Short answer: You bring your own soft-bound NEC, and the questions are based on the 2026 edition TDLR adopted. Highlighting, underlining and notes made before the exam are allowed, but the only tabs allowed are permanent index tabs made or provided by the NEC publisher. Loose-leaf, spiral or ring-bound copies, homemade tabs, any added paper and the NEC Handbook are not allowed, and you may not write in or mark the book during the exam.
Bringing an allowed NEC book avoids one check-in problem. Practicing how to find code sections quickly can help you prepare for both exam portions. The Practice Pack has code-book navigation aids and a tab-priority list based on references in its own question bank, plus 10 timed two-part practice exams using the published format: 59 questions in 130 minutes and 26 in 110 minutes. Results are shown by part and topic. These are original practice questions, not official PSI questions, and the tab ranking does not predict which NEC articles PSI will test. It also has 299 step-by-step calculation solutions. US$39, one payment.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR, PSI or NFPA. Exam rules can change, so confirm in the PSI bulletin linked below.
Your book: allowed and not allowed
| Book feature | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Soft-bound NEC (questions are based on the 2026 edition) | Yes, you bring your own |
| Highlighting, underlining and notes made before exam day | Yes |
| Permanent index tabs made or provided by the NEC publisher | Yes |
| Homemade, DIY or non-NEC tabs | No |
| Added paper of any kind: loose, taped or stapled | No |
| Loose-leaf, spiral-bound or ring-bound copy | No |
| The NEC Handbook | No |
| Writing, highlighting or marking during the exam | No |
PSI provides electronic notepads in the exam room, so your scratch work goes there, never in the book.
What happens if your book fails the check
At check-in, a book that does not follow the rules leaves you three choices:
- Test without the book. On an open-book exam that is a hard way to sit both parts.
- Remove the homemade tabs yourself and test with the book.
- Forfeit the exam fee and test another day at your own expense.
A spiral-bound, ring-bound or loose-leaf NEC is not allowed. If that is the copy you bring, be prepared to test without it or forfeit the fee and test another day. During the exam, the stakes go up: violations are reported to TDLR and can mean surrendering your materials and having your scores invalidated.
Get your book ready before exam day
- Check the binding. If your copy is loose-leaf, spiral or ring-bound, get a soft-bound one now and study from it.
- Pull every homemade tab. Any tab not made or provided by the NEC publisher is out, including sticky flags and hand-made tabs. Use the publisher’s permanent index tabs instead.
- Take out added paper. Cheat sheets, taped tables, stapled pages and loose notes all have to go.
- Finish your marks early. Highlighting, underlining and notes are fine, but only if they are in the book before you walk in.
- Practice with that same book. Your tabs and highlights are part of your speed on both parts.
This page covers the code book only. For everything else you can and cannot bring, see what you can bring to the Texas journeyman exam.
Check your book
Is your NEC book ready for the PSI check?
Answer three questions about the copy you plan to bring. Prior highlighting, underlining and notes in the book are allowed. The result helps you spot common book-rule problems and does not replace the PSI check-in decision.
- How is your NEC bound?
- What tabs are in it?
- Does your book contain any added paper?
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Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep 2026 NEC (paperback)
Our own workbook includes code book lookup paths and a 20-article tab list based on references in its own 486 original practice questions. It also has 2 timed two-part practice exams using the published 59 and 26 question counts. It supplements the soft-bound NEC you bring and is not an official PSI question source.
Can I use tabs in my NEC book for the Texas journeyman exam?
Only permanent index tabs made or provided by the NEC publisher. Homemade, DIY or non-NEC tabs are not allowed, and at check-in you may be told to remove them yourself.
Can I bring a spiral-bound NEC to the PSI exam?
No. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound and ring-bound copies are not allowed, and neither is the NEC Handbook. Bring a soft-bound NEC; the questions are based on the 2026 edition TDLR adopted.
Can I highlight and write notes in my code book?
Yes, if you do it before the exam. Prior highlighting, underlining and notes are allowed, but writing, highlighting or marking during the exam is not, and added paper is never allowed.
