New Mexico’s trade licenses are not single exams. The electrical and general building credentials are split across multiple papers, and candidates routinely prepare for one part believing it is the whole thing.
EE-98 is three separate exams
The EE-98 Residential and Commercial Electrical examination has three parts, and you must pass all of them:
| Part | Questions | Time | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 – Commercial and Industrial | 80 | 200 minutes | 75% (60 points) |
| Part 2 – Residential | 40 | 100 minutes | 75% (30 points) |
| Part 3 – Specialties | 50 | 135 minutes | 75% (38 points) |
That is 170 questions across three sittings. The bulletin prices it as a three-part test for exactly that reason. If you fail one part you retake only that part, which is the one piece of good news in the structure.
Part 1 is the largest and carries the core installation content: general knowledge and installation requirements, services, feeders and branch circuits, overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding, conductors, raceways and boxes, hazardous locations, lighting, motors and transformers, plus four questions on the New Mexico state code specifically.
GB-98 is two parts
The GB-98 General Building Contractor examination is a two-part test. Part 2 alone is 100 questions in 310 minutes requiring 75 percent, open book, referenced to the New Mexico Residential Building Code and the 2021 IRC.
Business and Law is required and separate
Every new New Mexico contractor candidate also sits the Business and Law examination: 50 questions, 130 minutes, 75 percent to pass, open book. Its content outline is published down to the item: Licensing 8, Estimating and Bidding 5, Business Organization and Financial Management 8, Tax Laws 5, Labor Laws 4, Project Management and Lien Law 5, Contracts 8, Risk Management 4, Environmental and Safety 3.
New Mexico exam prep
- New Mexico Business & Law Exam Prep
- New Mexico EE-98 Electrical Contractor Exam Prep
- New Mexico General Building Contractor (GB-98) Exam Prep
- New Mexico MM-98 Mechanical Contractor Exam Prep
Before you register
- Confirm the question count and time limit on the current bulletin for your specific exam.
- Confirm the code edition named. It is pinned, and a newer edition is not a substitute.
- Confirm whether a separate business and law paper or a practical portion is required.