- The Two-Portion Format at a Glance
- Where the Scored Items Sit: NEC Knowledge
- Where the Scored Items Sit: Calculations
- Your NEC Book: What Is In and What Is Out
- The 2026 NEC and Two Source Discrepancies
- Calculator and Calculation Ground Rules
- Fees, Hours, and Deadlines
- Historical Pass Statistics, Read Carefully
- Test-Day Logistics Card
- A Domain-Ordered Prep Sequence
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam is two separate computer-based portions: NEC Knowledge (56 scored items, 130 minutes) and Calculations (24 scored items, 110 minutes).
- Each portion needs 70% on its own, runs on its own timer, and unused time never rolls over.
- Only an unmarked-in-exam, soft-bound NEC with permanent publisher-made index tabs is allowed; NEC Handbooks and loose-leaf or spiral copies are prohibited.
- The fee is USD 78 for both portions, and a retake of one or both also costs USD 78.
The Two-Portion Format at a Glance
The Texas Journeyman Electrician License Exam, administered by PSI Services LLC for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), has been delivered as two written portions since March 11, 2025. Both are computer-based multiple-choice. The calculations portion is not a hands-on practical assessment; you solve problems on an electronic notepad with an approved calculator, not on a bench. This cheat sheet condenses what you need to keep straight, and for deeper treatment you can follow the links to our TX-JE study guide and the full breakdown of all 20 content areas.
| Item | NEC Knowledge | Calculations |
|---|---|---|
| Total questions | 59 | 26 |
| Unscored (pretest-style) items | 3 | 2 |
| Scored items | 56 | 24 |
| Time allowed | 130 minutes | 110 minutes |
| Passing requirement | 70% | 70% |
| Languages | English and Spanish at PSI test centers | English and Spanish at PSI test centers |
The 20 "domains" in our outline are a serialization of two ten-heading outlines. Domains 1-10 reproduce the NEC Knowledge outline and Domains 11-20 reproduce the Calculations outline. Repeated names such as "Electrical Feeders" appear in both because they are distinct, portion-specific rows. The issuer is not claiming 20 unique weighted domains.
Where the Scored Items Sit: NEC Knowledge
The bulletin publishes scored-item counts per heading, not percentage weights. Treat them as item counts and nothing more. They total 56 for this portion.
| Domain | Scored items | Content |
|---|---|---|
| D1 Definitions, Theory, and Plans | 3 | Code definitions, electrical theory, plan reading |
| D2 Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems | 6 | Load knowledge, fault current, service equipment, temporary wiring, grounding/bonding, transformers |
| D3 Electrical Feeders | 3 | Feeder load knowledge, grounded conductors, feeder grounding/bonding, overcurrent protection |
| D4 Branch Circuits and Conductors | 10 | GFCI/AFCI protection, branch circuits, branch-circuit overcurrent protection, conductors, grounding/bonding conductors |
| D5 Wiring Methods and Materials | 10 | Raceways/cable trays, boxes/enclosures, cabinets/panels, cables/cords, underground wiring |
| D6 Equipment and Devices | 10 | Receptacles/switches, luminaires, HVAC/refrigeration equipment, appliances, workspace clearance |
| D7 Motors and Generators | 5 | Motors and generators |
| D8 Control Devices and Disconnecting Means | 1 | Control devices, disconnecting means |
| D9 Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 6 | Special occupancies, pools/fountains, RVs/mobile homes/marinas, data-processing/communications, emergency systems, miscellaneous |
| D10 Renewable Energy Technologies | 2 | Photovoltaics and EV chargers |
The Big Three: D4, D5, D6
These three headings carry ten scored items each, so 30 of the 56 scored items come from branch circuits and conductors, wiring methods and materials, and equipment and devices.
- D4: know GFCI and AFCI placement rules and how branch-circuit overcurrent protection relates to conductors.
- D5: be fast at locating raceway, box, cabinet, cable, cord, and underground wiring rules in the book.
