Texas Journeyman Study Plan Built on the Exam Weights

The weights, in plain numbers

From the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 9/15/2026), scored items across both portions:

• Branch circuits and conductors: 14
• Wiring methods and materials: 12
• Equipment and devices: 12
• Services, service equipment and separately derived systems: 10
• Special occupancies, equipment and conditions: 9
• Motors and generators: 7
• Feeders: 6
• Definitions, theory and plans: 5
• Renewable energy (solar PV and EV charging): 3
• Control devices and disconnecting means: 2

The top four areas add up to 48 of 80 items, which is 60% of the scored exam. Our exam outline guide shows the split between the NEC Knowledge and Calculations portions for each.

A six-week order

This is a sequence, not a promise about hours. Stretch or squeeze it to fit your shifts.

Week 1: branch circuits and conductors. Learn the ampacity method end to end: base value, correction, adjustment, then the terminal check. Our conductor ampacity guide gives the order. Add the continuous load rule from our 125% rule post.

Week 2: wiring methods and equipment. Work conduit fill and box fill, because both are counting problems you can drill, and then equipment and devices. The conduit fill and box fill guides cover the tables.

Week 3: services and feeders. Load calculations, service equipment, grounding and bonding. Size the grounding electrode conductor and the equipment grounding conductor from their separate tables, as in our grounding electrode conductor guide.

Week 4: motors, special occupancies and transformers. Motors use their own current tables, so give them a full session. Add transformer current conversions from our transformer calculations post.

Week 5: the small areas and definitions. Renewable energy, control devices and the theory items are 10 points together. Do not skip them, because they are the fastest points to learn. Run the Ohm's law and power formulas with the Ohm's law calculator.

Week 6: timed rehearsal. Practice each portion on its own clock, 130 minutes then 110, with your tabbed 2026 NEC and your calculator. Review every miss by subject area.

Adjust the plan with your own data

Weights tell you where the points are. Your own results tell you where you lose them. Before week 1, take the free 10-question check and note your score by subject area. If you already handle wiring methods well, move those days to your weakest heavy area. A heavy area you score badly on is the first thing to fix, and a light area you score badly on comes second.

Want the weeks dated to your own exam and hours? The Texas journeyman study plan builder splits your hours by the same item counts and lets you give your weakest area more time. It covers the journeyman exam only.

Keep a miss log

After every practice set, write one line per miss: the subject area, the article or table you needed, and the reason. "Used the 75 degree column when the terminals needed the 60" teaches more than "got it wrong". By week 4 you will see the same three or four reasons behind most of your misses, and that short list is your real study plan.

Match your plan to the portion rules

Remember the two portions are scored on their own and each needs 70%. If your log shows the Calculations items are your problem, give them the daily time slot and keep NEC Knowledge to a few lookup drills. If it shows the opposite, flip it. Our free practice guide has questions to work by subject area.

Start with the free check

Plans work best when they start from your own score. Take the free 10-question check and see your weakest subject area in minutes.

FAQ

How many weeks should a Texas journeyman study plan be?

It depends on your schedule and your starting score. The six-week order above is a template. The real limit is the one-year window TDLR gives you from the date it received your application.

Which subject area should I study first?

Start with the heaviest area where you score lowest. Branch circuits and conductors is the largest at 14 scored items across both portions.

Do I study both portions at once?

Yes, because the subject areas run through both. The difference is the work: NEC Knowledge is lookup and reading, Calculations is method and arithmetic.