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Guides · Master Electrician (ESA), Ontario

Ontario Master Electrician exam guide: format, pass rule and how to prepare.

Edited by Trevor Mulder Sources: ESA and Ontario e-Laws Last checked October 23, 2026

The Master Electrician (ME) exam is the licensing exam ESA, Ontario's Electrical Safety Authority, sets for anyone who wants an ME licence under O. Reg. 570/05. ESA's Information Package (Form 1293, 2026) describes it as 80 multiple-choice questions in three hours, in three sections of 33 per cent each: the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, Worker Safety and Business Administration. To pass you need 70 per cent overall and at least 60 per cent in each section, so one weak section fails the exam whatever the total. It is open book and in person: you bring printed copies of the latest OESC, ESA's Relevant Legislation book and its Guideline for LECs and DMEs. The fee is $164.00 plus HST ($185.32) for each attempt. It is not a Red Seal exam.

80Multiple-choice questions in 3 hours
70% + 60%Overall, and in each of the three sections
3 x 33%OESC, Worker Safety, Business Administration
$164 + HSTExam fee per attempt ($185.32)

Try five free ME questionsGet all 550 – $69

01What is the Ontario Master Electrician licence?

In Ontario, electrical contracting is licensed by ESA under Part VIII of the Electricity Act, 1998 and O. Reg. 570/05 (Licensing of Electrical Contractors and Master Electricians). A licensed electrical contractor (LEC) must be a master electrician or employ at least one, and designate that person as its designated master electrician (DME). ESA's Guideline to the Duties and Responsibilities of LECs and DMEs sets out what each of them is responsible for. ESA's Annual Report for 2025-26 says it oversees more than 10,000 LECs and 17,000 MEs.

To be licensed, O. Reg. 570/05, s. 11 requires you to be at least 18, to have at least three years' experience in one of the listed ways, for example as a 309A, 309C or 442A electrician under a certificate of qualification, or as a professional engineer or a certified engineering technician or technologist working for an electrical contractor, and to have passed the ME exam in the 12 months before you apply. ESA's FAQ says you may write the exam before you have the three years, but a pass counts for only 12 months, so it suggests waiting until you meet every requirement.

The ME licence is an Ontario licence, not a Red Seal certificate. ESA's Information Package says eligible candidates from Alberta and British Columbia write a version focused on Ontario content, with the same format and pass rules, whose OESC section covers only the Ontario amendments to the Canadian Electrical Code.

02What is the ME exam format?

ESA's Master Electrician Exam Information Package (Form 1293, 2026) is the rule book. The exam is 80 multiple-choice questions, and you have three hours. It is divided into three sections, each 33 per cent of the exam:

  • Ontario Electrical Safety Code: the latest version of the OESC, and how well you use the Code as a reference tool;
  • Worker Safety: hazard recognition, occupational health and safety requirements, the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations for construction projects and industrial establishments, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, and WHMIS;
  • Business Administration: the Electricity Act and O. Reg. 570/05, business management, the Consumer Protection Act, the Construction Act (which ESA still calls the Construction Lien Act), the Human Rights Code, the Labour Relations Act, the Employment Standards Act and O. Reg. 12/23 on administrative penalties, as they relate to electrical contracting.

ESA does not publish how many questions each section has, or which topics carry the most inside a section. Sites that quote a per-section count are doing arithmetic on 80; ESA's documents give only the three equal shares.

The exam is written in person at locations across Ontario. ESA's FAQ says virtual sittings were paused on March 1, 2024 over concerns about the integrity of the format, and remain paused with no timeline for their return.

03How is the Master Electrician exam scored?

ESA's pass rule has two parts, and you must meet both:

  • an overall score of 70 per cent or more; and
  • at least 60 per cent in each of the three sections: the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, Worker Safety and Business Administration.

The second part is what catches people. A candidate who scores 75 per cent overall but 55 per cent in one section has not passed. Because the sections are a third of the exam each, a section you left until last can sink an otherwise strong paper.

ESA emails results within 15 business days of the exam and does not give them over the phone. After a pass, you apply for the licence through ESA's online Licensing Platform within 12 months. ESA's Annual Report for 2025-26 says 1,184 people wrote the ME exam that year and 66 per cent passed.

04What can you bring into the ME exam?

The exam is open book, but only approved hard-copy materials are allowed. ESA's Information Package lists:

  • the latest version of the Ontario Electrical Safety Code; an electronic copy may be printed only if it shows your personal watermark with your name and email;
  • the relevant legislation in printed form, such as ESA's Master Electrician Exam Relevant Legislation book and the Guideline to the Duties and Responsibilities of LECs and DMEs, both free to download;
  • OESC bulletins, amendments and the Quick Reference Guide, if you want them;
  • a non-programmable calculator, and a pencil with an eraser.

