Short answer: NEC Knowledge gives you 130 minutes for 59 items, about 2 minutes 12 seconds (132 seconds) per item. Calculations gives you 110 minutes for 26 items, about 4 minutes 14 seconds (254 seconds) per item. Time does not roll over between the parts, so each clock has to be managed on its own. Partway through a part, divide the minutes you have left by the questions you have left and compare it to that average.
Pace is a skill you build on a real clock, not on exam day. The Practice Pack has 10 full timed two-part mocks, 59 questions in 130 minutes plus 26 in 110 minutes, scored at 70% with a score by part and by topic. Its code-book navigation aids and ranked tab-these-first list cut lookup time on Knowledge, and 299 step-by-step calculation solutions show you where your Calculations minutes go. 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.
The two clocks in seconds
| NEC Knowledge | Calculations | |
|---|---|---|
| Items | 59 (3 not scored) | 26 (2 not scored) |
| Time | 130 minutes | 110 minutes |
| Average per item | about 132 seconds | about 254 seconds |
| Pass mark | 70% | 70% |
The averages are our arithmetic from the PSI numbers: 130 minutes divided by 59, and 110 minutes divided by 26. PSI does not tell you which items are unscored, so treat every item as scored and give each one its share of the clock.
The tutorial at the start, up to 15 minutes, is not counted against either part. Use it to settle in, not to rush.
Checkpoints inside each part
You do not need to check the clock after every question. Pick two or three checkpoints and know where you should be. These are straight-line splits of the PSI time, our arithmetic:
| Checkpoint | NEC Knowledge (130 min) | Calculations (110 min) |
|---|---|---|
| A quarter of the items done | about 15 items by 33 minutes | about 7 items by 30 minutes |
| Half the items done | about 30 items by 66 minutes | 13 items by 55 minutes |
| Three quarters done | about 44 items by 97 minutes | about 20 items by 85 minutes |
Ahead of a checkpoint, keep the same speed and bank the time. Behind, run the check below and switch to skip-and-return.
The skip-and-return routine
The computer exam shows one question per screen, and you can return and change answers while time remains. That is what makes this routine work.
- Read the question once, all the way through. Find what it asks for and whether it names a method. The bulletin says to skip exceptions and optional calculation methods unless the question directs you to them.
- Set a limit per item. On Knowledge, if you have not found the article in about two minutes, pick your best answer, note the item, and move on. On Calculations, if the setup is not clear after about four minutes, do the same.
- Finish the first pass. Easy points at the end of the part are worth exactly the same as hard points in the middle.
- Go back to the skipped items with the time you banked, hardest last.
- Stop changing answers in the final minutes unless you found a clear reason in the code book.
Time left on one part does not carry over, so leftover Knowledge minutes cannot rescue Calculations.
Mid-exam pace check
Mid-exam pace check
Enter how many questions and minutes you have left in the part you are working. The part totals default to NEC Knowledge (59 items, 130 minutes). For Calculations, change them to 26 items and 110 minutes. The 30 questions and 60 minutes left are an example to replace.
- Questions left in this part
- Minutes left in this part
- Items in this part (59 Knowledge, 26 Calculations)
- Minutes for this part (130 Knowledge, 110 Calculations)
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Texas Journeyman Electrician Exam Prep 2026 NEC (paperback)
Our own workbook has 2 full two-part mock exams, 59 and 26 questions, plus 486 practice questions and a 20-article tab list. Its four-week plan puts Mock 1 under real time limits in week 3, so you can test these checkpoints before the real clock.
How much time per question do you get on the Texas journeyman exam?
NEC Knowledge has 130 minutes for 59 items, about 2 minutes 12 seconds per item. Calculations has 110 minutes for 26 items, about 4 minutes 14 seconds per item. Each part runs on its own clock.
Can you go back to a question on the journeyman exam?
Yes. The computer exam shows one question per screen, and you can return and change answers while time remains in that part. That lets you skip a slow item and come back to it after your first pass.
Does unused time carry over to the other part?
No. The PSI bulletin says time does not roll over between the two portions. Minutes you save on NEC Knowledge cannot be used on Calculations, so plan each part on its own.
