Is the journeyman electrician exam hard?
Yes. In Texas, one of the few states that publishes full results, 27.52% of journeyman exam attempts passed in fiscal year 2025, and the separate calculations part passed at 20.56% (TDLR). The exam is hard because of time pressure, fast code lookups and calculations, not because the material is beyond a working electrician.
Journeyman exam pass rates
Few boards publish pass rates. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) does, every fiscal year. These are its numbers for fiscal year 2025 (September 2024 to August 2025):
| Exam | Passed | Attempts | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman (single exam, used until March 2025) | 1,390 | 5,050 | 27.52% |
| Journeyman, calculations part | 1,301 | 6,328 | 20.56% |
| Journeyman, NEC knowledge part | 1,402 | 5,731 | 24.46% |
| Residential wireman | 331 | 1,098 | 30.15% |
| Master, calculations part | 753 | 3,946 | 19.08% |
| Master, NEC knowledge part | 771 | 3,472 | 22.21% |
Source: TDLR, Electrician Exam Statistics, Fiscal Year 2025. Figures count every attempt, including retakes, so first-time pass rates are likely higher.
Two things stand out. Fewer than one in four attempts passed either part, and calculations were the hardest part for both journeyman and master candidates. In fiscal year 2024, the Texas journeyman pass rate was 27.86% (TDLR FY2024), so 2025 wasn't a one-off.
Other states' results vary, and most don't publish them. Treat Texas as a useful warning rather than a prediction for your exam.
Why people fail
Running out of time. An open-book exam sounds easy until you have about two minutes per question. Candidates who have to search for every answer don't finish.
Slow code lookups. The NEC is long. If you don't know that box fill is in Article 314 or that grounding electrode conductor sizes are in Table 250.66, you burn minutes flipping pages.
Calculations. Voltage drop, three-phase current, load calculations and motor circuits all show up, often with an extra step such as a correction factor or a 125% continuous-load rule.
Question wording. "Minimum" versus "maximum", "copper" versus "aluminum", "dwelling" versus "commercial". One missed word changes the answer.
The wrong code edition. Studying the 2020 NEC for a 2023 exam, or the 2023 NEC for a 2026 exam, costs points where the rules changed.
What makes it easier
- Practice under the clock. Take full-length timed practice exams so the real pace feels normal.
- Learn the code book's layout. Know which article covers what, and use the index.
- Drill calculations until they're routine. The same formulas come back again and again. See our calculations guide.
- Study your weak topics, not your favorites. Track accuracy by topic and spend most of your time on the lowest scores.
- Read every question twice. Circle (mentally) the words that change the answer.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the journeyman electrician exam?
It depends on your state and testing vendor. Many exams have somewhere between 60 and 100 questions, and some are split into parts. Texas, for example, splits its exam into a code knowledge part and a calculations part. Your candidate bulletin lists the exact count and time limit.
Is the journeyman electrician test open book?
Usually, yes. Texas, for example, allows a soft-bound copy of the NEC edition the exam is based on (TDLR exam information). Check your own bulletin for what you can bring.
How many times can you take the journeyman electrician test?
Most states allow retakes after a waiting period and a new exam fee. Some limit how long your application stays valid. Texas, for example, gives applicants one year from the date the application is received to meet all requirements, including passing the exam.
What is the hardest part of the journeyman electrician exam?
For most people it's calculations, then grounding and bonding. In Texas in fiscal year 2025, the calculations part had a lower pass rate than the code knowledge part.
Is the master electrician exam harder than the journeyman exam?
Generally, yes. It covers more commercial and industrial calculations and service and feeder sizing. In Texas, master exam pass rates were lower than journeyman rates in fiscal year 2025.