TX-JE Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

What the Published Pass Numbers Actually Are

Search for the Texas journeyman pass rate and you will find confident figures on forums, prep-vendor pages and social posts. Most do not say which cohort they describe, which fiscal year they cover, or whether they refer to the older combined exam or the current two-portion route. For this article, the only statistics used are those the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) publishes in its Fiscal Year 2025 electrician exam statistics page.

The TX-JE route is the full Texas Journeyman Electrician License Exam, administered by PSI Services LLC under TDLR. Since March 11, 2025, it has been delivered as two written portions: NEC Knowledge and Calculations. That split matters for how you read any pass-rate number, because the portions are different tests with different item counts, different time limits and separate passing requirements. For a broader view of the exam's difficulty, see How Hard Is the TX-JE Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.

The Fiscal Year 2025 Figures Side by Side

TDLR's Fiscal Year 2025 page lists the following Journeyman rows. They are separate historical cohorts and should be kept separate.

A few observations follow directly from the table, and only from the table:

• The Calculations rate is lower than the NEC rate in this fiscal year. The page does not explain why, so any explanation (such as unit conversions, optional methods or time pressure) is interpretation, not published fact.
• The attempt counts differ between the two portions, which is a reminder that the rows are not a tracked group of identical candidates moving through both tests.
• The third row is a separate unsplit Journeyman row. It should not be averaged with, substituted for, or blended into the NEC and Calculations rows. Treating it as a "legacy" stand-in for the current route would be a category error.

For the exact thresholds behind these rates, see TX-JE Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Why Two Separate Portions Change How You Read the Data

The structure of the current exam determines what a pass rate can and cannot say.

Each portion has its own timer, and unused time on one does not roll over to the other. The bulletin does not prescribe a required order, and there is no single combined 85-question, four-hour exam. Calculations is also a written, computer-based portion, not a hands-on practical assessment.

Because the portions are scored independently, a candidate can pass one and still need the other. That is why you cannot get a "license pass probability" by multiplying 24.46% by 20.56%: the two published rows are attempt-level counts from different pools, not a tracked sequence of the same candidates.

Three Mistakes to Avoid When Using These Statistics

Mistake 1: Treating attempt rates as candidate rates

The FY2025 figures count attempts. Retakers are included, and so are people who were underprepared. A rate built on attempts says nothing about the share of individuals who ultimately pass. Experienced, well-prepared candidates may have better prospects than the raw number implies, but the data cannot prove that, so do not claim it.

Mistake 2: Combining incompatible cohorts

Adding the NEC and Calculations rows, averaging them, or folding in the separate unsplit row produces a number that no source supports. The three rows measure different things. Quote each on its own with its fiscal year and counts.

Mistake 3: Using the numbers as a prediction for 2026

FY2025 results reflect the exam as it was administered then. They are not results for the 2026 NEC examination. For a fuller treatment of what the transition may change, keep reading, and see TX-JE Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling for scheduling context.

The 2026 NEC Transition and What It Means for Old Data

The tested reference is NFPA 70, the 2026 National Electrical Code, effective September 1, 2026, under the explicit dated notice in the currently linked PSI/TDLR bulletin. Anyone reading older pass-rate commentary should check which Code edition the commentary assumed.

There are two source-rendering conflicts worth knowing about, because they affect how confidently you should buy books:

• The visible cover of the bulletin says "Updated 7/9/2026," while the extracted text says "Updated 9/15/2026."
• On printed page 8, the rendered allowed-reference line still reads 2023 Edition, while the extracted text reads 2026 Edition. Both representations display the explicit September 1, 2026 transition to the 2026 NEC.

These discrepancies are unresolved, and this article does not pretend otherwise. The dated tested-edition notice supports preparing from the 2026 NEC, but confirm the current PSI/TDLR bulletin before buying a book or committing to an edition-specific question bank.

An older TDLR-hosted bulletin, updated March 30, 2023, still turns up in searches. It is superseded for this route, and its combined examination description and reference list should not override the currently linked bulletin. If a competitor page describes a single aggregate exam or a 2023-only reference list, treat it as a version-check flag, not an authority. For the full requirements picture, see TX-JE Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Where the Scored Items Live: A Domain Map

The bulletin's Journeyman outlines (printed pp. 12-14) list ten headings for NEC Knowledge and ten for Calculations. Together they appear as 20 domain rows, but that is a serialization of two ten-heading outlines, not 20 unique weighted domains. Repeated names, such as "Electrical Feeders" appearing in both lists, are distinct portion-specific rows. The published allocations are item counts, not percentage weights.

