Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: NEC Tab Rules, Calculators, and the 70% Trap

Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam Day: What to Expect

The Texas Journeyman exam is open book, which makes the rules about the book matter. PSI turns people away, or makes them test without their code book, for tabs and bindings that break the rules. Here is what the day looks like and how to avoid losing it before it starts.

Your NEC: what is allowed

You bring your own copy of the NEC. Since September 1, 2026, questions are written to the 2026 edition.

Allowed:

• Any soft-bound edition of the NEC.
• Highlighting, underlining and notes you added before the exam.
• Permanent index tabs made or supplied by the NEC's publisher.

Not allowed:

• Homemade, DIY or third-party tabs. This is the rule that catches people. If your tabs did not come from the publisher, remove them.
• Writing, highlighting or marking the book during the exam.
• Loose-leaf, spiral-bound or ring-bound copies.
• The NEC Handbook.
• Any extra paper — loose, taped, stapled or stuck in.

If you arrive with a non-compliant book, your options are to test without it, remove the offending tabs on the spot, or forfeit your fee and come back another day. None of those are good, so check your book the night before.

PSI provides an electronic notepad for working problems.

Calculator

Only non-programmable calculators that are silent, battery-operated, have no paper-tape printing and no alphabetic keyboard. A basic scientific calculator with a square-root key covers everything on the Calculations portion, including √3 for three-phase work.

Arrival and ID

• Arrive 30 minutes early. If you arrive after the start time you are not admitted and you forfeit the $78 fee.
• Bring one valid government-issued photo ID — driver's license, state ID or passport — with your signature, date of birth and expiration date. The name must match what TDLR sent PSI. An expired driver's license only works with a valid DPS temporary permit.
• Everything else goes in a locker: phone, smartwatch, wallet, bag, notes, food and drink. Jackets, open sweaters and similar outerwear are not allowed in the room.

If you need to cancel or reschedule, do it at least 2 days before your appointment through PSI's website or by phone — a voicemail or email does not count.

English or Spanish

PSI offers the exam in English or Spanish at no extra cost. Choose the language when you schedule. You may also bring a bound word-to-word translation dictionary with no pictures or definitions.

The 70% trap

The exam is two portions, scored separately:

There is no combined score. A 90% on NEC Knowledge does nothing for a 60% on Calculations. Time does not carry over either: finish NEC Knowledge early and those minutes are gone.

Pace yourself. NEC Knowledge gives you a little over two minutes an item; Calculations gives you over four. Answer what you know and come back to the rest — you can return to any question and change your answer before time runs out — and never leave one blank.

After the exam

Your score appears on screen as soon as you finish, and an official score report prints at the site. If you did not pass, the report includes a diagnostic breakdown of your strengths and weaknesses by subject — use it. A failed portion is retaken on its own for $78, and you can test as many times as you need within your eligibility period.

Before you go

The surest preparation is to have taken both portions under exam conditions already. Our free practice test scores NEC Knowledge and Calculations separately, the way PSI does, and the full exam prep has a timed practice exam for each portion on the 2026 NEC.