CT-E2 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

Why There's No Official CT-E2 Pass Rate

Anyone searching for a hard percentage - "X% of candidates pass the CT-E2 on the first try" - is going to come up empty. The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) and its testing partner, PSI Services LLC, do not publish aggregate pass/fail statistics for the E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson trade examination. That's different from some other licensing programs that release annual scoring reports. For CT-E2 candidates, the only verifiable numbers come directly from the PSI candidate bulletin: the scoring threshold, the question count, and the time limit.

That distinction matters because a lot of content circulating under the "CT-E2" label mixes up unrelated credentials that happen to share the same abbreviation. If you see a specific pass-rate percentage, salary figure, or fee schedule quoted for "CT-E2" that doesn't match the Connecticut DCP/PSI numbers below, it almost certainly belongs to a different program entirely. This article sticks strictly to what's documented for the Connecticut Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson trade exam.

What the 70% Passing Threshold Actually Means

The CT-E2 exam consists of 80 scored questions, and candidates need 56 correct to pass - exactly 70%. That leaves a margin of 24 missed questions, but distributed across 16 domains, that margin shrinks fast in any single content area. PSI may also insert up to 10 additional unscored questions into the same 210-minute session for future exam development. These questions look identical to scored items, so candidates should treat every question on screen as if it counts.

For a deeper breakdown of exactly how the 56-of-80 threshold is calculated and why it's not a simple percentage-of-time equation, see the CT-E2 Passing Score 2026 guide, which walks through the math question by question.

Domain Weighting and Where Candidates Lose Points

PSI's published outline breaks the 80 scored questions into 16 domains. The distribution isn't even, and that unevenness is the single biggest factor in where candidates lose points. Raceways and Boxes is the largest domain at eight questions, while Photovoltaics carries six - a notable weight given how often solar content gets treated as an afterthought in study plans.

The remaining 14 domains - General Electrical Knowledge, Service Feeders and Branch Circuits, Grounding and Bonding, Conductors and Cables, Special Occupancies and Equipment, Electrical Power, Motors, Low Voltage, Lighting, Illuminated Signs, Fire Detection and Alarm Systems, Safety Information, Overcurrent Protection, and High Voltage - round out the 80-item outline in smaller but still meaningful blocks. A full breakdown of every domain's scope and approximate weight is available in the CT-E2 Exam Domains 2026 guide, which is worth reading before you build a study schedule.

How the Open-Book Format Changes the Math

The CT-E2 is open-book, but that doesn't mean it's easy - it changes what "knowing the material" means. Candidates may bring the NEC or NEC Handbook (2020 or 2023), Ugly's Electrical References (2020 or 2023), OSHA 29 CFR 1926 with amendments, NFPA 72 (2013), Photovoltaic Systems (third edition), Convert Your Home to Solar Energy (2010), and the National Electrical Safety Code (2012). Prior highlighting, underlining, and permanent tabs in these books are allowed. What's not allowed: loose papers, attached notes, temporary tabs, or any writing during the exam itself.

That rule set means the exam rewards candidates who can navigate their code books quickly under a clock, not candidates who memorize everything cold. A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator is also permitted, which matters heavily for the conduit fill and load calculation questions concentrated in Raceways and Boxes, Overcurrent Protection, and Motors.

Eligibility, Attempts, and What They Reveal

Before scheduling with PSI, candidates must have DCP approval - either through an approved apprenticeship or through DCP's documented equivalency route, which specifies 8,000 on-the-job hours plus 720 classroom hours. Once approved, eligibility lasts one year, and candidates can sit for the exam an unlimited number of times within that window, each at the standard $59 PSI fee.

This structure quietly tells you something important about how the state treats the exam: it's designed as a competency checkpoint within a long apprenticeship pathway, not a single high-stakes gate. Full eligibility requirements, including the equivalency hour breakdown, are covered in the CT-E2 Requirements 2026 guide. If you're mapping out costs across the application fee, exam fee, and annual renewal, the CT-E2 Certification Cost 2026 breakdown lays out every line item.

Who Actually Sits for the CT-E2

The E-2 designation is specific: holders perform electrical work only as employees of properly licensed contractors, not as independent operators. That's a meaningful distinction from Connecticut's contractor-level licenses, which additionally require a Business and Law examination. E-2 candidates only need to pass the trade exam - no business law component - which is why the 210-minute, 80-question format is entirely focused on field and code knowledge.

Most candidates arrive through a completed apprenticeship in commercial, residential, or industrial wiring, though some come through the documented equivalency path. Employers hiring E-2 journeypersons expect fluency across the full domain list - from grounding and bonding through fire alarm systems - because unlimited scope work touches all of it eventually. For context on how this license translates into job opportunities and pay, see CT-E2 Jobs and the CT-E2 Salary Guide 2026.

A Domain-Based Prep Timeline

Rather than a generic study calendar, the smartest approach ties weekly focus directly to domain weight. Spend more time where the exam spends more questions, and treat lighter domains as review-and-reference exercises rather than deep study projects.

For a structured walkthrough of first-attempt strategy, the CT-E2 Study Guide 2026 expands on each phase, and running full-length practice exams before test day is the closest simulation of the real 210-minute, open-book pressure. A condensed reference sheet like the CT-E2 Cheat Sheet 2026 can help during final review, though remember it's for study only - no outside notes are allowed in the actual testing room.

Exam Format at a Glance

If exact dates and how scheduling works within that one-year eligibility window matter to your planning, the CT-E2 Exam Dates 2026 guide covers PSI's scheduling process in detail. And if you're still deciding whether pursuing the E-2 is the right move for your career, Is the CT-E2 Certification Worth It? weighs the licensing investment against the scope of work it unlocks.

Frequently Asked Questions