Electrician license exam: licenses, exam format and how to prepare
An electrician license exam is the state test you pass to move from apprentice to journeyman or master electrician; there is no single national electrician license. Each state sets its own levels, hours and exams. In Texas, for example, the journeyman electrician exam has 80 scored questions in 240 minutes, is open book with the 2023 NEC, and requires 70 percent to pass.
- Who licenses electricians
- Each state (or its licensing agency); rules differ by stateExample used on this page: Texas TDLR, checked 19 October 2026
- Example: Texas license levels
- Apprentice, Residential Wireman, Journeyman, Master and more; contractor license for businessesTDLR Electricians at a Glance, checked 19 October 2026
- Example: Texas journeyman exam
- 80 scored + 5 unscored questions, 240 minutes, 70% to pass, US$78TDLR/PSI Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 3/30/2023), checked 19 October 2026
- Example: Texas master exam
- Two portions (NEC Knowledge, Calculations), 70% on each, US$78TDLR/PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, checked 19 October 2026
- Example: Texas reference book
- Open book, 2023 National Electrical Code onlyTDLR/PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, checked 19 October 2026
- Example: Texas experience
- Journeyman 8,000 hours (7,000 to test); Master 12,000 hours + 2 years as journeymanTDLR, checked 19 October 2026
- Example: Texas apprentice license
- No exam, no experience required, US$20, minimum age 16TDLR, checked 19 October 2026
- Example: Texas renewal
- Every year, with 4 hours of continuing educationTDLR, checked 19 October 2026
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What is the electrician license exam?
Electrician licensing is a state matter in the US, so the electrician exam you take depends on where you will work. A state licensing agency decides which license levels exist, how many supervised hours you need, which exam for electrician candidates applies to each level and which edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC) is tested.
This page uses Texas as a worked example because its licensing agency, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), publishes complete rules and an exam bulletin. Texas states that anyone who performs electrical work in the state must be licensed. If you work elsewhere, check your own state’s licensing agency before relying on any number below; the test for electrician licenses in your state may differ in hours, fees, questions and code edition.
Source: TDLR — Electrical Safety and Licensing FAQ. Checked 19 October 2026.
Electrician license levels: apprentice, journeyman, master, contractor
Most candidates move through levels, and Texas shows the typical structure. An apprentice license for electrician trainees lets you work under the general supervision of a Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician or Residential Wireman. A journeyman electrician license and a master electrician license each require supervised hours and an exam.
Texas also has a residential electrician license, called Residential Wireman, and special licenses such as Journeyman Industrial and Maintenance Electrician. An electrician contractor license is a business license: in Texas the business must be a licensed master electrician or employ one, carry workers’ compensation and general liability insurance, and contractor licenses do not require an exam.
- Electrical Apprentice (Texas): age 16 or older, no exam, no experience, US$20
- Residential Wireman (Texas): 4,000 hours or an approved career and technology education program, plus an exam
- Journeyman Electrician (Texas): 8,000 hours under a master electrician, plus an exam
- Master Electrician (Texas): 12,000 hours and at least two years as a journeyman, plus an exam
- Electrical Contractor (Texas): a master electrician on the license, insurance, US$110 business fee, no exam
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electricians at a Glance (Dec. 2025). Checked 19 October 2026.
TDLR electrician license: Texas as the example
For a TDLR electrician license, you apply to TDLR first and test second. For the journeyman level you apply by mail with a non-refundable US$30 application fee once you have at least 7,000 hours of on-the-job training; TDLR then approves you to take the licensing exam, and the license itself needs the full 8,000 hours.
A TDLR apprentice electrician license works differently: you apply online, with no experience or examination requirement and a US$20 fee. If you report no criminal convictions, TDLR automatically issues a temporary license. Every Texas individual license is valid for one year.
Source: TDLR — Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License. Checked 19 October 2026.
Journeyman electrician exam: format and content (Texas example)
In Texas the journeyman electrician exam is delivered by PSI on a computer at a PSI test site. It has 80 scored questions plus 5 unscored ones, 240 minutes for the scored part plus 20 minutes for the unscored items, and you need 70 percent correct. The fee is US$78.
The journeyman electrician test is open book, but only the 2023 National Electrical Code is allowed, as a soft-bound copy with permanent publisher index tabs; highlighting and notes are allowed before the exam, not during it. Silent, non-programmable calculators without paper tape or an alphabet keyboard are permitted. The questions are spread like this:
- Definitions, calculations, theory and plans: 6
- Services, service equipment and separately derived systems: 9
- Feeders: 3
- Branch circuit calculations and conductors: 15
- Wiring methods and materials: 18
- Equipment and devices: 10
- Motors and generators: 5
- Control devices and disconnecting means: 3
- Special occupancies, equipment and conditions: 9
- Renewable energy technologies: 2
Source: TDLR / PSI — Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 3/30/2023). Checked 19 October 2026.
Master electrician exam (Texas example)
The Texas master electrician exam has two portions, and you need 70 percent on each. The NEC Knowledge portion has 75 items (5 unscored) in 150 minutes; the Calculations portion has 33 items (3 unscored) in 170 minutes. Unused time in one portion does not carry over. The fee is US$78 for both portions, and a retake costs US$78 per portion.
The master electrician test uses the same open-book rules as the journeyman exam. Calculations carry far more weight here: motors and generators and services each have their own block of calculation items.
Source: TDLR / PSI — Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 3/30/2023). Checked 19 October 2026.
How do I get an electrician license?
The general path is the same in many states, but the details are not, so treat these Texas steps as an example of the route to an electrician license rather than a national rule.
