Texas Journeyman vs Master Electrician Exam Differences

What is the same

• Two portions. NEC Knowledge and Calculations, each multiple choice.
• 70% on each portion. Scored separately.
• Open book. A soft-bound 2026 NEC, publisher tabs only, no NEC Handbook.
• Delivery. Computer-based at PSI test centers across Texas.
• Fee. $78 for both portions, and $78 for a retake of one or both.
• Window. One year from the date TDLR received your application, per TDLR.
• Reading rules. Conductors are copper unless the question says otherwise, and exceptions and optional methods are out unless the question directs you to them.

What differs

Time works out to a similar pace on NEC Knowledge, and more generous on the master Calculations portion, at about 5.2 minutes an item against 4.2 for journeyman. That is our own division. It tells you the master Calculations items are expected to be longer.

Where the weight moves

Both exams use the same ten subject areas. The scored items per area change. Services, service equipment and separately derived systems carries 10 of 80 items on the journeyman exam and 19 of 100 on the master. Motors and generators goes from 7 to 13. Definitions, theory and plans goes from 5 to 9. Branch circuits and conductors is the largest journeyman area at 14 and is 15 on the master, where services is the largest.

In practice: a journeyman candidate gets the most return from branch circuits, wiring methods and equipment. A master candidate should put services and motors early, since the two together carry 32 of the 100 scored items. Our journeyman outline and master electrician exam outline list each area.

What the license requires is a separate question

This post covers the exams, not the licenses. TDLR sets the experience and application requirements for each license, and neither the exam page nor the PSI bulletin states them, so we do not list them here. Read TDLR's electrician license pages and your application, and treat TDLR as the authority.

Which should you start with

If TDLR has cleared you to sit for the journeyman exam, that is your exam. Preparing for it also builds most of what the master exam asks for, because the ten areas and the 2026 NEC are shared. The main step up is the volume of services, motors and calculations, plus the longer clock.

Because the portions are scored separately, plan around the weaker one. Our calculations portion guide gives the method for each type, and the same methods carry into the master exam with bigger numbers and more steps.

Start with the free check

Both exams have a free 10-question check, and your result tells you which subject areas to start on. Take the free journeyman check now, no signup, with every answer explained.

FAQ

Is the master exam harder than the journeyman exam?

It is longer and carries more scored items, with more weight on services and motors. We do not publish pass rates for either.

Do both exams use the 2026 NEC?

Yes. The bulletin says that from 1 September 2026 the exams are referenced to the 2026 NEC.

Is the fee different?

No. The bulletin lists $78 for both portions and $78 for a retake for the journeyman and master exams.