Who can sit it
The Board licenses electrical contractors, not electricians. Class I (the SOS site calls it Restricted) covers residential work: multifamily buildings of not more than two levels and single-family homes of up to three levels, with single-phase service not exceeding 400 A at the service drop or lateral. That 400 A figure is the statute as re-enacted July 1, 2026; the older Board rule and most study guides still print 200 A, so expect either number on an exam question and read which source it names.
The Board approves you to test before you can book a seat. One of three routes (O.C.G.A. 43-14-8):
- Experience: three years of full-time field experience on NEC-type installations, showing at least five of the seven listed work areas (raceways and boxes; conductors, cords and splices; service entrances, metering and panelboards; motors and their controls; switches, disconnects and lighting and appliance controls; special-occupancy equipment; bonding and grounding electrodes) plus competency in load, branch-circuit and conductor calculations.
- Education: a two-year electrical diploma or certificate program plus two years of experience.
- Apprenticeship: a US Department of Labor accredited or approved apprenticeship.
Every application also needs a sworn experience affidavit from the licensed contractor (or the architect or engineer) who supervised you, three reference forms with at least one from a licensed electrical contractor, a background check from your local law enforcement agency, a secure and verifiable identity document with the lawful-presence affidavit, and the $110 application fee. You must be at least 21. Georgia does not offer licensure by reciprocity (Board FAQ, effective May 2026).
What is on it
Two parts, both multiple choice, both open book:
- Part 1, Regulations, Laws and Administrative Functions: 30 scored questions. Comply with laws 10 (workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, Circular E, the Licensing Board, sales and use tax, business license). Comply with regulations 9 (OSHA 29 CFR 1926, the NEC, NFPA, UL listing, permits and inspections). Administrative requirements 6 (bonds, insurance, cash flow, bookkeeping, accident reports, estimating, contracts). Plan and organize work 5 (drawings and submittals, inventory, scheduling).
- Part 2, Technical: 110 scored questions. Basic circuits 21. Controls and devices 22. DC and AC rotating equipment 9. Transformers 7. Interior systems 30. Special equipment, conditions and locations 21.
That is 140 scored questions. The Class I exam adds 15 unscored pretest questions, so you see 155 in total and cannot tell which ones do not count. Answer every one.
Class I is weighted toward what a residential contractor does every day: 30 questions on interior wiring (services, panels, NM cable, EMT, grounding, load calculations, appliances) and 22 on controls and devices. Three-phase motor connections and transformer banks are on the Class I outline too, just lighter: 9 and 7 questions. Our Class I mock exam draws the same 140 by the same counts.
The code edition
PSI's reference list for exams given January 1 through December 31, 2026 names the 2023 National Electrical Code (or the 2023 NEC Handbook). Every NEC question here is written from the 2023 text and cites the section.
Georgia amends the NEC. The Department of Community Affairs adopted the 2026 Georgia amendments to the 2023 NEC with an effective date of January 1, 2027; the NEC edition itself stays 2023. The exam is written to the national text, so answer NEC questions from the book in your hands and keep the Georgia amendments for the inspector and for any question that says "in Georgia." For residential work the differences matter daily: Georgia limits kitchen GFCI to countertop receptacles, drops ranges, ovens, dryers and microwaves from the appliance GFCI list, leaves kitchens and laundry areas off the AFCI list, requires the island receptacle the national text made optional, and exempts one- and two-family dwellings from the service surge protector. Our lessons show both texts side by side.
What you can bring
Open book means the references on PSI's list and nothing else:
- American Electricians' Handbook, 17th edition (2021)
- Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Georgia CILB edition, 5th edition (NASCLA)
- Employer's Tax Guide, IRS Circular E, 2025 or 2026
- 29 CFR Part 1926, OSHA construction standards, latest edition
- 2023 National Electrical Code or NEC Handbook
- Printreading Based on the 2020 NEC
- Ugly's Electrical References, 2023
Bring as many or as few as you like. Books may be highlighted, underlined and tabbed with permanent tabs. No photocopies, no handwritten notes, not even pasted in. A silent, non-programmable calculator without alpha keys or printing is allowed. Pencils and one sheet of scratch paper at a time are provided.
Time and scoring
Four hours for Part 1, a break, then four hours for Part 2. The time includes the pretest questions.
Scores are scaled. The minimum passing final scaled score is 70 on each exam. The Board does not publish how many raw correct answers equal 70, so our mocks use 70 percent correct as the bar: a pass here is a pass without help from the scaling. You get the score report at the test center.
How to book
- Create an account in GOALS, the Secretary of State's licensing portal, and file the Class I application with the fee and the checklist documents. Applications are generally processed within 20 business days; if the Board sends a deficiency letter the count restarts when the corrected documents arrive, and an application left incomplete for 60 days is withdrawn.
- The Board approves you to sit and sends an Exam Approval Letter. The letter is valid for one year.
- PSI emails you a confirmation with instructions. Schedule online at test-takers.psiexams.com/gaco or by phone at 855-898-0711. Exams run Monday through Saturday by appointment at PSI centers across the Southeast, first come, first served.
- Report 20 minutes early with two forms of ID: one current government photo ID with your signature, one more with your name and signature. Arrive more than 15 minutes late and you are not admitted, and the fee is forfeited.
Exam fees are non-refundable. You may reschedule once at no charge if you do it at least two business days before the appointment.
After you pass
The license renews every two years. Renewal is online in GOALS by June 30 of even-numbered years, with a late window from July 1 to July 31 and a late fee. Continuing education is four hours a year, eight per renewal cycle, and you may be audited.
Questions people ask
What happens if I fail?
You retake the exam. Fail it twice and Board Rule 121-2-.06 requires you to complete a Board-approved review course before you can test a third time. After that course, you may keep testing without further courses.
Can I move from Class I to Class II later?
Yes, by applying for Class II and meeting its experience rule: four years with at least two on three-phase systems. Holding Class I does not shorten that; the three-phase years are the whole difference between the two licenses.
Can I bring the Georgia amendments into the exam?
They are not on PSI's reference list, so no. The exam is written from the national 2023 text. Learn the amendments for the job; answer the exam from the book.
Is the exam in Spanish?
No. The exam is in English. The site, this guide, the free exam and the tutor are in Spanish; all 77 lessons are in Spanish; the full question bank is being translated and shows English until its Spanish is reviewed.
Does Class I really include transformers and three-phase motors?
Yes. The PSI outline gives Class I seven transformer questions and nine on rotating equipment, and the Class I task list includes changing a motor's rotation, connecting a dual-voltage single-phase motor, connecting an autotransformer and a distribution transformer for 115 and 230 volts. The heavy three-phase bank work is marked Class II only.