The Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam — Complete Guide

How the exam works

The Texas Journeyman Electrician exam is administered for TDLR (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation) by PSI. As of March 2025, TDLR split it into two separately timed and separately scored parts — you have to pass both. It's an open-book exam: you bring your National Electrical Code book, which is why finding answers fast matters as much as knowing them.

Question counts and timing reflect TDLR's post-March-2025 2-part format as reported by exam-prep providers; always confirm the current specs in your PSI Candidate Information Bulletin when you schedule, since TDLR updates them.

Pass rates & why it's hard

First-try pass rates are low — roughly one in four on the NEC half and one in five on Calculations in FY2025. The exam isn't hard because the material is obscure. It's hard because it's open-book and timed, and most people run out of clock hunting through the code instead of answering.

Eligibility & how to apply

To sit for the Journeyman exam you generally need 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a licensed Master Electrician — about four years of full-time work. TDLR lets you apply to test once you've logged at least 7,000 hours, so you can take the exam slightly before you hit the full licensure requirement. See the full path from apprentice to license →

• Document your hours on TDLR's Experience Verification form, signed by each supervising Master.
• Submit the Journeyman application (Form ELC005) to TDLR.
• Budget for fees: roughly a $78 exam fee plus a $30 application fee (confirm current amounts with TDLR).
• Once approved, you schedule the exam through PSI.

What's tested & how to study

The NEC Knowledge part covers code rules across the National Electrical Code — grounding and bonding, conductors, boxes and devices, branch circuits, services, motors, and definitions. The Calculations part is the math: conductor sizing, voltage drop, box fill, load calculations, conduit fill. See the full calculations breakdown → Practice the math with the free voltage drop, ampacity, box fill, and conduit fill calculators.

Study for the format, not just the content

• Tab and index your NEC. Open-book only helps if you can navigate it under a clock.
• Drill the two halves separately. They're scored separately, and Calculations has the lower pass rate — give it dedicated time.
• Practice timed. Untimed practice hides the exact problem that fails most candidates.
• Use TDLR's exam outline for topic distribution rather than generic national prep.

The NEC 2026 transition

Texas adopts the 2026 NEC on September 1, 2026. Test before that date and you're on the 2023 code; on or after, you're on 2026. The 2026 edition renumbers several articles (load calculations move from Article 220 to Article 120) and expands GFCI and arc-flash requirements, so your lookup habits need updating for a later test. Read the full NEC 2026 breakdown →

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