TDLR · PSI · 2026 NEC
Texas Journeyman Electrician Practice Test
How the Texas journeyman exam is built right now, what it takes to sit for it, and sixty free NEC questions to find out where you stand. Figures below come from TDLR and the current PSI candidate bulletin; confirm them when you schedule.
The exam at a glance
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses electricians and contracts PSI to deliver the exams at centers across the state. Since March 11, 2025, the journeyman exam has been two separately scored portions. You must pass each one.
NEC Knowledge portion
- Questions
- 59 questions (56 scored)
- Time
- 130 minutes
- To pass
- 70%
Calculations portion
- Questions
- 26 questions (24 scored)
- Time
- 110 minutes
- To pass
- 70%
- Multiple choice, open book. Unscored pilot questions are mixed in and their time is already included.
- Exam fee: $78 for both portions. If you fail a portion, the retake fee is $78.
- Time does not roll over from one portion to the other.
- Unless a question says otherwise, all conductors are copper.
- Available in English and Spanish at no extra cost.
Which code book
Texas adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code as the state electrical code effective September 1, 2026, and the exams were republished against the 2026 edition on the same date. Before that, exams referenced the 2023 NEC from October 2023. SparkyPass covers both editions, and every free question on this site shows the 2026 section number wherever it changed.
Open-book rules worth knowing
- Any soft-bound edition of the NEC is allowed. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound, and ring-bound copies are not.
- Highlighting, underlining, and notes are fine if they were made before the exam. You may not mark the book during the session.
- Permanent index tabs made or provided by the NEC publisher are allowed. Homemade tabs are not.
- No loose paper, taped or stapled, and no NEC Handbook.
- Calculators must be silent, non-programmable, battery-powered, without a printer or an alphabet keyboard.
What the journeyman exam covers
The scored content outline, straight from the candidate bulletin.
NEC Knowledge portion, 56 scored
| Content area | Scored |
|---|---|
| Definitions, theory, and plans | 3 |
| Electrical services, service equipment, and separately derived systems | 6 |
| Electrical feeders | 3 |
| Branch circuits and conductors | 10 |
| Electrical wiring methods and electrical materials | 10 |
| Electrical equipment and devices | 10 |
| Motors and generators | 5 |
| Electrical control devices and disconnecting means | 1 |
| Special occupancies, equipment, and conditions | 6 |
| Renewable energy technologies | 2 |
Calculations portion, 24 scored
| Content area | Scored |
|---|---|
| Calculations and theory | 2 |
| Electrical services, service equipment, and separately derived systems | 4 |
| Electrical feeders | 3 |
| Branch circuit calculations and conductors | 4 |
| Electrical wiring methods and electrical materials | 2 |
| Electrical equipment and devices | 2 |
| Motors and generators | 2 |
| Electrical control devices and disconnecting means | 1 |
| Special occupancies, equipment, and conditions | 3 |
| Renewable energy technologies | 1 |
Who can sit for it
- 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed master electrician for the license. You can apply and test once you have 7,000 hours.
- A $30 non-refundable application fee to TDLR, then one year from the date TDLR receives your application to pass.
- You may retake as many times as needed inside that year; each attempt carries the exam fee.
- Licenses are valid for one year and renewed annually.
How hard is it
Harder than the pass mark suggests. In fiscal 2025, TDLR reported 1,402 passes out of 5,731 attempts on the journeyman NEC knowledge exam, a 24% pass rate, and 1,301 of 6,328 on the calculations exam, about 21%. Open book rewards people who have practiced finding the rule, not people who have skimmed it.
Practice for the Texas exam
The three free tests below are built from the SparkyPass journeyman bank and themed to the Texas outline: general requirements and wiring methods, then services and grounding and branch circuits, then a calculations-heavy set with motors and special occupancies. Every answer shows the NEC section for 2023 and 2026, and the clock measures you against the app's three-minute-per-question target.
Code Fundamentals & Wiring Methods
General requirements from Articles 100 and 110, Chapter 3 wiring methods, conductor insulation markings, and Article 314 box fill with five worked volume calculations.
- Articles 100 & 110
- Chapter 3 wiring methods
- Conductor markings
- Box fill (314)
Services, Grounding & Branch Circuits
Article 230 service clearances and disconnects, Article 250 grounding and bonding (GEC and EGC sizing, electrodes, bonding at the service), branch-circuit and device rules, and Article 220 dwelling demand factors with three worked calculations.
- Services (230)
- Grounding & bonding (250)
- Branch circuits & devices
- Dwelling demand factors (220)
Calculations, Motors & Special Occupancies
Ohm's law and voltage drop, Chapter 9 conduit fill and ampacity correction, Article 430 motor conductor, overload and breaker sizing, transformer rooms, and special occupancies: hazardous locations, pools, fire pumps, EV charging and mobile homes. Ten of the twenty are worked calculations.
- Ohm's law & voltage drop
- Conduit fill & ampacity
- Motors (430) & transformers
- Special occupancies
The app has the full 550+ bank, including the master tier, residential and commercial load calculators, and a Progress Report that shows your pace against the three-minute budget. 7-day free trial.
The Texas master electrician exam
Same structure, more of it. The master exam has an NEC knowledge portion of 75 questions (70 scored) in 150 minutes and a calculations portion of 33 questions (30 scored) in 170 minutes, 70% to pass each, $78 for both portions. To apply you need 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas master electrician and at least two years holding a journeyman electrician license, plus a $45 application fee. In fiscal 2025 the pass rates were 22% on the knowledge portion and 19% on calculations. SparkyPass's master tier and load calculators are built for the extra calculation questions and the heavier weight on services and motors.
Texas gives you 130 minutes for 59 knowledge questions, about two minutes twelve seconds each, and 110 minutes for 26 calculations, about four minutes each. Across the whole exam that averages close to three minutes a question, which is what the app and these free tests measure you against. On the knowledge portion you need to be quicker than that; let the calculations have the extra time.
Sources
- TDLR — Electrician exam information
- PSI — Texas electrician Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 9/15/2026)
- TDLR — Commission adopts the 2026 NEC (effective Sept 1, 2026)
- TDLR — Journeyman electrician license requirements
- TDLR — Master electrician license requirements
- TDLR — Electrician exam statistics, FY2025
Verified October 27, 2026. Exam details change; confirm with TDLR and the current PSI Candidate Information Bulletin before you schedule. SparkyPass is an independent study tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association. NEC and National Electrical Code are registered trademarks of the NFPA.