Not allowed: phones, smart watches and any device that can record, communicate or search; programmable calculators; dictionaries, ESA's Pre-Master course manuals, other course workbooks and practice exams; and your own scrap paper. ESA does not recommend bringing the Canadian Electrical Code book or an OESC from an earlier code cycle. Tabs and highlighting in your books are fine within reason: proctors inspect the books and can remove excessive or suspicious markings.

Arrive 30 minutes before the start with valid, original government-issued photo ID, such as a provincial driver's licence or a Canadian passport. If you arrive after the exam starts you may not be let in, and you lose the fee.

05How do you apply, and what does it cost?

You apply through ESA's online Licensing Platform, where you create an account. ESA must receive your completed application at least 15 business days before the exam date you want, and suggests applying a month ahead; seats are first come, first served, and ESA's schedule lists the dates and locations.

The Information Package gives the fee as $164.00 plus HST ($185.32). Once ESA has processed your application the fee is not refundable, and you pay it again for every attempt. Other ESA pages show $164.22 or $161, so check the fee when you book. If you need an accommodation, request it in the application with your documents; an interpreter must be requested at least 15 business days ahead.

06What happens if you fail?

To write again you submit a new application on the Licensing Platform and pay the fee again. ESA's Information Package adds a training rule: after every two failed attempts you must complete a pre-approved training course before you write again, and after that course you get two more attempts before training is required again, however much time has passed.

The course can come from ESA or another provider, but it must cover the exam topics and be approved by ESA's Director of Licensing; ESA says to send the course details for review before you enrol. ESA is clear that self-assessment tools and tutoring do not meet the requirement, so a practice bank, ours included, is for preparing before an attempt, not a substitute for the course.

07What do the three ME exam sections cover?

3sectionsof 33 per cent each. ESA gives no question count per section, and every section has to reach 60 per cent.

ESA names the three sections and the laws each covers, and the Relevant Legislation book collects the statutes and regulations candidates may bring. The summaries below come from the 22 objectives in TicketPrep's own question bank, which we built from those lists, the 2024 OESC and the Ontario statutes on e-Laws. They are our reading, not ESA's internal breakdown, which it does not publish.

Section 1: Ontario Electrical Safety Code

The 2024 OESC, 29th edition. Ontario's own Section 2 rules come first: notifications of work and their timing, connection authorizations, plan review, approved equipment and ESA's powers. Then the technical core: conductor ampacity, correction factors and termination temperatures (Section 4); services and load calculations for dwellings and other occupancies (Sections 6 and 8); grounding and bonding (Section 10); wiring methods, raceway and box fill and voltage drop (Section 12 and Rule 8-102); protection, receptacles, appliances and motors (Sections 14, 26 and 28); and the special sections, among them hazardous locations, fire alarm and fire pumps, high voltage, heating, renewable energy and storage, pools and hot tubs, Ontario's power-line rules and EV charging.

Free Section 1 practice questions: Ontario Electrical Safety Code →

Section 2: Worker Safety

The Occupational Health and Safety Act as it applies to an electrical contractor: the duties of employers, constructors, supervisors and workers, joint committees and representatives, work refusals and inspectors. O. Reg. 213/91 on construction projects, including notices, supervision, protective equipment, fall protection and the electrical-hazard rules; Reg. 851 on industrial establishments, with lockout and pre-start reviews; WHMIS and designated substances; the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, clearance certificates and Reg. 1101 first aid; and the awareness and working-at-heights training rules and incident reports.

Free Section 2 practice questions: Worker Safety →

Section 3: Business Administration

Licensing under the Electricity Act and O. Reg. 570/05, with the LEC's and DME's duties, ESA's notices and O. Reg. 12/23 administrative penalties; the Construction Act's prompt payment, adjudication, trust, holdback and lien rules; the Consumer Protection Act, 2002 on estimates and direct agreements with homeowners; the Employment Standards Act, 2000, including its construction-employee rules; the Human Rights Code in employment; the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and its construction-industry provisions; the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021; the Criminal Code duty of anyone who directs work; and the business side: pricing, cash flow, HST and business names.

Free Section 3 practice questions: Business Administration →

08Which OESC edition applies to the ME exam?

ESA says the exam tests the latest version of the OESC. That is the 29th edition, the 2024 Ontario Electrical Safety Code: CSA C22.1:24, the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, with ESA's Ontario amendments, adopted by O. Reg. 449/24 and in force since May 1, 2025 (O. Reg. 164/99 on e-Laws). We found no dated ESA notice saying when the exam itself switched to the 29th edition; ESA's Information Package simply asks for the latest version and advises against an older one.

The Code can also change between editions. ESA's Director's Order OESC-01-2024 amended Rule 2-010, which sets when plans must be submitted for review, with effect from July 6, 2026, so a printed book and the rule in force can differ. Keep ESA's bulletins and amendments with your Code; the Information Package allows them in the room.

