- DLI's Class A Master exam (AM) has 80 questions, a 5-hour-30-minute limit, and a 70% passing score.
- Application and examination fee is $50; renewal every two years costs $93 with 16 CE hours, 12 in NEC.
- Exams on or after September 8, 2026 switch to the 2026 NEC - separate from the August 17, 2026 installation-code date.
- DLI provides an untabbed NEC, the Minnesota Laws and Rules Booklet, and a basic calculator - no personal materials allowed.
Quick-Reference Snapshot
This cheat sheet is a one-page distillation of the numbers, rules, and structure that actually appear on the Minnesota Class A Master Electrician exam (identified as AM in DLI's examination guide). If you want the full walkthrough behind any of these facts, the MN-ME Study Guide 2026 breaks down how to turn this list into a study plan. For now, treat this page as the thing you re-read the night before test day.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Governing authority | Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), with the Minnesota Board of Electricity |
| License class | Class A Master Electrician (AM) |
| Application/exam fee | $50 |
| Question count | 80 multiple-choice, including calculations and multi-answer items |
| Time limit | 5 hours 30 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% |
| Retest wait | 30 days after failure notification |
| License expiration | Last day of February, odd-numbered years |
| Renewal cost/CE | $93; 16 hours CE per two years, 12 hours NEC |
The 11 Domains at a Glance
DLI's examination matrix organizes content into 11 major knowledge areas that mirror the structure of the National Electrical Code plus a final applied-theory section. Memorize the order - it maps directly to how NEC chapters are numbered, which helps you navigate the untabbed code book faster during the actual exam.
Domain 1: Introduction
Scope, purpose, and general requirements that frame how the rest of the Code applies.
Domain 2: Chapter 1 General
Definitions and general requirements for electrical installations - the vocabulary layer everything else depends on.
Domain 3: Chapter 2 Wiring and Protection
Branch circuits, feeders, overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding - historically one of the densest calculation areas.
Domain 4: Chapter 3 Wiring Methods and Materials
Conductor and raceway rules, boxes, cable types, and installation methods.
Domain 5: Chapter 4 Equipment for General Use
Switches, receptacles, motors, appliances, and general-use equipment requirements.
Domain 6: Chapter 5 Special Occupancies
Hazardous locations, health care facilities, assembly occupancies, and similar special-use spaces.
Domain 7: Chapter 6 Special Equipment
Elevators, EV charging, solar/PV, and other equipment-specific articles.
Domain 8: Chapter 7 Specific Conditions and Systems
Emergency systems, standby power, fire alarm circuits, and optical fiber.
Domain 9: Chapter 8 Communication Systems - Outside and Entering Buildings
Communications circuits and their intersection with premises wiring rules.
Domain 10: Chapter 9 Tables
Conductor fill, ampacity adjustment, and other reference tables you'll need to interpret quickly under time pressure.
Domain 11: Applied Electrical Theory, Electrical Systems and Equipment
Ohm's law, power calculations, three-phase systems, and other theory-based questions that aren't strictly Code lookups.
For a deeper explanation of how each domain is weighted and tested, read MN-ME Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 11 Content Areas.
Eligibility Routes Recap
Before you can schedule a seat, DLI has to approve your application. There are three accepted paths into the Class A Master exam:
- An electrical-engineering degree from an accredited college or university.
- One year of work as a licensed journeyworker electrician.
- Five years of practical experience planning, laying out, supervising, and installing electrical wiring, apparatus, or equipment.
You submit education and experience documentation to DLI and must receive approval before you can book a test date. This is not a "show up and test" exam - the paperwork step is mandatory and takes time, so build it into your timeline early. For the documentation specifics, see MN-ME Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Key Takeaway
Get your DLI application approved well before you start heavy Code review - a rejected or delayed application does more damage to your timeline than a few extra practice sessions ever will.
Question Format and Scoring Rules
The written exam is entirely multiple-choice, but "multiple-choice" undersells the difficulty. Two format quirks trip up first-time candidates:
- Electrical calculations are embedded throughout - not isolated in one section. Expect load calculations, voltage drop, and conductor sizing questions mixed in with conceptual Code questions.
- Some questions require more than one answer. These are graded as single questions with equal point value to every other question - there's no partial credit unless a specific question states otherwise.
With 80 questions and 5 hours 30 minutes on the clock, you have roughly four minutes per question on average - generous by most licensing-exam standards, but calculation-heavy items and Chapter 9 table lookups can eat that time quickly if you're not fluent in navigating the code book. The passing threshold is 70%, meaning you need to answer at least 56 of the 80 questions correctly.
To understand exactly how that 70% is calculated and what it means for your margin of error, see MN-ME Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. And if you're still deciding how much runway to give yourself, How Hard Is the MN-ME Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 puts the format and time pressure in context.
