⚡ Pass the Retake
✓ Updated for the 2026 NEC

Failed the Texas journeyman electrician exam? 5 steps before your retake

First: you are in good company. Most attempts at this exam fail. Not because they are bad electricians, but because the test checks different things than the job does.

The numbers: most attempts fail

Official TDLR statistics for fiscal year 2025:

28%journeyman exam attempts passed (1,390 of 5,050)
24%passed the knowledge (NEC) part
21%passed the calculations part

So if you failed, you are with the majority: roughly 3 out of 4 attempts don't pass. The question is what you do differently next time.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Two parts since March 11, 2025. TDLR split the journeyman exam into a knowledge part and a calculations part. Check your score report to see which part cost you points.

NEC 2026 since September 1, 2026. Texas adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code, and the state exams use it from that date. The exam is open book. TDLR's exam page says you may reference the NEC 2026 edition, and that the questions are based on the current TDLR-adopted edition. If you studied with an older book, some rules and wording have changed.

5 steps before your retake

  1. Find your weak topics first. Don't start again at page 1. Find out which topics cost you points: grounding, box fill, load calculations, motors, overcurrent protection.
  2. Practice only those topics. 15 focused minutes a day on your weak spots beat 3 hours of reading the whole book.
  3. Learn where things are in your code book. It's open book, but the clock is tight. Tab your 2026 NEC and practice finding a section in under a minute.
  4. Do the calculations by hand, every day. The calculations part had the lowest pass rate. Box fill, conductor sizing and load calculations need practice, not just reading.
  5. Practice against the clock. Book your retake when your timed practice scores are steady, not when you hope you are ready.
Where do you lose points?
Take the free 5-question check. You see your weak topics and where each answer is in your code book.
Start the free check →

More for your retake

Sources: TDLR electrician exam statistics, FY2025 · TDLR electrician exam information · TDLR newsletter, July 2026 (2026 NEC adoption). Percentages rounded.