The OESC is a CSA Group publication, and CSA does not allow its text, tables or definitions to be reproduced without permission. You need your own copy. Nothing on this page reproduces it, and our questions cite Rule numbers and explain each requirement in their own words.

09How should you study for an open-book code and legislation exam?

2:15per question80 questions in three hours. Finding the rule in the book is the skill the time limit tests.

Eighty questions in three hours is 2 minutes 15 seconds each. That is enough to look up a rule you can find quickly, and not enough to search for one you have never opened. The books do not help if you do not know where things are.

  • Tab and highlight early. Tab the OESC by section, and tab the Relevant Legislation book by statute: the OHSA, O. Reg. 213/91, Reg. 851, the WSIA, the Construction Act, the Consumer Protection Act, the Employment Standards Act, O. Reg. 570/05 and the rest. Highlight the thresholds and time limits you keep looking for.
  • Work all three sections. Each must reach 60 per cent. Electricians often lean on the Code and leave the business and safety law, which is two thirds of the exam, for last.
  • Practise the look-up, not just the answer. When you get a question wrong, find the Rule or section in your own book and read it before you move on.
  • Time a full paper. Sit at least one 80-question paper in three hours with only the books you will bring, and check your score in each section as well as overall.

10How does TicketPrep's Master Electrician practice test work?

Our bank has 550 original questions, 400 Standard and 150 Advanced, across ESA's three sections: 206 on the OESC and 172 each on Worker Safety and Business Administration. Every question has four options and one correct answer, explains all four, and records the OESC Rule or the section of the Act it was written from. None is a real or recalled exam question: ESA's Rules of Conduct forbid reproducing exam content, and a February 2026 Ontario Superior Court order bars anyone who knows of it from selling or distributing confidential Master Electrician exam information.

The timed mock exam is 80 questions in 180 minutes, drawn 27, 27 and 26 from the three sections. That split is our arithmetic, since ESA does not publish one. Each mock is scored on both of ESA's rules, 70 per cent overall and 60 per cent in each section, and the result shows each section's percentage, so a paper that clears 70 per cent with a weak section is marked as a fail.

You can try five questions free on the Master Electrician practice test page and read ten more on the free questions page, with ten more on each section page.

11Questions people ask

How many questions are on the Ontario Master Electrician exam?
80 multiple-choice questions in three hours, according to ESA's Master Electrician Exam Information Package (Form 1293, 2026). The exam has three sections of 33 per cent each: the Ontario Electrical Safety Code, Worker Safety and Business Administration. ESA does not publish how many questions each section has.
What is the pass mark for the ME exam?
You need 70 per cent or more overall and at least 60 per cent in each of the three sections. Both rules apply, so a strong total does not make up for one section under 60 per cent.
Is the Master Electrician exam open book?
Yes, with printed materials only: the latest OESC (a printed electronic copy only with your personal watermark), ESA's Relevant Legislation book and its Guideline to the Duties and Responsibilities of LECs and DMEs, optional OESC bulletins, amendments and the Quick Reference Guide, a non-programmable calculator and a pencil. Workbooks, course manuals and practice exams are not allowed.
How much does the ME exam cost?
ESA's Information Package gives $164.00 plus HST, or $185.32, for each attempt. The fee is not refunded once ESA has processed your application.
Can I write the ME exam before I have three years of experience?
Yes. ESA's FAQ says you can, but a pass counts toward a licence for only 12 months, and the licence under O. Reg. 570/05 needs three years' experience, so ESA suggests waiting until you meet every requirement.
Can I get real Master Electrician exam questions to study?
No, and you should not try. ESA's Rules of Conduct forbid reproducing exam content, even from memory, and in February 2026 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ordered that no one who knows of its order may sell or distribute confidential Master Electrician exam information. Study the Code and the legislation, and practise with original questions such as ours.

12Sources

The exam rules were read in ESA's own documents and pages as saved on October 23, 2026, and the regulations on e-Laws the same day. Where ESA does not state a figure, such as the number of questions in each section, we say so instead of filling it in. The section summaries are our own reading of ESA's lists and the law, and no OESC or CSA text is reproduced on this page. ESA is the final word on its exam; if you find something here out of date, tell us.

Related: Ontario Master Electrician practice test · Free Master Electrician practice questions · How our questions are made · All guides

13Practice for this exam

TicketPrep Master Electrician practice tests cover all three ESA sections and all 22 of our objectives, every answer is explained, all four options, and every mock is scored on both pass rules. You can try five sample questions with no account. The ME Exam Pass is $69 one time for 120 days, and All-Access at $119 includes it along with the Red Seal trades, the Ontario G3 and 4th Class Power Engineering.

MEOntario Master Electrician practice test

Ten free questions per trade, no account: free practice questions. How our questions are written and checked: how our questions are made.