Mike Holt's Illustrated Guide to Electrical Exam Preparation, Based on 2020 NEC

Arrived brand new on time. Can’t ask for much more than that.

I had this guide for a couple of months before taking my exam and haven't had a lot of time to study because I've been working a lot of overtime. I would complete a chapter or two on my only day off which is Sunday. I wasn't sure if I was actually ready or not, but the application process for the exam took a little while so once I could schedule my exam, I got the earliest date possible.The practice exams in this guide are very comparable to the real exam. I usually scored in the 80s on the practice ones and I got an 83 on the real one. I tested on 04/25/2022.I highly recommend this guide to anyone preparing for the journeyman exam. I've already passed it on to another coworker. If you feel nervous about the test, go ahead and get your hours verified and apply to take your exam. Schedule your exam and use this guide to study as much as you can and then go for it. If you fail, you'll see what section you need to work on and you can reschedule your test, study and try again. There are so many guys in the trade not getting their journeyman license because they don't think they'll pass the exam or maybe they fail it once and just don't try again. Keep trying until you pass so you can get more money and have better job opportunities. Your license won't say how many times you tested or what your score was; it doesn't matter. Just get it done as many times as it takes.

Great J-man practice. Almost too much info. You never stop applying these concepts after you become the state/union- recognized journeyman. I made the mistake of lending this book out to a no-ambition CE/CW who will probably never test out with the state or union. I wrote my number on the front sleeve and expressed that this was only a borrow. Some people are crap bs'ers. Never heard back, never got it back. Keep this as a REFERENCE. Luckily 2023 is here and I bought the latest. It's really worth it. If you want to do your job right and be in the 90+% of competency in this trade...buy this and apply this....even if you've passed your test, already. You work everyday, keep learning everyday. Yeah, hands on mechanical skills matters, but so does code compliant installations that won't burn down hospitals or electrocute tourists at petting zoos. It's really that important.

This exam prep book is very nicely done. It's very informative, easy to read and understand, and has many examples and test questions at the end of each chapter for study and understanding.

Be ready to call Mike Holt office to have them email you an answer code. Thankfully, they are a polite and helpful crew. They suggest ordering the materials straight from them to avoid snafu!Overall, I used the material and passed my journeyman's test first attempt.

UPDATE: I emailed customerservice@mikeholt.com and they got back to me in less than 24 hours. The code on the packaging had a typo! Mike Holt gave me the right code right away. If you threw away your plastic wrap (or the code didn't work) email them. They are quick to respond.The book arrived in plastic wrap and the wrap does have a message on it that directs me to a website and references an Access Code. However, when I go to the site, it says NO MATCHING ANSWER KEY WAS FOUND. I have double checked the website and the access code. Both are correct. Does anyone know how to get a hold of the answer key? Great book - but doesn't help at all if I can't get the answer key. Will update this if Mike Holt company responds.

Some of the questions are more like... I want to show off what I know (from the author) it will be more useful if they were more about real life examples.

I have this book and another book from the other guy who creates material, 2017 edition. This is the better of the two. It’s in color. It’s organized to repeat the material at least 3 times per chapter. If you set aside a day to read 1 chapter per week and actually do the exercise along with the chapter, you’ll get it. The chapter review and the challenge questions are exactly that. The review questions are composed of all the chapter material. The exact same questions. The challenge questions are really challenging. It’s ensures you can apply. So you see… 3 checks or chances to grasp the material for the 11 or so chapters. It covers all the needed material you’ll need to know in the field. Fill space, voltage drop, basic math calculations. The prep exams are organized well too. Great book with passcode to check your answers.