What You Can (and Can't) Bring In
The Class A Master exam is open-book, but only with materials DLI itself provides at the test site:
- An untabbed softcover NEC - no personal tabs, highlights, or sticky notes carried over from your own study copy.
- The applicable Minnesota Laws and Rules Booklet.
- A basic calculator.
Personal reference materials and electronic devices are prohibited. This detail matters more than it sounds: if you've trained exclusively on a tabbed, annotated NEC at home, you'll lose real time on exam day relearning how to navigate a clean, untabbed copy. Practicing with an untabbed code book - and building your own mental index of article numbers - is one of the highest-leverage things you can do before test day.
Key Takeaway
Rehearse Code navigation using an untabbed NEC, since that's the exact condition you'll face at the DLI test site.
The 2026 NEC Transition Date
Mark this date regardless of when you plan to test: exams administered on or after September 8, 2026 use the 2026 National Electrical Code. This exam-edition transition is a separate date from the August 17, 2026 installation-code effective date - the two dates govern different things (what edition you're tested on vs. when the new code applies to field installations), and mixing them up is a common source of confusion.
If your test date falls close to September 8, 2026, confirm with DLI which edition your specific exam session will use before you commit your study hours to one code cycle. For the current testing calendar and how this transition interacts with scheduling, check MN-ME Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Retest and License Lifecycle
Two lifecycle details every candidate should know cold:
- Retest waiting period: If you fail, you must wait 30 days after notification of failure before applying to retest. Use that window productively rather than immediately rebooking - go back through your weakest domains rather than re-cramming everything.
- License expiration: Once licensed, your Master license expires on the last day of February in odd-numbered years. Renewal costs $93 and requires 16 hours of approved continuing education per two-year period, with at least 12 of those hours in NEC content.
Also remember: a personal master electrician license is separate from an electrical contractor business license. Passing this exam and getting licensed as an individual does not automatically authorize you to run a contracting business - that's a distinct licensing track through DLI.
Who This License Opens Doors With
The Class A Master credential is the ceiling license for individual electricians in Minnesota - it signals to employers, inspectors, and contractor-license holders that you can be trusted with supervisory authority over installations spanning every NEC chapter tested in the 11 domains above. In practice, that shows up in job postings for lead electrician, electrical foreman, and superintendent roles, as well as positions supporting electrical contractor business licensure. If you're weighing whether the credential is worth the time and fee investment relative to journeyworker status, Is the MN-ME Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and MN-ME Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis dig into the career-side considerations. For current openings that specifically call for this license, browse MN-ME Jobs.
One-Week Final Review Schedule
If you're in your last week before test day, don't try to re-read the entire NEC. Instead, sequence your review around the domains most likely to cost you time or points under the 5-hour-30-minute clock.
Wiring and Protection (Domain 3) + Tables (Domain 10)
- Redo load calculations and conductor sizing problems by hand
- Practice pulling ampacity and fill values from Chapter 9 tables under a timer
Wiring Methods, Equipment, and Special Occupancies (Domains 4-6)
- Drill box and raceway sizing rules
- Review hazardous-location classifications and health care requirements
Special Equipment, Chapter 7 Systems, and Chapter 8 Communications (Domains 7-9)
- Focus on articles you rarely encounter in daily field work
- Cross-reference against the Minnesota Laws and Rules Booklet where applicable
Applied Electrical Theory (Domain 11)
- Rebuild core formulas from memory: power, Ohm's law, three-phase calculations
- Time yourself on 10-15 theory problems back to back
Full Simulation
- Run a full-length practice session with an untabbed code book and basic calculator only
- Review missed questions by domain, not just by score
Run a full timed simulation on the MN-ME practice test platform before test day so the 80-question, 5-hour-30-minute pacing feels familiar rather than unfamiliar. If you haven't built a longer study plan yet, the MN-ME Study Guide 2026 lays out a multi-week version of this same domain-first approach.
FAQ
The exam has 80 multiple-choice questions and a 5-hour-30-minute time limit, administered directly by DLI.
You need 70% to pass, which works out to at least 56 correct answers out of 80 questions. All questions carry equal point value and partial credit is not awarded unless a specific question states otherwise.
No. DLI provides an untabbed softcover NEC, the Minnesota Laws and Rules Booklet, and a basic calculator. Personal reference materials and electronic devices are prohibited.
You must wait 30 days after notification of failure before applying to retest. Use that time to target the specific domains where you missed the most questions.
Exams taken on or after September 8, 2026 use the 2026 National Electrical Code. This is a separate transition date from the August 17, 2026 installation-code effective date, so confirm which cycle applies to your specific test date.