Who can sit it
The license takes 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Master Electrician licensed in Texas, documented on TDLR's experience verification form and signed by each supervisor. You may apply and sit the exam once you have 7,000 of them; the last 1,000 are finished before the license issues. You apply to TDLR (the application fee is $30, non-refundable), TDLR checks the hours, and then you get an email saying you are approved to test. That email is what lets you schedule with PSI.
One deadline people miss: you have one year from the day TDLR receives your application to finish everything, including passing the exam. Miss it and you apply again.
What is on it
Since March 11, 2025 the journeyman exam is two separate portions, and you pass each one on its own:
| Portion | Questions | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC Knowledge | 59 (56 scored, 3 unscored) | 130 minutes | 70 percent |
| Calculations | 26 (24 scored, 2 unscored) | 110 minutes | 70 percent |
Time does not roll over: finish the first portion early and the spare minutes are gone. The unscored items are PSI trying out new questions; you cannot tell which ones they are, so treat every question as real.
The subject counts below are from PSI's bulletin updated September 15, 2026. Our mock exam uses the same numbers, so a mock and the real thing have the same shape.
| Subject area | Knowledge | Calculations |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions, theory and plans | 3 | 2 |
| Services, service equipment and separately derived systems | 6 | 4 |
| Feeders | 3 | 3 |
| Branch circuits and conductors | 10 | 4 |
| Wiring methods and materials | 10 | 2 |
| Equipment and devices | 10 | 2 |
| Motors and generators | 5 | 2 |
| Control devices and disconnecting means | 1 | 1 |
| Special occupancies, equipment and conditions | 6 | 3 |
| Renewable energy technologies | 2 | 1 |
Two rules PSI prints that change answers: all conductors are copper unless the question says otherwise, and you do not apply exceptions or optional calculation methods unless the question tells you to.
Which code
The 2026 NEC. TDLR moved the exams to it on September 1, 2026. If you learned on the 2023 book, the numbering moved in places that matter: load calculations are Article 120 now (they were 220), and several sections in 230, 250, 310 and 430 shifted. Every question and lesson here cites the 2026 number.
What you can bring
The exam is open book, and the book is the only reference allowed:
- Any soft-bound 2026 NEC. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies are turned away at the door.
- Your book may be highlighted, underlined and annotated before the exam. You may not write in it during the exam.
- Tabs only if they are permanent index tabs made or sold by the NEC publisher. Homemade tabs get removed at check-in or you forfeit the fee.
- No NEC Handbook. No loose paper of any kind. PSI hands you an electronic notepad.
- A non-programmable, silent, battery calculator with no alphabet keyboard and no paper tape.
Phones, watches, hats, coats, bags and drinks go in a locker. Arrive 30 minutes early with a valid government photo ID whose name matches TDLR's records exactly.
How to book
Once the TDLR approval email arrives, schedule online at PSI's TDLR page or call (833) 333-4741. The fee is $78 for both portions; a retake of one or both portions is $78. PSI tests in Abilene, Amarillo, Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Harlingen, Houston, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland, San Antonio, Tyler and Waco. You can take the exam in English or Spanish at no extra cost; pick the language when you schedule.
Cancel or move a date at least two days before the appointment or the fee is gone. Arriving late counts as a missed appointment.
Questions people ask
How do I know if I passed?
Your score appears on screen the moment the portion ends, and PSI prints a report before you leave. If you fail a portion, the report lists your weak subject areas. PSI sends the result to TDLR for you; you do not mail anything.
Can I retake it?
Yes, as many times as you need inside your one-year eligibility window, paying $78 each time. If you passed one portion and failed the other, you retake only the failed one.
Is the exam in Spanish?
Yes. PSI offers every TDLR electrician exam in English or Spanish at no additional cost. Other languages can be arranged through PSI for a translation fee. A bound word-to-word dictionary without pictures or definitions is allowed.
Does the journeyman license expire?
It is valid for one year from issue and renews annually with TDLR. Continuing education is a renewal requirement; check TDLR's current rule before your first renewal.
What comes after journeyman?
Master Electrician: two years holding the journeyman license plus 12,000 documented hours. The master exam covers the same ten subject areas with more items and heavier calculations; see the master guide.