California Electrician Exam Pass Rates (DIR Statistics)
First-time and repeat pass rates for the California General, Residential, Fire/Life Safety, Voice Data Video and Lighting electrician exams, from the official 2023 statistical overview and the cumulative DLSE figures.
Cole Hendricks ·
reviewed by Nora Callahan ·
· 4 min read
About half of the people who sit the California General Electrician exam for the first time pass it. The rest either try again or give up.
The state and its test provider publish real numbers, so there is no need to guess. This page collects them.
Each figure names its period, because the two main sources cover different years.
In short
- General Electrician, 2023: 4,150 attempts and a 51.22 percent first-time pass rate.1
- Repeat candidates passed at 39.75 percent.1
- Residential Electrician, 2023: 49.24 percent first time, from 204 attempts.1
- From 2002 to January 2022, 55 percent of all exams taken were passed.2
- You can retest as often as you like within a year, with 60 days between sittings.3
Pass rates in 2023
The statistical overview covers 1 January to 31 December 2023. It was compiled by the exam provider at the time, and it lists the approximate number of attempts per year, the first-time pass rate and the repeat pass rate.1
1General Electrician: 51.22 percent first time
The General Electrician exam (100 questions) had 4,150 attempts in 2023. First-time candidates passed at 51.22 percent. Repeat candidates passed at 39.75 percent.1
2Residential Electrician: 49.24 percent first time
The 80-question residential exam had 204 attempts. First-time candidates passed at 49.24 percent and repeaters at 40.28 percent.1
3Fire/Life Safety Technician: 52.28 percent first time
257 attempts on a 50-question exam. Repeat candidates did better than first-timers, at 56.67 percent.1
4Voice Data Video Technician: 42.28 percent first time
187 attempts. Repeat candidates passed at 59.38 percent.1
5Non-Residential Lighting Technician: 53.85 percent first time
Only 19 attempts, so this number is unstable. The repeat rate was 16.67 percent.1
Cumulative figures 2002 to 2022
The Electrician Certification Unit published a cumulative report covering 1 December 2002 to 1 January 2022.2
6140,598 exams taken, 76,659 passed (55 percent)
Across all categories, 140,598 exams were taken and 76,659 were passed, which is 55 percent. 63,939 were failed.2
7General Electrician: 56 percent of 114,423 exams
The General exam accounts for most of the volume. Of 114,423 exams taken, 64,406 were passed.2
8Residential: 31 percent
The Residential exam had 10,986 exams taken and a 31 percent pass rate over the full period.2
9Fire/Life Safety 61 percent, Voice Data Video 60 percent, Lighting 39 percent
These three smaller exams had 9,865, 3,277 and 2,047 exams taken respectively.2
1033,215 active electricians and 12,594 active trainees
As of the report date in January 2022, the unit counted 33,215 active certified electricians, of whom 29,619 held an active General certificate, and 12,594 active trainees.2
How to read the numbers
A pass rate counts exams, not people, and the two sources use different periods, so do not compare them line by line.2
The 2023 report also lists an average P-value of 0.68 for the General exam. That is the average share of candidates who answer a single question correctly. It is not a pass rate, but it shows why 70 percent is a real hurdle.1
The provider treats statistics from fewer than 30 candidates as unstable, which is why the Lighting numbers should be read with care.1
The best way to improve your own odds is to practice under exam conditions. Start a free practice test and time yourself.
See also the exam format guide.
Common questions
What is the pass rate for the California electrician exam?
For the General exam in 2023, 51.22 percent of first-time candidates passed.1
Is the residential exam easier?
Not by the numbers. It had a 49.24 percent first-time rate in 2023 and 31 percent cumulatively.12
How many people take the exam each year?
The 2023 overview lists about 4,800 attempts across all exams, and 4,150 of them were General.1
Can I retake the exam?
Yes, with 60 days between sittings and a new fee each time, for one year after your eligibility notice.3
Writing about this topic yourself? You are welcome to use all the numbers, with a link to this page. Pick a format and copy it with one click.
<a href="https://californiaelectricianlicense.com/blog/california-electrician-exam-pass-rates/">California Electrician Exam Pass Rates (DIR Statistics)</a>, CaliforniaElectricianLicense.comHendricks, C. (2026). California Electrician Exam Pass Rates (DIR Statistics). CaliforniaElectricianLicense.com. https://californiaelectricianlicense.com/blog/california-electrician-exam-pass-rates/
Hendricks, Cole. "California Electrician Exam Pass Rates (DIR Statistics)." CaliforniaElectricianLicense.com, 2026, californiaelectricianlicense.com/blog/california-electrician-exam-pass-rates/
Sources
The 2023 overview covers calendar year 2023. The cumulative report covers December 2002 to January 2022, and active-card and trainee counts are as of the report date. This site is independent and is not affiliated with the California DIR or Pearson VUE.
Enough reading, time to practice
10 practice questions, the solution right away, and at the end you see where you stand.