- Part 1 has 90 questions in 4 hours; 70% (63 correct) passes.
- Business and Law Part II has 50 questions in 2 hours; 70% (35 correct) passes.
- Wiring Methods and Devices carries 15 of 90 questions - the single largest domain.
- Total application and exam package is $276; license issuance adds $155.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Memorize
Before you touch a single practice question, lock these figures into memory. The Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians, under the Division of Occupational Licensure, oversees the MA-ME credential, while PSI administers the actual testing. The Part 1 technical examination for the Class A license consists of 90 questions with a 4-hour time limit and a 70% passing score, which works out to 63 correct answers. A separate Business and Law Part II covers 50 questions in a 2-hour window, also requiring 70%, or 35 correct answers.
Both halves must be passed within 12 months of your application being approved. Miss that window and you're looking at reapplying rather than simply rescheduling a retake. This is one of the most overlooked mechanics of the whole process, and it deserves its own line item on your planning calendar alongside the content review covered in the MA-ME Study Guide 2026.
Part 1 Domain Breakdown, In Order
The 90 questions on Part 1 are distributed across 14 domains, and the official allocation - in Domain 1 through 14 order - is 4, 6, 11, 10, 15, 7, 1, 2, 10, 6, 2, 6, 6, and 4. Memorizing this order tells you exactly where to spend your limited study hours. For a full walkthrough of what each domain actually tests, see the MA-ME Exam Domains 2026 guide.
Domain 5: Wiring Methods and Devices - 15 questions
This is the largest single domain on the exam, nearly one-sixth of the entire Part 1 test. Candidates must be fluent in conductor types, box and enclosure fill, device ratings, and installation methods as written into the NEC and the Massachusetts amendments in 527 CMR 12.00.
- Highest point value of any domain - treat it as a priority, not a review afterthought
Domain 3: Services - 11 questions
Second-largest domain. Service entrance sizing, disconnecting means, and clearance requirements show up repeatedly in scenario-style questions rather than simple definition recall.
- Expect calculation-based questions tied to load and conductor sizing
Domain 4: Grounding and Bonding & Domain 9: Special Occupancies and Equipment - 10 questions each
These two domains tie for third place. Grounding and Bonding tests electrode systems, bonding jumpers, and equipment grounding conductor sizing. Special Occupancies and Equipment covers hazardous locations, health care facilities, and other equipment-specific NEC articles.
- Together these two domains equal Wiring Methods and Devices in combined weight
At the other end of the scale, Domain 7 (Transformers) carries just 1 question and Domain 8 (Low-Voltage Distribution) carries 2, alongside Domain 11 (Lighting) at 2. These lighter domains still deserve a pass, but they should not consume disproportionate study time when Wiring Methods and Devices, Services, and Grounding and Bonding are worth so much more collectively.
| Domain | Question Count | Share of Part 1 |
|---|---|---|
| 5 - Wiring Methods and Devices | 15 | Largest |
| 3 - Services | 11 | 2nd largest |
| 4 - Grounding and Bonding | 10 | Tied 3rd |
| 9 - Special Occupancies and Equipment | 10 | Tied 3rd |
| 6 - Motors | 7 | Mid-weight |
| 2 - Advanced Elec Knowledge and Elec Theory | 6 | Mid-weight |
| 10 - Overcurrent Protection | 6 | Mid-weight |
| 12 - Alarm Systems | 6 | Mid-weight |
| 13 - Photovoltaic | 6 | Mid-weight |
| 1 - State Specific Electrical Requirements | 4 | Low-mid |
| 14 - Energy Storage Systems | 4 | Low-mid |
| 8 - Low-Voltage Distribution | 2 | Low |
| 11 - Lighting | 2 | Low |
| 7 - Transformers | 1 | Lowest |
If you're still wondering how these weightings translate into overall exam difficulty, the breakdown in How Hard Is the MA-ME Exam? puts the domain spread into context alongside the time limits.
Fees, Applications, and Retake Mechanics
The initial application and examination package totals $276, broken into $75 PSI processing, $80 for the technical examination, $55 for Business and Law, and $66 in state application charges. That figure does not include license issuance, which adds another $155 once you pass both parts. A full cost accounting, including how retake fees stack up, lives in the MA-ME Certification Cost 2026 breakdown.
Applications go through PSI's online system. If you fail three times, the Board requires additional board-accepted education before you can sit again; fail six times and you must repeat the full required education from scratch. That escalation structure is exactly why a single generic study pass rarely works - mapping study time against the exact domain weights above is the more reliable path, and the data behind why candidates struggle is unpacked further in the MA-ME Pass Rate 2026 analysis.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
Before you can even schedule Part 1, you need to satisfy the Board's prerequisites. These are non-negotiable gatekeepers, not suggestions.
