Checked against primary sources 2026-09-07

Outagamie County

Appleton Electrician License: Classes and Exam Dates

Appleton is one of the five cities DSPS uses for its own examinations, and it holds the committee that covers Oshkosh as well. It is also the one place in the state where the committee and the local name two different aptitude tests.

Test yourself: thirty free questions, timed

The DSPS exam venue and its 2026 dates

DSPS runs its own sittings at the Doubletree By Hilton Appleton, 150 S Nicolet Road, Appleton, WI 54914.

The 2026 dates are January 13 to 14, March 24 to 25, May 5 to 6, July 28 to 29, September 22 to 23 and November 24 to 25. As of September 7, 2026, that leaves the September and November sittings.

Apply in time. SPS 305.09 requires the application to reach the department at least 30 calendar days before the day of the examination, and LicensE has to carry an open application before anything can be scheduled.

Appleton is not one of the six Pearson VUE cities DSPS names, so a candidate here chooses between the local DSPS sitting and a Pearson center elsewhere. That choice cannot be reversed once Pearson is selected.

The Appleton/Oshkosh committee

The Appleton/Oshkosh Area Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Committee sits at Local Union 577, 1024 South Lawe Street, Appleton, WI 54915. Its coverage is "All of Waupaca, Outagamie, Waushara and Winnebago Counties; and portions of Marquette, Green Lake, and Calumet Counties."

The Electrical (Construction) Apprenticeship runs five years, with a minimum of 8,000 hours on the job and a minimum of 800 paid classroom hours delivered "one full day weekly first year, then bi-weekly," plus a minimum of 200 hours of unpaid class instruction on the apprentice's own time. That 800 hour paid figure is the highest of the committees we read.

A Telecommunications (Voice, Data, Video) Apprenticeship runs three years, with a minimum of 4,800 hours on the job and a minimum of 432 paid classroom hours.

Entry, quoted: "Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age"; "High School Graduate or have attained a General Equivalency Diploma"; "One (1) full year of high school Algebra with a passing grade of 'C'"; and "Official transcript(s) of High School." Applications are taken year round, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each workday.

Two sponsor pages, two aptitude tests

The committee page says applicants "Must complete the ACCUPLACER Test as administered by Fox Valley Technical College."

IBEW Local 577 publishes the same requirement set on its own site but names a different test: "Must attain the established norm on the Electrical Training Alliance Apprentice Selection Test Battery."

Both are sponsor sources and they name different tests. We print both rather than picking one, and the sensible move is to ring 1024 South Lawe Street and ask which one you are sitting before you book anything.

Fox Valley Technical College

FVTC runs the Electrician Apprentice (ABC) program, number 50-413-9, an apprenticeship credential of 16 credits at the Appleton campus, 1825 N. Bluemound Drive, Appleton, WI 54914-1643.

Entry has a condition that catches people: you "must be employed by a company/organization that is willing to participate in an apprenticeship program." Applications come through Associated Builders and Contractors, and entry requirements vary by trade.

The sponsoring organization is the "Associated Builders & Contractors Apprenticeship & Training Trust," on 800-829-9926. ABC of Wisconsin's own electrical apprenticeship is five years and names FVTC in Appleton as one of its related instruction sites.

FVTC also lists an Electricity technical diploma, an Industrial Electrician Apprentice program and an Electrical and Instrumentation Apprentice program. We did not open those pages, so no credits or entry rules from them appear here.

What the city asks for

The City of Appleton electrical permit form asks for a "State Electrical Contractors No" and a "State/Masters License No," and carries the undertaking: "I hereby agree, with the issuance of this permit to do only the work specified herein and to faithfully comply with the laws and regulations of the State of Wisconsin and the ordinances of the City of Appleton."

No City of Appleton electrical license or registration appears on the form. The credential the city wants to see is the state one.

Your next move in Appleton

Starting out, take the registered electrician enrollment, then apply at 1024 South Lawe Street or through ABC and FVTC if you already have an employer willing to take on an apprentice.

Already working, and with a test date in mind, book against the Doubletree dates and count back 30 days for the application.

Then read which code edition the exam uses before you buy a book, because the September and October sittings may not use the same edition.

Questions people ask

Where is the Appleton electrician exam held?

At the Doubletree By Hilton Appleton, 150 S Nicolet Road, on the DSPS 2026 calendar. The dates are January 13 to 14, March 24 to 25, May 5 to 6, July 28 to 29, September 22 to 23 and November 24 to 25.

How long is the Appleton electrical apprenticeship?

Five years, with a minimum of 8,000 hours on the job, a minimum of 800 paid classroom hours and a minimum of 200 hours of unpaid instruction.

Which aptitude test does the Appleton committee use?

Its own page names the ACCUPLACER test administered by Fox Valley Technical College, and IBEW Local 577 names the Electrical Training Alliance Apprentice Selection Test Battery. Ask the committee which one applies to you.

What does the FVTC electrician apprentice program require?

Program 50-413-9, 16 credits at the Appleton campus, and employment by a company willing to participate in an apprenticeship program. Applications come through Associated Builders and Contractors.

Does Appleton issue an electrical license?

No. Its permit form asks for a State Electrical Contractors number and a State or Masters license number, and no city credential appears on it.

How much do electricians make in Appleton?

We have not fetched a Wisconsin wage figure from any wage source, so we do not publish one anywhere on this site. If you see an earnings number on a Wisconsin electrician page, ask where it came from and what year it is.

What this page cites

• Appleton/Oshkosh Area Electrical JAC The address, the coverage, the five year program with 800 paid classroom hours and the ACCUPLACER requirement. source
• IBEW Local 577 apprenticeship The same requirement set naming the Electrical Training Alliance Apprentice Selection Test Battery instead. source
• FVTC Electrician Apprentice (ABC) Program 50-413-9, 16 credits, the Appleton campus and the employment condition. source
• City of Appleton electrical permit Asks for the state electrical contractor number and the state or masters license number. source
• DSPS Trades Credentialing Examination Information The Doubletree venue address and the six 2026 Appleton sitting dates. source
• SPS 305.09, examinations The 30 calendar day application deadline before a DSPS sitting. source