Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam: What's on the Test and How to Pass It
A complete guide to the Texas Journeyman Electrician license exam — exam format, content areas, NEC topics, and how to study effectively.
Published April 15, 2026
The Texas Journeyman Electrician exam is administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and is required to work as a licensed journeyman electrician in Texas. It is one of the more challenging trade exams in the state — open book but demanding in its application of the National Electrical Code. This guide covers everything you need to know to pass it.
What the License Authorizes
A Texas Journeyman Electrician license authorizes you to perform electrical work under the supervision of a Master Electrician or Electrical Contractor. Journeymen can install, maintain, alter, and repair electrical systems on commercial and residential projects. In Texas, any electrical work on projects requiring a permit must be performed by or under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician — unlicensed electrical work is a Class B misdemeanor.
Exam Format
- Questions: 80 multiple-choice questions
- Time limit: 4 hours
- Format: Open book — you may bring the current NEC codebook
- Passing score: 70%
- Administered by: PSI at testing centers across Texas
- Cost: $74 per attempt
Open book does not mean easy. The exam is designed so that candidates who need to look up every answer will run out of time. Familiarity with the NEC structure and the ability to navigate it quickly are prerequisites, not optional preparation.
Experience Requirements
Before TDLR will allow you to sit for the journeyman exam, you must document 8,000 hours (four years) of work experience as an electrical apprentice or helper under the supervision of a licensed Master or Journeyman Electrician. TDLR requires verification from your employer. Up to 2,000 hours can come from an approved apprenticeship training program. Your experience must have been earned within the past ten years.
What the Exam Covers
Wiring Methods and Materials
Conduit types and their permitted uses — EMT, RMC, IMC, flexible conduit, PVC — conduit fill calculations, support requirements, and conductor sizing. Box fill calculations appear regularly and require applying NEC tables accurately under time pressure. Know Article 300 (wiring methods), Article 310 (conductors), and Articles 358–362 (conduit types) well enough to find specific requirements in under 90 seconds.
Branch Circuits, Feeders, and Services
Branch circuit sizing, multi-wire branch circuit requirements, feeder calculations, service entrance sizing, and overcurrent protection coordination. The exam presents load calculation scenarios — given a set of appliances or a square footage, determine the correct circuit size or service entrance rating. Know the standard ampacity tables in Article 310 and the demand factors in Article 220.
Grounding and Bonding
Grounding electrode systems, equipment grounding conductors, bonding requirements for metal piping and structural steel, and the specific bonding requirements for service entrances. The distinction between grounding (connecting to earth) and bonding (connecting metal parts together) is tested both conceptually and in specific application scenarios.
Residential Wiring
AFCI and GFCI protection requirements — which rooms and circuits require each type of protection — are heavily tested because the NEC has expanded these requirements in recent code cycles. Bedroom circuits, kitchen circuits, bathroom circuits, garage and outdoor receptacles, and crawl space requirements each have specific protection rules. Know the current NEC requirements for each location.
Commercial Wiring
Commercial occupancy requirements differ from residential in conduit requirements, wire sizing, and special equipment rules. Motor circuit sizing (Article 430) is a consistent exam topic — calculating motor branch circuit conductor size, overcurrent protection size, and disconnecting means requirements requires applying multiple NEC tables in sequence.
Texas-Specific Requirements
Texas adopts the NEC with some state-specific amendments administered through TDLR. The exam includes questions on Texas licensing law — who can perform electrical work, supervision requirements, permit requirements, and TDLR enforcement. These Texas-specific questions are missed by candidates who prepared only with national NEC materials.
How to Study
Get the Current NEC and Tab It
The Texas journeyman exam is based on the current adopted edition of the NEC. Verify with TDLR which edition is currently in use before purchasing your codebook — Texas does not always adopt the most recent edition immediately. Tab your NEC by article before your exam date. The articles you will use most frequently — 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 300, 310, 314, 358–362, 430 — should have tabs you can reach in seconds.
Master the Calculation Methods
Box fill, conduit fill, branch circuit sizing, and motor circuit sizing calculations appear on virtually every administration of this exam. These are not definitions you memorize — they are processes you apply to scenarios using NEC tables. Practice each calculation type until the process is automatic: identify the right table, read it correctly, apply the result. Candidates who can calculate quickly have time left to check their work.
Practice Under Timed Conditions
Four hours for 80 questions is 3 minutes per question. That sounds like plenty of time until you factor in finding code sections, reading tables, and performing calculations. Timed practice exams reveal which topics slow you down so you can focus your remaining study time on navigation speed, not just content knowledge.
Know AFCI and GFCI Cold
The protection requirement questions appear on every exam and have become more complex as the NEC has expanded these requirements. Make a simple reference table: location → required protection type. Memorize it. These questions should be answered without opening the codebook, saving lookup time for the calculation questions.
After You Pass
TDLR issues your Journeyman Electrician license, which must be renewed every year with 4 hours of continuing education. With a journeyman license and additional experience, you can pursue the Texas Master Electrician exam — which authorizes you to supervise other electricians, pull permits, and operate as an electrical contractor.