MT Journeyman Electrician study guide
MT Journeyman Electrician · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Montana Journeyman Electrician license is the credential that lets an electrician work unsupervised on electrical installations in the state, once the required hours of supervised experience and the licensing steps set by the Montana Board of Electrical Examiners have been met. It is aimed at electricians who have completed their apprenticeship or accumulated equivalent field experience and are ready to take responsibility for code-compliant work. The MT Journeyman Electrician study guide has 9 sections and about 3,341 words.
01General Electrical Knowledge and Theory
Domain 1 tests the theory the rest of the exam leans on: Ohm's law and power in single- and three-phase circuits, series and parallel behavior, conductor resistance, voltage drop, power factor, and the Chapter 9 tables that turn theory into conductor-and-raceway answers. E = I × R and P = I × E = I²R.
379 words, about 2 min02Wiring Methods and Materials
Chapter 3 is the "which wiring method where" domain, and Articles 300 and 310 supply the rules that apply to all of them: protection from damage, support, burial depth, ampacity, and derating. Expect questions that give a location and ask which method is permitted, or give a raceway and a conductor set and ask whether it fits.
382 words, about 2 min03Grounding, Bonding, and Overcurrent Protection
Article 250 is the most heavily tested article on most journeyman exams, and it pairs with Article 240: the grounding path must be able to carry the fault current that the overcurrent device is expected to clear. 250.24(A) requires the service grounded conductor to be bonded to the service enclosure and connected to the grounding electrode conductor at the service.
400 words, about 2 min04Branch Circuits, Feeders, and Service Calculations
Articles 210, 215, 220, and 230 cover what the exam calls load calculations: receptacle and lighting requirements for branch circuits, demand factors for feeders, and the minimum service size. Both the standard method in 220 Parts III and IV and the optional method in 220.82 and 220.84 appear on the exam.
341 words, about 2 min05Motors, Controls, and HVAC Equipment
Article 430 (motors) and Article 440 (air conditioning and refrigeration) test a specific discipline: circuit conductors and short-circuit protection are sized from Code tables, while overload protection is sized from the nameplate. 430.6(A)(1): use Table 430.248, 430.249, or 430.250 for full-load current, not the motor nameplate, when sizing branch-circuit conductors, disconnects, and short-circuit protection.
369 words, about 2 min06Special Occupancies, Locations, and Equipment
Articles 500 through 590 classify locations by hazard and then impose wiring methods. The exam asks you to classify a space, then choose the permitted method, sealing, and equipment.
364 words, about 2 min07Boxes, Raceways, and Conductor Fill
Article 314 governs boxes: volume for conductors, devices, and clamps; pull-box dimensions; and conductor length. Chapter 9 supplies the fill tables that pair with it.
359 words, about 2 min08Montana Electrical Statutes, Rules, and Licensing
The Montana portion tests state licensing law rather than electrical theory: who may perform electrical work, who may contract for it, how permits and inspections work, and what the Board can do about violations. The licensing statute is Title 37, chapter 68, MCA.
358 words, about 2 min09Safety, NFPA 70E, and Job-Site Practices
NFPA 70E is about how the work is done, not how it is built. The exam tests the hierarchy of controls, approach boundaries, risk assessment, PPE selection, lockout/tagout, and meter safety.
389 words, about 2 min