- The CT-E2 passing score is 70%, which equals 56 of 80 scored questions.
- You get 210 minutes for 80 scored questions plus up to 10 unscored questions mixed in.
- Raceways and Boxes carries 8 questions - the largest single domain on the outline.
- Photovoltaics accounts for 6 questions, and its trainee guide is study-only, not exam-legal.
The Actual CT-E2 Passing Score
If you've searched for the CT-E2 passing score and found conflicting numbers, here's the exact figure from PSI's current bulletin: candidates need 70% to pass the Connecticut E-2 Unlimited Electrical Journeyperson trade examination. That threshold isn't a rounded estimate or an industry rule of thumb - it's the specific standard set by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and Electrical Work Examining Board, administered through PSI Services LLC.
Because the exam has 80 scored questions, 70% translates to a concrete, countable number: you need to answer 56 questions correctly out of those 80. That's the number to keep in your head during practice sessions - not a percentage on a progress bar, but an actual count of correct answers you need to clear.
How PSI Scores the Exam
The CT-E2 exam format has a wrinkle that catches some candidates off guard: PSI may include up to 10 additional unscored questions alongside the 80 scored ones, all within the same 210-minute window. These pretest items look identical to scored questions on screen - there's no visual flag distinguishing them - and they don't count toward or against your final result. PSI uses them to evaluate potential future exam content.
What this means practically:
- You may see up to 90 total questions on screen, but only 80 are scored.
- You cannot identify which questions are unscored, so every question must be treated as if it counts.
- Your time budget should be built around the full question count you might encounter, not just the 80 scored minimum.
For a deeper breakdown of how the exam is structured question by question, the CT-E2 Study Guide 2026 walks through pacing strategies designed around this exact scored/unscored mix.
Why 56 Correct Answers Is Your Real Target
Thinking in raw numbers instead of percentages changes how you approach practice testing. Instead of asking "am I above 70% today?" ask "how many of these 80 could I miss and still land on 56 correct?" The answer is 24 - you have room for 24 wrong answers across the entire exam and still pass.
That margin matters because the CT-E2 covers 16 distinct domains, and no candidate walks in equally strong in all of them. Knowing you can absorb 24 misses lets you build a realistic strategy: shore up your weakest two or three domains enough to avoid a landslide of wrong answers there, while relying on strength in high-question-count domains to bank points.
Key Takeaway
Don't chase a flawless score. Chase 56 correct. Spend your prep time closing gaps in domains where you're likely to miss more than a handful of questions, especially ones with higher question counts on the outline.
Domain Weighting: Where the Points Live
The 80 scored questions are distributed across PSI's published 16-domain outline, but not evenly. Two domains have confirmed, publicly documented weights that every candidate should plan around:
Domain 5: Raceways and Boxes
This is the largest single domain on the CT-E2 outline, worth 8 of the 80 scored questions. Given that weight, gaps here have an outsized effect on whether you reach 56 correct.
- Conduit fill calculations and box sizing rules
- Support spacing and securing requirements for various raceway types
- Bends, offsets, and pull box sizing scenarios
Domain 16: Photovoltaics
PV work carries 6 scored questions - a meaningful chunk for a specialty topic, and one that trips up candidates whose field experience skews toward standard residential or commercial branch circuit work rather than solar installations.
- PV system components, disconnects, and labeling requirements
- Rapid shutdown and interconnection basics
- Note: the NCCER Solar Photovoltaic Systems Installer Trainee Guide is a study-only resource - it is not permitted in the exam room, so don't count on flipping through it mid-test.
The remaining 66 scored questions are spread across the other 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. PSI does not publish an exact per-question count for each of these, but their combined footprint makes up the majority of the exam, so no domain should be treated as an afterthought.
| Exam Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total questions possible on screen | Up to 90 (80 scored + up to 10 unscored) |
| Scored questions | 80 |
| Time limit | 210 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% (56 of 80 scored questions) |
| Format | Computer-based, open-book |
| Largest single domain | Domain 5, Raceways and Boxes - 8 questions |
| Attempt fee | $59 per PSI attempt |
For a domain-by-domain walkthrough of what to actually study inside each of the 16 areas, see the CT-E2 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 16 Content Areas. If you're still calibrating how tough this exam is relative to your current field experience, How Hard Is the CT-E2 Exam? breaks down the difficulty factors in more detail.
