- DE-ME is Delaware's Master Electrician License Exam: 80 questions, 3 hours, open book, 75% to pass.
- Total cost before books and insurance runs $303 - $100 to Prov, $203 to the Board.
- Three eligibility routes exist: six years under a Master, an approved apprenticeship, or four years plus two years of technical training.
- General Electrical Knowledge is the largest of the ten tested domains.
What Is DE-ME?
DE-ME is shorthand used on this site for the Delaware Master Electrician License Exam - the credentialing exam a candidate must pass before the Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners will issue a Master Electrician license. It is distinct from the Master Electrician Special license and the Limited Electrician license, both of which follow separate rules and scopes of work. If you're comparing DE-ME to other electrical credentials, this article, along with our companion piece on DE-ME Certification, focuses strictly on the Delaware Master pathway and nothing else.
Understanding exactly what DE-ME tests, who administers it, and how the license connects to Delaware's regulatory code is the foundation for everything else - from choosing an eligibility route to deciding when to schedule your exam appointment.
Who Administers the Exam
The Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners, operating under the Division of Professional Regulation, sets licensure policy, defines eligibility routes, and approves candidates through the DELPROS system. Actual exam delivery is handled by Prov, the third-party testing provider. Prov publishes the official candidate information bulletin - the most recent version dated June 24, 2025 - which lists the approved reference texts and confirms question format.
Board approval through DELPROS must happen before a candidate can schedule a seat with Prov. Skipping this step, or assuming eligibility without formal verification, is one of the most common scheduling delays candidates run into.
Exam Format and Fees
The DE-ME exam consists of 80 questions administered over 3 hours. It is computer-administered and open book, meaning approved references can be used at the testing station, but the format still rewards speed and familiarity - you don't have time to look up every answer from scratch. A 75% passing score is required.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Prov examination fee | $100 |
| Board application fee | $203 |
| Total before books/insurance | $303 |
That $303 figure doesn't include the cost of reference books, a compliant calculator, or the general liability insurance required for license issuance. For a full breakdown of every dollar involved, see DE-ME Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Budget for $303 in direct exam and application fees, then add reference materials and proof of at least $300,000 in general liability coverage before you can expect the license itself.
Eligibility Routes
Delaware offers three main paths to sit for the Master exam, and each requires supporting documentation of supervisor and education verification:
- Six years full-time experience under a licensed Master Electrician.
- Approved apprenticeship route: 8,000 supervised work hours plus 576 instructional hours, or other Board-approved training.
- Hybrid route: four years under a licensed Master plus two years of technical training.
One detail candidates frequently miss: any Delaware experience earned after June 30, 2012 counts only if it was performed under the appropriate apprentice or journeyperson licensure. Unlicensed hours from that period generally will not satisfy the Board's verification requirements. For a full walkthrough of documentation and edge cases, read DE-ME Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
The Ten Exam Domains
The 80 questions are distributed across ten content domains, following the Board's official allocation. General Electrical Knowledge is the largest domain, which tells you where to concentrate your first study passes.
Domain 1: General Electrical Knowledge
The broadest and heaviest-weighted domain, covering fundamental code interpretation, definitions, and general application questions that cut across every other topic.
- Largest share of the 80 questions
Domain 2: Plan Reading
Interpreting electrical drawings, symbols, and specifications as they relate to load calculations and installation requirements.
Domain 3: Equipment for General Use
Switches, receptacles, fixtures, and general-use equipment listing and installation rules.
Domain 4: Wiring & Protection
Overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding, and conductor sizing - core Master-level material.
Domain 5: Wiring Methods & Materials
Raceway types, cable systems, and installation methods across varying occupancy conditions.
Domain 6: Motors & Controls
Motor circuit protection, disconnecting means, and control circuit design.
Domain 7: Special Conditions
Emergency systems, standby power, and circuits requiring special code treatment.
Domain 8: Special Equipment
Equipment such as signs, X-ray, and industrial machinery with dedicated code articles.
Domain 9: Special Occupancies
Hazardous locations, health care facilities, and other occupancy-specific requirements.
Domain 10: Communication Systems
Low-voltage and communications wiring rules, typically the smallest share of the exam.
For exact question counts per domain and how to sequence your review, see DE-ME Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 10 Content Areas.
