Short answer: Your apprenticeship class is a good place to look for study partners. Ask two classmates, “Want to meet for an hour before class next week to work through the chapter?” Pick one topic and agree on a time and place. Agree on a few ground rules, practice exam-style questions together, and take what nobody can answer to your instructor.
Starting your first year as a Texas apprentice? The US$19 Texas First-Year Electrical Apprentice Kit gives you printable pages for the first months on the job: a tool-check card, a who-to-ask list with a short stop-and-ask script, emergency-contact and heat-and-rest cards, plus a Tool budget sheet and a Tool inventory sheet (CSV).
Log your Texas Journeyman hours free. A free Tsai Electro account keeps your supervised hours, your online practice scores and your exam date in one place. Start with a five-question check to see which topic to practice next.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with TDLR, OSHA, the Department of Labor or any apprenticeship program.
Why peers help
Apprenticeship classes in Texas usually meet one evening a week. Houston JATC, for example, says classes run one night a week for four hours, generally September to June. Between classes, you may have questions that are easier to work through with classmates who are studying the same material. A study group fills that gap. You hear how someone else solved the problem you are stuck on, and you find out you are not the only one stuck.
Explaining a topic to a classmate can help you notice which steps you understand and which ones you still need to review.
If you are new and want the basics of your first year (license, supervision, hours), see our first year as a Texas apprentice electrician page.
Where to find study partners
- Your own class. Start with classmates working through the same course material. Ask two or three people whether they want to review a topic together before or after class.
- Apprentices at your company. Others in your shop may be a year ahead and remember the hard topics.
- Your program’s own events. Some programs publish them. IEC Fort Worth lists a calendar of upcoming training and events on its website. IEC Dallas gives awards to students with perfect attendance and an outstanding student in each class year, and holds a formal graduation ceremony. Ask your training office what your program offers.
- Your instructor. Ask if anyone else in class wants to study together. Instructors know who is working on the same topics.
We do not list online forums or outside groups here. Start with people you can verify: your class and your program.
How to start a study group
- Ask two or three classmates. “Want to meet for an hour before class to go over the homework?” is enough.
- Pick one fixed time. Before class, a lunch break or a set evening. Same time each week.
- Pick a place. A quiet table near the training center, a library or a video call.
- Pick one topic per session. Use the class schedule. This week’s chapter is next week’s topic.
- Everyone brings one question. A homework problem, a code book lookup or a term from the job.
- End with a short list. What you solved, and what you will ask the instructor.
Ground rules that keep a group working
- Start and end on time. One hour is plenty. People have work early.
- One topic. Off-topic talk goes at the end.
- Do your own homework first. Come with your attempt, then compare. Programs grade homework, and South Texas Electrical JATC counts substantially incomplete homework as an absence.
- Explain, do not just share answers. If you know it, walk through the steps.
- No help during tests. Group study is for practice. South Texas JATC, for example, does not allow phones or non-approved devices while testing.
- Do not use your study group for hands-on electrical work. Your employer and apprenticeship program are responsible for required safety orientation, training and supervision. Use group meetings to review theory and questions, not to replace required instruction.
- Be patient with every question. People may come in with different levels of experience. Give everyone time to ask questions and explain their thinking.
What to study together
- Exam-style questions. Work a set together and talk through the ones you miss. The free 70-question practice set is a good shared starting point.
- Calculations. Each person works the problem alone, then compare steps.
- Code book lookups. One person names a topic, everyone races to find it in the book.
- Jobsite terms. Quiz each other on abbreviations and parts.
Check your group setup
Study group setup check
Tick what your group has in place. Nothing leaves your browser.
- At least two classmates have said yes
- We have one fixed time each week
- We have a place or a video link
- We pick one topic per session from the class schedule
- Everyone does their own homework before we meet
- We explain steps instead of just sharing answers
- We keep a list of questions for the instructor
- We agreed there is no help during tests
Study together, then test yourself alone. The Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam Practice Pack is for apprentices preparing for the journeyman exam. It includes 1,000 practice questions, 10 timed two-part mock exams based on the PSI format and 2026 NEC, each part scored against 70%, step-by-step calculation solutions, and a printable workbook. If your group is still working on introductory coursework, use your program’s assigned material first. This pack prepares you to practice questions for the journeyman exam. It does not help you find study partners, cover your program’s assigned coursework, provide required safety training or replace apprenticeship instruction. US$39, one payment, 30-day refund if unused.
Where do I find other apprentices to study with?
Start with your own class and the apprentices at your company. Ask your instructor and training office about events your program publishes.
How big should a study group be?
Small. Two to four people with one fixed time and one topic per session is easy to keep going.
Is it OK to share homework answers?
Do your own homework first, then compare and explain the steps. Programs may grade homework. South Texas Electrical JATC counts substantially incomplete homework as an absence under its published rules. Follow your own program’s homework requirements.
What should a study group practice?
Exam-style questions, calculations, code book lookups and jobsite terms.
