Checked against primary sources 2026-09-05
What happens next
Failed the Georgia Electrical Exam: Retakes and Rules
Georgia's retake rule is short and it has one hinge in it. A first failure means booking again. A second failure means a Board approved review course before PSI will seat you a third time.
Test yourself: thirty free questions, timed
On this page
After one failure
The bulletin says candidates who fail have to retake and pass. It sets no fixed waiting period between the first attempt and the second.
Exam fees aren't refundable, so a retake is a new registration and a new fee. Ask PSI what that costs when you book, because the bulletin prints no dollar figure for the Georgia electrical exams.
Nothing about the board approval changes. You were approved to test, and that approval is what PSI schedules against.
After two failures, a review course
This is the rule that catches people. Fail the examination twice and you have to complete a Board approved review course before you're allowed to test a third time.
PSI's bulletin points at Board Rule 121-2-.06. The board's own rules compilation carries the same requirement at 121-3-.03(1), written for applicants for a conditioned air contractor, electrical contractor, master plumber or journeyman plumber license who took and failed twice after July 1, 1989, and requiring documentation that the course was completed before a third exam is scheduled.
Two rule numbers, one requirement. Both are official Georgia sources and we name both rather than picking one.
What happens after the course
Once you've submitted proof that you completed the review course, the requirement is satisfied. The bulletin says that a candidate who fails again after that isn't required to take any other courses and may test again.
So the course is a one time gate rather than something that returns after every second failure.
Keep your completion certificate. The board wants documentation, not your word that you sat through it.
Finding a course the board accepts
Neither the bulletin nor the rule names a specific provider. Both say Board approved, which means the approval is the board's to give.
The board does publish an approved provider list for continuing education, updated in November 2022, which names IAEI, Mike Holt Enterprises, Georgia Power, the Technical College System of Georgia and Ogeechee Technical College. That's a continuing education list, not a review course list, and we won't tell you the two are the same thing.
Ask the Division of Electrical Contractors what it accepts before you pay for a course. A course that doesn't count is an expensive way to learn that.
Where the second attempt usually goes wrong
Two things show up again and again in an eight hour, 140 scored question paper.
Business and law. Thirty of the 140 scored questions are regulations, laws and administrative functions on both the Class I and Class II papers. A candidate who studied only code left more than a fifth of the paper to chance, and the NASCLA book on the reference list is where those answers live.
Lookup speed. Eight hours across 155 or 162 items is roughly three minutes an item, and a lot of that goes on finding the rule rather than applying it. The article drill and the which table game attack that directly.
Before you rebook, run the diagnostic. Twenty four questions ranked worst first tells you where the second attempt should go.
The other reason people sit this exam twice
Not every retake follows a failure. A Georgia license that has lapsed three or more years requires passing an exam again before a license is issued, along with work experience documentation, three references, a background check and reinstatement fees.
A lapse under three years is different: continuing education, a background check and reinstatement fees, without a new exam.
The fees and renewal page has the dates and the money.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to wait to retake the Georgia electrical exam?
The bulletin sets no fixed waiting period between attempts. You register and pay again, and PSI schedules you by appointment Monday through Saturday.
What happens if I fail the Georgia electrical exam twice?
You have to complete a Board approved review course before you're allowed to test a third time. PSI's bulletin cites Board Rule 121-2-.06 and the rules compilation carries the same requirement at 121-3-.03(1).
Do I need another review course if I fail a third time?
No. The bulletin says that once you've submitted proof of completing the course, a further failure doesn't require any other courses and you may test again.
Which review courses does the board approve?
Neither the bulletin nor the rule names providers, so ask the Division of Electrical Contractors before you pay. The board's published provider list is for continuing education, which is a different requirement.
Does a retake cost money?
Yes. Exam fees aren't refundable and a retake is a new registration, so you pay again. The bulletin doesn't print the amount for the Georgia electrical exams.
Do I have to reapply to the board after failing?
The board approval is what PSI schedules against, so a retake is a booking rather than a new application. Confirm with the Division if your approval is old.
Thirty free questions, timed, with the working shown
Every miss comes back with the arithmetic worked out and the code section named, so you learn the trap and not just the answer. No account.
All questions here are original. They are not actual exam questions, and no question bank can promise you a pass.
What this page cites
- PSI candidate information bulletin 4783, Georgia electrical contractors PSI's own bulletin for the Georgia electrical contractor examinations. Source for the item counts, the content outline, the eight hours in two parts, the scaled 70, the reference list, the marking rules, the identification rules and the review course after two failures. Read 5 September 2026. source
- Board Rules, Department 121, State Construction Industry Licensing Board The rule set behind the Class I and Class II definitions, the four years of Primary Experience, the four low voltage classes, the minimum score of seventy and the review course after two failures. Read 5 September 2026. source
- How to guide for electrical contractors, Georgia Secretary of State The board's step by step guide, with the application items, the twenty business day review and the reinstatement rules. Read 5 September 2026. source
- Georgia State Board of Electrical Contractors The board's own landing page, with the restricted and non restricted licenses, the GOALS portal and the renewal dates. Read 5 September 2026. source
- Board of Electrical Contractors, frequently asked questions The page that answers whether the board licenses electricians with a plain no, and sets the continuing education hours and the reciprocity position. Read 5 September 2026. source
The 2023 to 2026 section crosswalk maps every section that moved, both directions, $29 once.