- D6: receptacle and switch rules, luminaires, appliance and HVAC equipment rules, and working clearances.
An item allocation is not a published domain weight, so do not turn these counts into official percentages. Still, a small heading like D8 (one scored item) deserves a quick pass, not a week of study. Our difficulty guide discusses how candidates tend to feel about this spread.
Where the Scored Items Sit: Calculations
The calculations outline mirrors the knowledge outline with fewer items. Scored allocations total 24.
| Domain | Scored items | Content |
|---|---|---|
| D11 Calculations and Theory | 2 | Electrical theory |
| D12 Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems | 4 | Load calculations, service equipment, grounding/bonding, transformers |
| D13 Electrical Feeders | 3 | Feeder load calculations, overcurrent protection |
| D14 Branch Circuit Calculations and Conductors | 4 | Branch-circuit calculations, overcurrent protection, conductors, grounding/bonding conductors (the outline continues onto p. 14) |
| D15 Wiring Methods and Materials | 2 | Raceways, boxes/enclosures |
| D16 Equipment and Devices | 2 | HVAC/refrigeration equipment, appliances |
| D17 Motors and Generators | 2 | Motors and generators |
| D18 Control Devices and Disconnecting Means | 1 | Control devices, disconnecting means |
| D19 Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 3 | RVs/mobile homes/park trailers/marinas, data-processing/communications equipment, miscellaneous equipment |
| D20 Renewable Energy Technologies | 1 | EV chargers and photovoltaics |
Your NEC Book: What Is In and What Is Out
This is the section candidates most often get wrong, and an error here can cost you the exam day. The rules, as stated in the current bulletin:
- Allowed: a soft-bound NEC. Under the current text any soft-bound edition is admitted, but questions reference the designated tested edition.
- Prohibited: the NEC Handbook, and any loose-leaf, spiral-bound, or ring-bound copy.
- Notes: existing notes, highlighting, and underlining are allowed.
- Tabs: only permanent index tabs manufactured or provided by the NEC publisher. No homemade, DIY, or non-NEC tabs.
- During the exam: no added paper, and no writing or marking in the reference.
Key Takeaway
Tab and annotate your book before test day, using only publisher-made tabs, and do not plan to write in it once the clock starts. Electronic notepads are supplied for your scratch work. Permission to bring an older soft-bound NEC does not mean older-edition answers are tested.
The 2026 NEC and Two Source Discrepancies
The tested reference is NFPA 70, the 2026 National Electrical Code, effective September 1, 2026, under the currently linked bulletin's explicit dated notice. That notice supports a 2026 preparation scope. Two details in the bulletin itself are unresolved, and an honest cheat sheet keeps both:
- The visible cover says "Updated 7/9/2026," while the extracted text says "Updated 9/15/2026."
- On printed p. 8, the rendered allowed-reference line still reads "2023 Edition," while the extracted text reads "2026 Edition." Both representations display the September 1, 2026 transition to the 2026 NEC.
We do not smooth over this conflict. Before you buy a book or commit to an edition-specific question bank, confirm the current PSI and TDLR bulletin. A still-searchable TDLR-hosted bulletin updated March 30, 2023 is superseded for this route, so its older combined-exam description and references should not override the current one. Many older competitor pages also describe a 2023 NEC or a single aggregate exam, so treat them as version-check opportunities, not authorities.
Calculator and Calculation Ground Rules
A silent, battery-powered, nonprogrammable calculator without an alphabetic keyboard or paper printing is allowed. Beyond hardware, two content rules shape how you solve:
- Assume copper conductors unless the question directs otherwise.
- Use exceptions or optional calculation methods only when the question directs you to. Default to the standard method in the book.
Where calculation points concentrate
Service and feeder load calculations, branch-circuit sizing, conductor selection, overcurrent protection, and grounding/bonding conductor sizing together form the core of D12 through D14.
