Journeyman Wireman

JW vs. Mike Holt — Texas Journeyman Exam Prep Compared

Both are worth knowing about. But they solve different problems — and buying the wrong one wastes time and money.

Honest take

Both are good. They do different things.

Mike Holt builds deep NEC understanding through textbooks and reference material. Journeyman Wireman is a timed exam simulator — it mirrors the specific format of the Texas TDLR test. You can use both. If you only have time for one before exam day, the question is which problem you're actually trying to solve.

TDLR transitions to NEC 2026 on September 1, 2026. New code cycle = new books from most publishers. One JW purchase covers both NEC 2023 today and the NEC 2026 update before that date — no repurchase.

Side by side

Category Journeyman Wireman Mike Holt
Format What you're actually doing Timed practice exams + question drill Textbooks + reference guides
TDLR exam alignment March 2025 2-test split Built for the split: separate NEC mock (100Q/2hr) and Calc mock (50Q/2hr) General NEC study; not structured around the TDLR 2-part format
Price per code cycle What you pay when NEC updates $99 once — includes free NEC 2026 update Sept 2026 $50–$150+ per book; new edition = buy again
Lookup speed practice The open-book race against the clock Timed drills and full mock exams under clock pressure Reading-based; no built-in timed simulation
NEC depth How well it explains the code Worked solutions + NEC citations on every question. Not a full reference text. Comprehensive. The industry standard for code comprehension.

When each one makes sense

Mike Holt is the right choice

When you need to understand the NEC, not just pass a test

  • You're early in your electrical education and need deep code grounding
  • You want a reference library you'll use on the job for years
  • You're struggling with why the code says what it says — not just where to look
  • You have time to study comprehensively before the exam
JW is the right choice

When your problem is practice under test conditions

  • You know the material but need to get faster under a clock
  • You want to see exactly how TDLR's 2-part format (NEC + Calc) actually feels
  • You already have a codebook and need reps, not more reading
  • You're retaking — and your issue is time management, not content
  • You want to keep your costs down through the NEC 2026 transition
The honest version: a lot of candidates who fail the TDLR exam know the material. The NEC half is open-book, but only 24% of test-takers pass on their first attempt (FY25 TDLR data). The bottleneck is usually time — finding the right NEC table or article fast enough under exam pressure. That's a lookup-speed problem, not a content problem. JW drills the skill the test actually measures.
Try the free drill first, then decide
The NEC navigation drill is free — no account, no purchase. See if timed practice is what you're missing.
Try the free drill Get full access — $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee  ·  ✓ No subscription  ·  ✓ Free NEC 2026 update

Common questions

Can I use JW alongside Mike Holt books?

Yes — they're complementary. Use the textbook to build NEC understanding, use JW to convert that knowledge into timed exam performance. Some candidates do both.

What changed in March 2025 with the TDLR exam?

TDLR split the Journeyman exam into two separate tests: a Journeyman NEC exam and a Journeyman Calculations exam. They're scheduled and scored separately. JW's mock exams are structured around that split. Most older prep materials were written for the old single-exam format.

Does JW cover calculations, or just NEC lookup?

Both. The 250-question bank includes 155 NEC and 95 calculation questions. The mock exam set includes a separate Calc track, matching the TDLR Calculations exam structure.

What happens when NEC 2026 comes out?

TDLR transitions to NEC 2026 on September 1, 2026. Your $99 purchase covers the NEC 2026 update before that date — no additional charge. Mike Holt will release new editions; you'd need to buy again.

Is there a free version?

The NEC navigation drill at drill.journeymanwireman.com is free for everyone — no purchase required. The full 250-question bank, timed mock exams, and worked solutions require the $99 purchase.

Back to home See full details — $99 Free drill
Get full access — $99