| Who runs it | TDLR, administered by PSI |
| Format | TWO portions: NEC Knowledge + Calculations |
| Knowledge portion | 59 questions - 130 minutes - 70% to pass |
| Calculations portion | 26 questions - 110 minutes - 70% to pass |
| Open book? | YES - bound NEC only (no Handbook, no loose-leaf) |
| Code edition | 2023 NEC now; 2026 NEC effective Sept 1, 2026 |
| Exam fee | $78 (covers both portions) |
Since March 2025 the Texas journeyman exam is two separately timed, separately scored portions. You need 70% on each - acing calculations does not rescue a weak knowledge score, and time does not roll over between portions. If you fail one portion, you retake only that portion.
You bring your own bound 2023 NEC (tabs and highlighting allowed; the Handbook is banned). The questions are written knowing you have the book: the skill being tested is finding the right section fast and applying it. That is a trainable skill, and it is exactly what timed practice builds.
Per the official candidate bulletin, every scored area is NEC/electrical content - branch circuits, wiring methods, equipment, services, motors, special occupancies, renewables. There is no Texas law section on the journeyman exam. Study the code, not the statutes.
TDLR's own data shows roughly 28% of first-time candidates pass. The difference between passing and failing is almost never intelligence - it's untimed studying versus practicing under the real clock with the real format.
Start practicing free - no signup needed1,600+ exam-style questions - real exam-format simulator - built and checked by working electricians