Journeyman Electrician Practice Test

A timed simulation built to the published journeyman content outline, in the same two scored portions the real Texas exam uses.

Start the journeyman exam

310 questions · free · no sign-up

Both scored portions, timed like the real thing
Flag questions and jump around, as you can on exam day
Topic breakdown afterwards so you know what to study

Questions: 56 + 24
Time: 130 + 110 min
Pass mark: 70%
Open book: Yes

How the journeyman exam is structured

Since 11 March 2025 the Texas journeyman electrician examination has been administered as two separate portions — NEC Knowledge and Calculations — each scored and passed independently at 70 percent. The content did not change; the calculation questions were simply separated out from the knowledge questions.

That structural change matters for how you study. Previously a candidate strong on code lookups could absorb a weak calculations performance within one combined score. Now the calculations portion stands on its own, and 24 scored items means missing eight of them fails that portion outright.

Texas journeyman electrician exam portions
Portion	Items	Scored	Time	Per item
NEC Knowledge	59	56	130 min	~2 min 20 s
Calculations	26	24	110 min	~4 min 35 s

Examination fee is $78 for both portions, and $78 to retake either or both. Time does not carry over from one portion to the next. Source: the TDLR electrician examination page and its PSI candidate information bulletin.

The published content outline

These are the subject areas and scored item counts TDLR publishes. The counts sum exactly to the scored totals above, which is how we checked them. Our simulation draws questions in these proportions.

NEC Knowledge portion — 56 scored items

Journeyman NEC Knowledge portion content outline
Subject area	Items
Branch Circuits and Conductors	10
Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials	10
Electrical Equipment and Devices	10
Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems	6
Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions	6
Motors and Generators	5
Definitions, Theory, and Plans	3
Electrical Feeders	3
Renewable Energy Technologies	2
Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means	1

Calculations portion — 24 scored items

Journeyman Calculations portion content outline
Subject area	Items
Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems	4
Branch Circuit Calculations and Conductors	4
Electrical Feeders	3
Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions	3
Calculations and Theory	2
Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials	2
Electrical Equipment and Devices	2
Motors and Generators	2
Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means	1
Renewable Energy Technologies	1

What to study for the calculations portion

Twenty-four scored items, nearly five minutes each, and the subject areas tell you exactly where they come from. These are the calculations to have automatic:

Dwelling service load calculations. General lighting at 3 VA per square foot, 1,500 VA per small-appliance and laundry circuit, the lighting demand factors, range demand from Column C, and the dryer floor of 5,000 VA. Practise load calculations.
Conductor sizing with correction and adjustment. The ampacity table rows for 14 AWG through 4/0, the ambient correction factors, the conductor-count adjustment bands, and the termination temperature limits. Practise wire sizing.
Motor calculations. Table full-load current rather than nameplate, 125 percent for conductors, the Table 430.52 percentages for the branch device, 115 percent for the disconnect, and nameplate current for the overload. Practise motor calculations.
Overcurrent device selection. The standard rating list, 125 percent of continuous load, and the direction of rounding the question is asking for.
Conduit fill. 40 percent over two conductors, the conductor areas, and rounding the conductor count down. Practise conduit fill.
Voltage drop. The circular-mil method, the factor of 2 single-phase against 1.732 three-phase, and converting a percentage into volts before you compare. Practise voltage drop.

Which code edition these questions use

Code-specific questions here are written to the 2017 edition of the National Electrical Code, because that is the most recent edition published as a citable public document, through Public.Resource.Org's publication of standards incorporated by reference. Every such question is tagged with its edition and cites the article or table it comes from.

Your examination may use a different edition. Texas examinations have been referenced to the 2026 NEC since 1 September 2026, and the North Carolina Board publishes the 2020 NEC for its exams. Confirm the edition in your licensing authority's candidate bulletin, and verify any value you intend to rely on against that edition.

How much does the edition actually change?

Most of what is tested here has been stable across recent editions: ampacity, standard device ratings, conduit fill percentages, box fill allowances and motor full-load currents. Article numbering and specific requirements do change, and we do not claim otherwise. No NEC table is reproduced on this site; where a question needs a table value, that single value is supplied in the question itself.

Build the skills the outline tests

Work through these topic pages, then come back and take the timed simulation again.

Journeyman exam questions and answers

How many questions are on the journeyman electrician exam?

In Texas the journeyman exam has been administered as two separately scored portions since 11 March 2025. The NEC Knowledge portion has 59 items, of which 56 are scored, with 130 minutes allowed. The Calculations portion has 26 items, of which 24 are scored, with 110 minutes. Both portions must be passed with at least 70 percent. Other jurisdictions differ — the National Standard journeyman outline is 80 questions in four hours.

Why are there non-scored items on the exam?

Testing agencies seed a small number of unscored pretest items to gather statistics before those items count toward anyone’s result. You cannot tell which they are, so answer every question as though it counts. In Texas that is three of the 59 journeyman NEC Knowledge items and two of the 26 Calculations items.

Is the journeyman electrician exam open book?

Yes in Texas, and in North Carolina. Texas allows any soft-bound edition of the National Electrical Code and prohibits loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies. Candidates bring their own book; electronic notepads are provided. Check your own jurisdiction, because what you may bring in varies.

What is the passing score for the journeyman exam?

Texas requires 70 percent, and on the two-portion exam you must reach 70 percent on each portion separately — a strong calculations score will not rescue a weak NEC Knowledge score. North Carolina states a minimum grade of 70.

How is the journeyman exam weighted?

On the Texas NEC Knowledge portion, the largest blocks are Branch Circuits and Conductors, Wiring Methods and Materials, and Electrical Equipment and Devices, at 10 scored items each out of 56. On the Calculations portion, Services and Service Equipment is the largest block with 4 of 24 items, followed by Branch Circuit Calculations and Conductors. Our simulation draws questions in those proportions.

Is there an electrical contractor exam in Texas?

No. The TDLR FAQ states plainly that contractor licences do not require examinations. An electrical contractor instead designates a Master Electrician of Record. If you want contractor-level exam practice, the North Carolina contractor exam is the format to prepare for.

How should I pace myself on the exam?

The Texas NEC Knowledge portion gives about 2 minutes 20 seconds per item and the Calculations portion about 4 minutes 35 seconds. That is enough time to look things up occasionally but not routinely. Answer what you know immediately, flag anything that needs the book, and come back — which is exactly what the flag and question grid in the simulation let you practise.