The largest NEC Knowledge allocations are Domains 4, 5 and 6 at ten items each. The largest Calculations allocations are Domains 12 and 14 at four each. That is a statement about item counts, not published domain weights, and the allocations total 56 and 24. For a walkthrough of each area, see TX-JE Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 20 Content Areas.

Why does this belong in a pass-rate article? Because a low published rate is easier to respond to when you know where the scored items are concentrated. A candidate who spreads time evenly across ten NEC headings is ignoring that three of them carry 30 of 56 items.

Open-Book Rules That Quietly Affect Results

TX-JE is open-book in a specific, restrictive sense. Candidates who misread the rules lose time or lose the use of their reference entirely. The current bulletin states:

• Bring an allowed soft-bound NEC. The NEC Handbook is prohibited, as are loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies.
• Existing notes, highlighting and underlining are allowed.
• Only permanent index tabs manufactured or provided by the NEC publisher are authorized. Homemade, DIY and non-NEC tabs are not.
• No added paper, and no writing or marking in the reference during the examination.
• Electronic notepads are supplied.
• A silent, battery-powered, nonprogrammable calculator without an alphabetic keyboard or paper printing is allowed.

The calculation rules also have a convention built in: assume copper conductors unless directed otherwise, and use exceptions or optional calculation methods only when the question directs. A candidate who reaches for an optional method unprompted can get a clean-looking, wrong answer.

Timing, Pacing and the 70% Line

Each portion requires 70% on its own. On NEC Knowledge, that is a score on the 56 scored items out of 59 delivered; the three unscored items are not identified to you, so answer everything with equal care. On Calculations, 24 of the 26 delivered items are scored. Neither the bulletin nor this article converts these into a fixed number of "allowed misses" beyond the 70% requirement itself.

Pacing differs by portion:

• NEC Knowledge: 130 minutes for 59 items. The time constraint is mostly about book navigation. Candidates who know where Article 210, 250 or 430 content lives move faster than those who search by keyword.
• Calculations: 110 minutes for 26 items. Fewer items, more work per item. Multi-step load, conductor or motor calculations reward a repeatable method.

The tutorial of up to 15 minutes is outside examination time, so do not rush it, but do not count on it as extra study time either. You should also arrive 30 minutes early with matching government identification. See TX-JE Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts for a quick refresher on logistics.

Eligibility Is Not Issuance: 7,000 vs. 8,000 Hours

Candidate pools affect pass rates, and TDLR's rules on experience shape who is in the room. TDLR may approve early testing once you have 7,000 verified qualifying on-the-job hours under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician. License issuance, however, requires 8,000 approved hours, supervisory verification, an application and background review. Each supervising Master Electrician must verify the applicable experience.

Two practical consequences follow:

• Passing both portions is not the same as holding a license. Hours, verification and review still apply.
• All requirements must be completed within one year after TDLR receives your application, so the clock matters. Attempts within the eligibility period are unlimited, but the period itself is not.

Preparation does not grant eligibility, demonstrate field competence or issue a license. For application mechanics, see TX-JE Requirements 2026, and for context on hiring and pay, TX-JE Jobs and the TX-JE Salary Guide 2026, which should rely on dated occupational sources rather than assumed license premiums.

Retake Mechanics and Costs

Given the published attempt-level rates, a meaningful share of attempts do not result in a pass, so it is worth budgeting for the possibility of a retake before you ever sit down.

Because a retake costs the same whether you repeat one portion or both, a candidate who passes one portion and fails the other has little cost reason to rush the second attempt. Use the time to fix the gap. Cancellation and rescheduling require at least two days' notice, and English and Spanish are both available at PSI test centers. For the complete cost picture, see TX-JE Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.

Renewal continuing education covers the NEC, Texas electrician law and rules, and NFPA 70E safety. Those subjects are renewal topics, not extra exam domains, so do not add them to your exam study list.

A Component-Specific Plan Built Around the Item Counts

Generic study schedules are everywhere. This one is tied to the published item allocations and the open-book format, and it is meant as a starting framework, not a guarantee of any result.

Our independently authored practice questions at the main TX-JE practice test site are supplementary knowledge preparation, not actual issuer or provider questions, and not an official mock examination. They do not assess practical field competence. For a fuller planning framework, read the TX-JE Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and explore more practice options when you are ready to test your pacing.

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