- A current 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 and CORI documentation submitted with your application
A detailed walkthrough of how each of these pieces fits together, including documentation order of operations, is available in the MA-ME Requirements 2026 guide. It's worth reading before you start any exam-content review, since an incomplete application can delay your testing eligibility regardless of how ready you are academically.
Key Takeaway
Passing Class A gets you the license to run an electrical business, but it does not authorize personal hands-on wiring work - that still requires a Class B journeyman license. Know which license does what before you plan your next career move.
Test Day Rules and Allowed References
MA-ME testing is computer-based, open-book, and delivered at approved Massachusetts testing centers through PSI. "Open-book" here means specific references, not a free-for-all.
- The NEC (confirm the tested edition for your appointment)
- Massachusetts amendments in 527 CMR 12.00
- NFPA 72 for alarm-related content
- A silent, nonprinting, nonprogramming battery-operated calculator
Ugly's Electrical References and the American Electricians' Handbook are explicitly prohibited - do not bring them, even out of habit from journeyman-level study. If you're assembling a shelf of prep material, the guidance in MA-ME Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass pairs well with a review of which reference books are actually permitted at the center.
2026 Code Cycle Watch
Massachusetts adopted its 2026 Electrical Code on April 24, 2026, and the Board's May 18, 2026 minutes anticipated examination changes arriving by November. This is the kind of detail that quietly sinks unprepared candidates - a code adoption date is not the same thing as an immediate exam change.
If your scheduled test date falls anywhere near a code transition window, call this out specifically when you check the current Candidate Information Bulletin, and cross-reference it against your planned test date in the MA-ME Exam Dates 2026 scheduling guide.
Renewal and Continuing Education
Passing the exam and getting licensed isn't the finish line. Massachusetts Class A licenses renew on a three-year cycle ending July 31, at a cost of $117, and require 21 continuing-education hours: 15 hours of mandatory code, business, law, and related instruction, plus 6 hours of professional development.
- Renewal fee: $117
- Cycle length: 3 years, ending July 31
- Mandatory hours: 15 (code, business, law, related)
- Professional development hours: 6
Because Class A specifically authorizes running an electrical business, many licensees pursue it as a career step rather than a purely technical one. If you're weighing whether the license, the renewal obligations, and the education hours are worth the investment relative to your career goals, the Is the MA-ME Certification Worth It? ROI Analysis lays out the qualitative tradeoffs, and the MA-ME Salary Guide 2026 covers the earning side of that equation.
Final-Week Review Plan
In the last stretch before your appointment, resist the urge to re-read everything evenly. Sequence your final review around the domain weights, not the domain numbers.
Heavyweight Domains
- Drill Wiring Methods and Devices (15 questions) and Services (11 questions) with scenario-based practice, not flashcards
Tied Third-Place Domains
- Work Grounding and Bonding and Special Occupancies and Equipment (10 questions each) side by side, since both draw heavily on 527 CMR 12.00 amendments
Mid-Weight Cluster
- Review Motors, Overcurrent Protection, Alarm Systems, Photovoltaic, and Theory - each worth 6-7 questions
Business and Law
- Shift entirely to Part II material; don't let Part 1 review crowd out this separately timed, separately scored exam
Light Review + Logistics
- Confirm your PSI appointment, calculator, and permitted references; lightly review low-weight domains like Transformers and Lighting
A full-length walkthrough of pacing yourself across a 4-hour, 90-question format is available in a Massachusetts master electrician practice test designed to mirror the real question distribution, which is the closest thing to a dress rehearsal before test day.
FAQ
Part 1, the technical examination for the Class A license, has 90 questions with a 4-hour time limit. A 70% score, or 63 correct answers, is required to pass.
Yes. Business and Law Part II has 50 questions and a 2-hour limit, requiring 70% (35 correct) to pass. Both Part 1 and Part II must be completed within 12 months of application approval.
Wiring Methods and Devices, with 15 of the 90 total questions. Services follows with 11, and Grounding and Bonding along with Special Occupancies and Equipment each carry 10.
No. Ugly's Electrical References and the American Electricians' Handbook are both explicitly prohibited, even though the exam is otherwise open-book with the NEC, 527 CMR 12.00, and NFPA 72.
After three unsuccessful attempts, the Board requires additional board-accepted education before you can retest. After six unsuccessful attempts, you must repeat the full required education program.