Texas journeyman electrician practice test: TDLR exam guide
The Texas journeyman electrician exam is split into two timed portions administered by PSI on behalf of TDLR: a 59-question NEC Knowledge section (130 minutes) and a 26-question Calculations section (110 minutes). You need 70% or better on each portion to pass, and the exam is open book against the 2023 NEC. The change took effect March 11, 2025.
That two-part structure is newer than a lot of study material floating around online. TDLR’s own printed Candidate Information Bulletin, last revised in 2023, still describes a single 80-question, 240-minute exam. The live exam-information page at tdlr.texas.gov is the source that reflects the current format, so if a prep book or forum post describes one long test instead of two separate timed sections, it is describing the old structure.
What’s actually on the Texas journeyman exam now
TDLR splits the same content pool into two sittings instead of one. Part 1 (NEC Knowledge) covers definitions, services, feeders, wiring methods, equipment, motors, and special occupancies as straight code-lookup and conceptual questions. Part 2 (Calculations) pulls the math-heavy items out of that same content, such as conductor sizing, load calculations, and service sizing, and gives you a separate clock for them. You do not get to move leftover time from one part into the other (TDLR Electrician Exam Information).
How the NEC Knowledge section is weighted
Based on TDLR’s published content outline for the exam pool, wiring methods and materials plus branch circuit conductors carry the heaviest weight, followed by electrical services and equipment. Special occupancies (pools, hazardous locations, health care) and motors each get meaningful coverage. Renewable energy topics are a small slice, not a focus area. If you only have a week left, spend it on wiring methods and branch circuits first.
How the Calculations section works
Part 2 is 26 questions in 110 minutes, about 4 minutes per question if you use every minute. That’s tighter than it sounds once you’re flipping between NEC tables and doing arithmetic by hand. Bring a basic four-function calculator (silent, battery-powered, no alphabet keys, no printing tape) since programmable and graphing calculators are not allowed at PSI test centers.
What the exam costs and where you take it
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam fee | $78, covers both portions |
| Retake fee | $78 per retake |
| Format | Computer-based, PSI test centers |
| Reference allowed | 2023 NEC, soft-bound only, factory tabs permitted |
| Locations | 20+ PSI centers statewide, including Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso |
| Passing score | 70% on each portion separately |
Source: TDLR Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin (fee schedule) and the current TDLR exam information page (format and reference edition).
Loose-leaf, spiral-bound, or ring-bound NEC books are rejected at check-in. Bring a soft-bound copy with factory-installed tabs only, or plan to test without markup.
Six practice questions we wrote
These are original questions built around public NEC concepts, not reproductions of anything from a real TDLR or PSI exam bank. Use them to check whether you know the reasoning, not to memorize an answer key.
1. A dwelling unit bathroom has a single 125V, 20A receptacle six feet from the sink. Does it need GFCI protection? Yes. Under NEC 210.8(A), all 125V, 15A and 20A receptacles in dwelling unit bathrooms require GFCI protection regardless of distance from a water source. Location in the room does not change the requirement the way it does in some other spaces.
2. A 4x4x1.5 inch square outlet box contains four 12 AWG conductors, two wire connectors (counted once), and one duplex device. Roughly how many volume allowances does that box use, and does a standard 4x4x1.5 box (21 cubic inches) have enough room? Four conductors count as four allowances, the connectors count as one allowance total, and a duplex device counts as two allowances (based on the largest conductor in the box). That’s seven allowances. At 2.25 cubic inches per allowance for 12 AWG (NEC 314.16(B)), you need about 15.75 cubic inches. A 21 cubic inch box clears it with room to spare.
3. A feeder has more than three current-carrying conductors in a single conduit run over 24 inches long. What happens to the conductor ampacity? It gets derated. NEC 310.15(C)(1) requires an adjustment factor once you exceed three current-carrying conductors in a raceway, because bundled conductors trap heat. The published ampacity from the standard table no longer applies without that adjustment.
4. A branch circuit feeds a kitchen countertop receptacle in a dwelling unit. Does it need both GFCI and AFCI protection? Yes, in most current code cycles. Kitchen countertop receptacle circuits fall under both the GFCI requirements of 210.8(A) and the AFCI requirements of 210.12(A) for dwelling unit branch circuits, so combination protection is typical unless a specific exception applies.
5. A continuous-duty motor has a full-load current (FLC) of 20A from the NEC motor tables. What’s the typical overload protection setting? Around 125% of FLC for most continuous-duty motors with a service factor of 1.15 or higher, per NEC 430.32. That works out to roughly 25A here. The exact multiplier can shift based on the motor’s service factor and temperature rise, so the table value always governs over a rough estimate.
6. You’re sizing a grounding electrode conductor for a service with 400 kcmil copper ungrounded conductors. What table do you turn to? NEC 250.66. Grounding electrode conductor size is based on the size of the largest ungrounded service-entrance conductor, not on the load or the panel rating, and Table 250.66 maps conductor size to conductor size directly.
Studying before test day
Work backward from the content outline weighting: wiring methods, branch circuit conductors, and services make up the majority of Part 1. Time yourself on calculation problems specifically, since a 4-minute average pace is unforgiving if you’re still counting on your fingers for box fill or ampacity derating. If you want more timed reps before you book a PSI slot, AmpExam’s free practice quiz tool covers both sections separately, and the free study guide breaks the content outline down by weighted subject area so you’re not guessing where to spend your last study week.
FAQ
Is the Texas journeyman electrician exam open book? Yes. You can bring a soft-bound 2023 NEC with factory tabs and prior highlighting or notes. You cannot write in it during the exam itself, and spiral-bound or loose-leaf copies are turned away at check-in.
How much does the Texas journeyman electrician exam cost? $78, and that fee covers both the NEC Knowledge and Calculations portions. A retake of either portion is also $78.
How many questions are on the Texas journeyman exam? 59 scored questions on the NEC Knowledge portion and 26 on the Calculations portion, for 85 total, plus a handful of non-scored pilot questions that don’t count toward your score but do use up allotted time.
What NEC edition does the exam use? The 2023 NEC, as of this writing, even though NFPA released the 2026 NEC. TDLR has not adopted the newer edition for testing yet; always check the current TDLR exam information page before you buy a code book, since bound-edition adoption dates change.
Do I have to pass both parts on the same day? You register and pay for both portions together, but check your scheduling confirmation for your testing window. If you fail one portion, you retake only that portion, not the one you already passed, for the retake fee.