Michigan Electrician Exam Day: What to Bring, What to Leave

Fifteen minutes before your appointment

PSI asks candidates to arrive 15 minutes ahead of the appointment time, and says what those minutes are for: signing in and identification.

That is a shorter runway than several other states give you, and those fifteen minutes belong to the sign-in desk, so be parked and up the lift before they start.

Arriving after the start time ends the day at that desk. The bulletin lists a late arrival among the four ways to forfeit the examination fee, alongside not appearing, not cancelling at least two days out, and not presenting proper identification.

One piece of identification, and what counts

You present one form of identification to get into the test center. It has to be government issued, carry a photograph and a signature, and be current and unexpired.

The bulletin names the cards it accepts: a state driver's license, a state identification card, a US passport, a US military identification, a US alien registration card, or a Canadian government identification.

A temporary identification is not accepted. Turn your card over tonight and read the expiration date, because a card that lapsed in June looks exactly like one that has not.

What goes in the room with you

The list is short. Your allowed reference materials, and a close fitting jacket or sweatshirt.

The reference materials are the National Electrical Code, 2016 PA 407, 1972 PA 230 and the Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8, plus a straight edge rule with no calculations printed on it. Everything has to be bound, and printed documents need three staples down the left edge as separate documents.

Nothing you carry in may be marked: highlights, underlining and marks of any type are all out, and the code book may carry factory tabs only. The book rules page works through that in detail, because it is the rule that costs candidates the most preparation.

What goes into storage

Everything else. Personal belongings go into the secure storage provided at each site before you enter the examination room, and the close fitting jacket or sweatshirt is the stated exception.

The prohibited list runs long: phones, smartwatches, tablets, recording devices and calculators, along with purses, wallets, notebooks, pens, pencils, food and drinks. Bulky or loose clothing, coats and hooded items go too, and so do hats other than religious headgear.

Losing the watch matters more than it sounds. The countdown on the screen becomes the only clock you have for the next 150 minutes on a journeyman paper, or 180 on a master one.

The calculator gap in the published material

Calculators are on the prohibited list and the bulletin does not describe what the workstation gives you instead. It names no on screen calculator and no scratch surface.

We are not going to fill that in for you. It is the single most consequential thing the document leaves unsaid, because it decides whether you practice load calculations on a keypad or on paper.

Call PSI on 855-579-4635 and ask what the Michigan electrical workstation provides for arithmetic and for working out. The line runs Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 10pm Eastern and at the weekend from 9am to 5:30pm Eastern. Write the answer down with the date.

Inside the room

Proctors may inspect eyeglasses, clothing hems and pockets before you sit, and may check other items to make sure nothing unauthorized reaches the workstation.

Once you are seated the restroom is the only reason to leave, it takes the proctor's permission, and no extra time is given for it. There is no eating, drinking or smoking in the center.

Anyone who drove you cannot wait for you. The bulletin says people accompanying a candidate may not wait in the examination center, inside the building, or on the building's property.

A prohibited item found in the room invalidates the result. The bulletin describes removal from the center, forfeiture of materials, and an incident report to the Bureau of Construction Codes.

The seven test centers

PSI lists seven Michigan sites for these examinations: Dearborn, Holt near Lansing, two in Southfield, Grand Rapids, Gaylord and Marquette.

Two of the seven are in Southfield, on Northland Drive and on Lahser Road, so drive to the street named on your confirmation, since the city alone won't tell the two apart. A candidate who drives to the wrong Southfield address arrives late, and late is a forfeited fee.

If severe weather or an emergency closes a site, PSI says the examination will be rescheduled and that its staff will attempt to contact you. You can check on 855-579-4635 or at the PSI Michigan electrical site.

The deadline that arrives before you feel ready to use it

A cancellation notice reaching PSI two days before your examination date protects the fee. Cancel later than that, or fail to appear, and the $100 is gone.

The cancellation has to go through the PSI website or by phone to a customer service representative. A voicemail does not count and neither does an email.

So the go or no go decision has a deadline of its own, and it lands before the last weekend of study that would tell you the answer.

When you finish

Your score appears on the screen as soon as you complete the examination, and PSI provides a score report.

A failing report carries a diagnostic showing strengths and weaknesses by examination type. Read it in the car before you drive home, because it is the only page that names what to work on.

Reports print later from your PSI online account, so a report left on the passenger seat is recoverable. The retakes page covers what happens next.

Questions people ask

What time should you arrive for the Michigan electrician exam?

Fifteen minutes before your appointment time. PSI says those minutes are for signing in and verifying identification. Arriving after the start time means you are not admitted and the examination fee is forfeited.

What ID do you need for the Michigan electrician exam?

One current, unexpired government issued identification carrying a photograph and a signature. PSI accepts a state driver's license, a state identification card, a US passport, a US military ID, a US alien registration card or a Canadian government ID. Temporary identification is not accepted.

Can you bring a calculator to the Michigan electrician exam?

Calculators are on the bulletin's prohibited list along with phones, smartwatches, tablets and recording devices, and they go into secure storage. The bulletin does not say what the workstation gives you instead. Call PSI on 855-579-4635 and ask before your date.

What can you take into the Michigan electrician exam room?

Your allowed reference materials and a close fitting jacket or sweatshirt. The references are the National Electrical Code, 2016 PA 407, 1972 PA 230 and the Michigan Electrical Code Rules Part 8, plus a straight edge rule with no calculations on it. Everything must be bound and unmarked.

Where are the Michigan electrician exam test centers, and which two get mixed up?

PSI lists seven: Dearborn, Holt near Lansing, two separate Southfield sites on Northland Drive and Lahser Road, Grand Rapids, Gaylord and Marquette. Check the street address on your confirmation, because two of the seven share a city.

Can you cancel a Michigan electrician exam appointment?

Yes, and the fee survives if the cancellation notice reaches PSI two days before the scheduled date. It has to go through the PSI website or by phone to a customer service representative. Voicemail and email are not accepted.

Can someone wait for you at a Michigan PSI test center?

No. The bulletin says people accompanying a candidate may not wait in the examination center, inside the building, or on the building's property. Plan the ride so nobody is sitting in the parking lot for three hours.

When do you get your Michigan electrician exam score?

Immediately. The score appears on the screen when you finish and PSI provides a score report. A failing report carries a diagnostic showing strengths and weaknesses by examination type, and reports can be printed later from your PSI online account.

What this page cites

• PSI's Michigan candidate information bulletin In effect from 20 August 2026 and read on 4 September 2026. The item counts, time limits, 75 percent passing standard, $100 fee, allowed references, book and conduct rules, attempt limit, score report and test center list cited on this site all come from it. source
• LARA exam and licensing page, Bureau of Construction Codes The state page naming the code each examination is based on and the experience each license calls for. Read 4 September 2026. source
• Part 8 Electrical Code rules, R 408.30801 to R 408.30880 Michigan's adopting rule, which puts the NEC into force in the state and writes in the state's own amendments. Read on the state administrative rules site, 4 September 2026. source