You must first register with the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners to take the electrical exam. This means filling out the application and paying the required processing fee. This will also include providing details on any apprenticeship or electrical work experience. Pre-approval by the board is a requirement before you can take the exam.
The exam has 60 questions and you must get 70 percent of the questions correct to pass. That means you must answer 42 of the exam's 60 questions correctly. You will have three hours to take the exam. It is open book so you can look up answers. The exam typically contains questions on general knowledge, wiring and protection, wiring methods and materials, equipment and general use, special occupancies, special equipment, special conditions and communication systems.
The recommended reference guide for taking the exam is the 2008 National Electrical Code book. This book is a publication of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and contains all the official codes and standards used in the electrical profession in this country. Test takers can reference this book during the exam to answer questions. You can obtain the book from many sources, including ordering directly from the NFPA website, where you will find it in various formats ranging from a bound book to an online version.
Trained individuals already licensed as master electricians or journeyman in other states may not have to take the exam if licensed in a state with a reciprocity agreement with Arkansas. However, they still must register and pay licensing fees set by the Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners. As of March 2011, states with master electrician reciprocity agreements are Oregon and Oklahoma. Those states with journeyman license reciprocity agreements are Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.