The International Association of Electrical Inspectors is one of several industry stakeholders that has partnered with the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA) to create one nationally recognized accredited trade examination for electricians. NASCLA will offer three (3) different open book electrical trade examinations through the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination Program: Electrical Contractors, Journeyman Electricians and Residential Electrician/Residential Electrical Contractors.
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from around the country came together to work with NASCLA in developing the job analyses for each examination to represent the work performed in jurisdictions throughout the United States. NASCLA conducted national surveys of electricians in each category to aid the SMEs in the creation of each job analysis. The SMEs developed items based on the job analysis and vetted those questions during follow-up meetings. These job analyses, questions, and examinations were developed under the highest national psychometric and electrical standards.
The NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination Program has been developed to: improve the overall quality and validity of trade licensing examinations in general for electricians; participating states will provide contractor mobility by allowing electricians the opportunity to cross state borders without having to take multiple electrical examinations.
Once a candidate has taken and passed a NASCLA Accredited Examination, their information is stored in the NASCLA National Examination Database (NED). Candidates can electronically send a regulatory agency their transcript through the database to alert the agency that they have passed one or more of the examinations. Regulatory agencies can then pair the transcript with the candidate’s license application.
NASCLA is anticipating that the NASCLA Accredited Electrical Examination Program will launch in late 2017.
For more information, please visit the NASCLA website at www.nascla.org/default.asp?page=ElectricalExams.