To qualify for a Texas Master Electrician license, you need two years as a licensed Journeyman Electrician and 12,000 hours of supervised training under a Texas Master Electrician. Apply to TDLR and prepare with the 2026 NEC. PSI gives 75 Knowledge questions and 33 Calculations questions.
You are here → Prepare for the Master exam → Open the Master career stage → Review the next Texas license
Plan the Master application
Confirm that your Journeyman license and supervised experience meet TDLR’s requirements. Keep verification forms and the exam authorization together. TDLR Master application (checked November 11, 2026)
Use the Texas licensing calculator · Try Journeyman sample questions · Verify a Texas license
Short answer: The Texas Master Electrician exam requires two years as a licensed Journeyman and 12,000 hours under a Texas Master Electrician, plus a $45 TDLR application. The PSI exam is two parts on the 2026 NEC: 75 NEC questions in 150 minutes and 33 Calculations questions in 170 minutes, and you need 70% on each part. The exam fee is $78.
Plan two separate Master exam sessions
The PSI bulletin lists 75 Knowledge items in 150 minutes and 33 Calculations items in 170 minutes. Each portion requires 70%. After a practice round, record one reference you had trouble finding and one calculation you set up incorrectly. Repeat the harder portion first. Official reference.
Part of Texas Electrician Exams: every Texas license step and exam in one place.
On this page
Contents
In detail: To take the Texas Master Electrician exam, you must have held a Journeyman Electrician license for at least two years and have 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas Master Electrician. You mail a $45 application to TDLR. The PSI exam has two parts on the 2026 NEC: NEC Knowledge with 75 questions in 150 minutes, and Calculations with 33 questions in 170 minutes. You need 70% on each part. The fee is $78, and a retake is $78. In fiscal year 2025, only 22.21% of NEC attempts and 19.08% of Calculations attempts passed.
Who qualifies
- Two years as a Journeyman Electrician. Journeyman Industrial Electrician experience does not count toward a Master license.
- 12,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Texas-licensed Master Electrician, each period verified on an Experience Verification Form signed by that master.
- If you hold or held a municipal or regional master electrician license, you may verify your own hours for the years you held it.
- Apply by mail with the Master Electrician License Application and a $45 non-refundable fee. The license is valid for one year and renewed annually.
Which Master condition sets your date: check it in the license timeline.
Exam format
| Item | Texas Master Electrician exam |
|---|---|
| Part 1 | NEC Knowledge: 75 questions (5 unscored), 150 minutes |
| Part 2 | Calculations: 33 questions (3 unscored), 170 minutes |
| Passing score | 70% on each part |
| Code edition | 2026 NEC, from September 1, 2026 |
| Fee | $78 for both parts; $78 retake for one or both parts |
| Time | Unused time in one part does not carry over |
See NEC code book tabs for the Texas exam.
Where the points are
In TDLR’s May 12, 2026 staff report, the Master Calculations part has 30 scored points. Electrical services and service equipment (8) and motors and generators (6) together make up almost half. The Master NEC Knowledge part has 70 scored points across the same subject areas as the Journeyman exam.
Need a focused first step before full Master mocks? Review the Master Calculations portion breakdown to see how its separate time limit and topic areas fit your study plan.
Pass rates
| Exam part | Attempts | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master NEC Knowledge | 3,472 | 771 | 22.21% |
| Master Calculations | 3,946 | 753 | 19.08% |
Source: TDLR fiscal year 2025 electrician exam statistics. That year, Master Calculations had a lower pass rate than either Journeyman part. More periods: Texas electrician exam pass rates.
See the Texas electrician timeline.
Ready to practice? Open the Texas Master practice exam.
How to prepare
- Treat calculations as the main project: services, feeders and motors first.
- Texas adopted the NEC 2026 edition for the state electrical code, with a limited exception for certain outdoor outlets. See the TDLR adoption notice (checked November 11, 2026) and use the current candidate bulletin to confirm your exam reference.
- Practice the real timing: 75 questions in 150 minutes, then 33 in 170 minutes, scored separately.
EnTexas master electrician exam prepOne payment, no subscription.
Tsai Electro app — free, no ads: 12 offline calculators that show the formula with your numbers, 70 free Texas Journeyman practice questions, and a timed PSI-style mock exam for members.
