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The Texas Master Electrician exam is administered by PSI on behalf of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). It is the most demanding electrician licensing exam in Texas — and passing it is required before you can obtain an Electrical Contractor license and operate your own electrical business. The exam covers advanced NEC application, service design, load calculations, motor circuits, and Texas-specific licensing rules. You may bring a tabbed copy of the 2023 NEC. Most candidates who fail do so on load calculations and complex code application questions that require fast, accurate NEC lookup skills under time pressure. Practice with your book open, exactly as you will on exam day.
Exam details
The Texas Master Electrician exam is administered by PSI at testing centers across Texas. You must apply through TDLR and receive eligibility confirmation before scheduling. The exam is open book — you may bring your own tabbed copy of the 2023 NEC. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound, and ring-bound copies are not permitted. PSI provides scratch paper and a basic calculator is permitted. The exam covers advanced NEC code application, complex load calculations, service and feeder design, motor circuits, overcurrent protection, grounding and bonding, and Texas licensing rules under TDLR. Candidates must have at least 4 years (8,000 hours) of experience as a licensed Texas Journeyman Electrician before applying. Results are given at the testing center. Passing is required to qualify for an Electrical Contractor license.
This link downloads a pre-generated PDF when available for this certification.
Three areas cause the most failures on the Texas Master Electrician exam. First, complex load calculations — master-level questions go beyond dwelling unit basics into commercial feeders, motor loads, transformer sizing, and optional calculation methods (NEC 220.82 and 220.84). Candidates who struggled with the Journeyman Calculations section will face significantly harder versions here. The only reliable approach is working through every calculation type with your NEC open until the table references are automatic. Second, advanced overcurrent protection and grounding — master exam questions target the 25-foot and 100-foot tap rules, GFPE requirements for 1000A services, arc energy reduction methods (NEC 240.87), high-impedance grounded neutral systems, and separately derived system bonding. These are rarely encountered in daily journeyman work, which is why they trip up experienced electricians. Third, motor circuit design — the intersection of Articles 430 and 440 covering overload protection sizing, branch circuit OCPD selection for different motor design classes, controller ratings, and disconnecting means requirements accounts for a disproportionate share of missed questions.
It is widely considered one of the most difficult trades licensing exams in Texas. The statewide pass rate is approximately 22%, meaning roughly 4 out of 5 candidates fail on their first attempt. The exam requires not just NEC knowledge but fast, accurate code lookup skills under time pressure, plus the ability to solve complex load calculations and motor circuit problems.
You must hold a valid Texas Journeyman Electrician license and have at least 4 years (8,000 hours) of documented work experience as a licensed journeyman. You apply through your TDLR online account, submit proof of experience, pay the application fee, and wait for TDLR to send your eligibility to PSI before scheduling.
Yes. The exam is open book. You may bring your own tabbed copy of the 2023 National Electrical Code. Loose-leaf, spiral-bound, and ring-bound editions are not permitted — only standard hardbound copies. PSI provides scratch paper and pencils. A basic calculator is permitted.
The exam consists of 100 questions with a 4-hour time limit. A score of 70% or higher is required to pass.
The Master Electrician license is required to obtain a Texas Electrical Contractor license, which allows you to legally operate an electrical contracting business. Without it, you cannot pull permits or run your own electrical company. It is the highest individual electrician license in Texas.
Two years. Master Electrician licenses must be renewed every two years with TDLR. Renewal requires 8 hours of continuing education, including code update training.
The 2023 National Electrical Code. All questions are based on this edition. Bring your own copy — it may be tabbed and highlighted.
Tab your NEC before you start practicing. Work every calculation problem with your NEC open exactly as you will on exam day. Focus on Articles 220, 230, 250, 430, and 440 — these generate the most exam questions. Texas licensing rules account for roughly 10% of questions and can be studied separately.
Under 16 TAC Chapter 73, a master electrician may supervise up to 4 journeyman electricians on a job site where the master is physically present.
There is no waiting period between attempts. You pay the $74 exam fee again, reschedule through PSI, and retake the full exam. There is no limit on the number of retakes.
Topics and blueprint percentages come from our topic bank; practice sessions allocate questions using those shares when set.
Start practicing free — no account required. The first questions in each topic are unlocked. Our 100 practice questions are built from the 2023 NEC and TDLR exam blueprint, with full NEC article references in every explanation so you learn the code location, not just the answer.