How do you get a journeyman electrician license in Texas? Collect the supervised hours, have each supervising master electrician sign an Experience Verification Form, mail the application with the fee, wait for approval, then schedule and pass the PSI exam.
- Get an apprentice license and work under a licensed electrician
- Log supervised hours: 7,000 to test and 8,000 to be licensed as a journeyman in Texas
- Apply to the state agency and get approval to test
- Pass the state electrician exam
- Renew every year and complete continuing education
Source: TDLR — Apply for a New Journeyman Electrician License. Checked 19 October 2026.
How long does it take to get an electrician license?
The main factor is supervised experience. In Texas the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (7,000 to sit the exam), the residential wireman license 4,000 hours, and the master license 12,000 hours plus at least two years as a licensed journeyman.
How long that takes in calendar time depends on how many hours you work, and TDLR does not publish processing times on the pages we checked. Other states set their own hour requirements.
Electrician license classes appear at two points in the Texas rules: the residential wireman license accepts an approved career and technology education program instead of 4,000 hours, and the continuing education before each renewal must come from a registered TDLR provider. For the journeyman license, the published Texas requirement is supervised on-the-job hours; the TDLR pages checked do not list journeyman electrician classes as a requirement.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) — Electricians at a Glance (Dec. 2025). Checked 19 October 2026.
Electrician apprenticeship test and aptitude test
The state does not always test apprentices: Texas has no examination requirement for the apprentice license. The electrician apprenticeship test many candidates mean is the entry test of an apprenticeship program. For IBEW/NECA joint apprenticeship programs, the national apprenticeship training organization describes the electrician apprenticeship aptitude test, an electrician aptitude test with two parts: Algebra and Functions (33 items, 46 minutes) and Reading Comprehension (36 items, 51 minutes).
To apply you must be at least a high school graduate or have a GED and show one full year of high school algebra with a passing grade. You are told whether you reached a qualifying score, not your exact score; qualifying candidates are interviewed and placed on an eligibility list for two years. A full three months (90 days) must pass before you may retake the electrician apprenticeship exam. For apprentice electrician aptitude test practice, the organization publishes a short sample test.
Source: electrical training ALLIANCE (IBEW/NECA) — The Application Process. Checked 19 October 2026.
Renew electrician license: Texas rules
For a TDLR electrician license renewal, licenses run one year and renewals can be done online. Master, journeyman, residential wireman, maintenance and apprentice electricians must complete 4 hours of continuing education from a registered TDLR provider during the license term, covering the NEC, Texas electrician law and rules, and NFPA 70E electrical safety; apprentices may instead be enrolled in a department-registered apprenticeship training course. Contractors do not need continuing education.
A late master electrician renewal costs more, and a license expired for more than three years cannot be renewed. Electrician licence renewal rules, spelled with a c or an s, differ by state, so check yours.
Source: TDLR — Continuing Education Information for Electricians. Checked 19 October 2026.
Electrician license search
An electrician license search checks whether a person or company holds a valid license. For a TDLR electrician license search, TDLR points to its online license database, where you can search for the individual or company by name or license number.
Source: TDLR — Electrical Safety and Licensing FAQ. Checked 19 October 2026.
Free journeyman electrician practice test resources
Official free material is limited. The Texas candidate bulletin is free and contains the full content outline; the exam tutorial includes sample questions so you can practise using the keys, but the bulletin names no official practice exam. We found no free journeyman electrician practice test from TDLR on the pages checked.
Note that the Texas bulletin is dated 2023 and references the 2023 NEC, while NFPA has published a 2026 edition of NFPA 70. Any practice material must match the code edition your exam uses.
Source: TDLR / PSI — Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 3/30/2023). Checked 19 October 2026.
Electrician practice test and journeyman electrician exam prep
Certsqill’s electrician practice test questions are expert-developed and mapped to the content areas of the state exams, from services and branch circuits to motors and special occupancies. Use a journeyman electrician practice test to find your weak areas, then work through the NEC articles behind them; that is the core of journeyman electrician test prep and of journeyman electrician exam prep for master candidates too.
Every practice test for electrician candidates comes with an explanation for each answer option, and your results build a readiness score per content area. A 7-day money-back guarantee applies.
Electrician Exam questions people ask
Is there a national electrician license?
No. Each state licenses electricians, and levels, hours and exams differ. This page uses Texas (TDLR) as the example, checked 19 October 2026.
How many questions are on the journeyman electrician exam?
In Texas, 80 scored and 5 unscored questions in 240 minutes plus 20 minutes. Source: TDLR/PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, checked 19 October 2026.
Is the electrician test open book?
In Texas, yes: only the 2023 NEC is allowed, soft-bound. Other states set their own rules. Source: TDLR/PSI bulletin, checked 19 October 2026.
What score do I need to pass the electrician exam?
In Texas, 70 percent correct; for master, 70 percent on each portion. Source: TDLR/PSI bulletin, checked 19 October 2026.
How long does it take to get electrician license eligibility in Texas?
You need 7,000 hours of on-the-job training to sit the journeyman exam and 8,000 for the license. Source: TDLR, checked 19 October 2026.
Do I need an exam for an apprentice electrician license?
Not in Texas: there are no experience or examination requirements for the apprentice license. Source: TDLR, checked 19 October 2026.
How do I renew an electrician license in Texas?
Renew every year, online, after 4 hours of continuing education from a registered TDLR provider. Source: TDLR, checked 19 October 2026.
Can I retake the electrician exam?
In Texas, you may test an unlimited number of times within your eligibility period, paying the fee each time. Source: TDLR/PSI bulletin, checked 19 October 2026.