The Open-Book Factor and What It Means for Your Score
The CT-E2 is open-book, which changes the nature of the 56-question target. You're not being tested purely on memorized code sections - you're being tested on how efficiently you can locate and apply information under a 210-minute clock. That's a different skill than pure recall, and it directly affects your score if you haven't practiced it.
Approved references include the NEC or NEC Handbook (2020 or 2023 edition), Ugly's Electrical References (2020 or 2023), OSHA 29 CFR 1926 with the latest amendments (or PSI's listed selections), NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm Code (2013), Photovoltaic Systems (third edition), Convert Your Home to Solar Energy (2010), and the National Electrical Safety Code (2012). You bring your own copies.
Because reference speed is scoreable time, not just knowledge, it's worth treating your book prep as seriously as your content review. The CT-E2 Cheat Sheet 2026 is a useful companion for memorizing the handful of facts you shouldn't have to look up at all, freeing more of your 210 minutes for genuinely book-dependent questions.
Fees, Eligibility Windows, and Retake Mechanics
Understanding the passing score also means understanding what happens if you don't hit it on the first try. Each PSI attempt costs $59, separate from the $90 DCP application fee and the $120 annual license renewal fee once you're licensed. Full cost breakdowns, including how these fees stack over a multi-attempt path, are covered in the CT-E2 Certification Cost 2026 guide.
DCP approval must happen before PSI scheduling - you can't just register for a test date on your own. Once approved, your eligibility to test lasts one year, and within that window you're allowed unlimited examination attempts. That structure means a single missed passing score isn't a major setback in terms of eligibility, but it is a real cost setback given the per-attempt fee, so treating each sitting as your intended final attempt is the financially smart approach.
Eligibility itself depends on either an approved apprenticeship or DCP's documented equivalency route (8,000 on-the-job hours and 720 classroom hours). If you're still confirming whether you qualify to schedule at all, the CT-E2 Requirements 2026 article covers eligibility documentation in full before you spend any exam fees.
Key Takeaway
Unlimited retakes within your one-year eligibility window remove pressure on any single sitting, but at $59 per attempt, aiming to cross 56 correct answers on your first try is still the cheaper and faster path.
A Domain-Ordered Study Timeline
General study techniques only matter when they're mapped to what actually earns points on this specific exam. Given that Raceways and Boxes carries the single largest question count and Photovoltaics is a commonly under-prepared specialty domain, a study sequence weighted toward those areas - without neglecting the other 14 - tends to close gaps efficiently.
Foundation and Raceways and Boxes
- Review NEC conduit fill tables and box-fill calculation methods
- Practice questions specifically drawn from Domain 5 since it carries 8 scored questions
- Set up and permanently tab your NEC/Handbook for fast lookup
Grounding, Bonding, Conductors, and Overcurrent Protection
- Work through grounding electrode and bonding jumper sizing scenarios
- Review conductor ampacity derating and overcurrent device coordination
Photovoltaics, Low Voltage, and Fire Alarm Systems
- Study PV disconnect and rapid-shutdown rules using Photovoltaic Systems, third edition
- Cover NFPA 72 basics for the Fire Detection and Alarm Systems domain
- Remember: the NCCER PV trainee guide is for study only, not exam use
Full-Length Timed Practice Under Open-Book Conditions
- Simulate the 210-minute window with your actual approved references
- Track raw correct-answer counts toward the 56-question target, not just percentages
- Revisit any domain where you're consistently missing more than 2-3 practice questions
Running full simulated attempts on our practice test platform is one of the more direct ways to convert your raw-count target into a habit - you can watch your correct-answer count against 56 rather than an abstract percentage. It's also worth cross-checking your results against the CT-E2 Pass Rate 2026 data to understand how your practice performance compares to what candidates typically need going into test day.
FAQ
70%, which equals 56 correct answers out of the 80 scored questions on the exam.
No. Up to 10 unscored questions may appear alongside the 80 scored ones, but they don't affect your result. Since they're indistinguishable on screen, treat every question as scored.
You can miss up to 24 of the 80 scored questions and still reach the 56 needed to pass at 70%.
It helps, but only if your approved references (NEC, Ugly's, OSHA 1926, NFPA 72, and the PV titles) are properly tabbed in advance. Slow lookups eat into your 210-minute limit and can cost you questions you'd otherwise get right.
You can retake the exam for a $59 PSI fee as many times as needed within your one-year DCP eligibility window. There's no cap on attempts during that period.