New Jersey first-time locksmith candidates need Committee approval before taking three PSI exams on the same day: Locksmith, Business and Law, and Electronic Security System – Locksmith. Each has 50 questions and requires 35 correct answers. Prepare across all three outlines, practice finding information in the permitted references, and use the edition rules in the July 30, 2026 candidate bulletin.
Get approved before you schedule
Apply to the New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith Advisory Committee first. PSI schedules your examinations after the Committee issues your Examination Eligibility Notice.
Use the Committee’s current application instructions to check the education, experience and supporting documents that apply to you. The exam bulletin confirms the approval process; it is not a complete statement of licensing eligibility. Application questions go to the Committee at (973) 504-6245.
Official sources: New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith examination bulletin, updated July 30, 2026 — Locksmith Examination section; scheduling and procedures
The three exams you take in one day
First-time candidates take all three examinations on the same day. If you fail one or more, you retake only the failed portion(s).
You must take your first attempt within 6 months of your eligibility date, and pass all three within three attempts. Failed portions must be retaken within 24 months of your first testing date; after failing a second attempt you must wait 6 months before the third. If you do not pass within three attempts, you start over with all three exams.
All three are computer-based and open book in the sense that listed references are allowed, though the NEC is the only one supplied at the test center. You get an online calculator and scratch paper. Scores appear immediately: a pass report, or a diagnostic report by exam type if you fail.
| Examination | Questions | Passing score | Time allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locksmith | 50 | 70% (35 correct) | 165 minutes |
| Business and Law | 50 | 70% (35 correct) | 130 minutes |
| Electronic Security System – Locksmith | 50 | 70% (35 correct) | 165 minutes |
Official sources: New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith examination bulletin, updated July 30, 2026 — Locksmith Examination section; scheduling and procedures
Locksmith exam content outline
The Locksmith Examination spreads its 50 questions evenly across ten subject areas, five questions each.
Use all ten areas as your study checklist: each contributes five questions. Allocate extra review to your weaker areas rather than assuming familiar trade work covers the whole assessment. The bulletin also allows questions based on trade knowledge and general industry practices beyond the listed references.
The Electronic Security System – Locksmith exam, by contrast, covers general electrical knowledge (17 questions), CCTV systems (13), access control systems (12) and intercom systems (8). The Business and Law exam covers business organization, licensing, estimating and bidding, contract management, project management, risk management, safety, labor law, financial management, tax law and lien law, using the NASCLA New Jersey contractor's guide as its listed reference.
| Locksmith subject area | Questions |
|---|---|
| Barrier Free Requirement | 5 |
| Cylinder Servicing, High Security Cylinders, and Wafer Tumbler Cylinders (servicing; high security and safes; wafer tumblers) | 5 |
| Exit Hardware and Door Closers | 5 |
| Lock Set Functions and Installations | 5 |
| Lock Opening Techniques | 5 |
| Keys and Keying | 5 |
| Lock Codes and Code Cutting Equipment | 5 |
| Combination Locks | 5 |
| Access Control | 5 |
| Electronic Systems | 5 |
Official sources: New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith examination bulletin, updated July 30, 2026 — Locksmith Examination section; scheduling and procedures
References you can bring
The Locksmith exam is open book with a specific reference list; the NEC is provided, the rest you bring yourself.
The 2023 NEC is provided at the test center and you may not use your own copy or write in the provided one. Bring clean copies of the other references; you may highlight, underline and tab them beforehand with permanent tabs only, and downloaded printouts must be bound or stapled. Writing in references during the exam gets them confiscated and reported.
Note the edition rules: NTC Blue Book 2025 editions became usable on July 1, 2025, and the 2020 editions are no longer allowed as of October 1, 2025. Earlier editions of ICC/ANSI A117.1 may be used until January 1, 2027, after which only the 2017 edition counts.
- NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, 2023 Edition (supplied at the test center)
- NTC Blue Book: Security System Design and Installation, 2025 edition, or NTC Blue Book – Low Voltage Systems Handbook, 2025 edition
- ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
- New Jersey Administrative Code; Subchapter 7, Barrier Free Subcode
- The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing, Sixth Edition, 2005
Official sources: New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith examination bulletin, updated July 30, 2026 — Locksmith Examination section; scheduling and procedures
Fees, scheduling and test-day rules
The Locksmith exam costs $84, Business and Law $47, and Electronic Security System – Locksmith $49, paid to PSI after the Committee approves you.
Fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable, and a paid fee is valid for one year. Schedule online through PSI's registration site or by phone at (855) 340-3713. Cancel or reschedule at least 2 days before your appointment to protect your fee; a voicemail message is not an acceptable cancellation.
Arrive 30 minutes early with one valid, unexpired, signature-bearing photo ID whose first and last name exactly match your registration. Arriving late, missing the appointment or lacking proper ID means forfeiting the fee.
ADA accommodation requests must be approved by the Committee before you schedule, and ESL accommodations, including extra time, are not allowed. Prohibited items include phones, smart watches, bags and outerwear; belongings go into secure storage before you enter the testing room.
Official sources: New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith examination bulletin, updated July 30, 2026 — Locksmith Examination section; scheduling and procedures
How to structure your preparation
Make a separate checklist for each exam, then review topics and practice reference searches where your knowledge is weakest.
For each practice question, record whether the difficulty was unfamiliar content, choosing the right reference, finding the relevant passage, or running out of time. Revisit that specific problem in your next session. This is a suggested study method, not a PSI scoring rule.
Practice with the books and permanent tabs permitted for your exam. The NEC is supplied at the center, so also become familiar with navigating that edition. For the electronic security assessment, general electrical knowledge accounts for 17 questions, CCTV for 13, access control for 12 and intercom systems for eight.
Use official references and appropriate supervised training for hands-on skills. A written study guide can organize your preparation, but it does not establish practical competence with locks or electrical systems.
- Read all three applicable content outlines in the current PSI bulletin.
- Create topic checklists for trade knowledge, Business and Law, and Electronic Security System – Locksmith.
- Review weaker topics and practice locating answers in the permitted reference editions.
- Build up to timed practice sets using the question counts and time limits above.
- Keep a short record of mistakes and recheck those topics before your appointment.
Official sources: New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith examination bulletin, updated July 30, 2026 — Locksmith Examination section; scheduling and procedures
Before your exam appointment
Check approval, reference editions and test-day documents before your first attempt.
- Receive your Examination Eligibility Notice from the Committee.
- Schedule all three exams on the same day, within six months of your eligibility date.
- Check each exam’s own reference list, including Business and Law; prepare permitted books and permanent tabs.
- Bring identification that exactly matches your registration and plan to arrive 30 minutes early.
- Keep the bulletin and your score reports so you can follow the applicable retake deadlines.
Official sources: New Jersey Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith examination bulletin, updated July 30, 2026 — Locksmith Examination section; scheduling and procedures
Official sources
Facts checked against official documents: