Texas journeyman electrician exam
The Texas journeyman electrician exam has two portions, NEC knowledge and calculations, and you must score at least 70% on each. It is open book on the 2026 NEC, costs $78 for both portions, and is given by PSI for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Format
| Portion | Questions | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC knowledge | 59, including 3 unscored | 130 minutes | 70% |
| Calculations | 26, including 2 unscored | 110 minutes | 70% |
- The two portions were separated on March 11, 2025. Time left over from one portion does not carry to the other.
- The fee is $78 for both portions. If you fail one or both, the retake fee is $78.
- You can take the exam in English or in Spanish at no extra cost.
- Your grade is handed to you at the test center when you finish.
Who can sit for it
- You can apply once you have 7,000 hours of on-the-job training under a master electrician licensed in Texas. The license itself requires 8,000 hours.
- The first application goes by mail, with a non-refundable $30 fee.
- You have one year from the date TDLR receives your application to meet every requirement, including passing the exam.
- You may retake each exam as many times as you need, paying the fee each time.
Your code book and calculator
- The exam is open book, and the book has rules. Any soft-bound edition of the code book may be used; loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies are not allowed in the room.
- You may highlight, underline and write notes in your book before the exam session, but not during it.
- Tabs are allowed only if they are permanent index tabs made or provided by the publisher of the code book. Homemade tabs are not.
- Only non-programmable calculators that are silent, battery-operated, without paper tape and without an alphabet keyboard are allowed.
Pass rates
TDLR publishes its exam statistics. These are the journeyman results for fiscal year 2025.
| Portion | Attempts | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman calculations | 6,328 | 1,301 | 20.56% |
| Journeyman NEC | 5,731 | 1,402 | 24.46% |
Practice the calculations portion
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Common questions
How many questions are on the Texas journeyman electrician exam?
85 in total: 59 on the NEC knowledge portion and 26 on the calculations portion. Three and two of them, respectively, are unscored.
How much does the Texas journeyman exam cost?
The examination fee is $78 for both portions, paid to PSI. The license application fee paid to TDLR is $30.
Is the Texas journeyman exam open book?
Yes. You may bring a soft-bound copy of the 2026 National Electrical Code.
Does Texas accept a journeyman license from another state?
Texas has reciprocal agreements for journeyman electricians with Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Official sources
- TDLR — Electricians: Exam Information
- PSI — Candidate Information Bulletin, TDLR Electricians
- TDLR — Apply for a Journeyman Electrician License
- TDLR — Electrician Exam Statistics, Fiscal Year 2025
- TDLR — Electricians: Out-of-State Applicants
Facts checked against these sources on 2026-11-12.