Reference Materials and Open-Book Rules
Prov's June 24, 2025 bulletin lists the approved references: the 2020 NEC, the American Electricians' Handbook, 17th edition, and Ugly's Electrical References 2020. However, Delaware adopted the 2023 NEC effective January 1, 2026, and the Board uses the most recently adopted NEC edition for examinations. That means the code edition tied to your specific exam date could shift - always verify Prov's assigned exam-book edition before purchasing anything.
Because the format is open book but timed tightly at 80 questions in 3 hours, tabbing your code book efficiently matters as much as knowing the material. This is covered in depth in the DE-ME Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Scheduling and Retakes
Once DELPROS approval is granted, candidates can schedule through Prov at either a physical test center or via Examroom remote proctoring. If you don't pass on your first attempt, Delaware requires a minimum seven-day interval before you can retake the exam. Planning your first attempt seriously - rather than treating it as a diagnostic run - saves both time and the $100 Prov fee per sitting. Our guide on How Hard Is the DE-ME Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down where most first-time candidates lose points.
For a look at how testing windows and Board approval timelines typically play out, see DE-ME Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. If you want the exact scoring mechanics behind that 75% threshold, DE-ME Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass covers it directly.
After You Pass: License Issuance and Renewal
Passing the exam is not the final step. Before the Board issues the Master license, you must show proof of at least $300,000 in general liability coverage. Once issued, Master licenses expire on June 30 of even-numbered years.
Renewal on a full cycle requires ten approved continuing education hours. Starting with your second renewal, at least five of those hours must specifically address the NEC. First-time renewals may qualify for proration depending on when your license was issued, and liability insurance coverage must be maintained continuously - not just at initial issuance.
Who Needs DE-ME
The Master Electrician license is generally the credential sought by electricians who want to run their own electrical contracting business in Delaware, supervise apprentices and journeypersons, or pull permits under their own name. Employers hiring for supervisory or contractor-owner roles in residential, commercial, and industrial electrical work typically require it. If you're weighing whether the investment of time and the $303 in direct fees makes sense for your career stage, our analysis in Is the DE-ME Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and DE-ME Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis can help frame that decision. You can also browse DE-ME Jobs for a sense of the roles this license typically unlocks.
A Domain-Aware Study Approach
Because General Electrical Knowledge carries the heaviest weight, it deserves the first and longest block of study time. From there, sequencing matters: Wiring & Protection and Wiring Methods & Materials build directly on general knowledge concepts, so studying them back-to-back reinforces retention rather than fragmenting it.
General Electrical Knowledge + Plan Reading
- Work through code fundamentals tied to Domain 1's broad question share
- Practice reading load calculations and drawings for Domain 2
Wiring & Protection, Wiring Methods & Materials, Equipment for General Use
- Drill grounding/bonding and overcurrent protection scenarios
- Tab your NEC copy for raceway and cable installation articles
Motors & Controls, Special Conditions, Special Equipment, Special Occupancies, Communications
- Focus on the smaller but still-tested special-topic domains
- Run timed full-length practice sets to simulate the 3-hour, 80-question format
Whatever cadence you choose, timing your practice runs to the actual 80-question, 3-hour structure matters more than any generic study trick - you're training for a specific clock, not an abstract one. Track your progress by domain, not just overall score, since a strong overall number can still hide weakness in a small-weight domain like Communication Systems.
You can also build exam-day comfort by running full-length timed sets on the practice test platform before you ever step into a Prov test center or Examroom session. Repeated exposure to the 80-question format, under the real time constraint, is one of the few preparation steps directly tied to DE-ME's actual structure rather than generic exam advice.
FAQs
No. DE-ME refers specifically to the Master Electrician exam and license, which is distinct from both the Master Electrician Special and Limited Electrician licenses issued by the Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners.
Direct fees total $303 before books, insurance, or other expenses: $100 to Prov for the examination and $203 to the Board for the application.
No. Handwritten notes, temporary tabs, and loose inserts are prohibited. Only permanent tabs, highlighting in approved references, and a simple four-function calculator are allowed.
Prov's June 24, 2025 bulletin lists the 2020 NEC, but Delaware adopted the 2023 NEC effective January 1, 2026, and the Board uses the most recently adopted edition for testing. Always confirm the exact assigned edition with Prov before purchasing a code book.
Delaware requires a minimum seven-day interval between attempts before you can schedule a retake with Prov.