Washington state electrician exam – FAST WAC & RCW FINDER

Study Tips – How to Prepare for the Washington State Electrician and Electrical Administrator RCW/WAC Exam

Today I will give you Tip #1.

Tip #1: Read every word, and read slowly. Do not rush your reading, because you might miss or skip important words.

We will use the following True/False question as an example of a test question.

A city, town, or electrical supply agency must enforce the same permitting and inspection standards that are enforced by the Department.

True
False

If you are using my book Fast WAC & RCW Finder (FWRF), look for key words in the test question and then check FWRF to see if those key words are listed. If those key words are listed, FWRF will direct you to where you can find those keywords.

In this example question, keywords could be “city, town, or electrical supply agency”. Looking up those words in FWRF, it directs you to RCW 141(2), which says (words in boldface type for emphasis):

“A city, town, or electrical supply agency is permitted, but not required, to enforce the same permitting and inspection standards applicable to basic electrical work as are enforced by the department of labor and industries.”

Going back to the question, it says “must enforce,” while RCW 141(2) says, “is permitted, but not required.”

“Must enforce” is different from “not required”; therefore, the answer is False.

So when you read slowly and read every word, you will not be tripped up by things that sound similar but in actuality are different. Compare the question to the actual RCW and you will arrive at the right answer.

The question says:	RCW 141(2) says:
A city, town, or electrical supply agency must enforce the same permitting and inspection standards that are enforced by the Department.	A city, town, or electrical supply agency is permitted, but not required, to enforce the same permitting and inspection standards applicable to basic electrical work as are enforced by the department of labor and industries

WAC 296-46B-970(2)(e): Classes Required for Renewing Washington State Electrician, Master Electrician, or Administrator Certificate

To be able to renew your certificate (also known as your license), you must have at least 8 hours of approved continuing education classes for each year of the prior certification period. The classes can be taken in separate years or all in one year. What does this mean?

For example, Joe got his EL01 certificate in November 2020. His certificate expires in June 2023. From 2020 to 2023, it counts as 3 years, so he has to complete 24 hours (8 hours per year x 3 years) of continuing education units (CEUs) before he can renew his certificate.

Now, there are some restrictions on what types of classes are absolutely required in those 24 hours of CEUs:

8 hours must be on the currently adopted National Electrical Code (NEC)
4 hours must be on the currently adopted Chapter 19.28 RCW and/or its related WAC 296-46B

That leaves 12 hours of any other approved classes that Joe can take. Joe can complete all 24 hours of CEUs in 2022, or he can complete some of the hours in 2021, some in 2022, and some before June 2023.

How to Study and Understand WAC 296-46b and Chapter 19.28 RCW

This isn’t the type of material people read for fun.

There aren’t any funny jokes, no inspirational or motivational messages, no pictures of fluffy puppy dogs. So why are you here? How did you find this article?

You typed words in your search engine, desperately trying to find ways to untangle the rules and laws in Washington State’s WAC and RCWs for the electrical industry. Probably because you are preparing to take a test: the journey level electrician, master electrician, or electrical administrator test.

And so we meet.

Hi. My name is Lucy, and I’m your tour guide in the land of WACs and RCWs.

Actually, I’m the creator of the Fast WAC & RCW Finder, a keyword index that could help you over the finish line when you take your electrical exam.

In my blog, I will also be sharing insights into understanding these Washington State rules and laws.

Glad to meet you. There is hope.

My book, Fast WAC & RCW Finder, is based on the 2020 WAC 296-46b and 2020 Chapter 19.28 RCW. As of now, the book is available for purchase only through my eBay listing.

Fast WAC & RCW Finder