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Checked against primary sources 2026-09-07

A conflict, printed in full

Wisconsin Electrician Exam Cost: $30, $95 or Both

There are two published figures for sitting a Wisconsin electrician exam and they do not reconcile. Rather than average them into a number that appears nowhere, this page prints each source, says what it says, and leaves the gap visible.

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On this page
  1. The figure in the rule: $30
  2. The figure in the fee schedule: $95.00
  3. Where the two collide
  4. What you can be sure of
  5. The cost of failing, and of not turning up
  6. The costs nobody puts in a table
  7. Questions people ask
  8. What this page cites

The figure in the rule: $30

SPS 305.02 says fees "shall be determined in accordance with Table 305.02." In that table, the Examination Fee column reads $30 for master electrician, residential master electrician, journeyman electrician, industrial journeyman electrician and residential journeyman electrician.

Alongside it, the Application Fee column reads $35 for all five, and the license fee on issue is $100 for the journeyman grades and $200 for the master grades.

The same section adds that fees "for licenses, certifications, registrations, and enrollment and for processing examinations shall not be refundable."

The figure in the fee schedule: $95.00

The Pearson VUE Computer-Based Trade Exam Fee Schedule has three columns, headed "Examination", "Seat Time (Hrs.)" and "Total Candidate Fee Payable to Pearson VUE (USD)."

Every electrician row reads four hours and $95.00: Commercial Electrical Inspector, Industrial Journeyman Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician, Residential Journeyman Electrician and Residential Master Electrician. The UDC Electrical Inspector row reads three hours and $90.00.

The column heading is the awkward part. It says "Total Candidate Fee," which reads like the whole cost of sitting.

Where the two collide

DSPS's news release of October 4, 2023, announcing the Pearson VUE partnership, says: "Individuals registering for an exam with Pearson VUE will pay a small administration fee to the testing service in addition to the state trades exam fee."

Read that against the fee schedule column heading. One DSPS document describes $95.00 as a total payable to Pearson VUE. Another DSPS document says the Pearson charge is paid in addition to the state exam fee, which Table 305.02 sets at $30.

We could not confirm which reading is right. A candidate using the Pearson channel might pay $95, or $95 plus $30, and no source we read resolves it.

So this page prints both figures with their sources and publishes no single all-in number. If you need to know before you budget, ask DSPS and keep the answer in writing.

What you can be sure of

The application fee is $35, from Table 305.02. The license fee on issue is $100 for journeyman, industrial journeyman and residential journeyman, and $200 for master and residential master.

Neither of those depends on the testing channel. Nor does the $15 fee SPS 305.09 sets for an examination review request.

What the forms will show you is a total from the system rather than a rule figure, because DSPS's own application forms carry no prices at all. Forms 3106 and 3107 both say only "Fees will be calculated in LicensE."

The cost of failing, and of not turning up

SPS 305.09 says an applicant who fails part of a multi-part examination retakes "only those parts failed," and an applicant who does not pass all required parts within one year has to retake and pass all of them.

Not turning up is treated as a failure, and it carries a bill. SPS 305.09 says an applicant who "fails to appear at a scheduled license, certification or registration examination without giving notice to the department at least 24 hours before the examination shall be considered to have failed the examination and shall be required to submit a re-examination application and examination fee."

Pearson VUE's candidate handbook gives a cancellation window: candidates who want to cancel or reschedule without penalty must do so "at least forty-eight (48) hours before the examination." The handbook also says a new exam eligibility has to be sent to Pearson VUE before a retake appointment can be scheduled.

The costs nobody puts in a table

A code book in the right edition is the largest of them, and this autumn there is a real chance of buying the wrong one. Read the edition page before you order.

The two Wisconsin chapters cost nothing. SPS 305 and SPS 316 are public law, you can print them yourself, and both are allowed in the room in your binder.

Up to two bound reference books are allowed, and DSPS names the kind of thing it means on the exam page. Buying four books you have never opened is worse than carrying two you know.

Questions people ask

How much does the Wisconsin electrician exam cost?

Table 305.02 sets the state examination fee at $30. Pearson VUE publishes $95.00 per electrician exam as a total candidate fee. DSPS has separately said the Pearson fee is charged in addition to the state fee, so the two figures do not reconcile.

Do I pay $95 or $125?

We cannot tell you, and neither can any source we read. The fee schedule column says total payable to Pearson VUE, and the DSPS news release says the Pearson fee is in addition to the state trades exam fee. Ask DSPS and keep the answer.

What is the Wisconsin electrician application fee?

$35 for the licensed grades and $15 for the registered electrician enrollment and the apprentice registration, from Table 305.02.

Are exam fees refundable in Wisconsin?

No. SPS 305.02 says fees for licenses, certifications, registrations and enrollment, and for processing examinations, are not refundable.

What does it cost to have an exam reviewed?

SPS 305.09 sets a $15 fee for an examination review request.

What happens if I miss my appointment?

Missing it without notice to the department at least 24 hours before the examination counts as a failed examination under SPS 305.09, and it requires a re-examination application and examination fee. Pearson VUE asks for cancellation or rescheduling at least 48 hours in advance to avoid a penalty.

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What this page cites

If your book is the other edition

The 2023 to 2026 section crosswalk maps every section that moved, both directions, $29 once.

NEC and National Electrical Code are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association.

Trojan Digital Marketing is an independent company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NFPA, the Department of Safety and Professional Services, Pearson VUE, or any licensing authority, school or union.

The Wisconsin examinations are open book, and the allowance is a generous one: the code book or handbook, one binder holding SPS 305, SPS 316 and printed notes, and up to two bound reference books. The DSPS exam pages still name the 2017 National Electrical Code, DSPS expects its exam updates to be completed by 1 October 2026, and the trade press reports the questions changing from that date. The field code, SPS 316, went to the 2023 edition on 1 September 2026, so for one month the book you work to and the book you test on are different.

All practice questions are original. They are not actual exam questions.

Built and maintained by Jeff Clerisier, Trojan Digital Marketing.

Every rule here is cited to the section it comes from, and corrections are logged in public with the date. This is study material rather than electrical advice, and it does not replace your own code book or your inspector.

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