Who can sit it
4,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Master Electrician or a Residential Wireman licensed in Texas, documented and signed by each supervisor on TDLR's experience verification form, or completion of a TDLR-approved career and technology education program. The application fee is $20, non-refundable. TDLR reviews the hours and emails you an approval to test; that email lets you schedule with PSI. From the day TDLR receives your application you have one year to pass and finish licensing.
The license covers electrical work in single-family and multifamily dwellings not exceeding four stories. Nothing commercial. If you want the commercial side later, the journeyman license is 8,000 hours (you can sit its exam at 7,000).
What is on it
One portion, one sitting:
| Questions | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|
| 80 scored, plus 5 unscored | 240 minutes, plus 20 for the unscored items | 70 percent |
You cannot tell which five items are unscored, so answer every one as if it counts.
Subject counts from PSI's bulletin updated September 15, 2026. The mock exam here uses the same 80.
| Subject area | Items |
|---|---|
| Definitions, calculations, theory and plans | 8 |
| Services, service equipment and separately derived systems | 16 |
| Feeders | 7 |
| Branch circuit calculations and conductors (GFCI and AFCI protection) | 14 |
| Wiring methods and materials | 10 |
| Equipment and devices | 12 |
| Motors and generators | 2 |
| Control devices and disconnecting means | 2 |
| Special occupancies, equipment and conditions (RVs and mobile homes) | 7 |
| Renewable energy technologies | 2 |
Read that table once more: services and branch circuits are 30 of the 80 questions. Dwelling service load calculations, GFCI and AFCI placement, receptacle spacing and box fill are where the exam spends its time, so that is where the course spends yours.
PSI's two standing rules: conductors are copper unless the question says otherwise, and exceptions and optional calculation methods apply only when the question tells you to use them.
Which code
The 2026 NEC, since September 1, 2026. The dwelling load calculation you learned from Article 220 is Article 120 now, and the GFCI, AFCI and receptacle rules in 210 and 406 were renumbered in places. Every lesson and question here cites the 2026 number.
What you can bring
Open book, one book:
- A soft-bound 2026 NEC. No loose-leaf, spiral or ring-bound copies.
- Highlight, underline and annotate before the exam; write nothing during it.
- Publisher-made permanent tabs only. Homemade tabs are removed at check-in.
- No NEC Handbook and no loose paper. PSI provides an electronic notepad.
- A non-programmable, silent, battery calculator, no alphabet keyboard, no paper tape.
Phone, watch, hat, jacket and bag go in a locker. Arrive 30 minutes early with a valid government photo ID matching TDLR's records exactly.
How to book
After TDLR's approval email, schedule online at PSI's TDLR page or call (833) 333-4741. The fee is $64 per attempt. Sixteen PSI sites across Texas. English or Spanish at no extra cost; choose when you schedule. Cancel or move the date at least two days before or the fee is forfeited; arriving late counts as a no-show.
Questions people ask
What can a Residential Wireman legally do?
Electrical installations in one-family and multifamily dwellings up to four stories, under the supervision of a master or a contractor's designated master. Commercial and industrial work needs the journeyman license.
Do the 4,000 hours count toward journeyman later?
Yes. On-the-job hours under a licensed master accumulate; the journeyman license asks for 8,000, and you can sit the exam at 7,000. Keep every supervisor's signature.
Is there a calculations portion like the journeyman exam?
No. The residential wireman exam is a single 80-question sitting with calculations mixed in, mainly dwelling service and feeder loads, box fill and conductor sizing.
Is the exam in Spanish?
Yes. PSI offers it in English or Spanish at no additional cost; pick the language when you schedule. A bound word-to-word dictionary without pictures or definitions is allowed.
How do I get my result?
On screen when the time ends, and on paper before you leave the test center. If you fail, the report shows your subject-area strengths and weaknesses. PSI sends the result to TDLR for you; retakes are unlimited inside the one-year window at $64 each.