What's on the Texas FAL Exams? TFM-11 (Statutes & Rules) + TFM-12 (Technical) Topic Breakdown

To get the Texas Fire Alarm Technician License (FAL), you have to pass two PSI exams: TFM-11 and TFM-12. Each is 50 multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes, 70% to pass. They test different things, and they're scored independently.

This post breaks down what each exam covers, where the points actually live, and how Texas FAL practice tests should be structured to prepare for both.

How the two exams split

The TDI State Fire Marshal's Office designed TFM-11 and TFM-12 to test two non-overlapping bodies of knowledge:

• TFM-11 = the law. What Texas requires of licensed contractors, what each license tier authorizes, renewal procedures, and disciplinary process. Pure state-specific content sourced from Texas Insurance Code Chapter 6002 and Texas Administrative Code Title 28.
• TFM-12 = the trade. The technical knowledge a fire alarm technician applies on the job. Sourced from NFPA 72 (Fire Alarm and Signaling Code) and the NEC (especially Article 760 — Fire Alarm Circuits).

Strong Texas FAL practice tests reflect this split. You should be able to drill TFM-11 separately from TFM-12 so you can target whichever exam needs more work.

TFM-11: Statutes & Rules

Section 1: Texas Insurance Code Chapter 6002

TIC 6002 is the law that establishes fire alarm licensing in Texas. It defines:

• The authority of the State Fire Marshal's Office to license fire alarm contractors and technicians
• License classifications (FAL, FAPS, RME-G, single-station detector installer, etc.)
• Scope of work each classification authorizes
• License application and qualification requirements
• Insurance and bonding requirements for licensed firms
• Penalties for unlicensed work

What to study:

• The differences between FAL, FAPS, and RME-G classifications — which is the technician-level license and which is the higher-tier credential
• Single-station smoke detector installer rules (separate license tier)
• Bonding amounts and insurance minimums
• Civil and administrative penalties for unlicensed activity

Section 2: Texas Administrative Code Title 28

TAC Title 28 is the regulation the SFMO writes to implement TIC 6002. It's where the operational details live:

• Application procedures and documentation
• License renewal timelines and continuing education
• Display requirements (where the license must be physically present)
• Acceptance test procedures and certification forms
• Plan submittal requirements
• Notification of changes (employment, business address, etc.)
• Disciplinary procedures, hearings, appeals

What to study:

• All of the timelines (X days to notify SFMO of...)
• The acceptance test certificate fields — what has to be filled in, who signs it
• Continuing education requirements (current cycle)
• Renewal application timing and what happens if you miss

Common trap: Candidates who pass NICET cold often underestimate TFM-11. NFPA knowledge doesn't help here — TIC 6002 and TAC 28 are Texas-specific rules. Texas FAL practice tests built around the actual statutes catch this gap before it costs you a $65 retake.

Section 3: License classifications & scope

A heavy-weight subsection that bridges TIC and TAC. You'll get scenario questions like: "A FAL holder is asked to perform plan review for a 12-story office building. Is this within scope?"

What to study:

• What each classification can and cannot do
• Supervising responsibilities (who oversees what)
• Subcontractor rules
• Work that requires a Registered Fire Protection Engineer instead

Section 4: Disciplinary & administrative

Smaller section, but testable. Grounds for license revocation, complaint procedures, hearing process.

Suggested TFM-11 study allocation (40-50 hours total):

Subsection	Hours
TIC 6002 (the law itself)	12
TAC Title 28 (the regulation)	18
Classifications + scope	8
Disciplinary + admin	6
TFM-11-focused Texas FAL practice tests	6

TFM-12: Technical

Section 1: NFPA 72 — Fire Alarm and Signaling Code

The biggest single source on the exam. Heaviest chapters:

• Chapter 3 — Definitions: Memorize them. Rote definition questions are common and unforgiving.
• Chapter 10 — Fundamentals: Power supplies (primary, secondary battery requirements), supervision, monitoring integrity, system performance.
• Chapter 14 — Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance: What gets inspected vs. tested, frequencies (annual, semiannual, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily), who can perform the work.
• Chapters 17 & 18 — Initiating Devices and Notification Appliances: Smoke detector types and spacing, manual stations, heat detectors, audible/visible notification requirements.
• Chapters 23-29 — System types: Protected premises, supervising station, public fire alarm reporting, household, mass notification, ECS.

What to study:

• Chapter 3 definitions (flashcard them — high payoff)
• 24-hour standby + 5-minute alarm battery calculations
• Candela ratings for visible notification appliances and mounting heights
• Initiating device types and selection criteria
• Class A vs Class B wiring

Section 2: NEC — National Electrical Code (Article 760 focus)

NEC content concentrated heavily in Article 760 — Fire Alarm Systems — but with relevant pieces from Chapter 3 (Wiring Methods) and Chapter 1 (definitions).

What to study:

• Power-limited fire alarm circuit (PLFA) vs non-power-limited (NPLFA) — wire types, allowed cable, separation rules
• Class 1, 2, 3 circuits and how they relate
• Box fill and conduit fill basics
• Grounding and bonding for fire alarm equipment

Section 3: Plans, specifications, submittal review

Per TFM-12, technicians need to be able to read plans and recognize a complete submittal package.

What to study:

• Riser diagrams and what symbols mean (NFPA 170 reference)
• Battery calculation sheets
• Voltage drop calculations on notification circuits
• What constitutes a complete submittal under TAC Title 28

Section 4: ITM in practice

Overlaps with NFPA 72 Chapter 14 but tested through a Texas-specific lens.

What to study:

• Texas-specific inspection report formats
• Deficiency reporting and follow-up obligations
• Owner notifications when systems are impaired
• Acceptance test versus initial inspection — different procedures, different forms

Suggested TFM-12 study allocation (50-70 hours total):

Subsection	Hours
NFPA 72 (Ch. 3, 10, 14, 17, 18)	30
NFPA 72 (Ch. 23-29 — system types)	10
NEC Article 760 + related	10
Plans & submittal review	5
ITM in practice	5
TFM-12-focused Texas FAL practice tests	5

Suggested combined study schedule

Most FAL candidates use 80-120 hours of total study time across 10-14 weeks for both exams. A reasonable split:

Phase	Weeks	Focus
Weeks 1-4	TFM-12 deep dive	NFPA 72 + NEC 760 fundamentals
Weeks 5-7	TFM-11 deep dive	TIC 6002 + TAC Title 28
Weeks 8-10	Texas FAL practice tests	Full-length practice exams on both, plus targeted drills on weak sections
Final week	Light review + timing	Confirm pacing under exam conditions

Some candidates flip the order (TFM-11 first, TFM-12 second). Either works, but doing TFM-12 first lets you build technical confidence early, then layer the regulatory framework on top.

Practice tests built for both exams

Effective Texas FAL practice tests should separate TFM-11 (Statutes & Rules) and TFM-12 (Technical) drills so you can target your weak areas with precision. Generic NFPA-only prep won't get you through TFM-11 — and TFM-11-only prep won't get you through TFM-12.

Our Texas FAL practice tests program (in development) is being built specifically around this two-exam format:

• Separate question pools for TFM-11 and TFM-12
• Full-length 50-question practice exams matching the PSI format for each
• Sectional drills (TIC 6002 only, TAC Title 28 only, NFPA 72 Ch. 14 only, NEC 760 only)
• Detailed answer explanations citing the actual TIC, TAC, NFPA, or NEC source for every question

While the full course is in development, take our free 10-question Texas FAL sample test to see the format and get a baseline on where you currently stand. You can also sign up to be notified the moment the full Texas FAL practice tests course launches.