Part 1 requires 70%, or 63 of 90 questions correct. Part II requires the same 70% threshold, or 35 of 50 questions correct. There's no partial credit or domain-by-domain scoring override - it's a single overall percentage per part. For a deeper look at how the scoring math works and what a near-miss score actually means, see MA-ME Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Retakes come with escalating requirements:

• After three unsuccessful attempts, additional Board-accepted education is required before you can sit again
• After six unsuccessful attempts, the full required education must be repeated from scratch

This structure rewards focused, deliberate preparation over repeated guessing. If you want a realistic sense of how difficult candidates generally find this exam and where they tend to lose points, How Hard Is the MA-ME Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and MA-ME Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows go into more detail.

Class A vs. Class B License

It's worth being explicit about what the Class A license actually authorizes, because it's not the same as a hands-on trade license. Class A authorizes the electrical business - meaning you can own or run an electrical contracting company and pull permits under that license. Personal, hands-on electrical work still requires a Class B journeyman license. Master electrician status is about business authority and oversight responsibility, not a replacement for journeyman credentials on the tools.

2026 Code Update Considerations

Massachusetts adopted its 2026 Electrical Code on April 24, 2026. Board minutes from the May 18, 2026 meeting anticipated resulting examination changes taking effect by November 2026. This timing gap matters: code adoption and exam content updates don't happen simultaneously.

Don't assume a new code edition is being tested the moment it's adopted. Always confirm the specific PSI-tested code edition for your scheduled appointment rather than guessing based on adoption dates alone - testing the wrong edition of the NEC or 527 CMR 12.00 can undermine weeks of preparation.

Building a Study Plan Around Domain Weight

Generic study techniques only help if they're pointed at the right targets. For MA-ME Part 1, that means sequencing your review around the domain weights covered earlier, not studying all 14 domains equally.

For a more detailed week-by-week breakdown, including how to fit Business and Law Part II preparation around Part 1 study, see the MA-ME Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. Running timed, domain-weighted practice questions on our practice test platform is the fastest way to see which of these domains still need work before appointment day.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Passing the exam and getting licensed isn't the end of the obligation. Class A licenses renew on a three-year cycle ending July 31, at a cost of $117. Renewal requires 21 continuing-education hours: 15 hours of mandatory code, business, law, and related instruction, plus 6 hours of professional development. Under 237 CMR 17, these hours must be tracked and documented - skipping renewal CE can jeopardize an otherwise valid license.

Who This Certification Is For

The Class A license, earned by passing both parts of the MA-ME exam, is generally pursued by journeyman electricians who want to run their own electrical contracting business rather than continue working under someone else's license. It's the credential that lets you bid work, pull permits as the responsible party, and take on the business and legal liability that comes with contracting. If you're weighing whether the time, cost, and study commitment are worth it relative to staying a journeyman, Is the MA-ME Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and MA-ME Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis lay out the practical tradeoffs, while MA-ME Jobs covers what roles and business paths typically open up after licensure.

Frequently Asked Questions