Check before you act
Passing is not the license. You are a Texas Master Electrician only when TDLR issues the license. Until then, do not sign or act as a Master of record.
Before you schedule. Open the PSI candidate information bulletin for TDLR electricians and look at its date.
- Your TDLR application is approved. The TDLR Master Electrician page explains how you apply.
- Write down the date on your approval notice and the last day it lets you test, as TDLR states it. Keep both where you plan your study weeks.
Exam day identity check.
- If they differ, fix your TDLR record before exam day.
- Bring the government-issued photo ID that the identification section of the bulletin accepts. Read that section, not a summary.
- Arrive by the check-in time on your PSI confirmation. Bring only the book and calculator the bulletin allows.
After the exam.
- Save your score report as a photo or PDF the same day. It shows a result for each part.
- Failed one part? You retake only that part.
- Passed both? Search your name in TDLR Active License Search. Wait until it shows a Master Electrician license with a license number and an expiration date.
- Note that expiration date. The license is renewed every year; plan your first renewal and continuing education from it.
Want these dates and steps kept in one place? Compare ET Member, the paid plan with a step-by-step learning path for the Texas license ladder.
After the Master license
With a Master license you can be the Master Electrician of record for an electrical contractor, including your own business. See the Texas electrical contractor license.
Next step on the Texas ladder
You are here: Master exam. Next: Contractor license. A contractor business needs a Master Electrician of record.
Also useful: Continuing education · All Texas electrician exams
EnReady for full timed two-part mocks? Texas master electrician exam prep
Texas license ladder
Exam prep
FAQ
How do I build a Master exam study session around my mistakes?
Start with one missed topic and finish with a written explanation of the correction. The Texas Master practice pack includes timed mocks and step-by-step calculation solutions. Use those explanations to decide whether you need rule lookup practice, calculation practice or a closer reading of the question.
Electrical tools for Android
Free electrician calculators + NEC 2026 practice questions in our free Android app.
Source: Product contents
A study routine to try
- Choose a missed topic from your most recent mock.
- Work through the explanation with the cited reference beside you.
- Close the solution and solve a fresh question on that topic. Record what you changed.
Sources
Review the current product and access terms
How many hours do you need for a master electrician license in Texas?
12,000 hours of on-the-job training under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician, plus at least two years holding a Journeyman Electrician license.
How many questions are on the Texas Master Electrician exam?
108 in total: 75 in the NEC Knowledge part (5 unscored) and 33 in the Calculations part (3 unscored).
How long is the Texas Master Electrician exam?
150 minutes for NEC Knowledge and 170 minutes for Calculations, 5 hours 20 minutes in total, timed separately.
What is the pass rate for the Texas Master Electrician exam?
In TDLR fiscal year 2025, 22.21% of NEC Knowledge attempts and 19.08% of Calculations attempts passed.
Does Journeyman Industrial experience count toward a Texas Master license?
No. TDLR states that Journeyman Industrial Electrician experience may not be used to qualify for a Master Electrician license.
How hard is the Texas Master Electrician exam?
In TDLR’s fiscal year 2025 exam statistics, 22.21% of Master NEC Knowledge attempts and 19.08% of Master Calculations attempts passed. Master Calculations had the lowest pass rate of the Journeyman and Master parts. Source: TDLR fiscal year 2025 electrician exam statistics.
Should I take another full mock immediately?
Use a focused review first if you cannot explain the earlier mistakes.
Is this the Journeyman pack?
No. The linked product is the separate Texas Master practice pack.
Track this skill in your skill tree
Save this skill to your skill tree with a free account.
Free to start. Keep your progress in your account.
Sources
- TDLR: Apply for a New Master Electrician License
- PSI candidate information bulletin for TDLR electricians
- TDLR fiscal year 2025 electrician exam statistics
- TDLR fiscal year 2024 electrician exam statistics
- TDLR staff reports, May 12, 2026
- Open resource
- TDLR Active License Search: look up a Texas electrician license
- Texas Open Data Portal: TDLR All Licenses dataset
Looking for a Texas Master book?
It is a separate purchase from the online practice pack.
Read a complete Texas Master worked sample and choose paperback or Kindle
