What's on the Texas Master Electrician Exam? Both Portions, Item by Item
PSI's content outline for the Texas Master exam: 70 scored NEC Knowledge items and 30 scored Calculations items on the 2026 NEC — heavier on services and motors than journeyman — and a study plan built around the weights.
Contents
What's on the Texas Master Electrician Exam?
PSI publishes how many scored items each subject gets, which tells you exactly where the points are. Here it is for both portions of the master exam, with how it compares to the journeyman exam and a study plan built around it.
Two ground rules from the bulletin apply to every question:
- Conductors are copper unless the question specifically says otherwise.
- Do not apply code exceptions or optional calculation methods unless the question tells you to.
Portion 1: NEC Knowledge (70 scored items, 150 minutes)
| Subject | Master | Journeyman |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions, theory, and plans | 7 | 3 |
| Services, service equipment, and separately derived systems | 11 | 6 |
| Feeders | 4 | 3 |
| Branch circuits and conductors | 11 | 10 |
| Wiring methods and materials | 7 | 10 |
| Equipment and devices | 8 | 10 |
| Motors and generators | 7 | 5 |
| Control devices and disconnecting means | 3 | 1 |
| Special occupancies, equipment, and conditions | 8 | 6 |
| Renewable energy (PV, EV charging) | 4 | 2 |
The shift is toward the systems a master answers for: services and separately derived systems (Article 230, grounding and bonding in Article 250, transformers in Article 450, fault current), special occupancies, and renewables. Wiring methods and equipment carry less than on the journeyman exam.
The paper has 75 items; 5 are unscored pretest items you cannot identify, so treat every question as if it counts.
Portion 2: Calculations (30 scored items, 170 minutes)
| Subject | Master | Journeyman |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical theory | 2 | 2 |
| Services, service equipment, grounding, and transformers | 8 | 4 |
| Feeder load calculations and overcurrent protection | 3 | 3 |
| Branch-circuit calculations, overcurrent protection, and conductors | 4 | 4 |
| Raceways | 2 | 2 |
| A/C, heating, and appliances | 2 | 2 |
| Motors and generators | 6 | 2 |
| Control devices and disconnecting means | 1 | 1 |
| RVs, mobile homes, park trailers, and marinas | 1 | 3 |
| EV charging | 1 | 1 |
Thirty items in 170 minutes is more than five and a half minutes each — the master calculations are longer, multi-step problems. Two areas carry almost half the points:
- Services and transformers (8) — service and feeder load calculations (Article 120, standard method unless the question says optional), grounding electrode and equipment grounding conductor sizing (Tables 250.66 and 250.122), and transformer overcurrent protection (Table 450.5(B)).
- Motors (6) — branch-circuit conductors at 125% of the table full-load current, overloads from the nameplate, short-circuit protection from Table 430.52(C)(1), and motor feeders under 430.24 and 430.62.
A study plan built on the weights
- Start with motor and service calculations. They are 14 of the 30 calculation points, and Master Calculations has the lowest pass rate of any Texas electrical exam (19.1% of attempts in FY2025).
- Know the motor tables cold. Table 430.250 for full-load current, Table 430.52(C)(1) for protective devices — and that conductors and protection use the table current while overloads use the nameplate.
- Spend your NEC time on Articles 230, 250 and 450 first, then special occupancies and renewables, which master weights more heavily than journeyman.
- Study the 2026 edition. Texas moved to the 2026 NEC on September 1, 2026, and load calculations, dwelling lighting and transformer protection all changed or moved. See what changed in the 2026 NEC — it applies to both exams.
- Take timed practice exams of each portion separately, because that is how they are scored.
Our free practice test gives you 7 NEC questions and 3 calculations, scored per portion. The full exam prep has a complete practice exam for each portion, with every calculation worked out step by step and every answer cited to the 2026 NEC.
Ready to pass Texas Master Electrician?
Start your prep with unlimited practice tests and codebook-referenced answers.
Start Studying →
