Exam E1

Residential Electrical Inspector

Inspecting electrical services, conductors, equipment, components, fixtures, appliances and devices for one- and two-family dwellings limited to 120/240 volts, single phase, up to 400 amperes.

Questions: 60
Time limit: 120 min
Per question: 120 sec
Book: Open

Where the marks sit

Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements carries 28 percent on its own. Study time should follow this, not the order of the chapters.

03 Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements28%

04 Wiring Methods and Power and Lighting Distribution21%

05 Devices, Lighting Fixtures, and Appliances19%

02 Services17%

01 General Requirements10%

06 Swimming Pools and Similar Installations5%

Transcribed from ICC's published E1 content outline. Areas sum to 100 percent.

Full topic breakdown

Area	Topic	Weight
0101	Project Administration	1%
0102	Public Information and Legal	1%
0103	Electrical Theory	2%
0104	Clearances and Guarding	2%
0105	Connections and Splices	2%
0106	Conductors	2%
0201	Service Size and Rating	8%
0202	Service Grounding and Bonding	9%
0301	Feeders	5%
0302	Branch Circuit and Feeder Calculations	6%
0303	Branch Circuit Ratings and Overcurrent Protection	7%
0304	Required Branch Circuits	5%
0305	Panelboards	5%
0401	Installation Methods	4%
0402	Branch Circuit Required Outlets	4%
0403	Branch Circuits, GFCI	4%
0404	Boxes and Enclosures	3%
0405	Equipment Grounding	3%
0406	Flexible Cords	2%
0407	Class 2 Circuits	1%
0501	Switches and Receptacles	6%
0502	Light Fixtures	4%
0503	Appliances	5%
0504	Heating and Cooling Equipment	4%
0601	Swimming Pool Wiring	5%

Where candidates lose the clock on E1

Each of these is a term the exam words one way and the code files another way.

You are looking for	The code calls it
GFCI outlets in a bathroom	Branch circuits, GFCI
ground rod at the panel	Service grounding and bonding

Drill these against a clock

Before you book: the ICC passing score is a scaled 75, not 75 percent, the E1 study notes by weight show where the marks sit, and B1 vs R5 covers whether to stop at one exam or take all four.

Common questions

How many questions are on the ICC E1 exam?

The E1 Residential Electrical Inspector exam has 60 multiple-choice questions with a 120-minute limit, which works out to about 120 seconds per question.

Is the ICC E1 exam open book?

Yes. The E1 is an open-book exam. The constraint is time rather than recall: you have roughly 120 seconds per question including the lookup.

How long is the ICC E1 exam?

120 minutes, or 2 hours, for 60 questions.

What is on the ICC E1 exam?

6 topic areas. The heaviest is Branch Circuit and Feeder Requirements at 28 percent, followed by Wiring Methods and Power and Lighting Distribution at 21 percent. The full weighting is published by ICC and reproduced on this page.

Which code book do I need for the E1 exam?

The International Residential Code is the primary reference. Confirm the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, because adopted editions vary by state and the exam is written to a specific one.

The companion books