- Practice the same problem type until the book navigation is automatic.
- Keep an eye on whether a question asks for a standard or an optional method.
- Check your units and conductor material assumption before you commit an answer.
Fees, Hours, and Deadlines
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Exam fee, both portions | USD 78 |
| Retake of one or both portions | USD 78 (not USD 39 per portion) |
| Initial TDLR application fee (separate) | USD 30 |
| Annual renewal | USD 30, with four hours of TDLR-approved continuing education |
| Hours to test (with TDLR approval) | 7,000 verified qualifying hours under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician |
| Hours for license issuance | 8,000 approved hours |
Eligibility and issuance are different things. TDLR may approve early testing at 7,000 hours, but the license itself requires 8,000 approved hours, supervisory verification, an application, and background review. Each supervising Master Electrician must verify the applicable experience. All requirements must be completed within one year after TDLR receives your application, and attempts are unlimited within that eligibility period. Read more in our requirements guide, the cost breakdown, and the scheduling guide.
Renewal subjects (the NEC, Texas electrician law and rules, and NFPA 70E safety) are continuing-education topics. They are not extra exam domains.
Historical Pass Statistics, Read Carefully
TDLR's Fiscal Year 2025 statistics report these historical figures:
| Row | Rate | Passes / Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| Journeyman NEC | 24.46% | 1,402 / 5,731 |
| Journeyman Calculations | 20.56% | 1,301 / 6,328 |
| Separate unsplit Journeyman row | 27.52% | 1,390 / 5,050 |
Test-Day Logistics Card
- Bring government identification that matches your registration.
- Arrive 30 minutes early.
- Cancel or reschedule at least two days ahead.
- Expect a tutorial of up to 15 minutes, which sits outside examination time.
- Each portion has its own timer. Unused time does not roll over from one to the other.
- You will use the supplied electronic notepad, not paper.
Our site's questions are independently authored supplementary preparation, not actual issuer or provider questions and not an official mock exam. Preparation does not grant eligibility, demonstrate field competence, or issue a license. You can run timed drills in the main practice test area to rehearse pacing for each portion separately.
A Domain-Ordered Prep Sequence
If you have a few weeks, this order follows where the scored items concentrate:
Book navigation and definitions (D1, D8)
- Learn the layout of your soft-bound NEC and place publisher tabs.
- Cover definitions, theory, and plan reading quickly; D8 is small.
The ten-item headings (D4, D5, D6)
- Branch circuits, GFCI/AFCI, conductors, wiring methods, boxes, receptacles, luminaires, clearances.
Services, feeders, motors (D2, D3, D7, D9, D10)
- Service equipment, grounding/bonding, transformers, feeders, motors and generators, special occupancies, PV and EV chargers.
Calculations (D11-D20)
- Spend most time on D12 and D14, then feeders, then the two-item headings.
- Finish with separate timed runs of each portion.
For the bigger picture on how this fits your career, see the salary guide and the ROI analysis. Salary claims need a dated occupational source, so we do not assert a verified license premium here.
Frequently Asked Questions
NEC Knowledge has 59 questions, of which 56 are scored and three are unscored. Calculations has 26 questions, of which 24 are scored and two are unscored.
Each portion separately requires 70%. There is no combined score, and each portion has its own timer.
Attempts are unlimited within the eligibility period. The published retake fee is USD 78 for retaking one or both portions, not USD 39 per portion.
No. The NEC Handbook and loose-leaf, spiral-bound, or ring-bound copies are prohibited, and only permanent publisher-made index tabs are authorized. Existing notes, highlighting, and underlining are allowed.
No. TDLR may approve testing at 7,000 verified hours, but license issuance requires 8,000 approved hours, supervisory verification, an application, and background review, all completed within one year of TDLR receiving your application.
For a plain-language overview of the credential itself, see What Is TX-JE? and keep this cheat sheet handy as a pre-exam checklist.