Texas Residential Appliance Installer Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide
You need a license to install residential appliances in Texas — and that means passing the TDLR Residential Appliance Installer exam. It's an 80-question, open-book test administered by PSI, and a 70% score gets you licensed. This guide covers everything: exam structure, topic breakdowns, sample questions, and study strategies that work. Start with our free practice exam to see where you stand before you crack a book.
Texas Residential Appliance Installer Exam Overview
- Questions: 80 scored items (plus 5 non-scored pilot items, for 85 total)
- Time: 240 minutes for the scored exam, plus an additional 20 minutes for the non-scored questions
- Passing score: 70% — that's 56 correct out of 80 scored questions
- Format: Computer-based, open book at a PSI testing center
- Fee: $64
The exam is open book, meaning you can bring a soft-bound copy of the NEC 2026 into the room. That's a huge advantage — but only if you know how to use it fast. The clock doesn't stop while you flip pages.
Exam Topics and Weights
Here's the full breakdown of topics and how many questions each one carries on the real exam. Study time should match these weights.
| Topic | Exam Items |
|---|---|
| Swimming Pool, Spas and Fountain Equipment | 18 |
| GFCI Protection and Equipment Grounding and Bonding | 15 |
| Electrical Equipment and Devices | 15 |
| Definitions, Calculations, and Theory | 12 |
| Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials | 10 |
| Motors | 5 |
| Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means | 5 |
Where to focus first: Swimming Pools, Spas and Fountain Equipment carries the most weight at 18 items — nearly a quarter of the exam. Pool equipment, luminaires, pumps, vertical clearance, and bonding rules are all fair game. GFCI Protection and Electrical Equipment and Devices are tied at 15 items each, so don't skip them either. Together, those three topics account for 60% of your score.
Swimming Pool, Spas and Fountain Equipment (18 items): Covers pool heaters, pool covers, luminaires, pumps, and vertical clearance requirements. The NEC's Article 680 rules are dense — tab them.
GFCI Protection and Equipment Grounding and Bonding (15 items): Expect questions on where GFCI protection is required, equipment grounding conductor sizing, and equipotential bonding for pools and spas.
Electrical Equipment and Devices (15 items): Receptacles, switches, appliances, workspace clearances, and utilization equipment. Know your NEC code sections cold.
Definitions, Calculations, and Theory (12 items): Code definitions and electrical calculations — load calculations, volt-ampere math, and circuit sizing.
Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials (10 items): Raceways, boxes and enclosures, cables, flexible cords, and conductors.
Motors (5 items): Covers electric motor requirements — disconnecting means location, overcurrent protection, and nameplate ratings.
Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means (5 items): Controllers, switches, and disconnect requirements, including transformer and electronic power supply ratings.
Sample Questions
These are real-style questions from the residential appliance installer practice exam. See if you can work through them — but don't worry if you're not sure. That's what practice is for.
Question 1 (Electrical Equipment and Devices — Medium)
According to Section 210.8(A), GFCI protection is required for all 125V through 250V receptacles in dwelling unit bathrooms when supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated how many volts or less to ground?
- A) 120 volts
- B) 150 volts
- C) 240 volts
- D) 277 volts
Question 2 (Definitions, Calculations, and Theory — Medium)
A single piece of equipment consisting of a multiple receptacle comprised of four or more receptacles shall be calculated at not less than ______ per receptacle.
- A) 180 volt-amperes
- B) 150 volt-amperes
- C) 90 volt-amperes
- D) 120 volt-amperes
Question 3 (Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means — Medium)
According to the NEC, what is the maximum secondary-circuit current rating for transformers and electronic power supplies used in electric signs?
- A) 150 mA
- B) 300 mA
- C) 450 mA
- D) 600 mA
Question 4 (Motors — Medium)
Where must the motor disconnecting means be located in relation to the motor and driven machinery?
- A) Within sight only
- B) Within 10 feet
- C) Within sight and not more than 50 feet away
- D) In the same room
Question 5 (Electrical Equipment and Devices — Easy)
For office furnishings that are cord-and-plug connected, what is the maximum power supply cord length permitted per NEC 605.9(A)?
- A) 18 inches
- B) 2 feet
- C) 3 feet
- D) 9 feet
Not sure about your answers? Take the free practice exam to test your knowledge in a timed, exam-style format.
What Types of Questions to Expect
Our full residential appliance installer practice exam draws from a pool of 402 questions across all seven topics. Here's what each section tests:
- Definitions, Calculations, and Theory: Code vocabulary and load calculations — expect to look up definitions and work through volt-ampere math.
- GFCI Protection and Equipment Grounding and Bonding: Where GFCI is required, grounding conductor requirements, and bonding for pools and wet locations.
- Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials: Raceway fill, box sizing, conductor ampacity, and flexible cord rules.
- Electrical Equipment and Devices: Receptacle placement, appliance installation, workspace clearances, and utilization equipment specs.
- Motors: Disconnect location, overcurrent protection, and motor nameplate calculations.
- Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means: Switch and controller rules, disconnect placement, and transformer current ratings.
- Swimming Pool, Spas and Fountain Equipment: Pool heaters, pump wiring, luminaire placement, equipotential bonding, and overhead clearances.
Required and Recommended Study Materials
Required
NEC 2026 — This is your exam reference. You bring it into the test room and use it during the exam. A soft-bound copy is required; loose-leaf, spiral-bound, and ring-bound versions are not allowed. The NEC Handbook is also not permitted. Get familiar with the index, article structure, and tables before exam day.
Recommended
Sharpie Tank Highlighters — Pre-highlighting your NEC is one of the highest-return prep activities you can do. These have a wide barrel, large ink supply, and a narrow chisel tip — good for highlighting code sections and underlining key phrases without bleeding through pages. The pack includes 12 assorted fluorescent colors.
NEC publisher index tabs — You may tab your NEC only with permanent index tabs manufactured and/or provided by the NEC book publisher. Homemade, DIY, or non-NEC tabs are not permitted; candidates arriving with them must remove them, test without the book, or forfeit the fee. Use publisher tabs to mark Articles 210, 250, 430, 680, and other frequently tested sections.
Study Tips
1. Simulate the real exam. Our residential appliance installer practice exam mirrors the PSI exam exactly — same number of questions, same time limit, same topic breakdown. Practicing in that format eliminates surprises on test day.
2. Master your book, not just the material. This is an open-book exam. The candidates who pass fastest aren't necessarily the ones who've memorized everything — they're the ones who can find the answer in under 30 seconds. Highlight key sections, tab the major articles, and drill the index until it's automatic.
3. Answer in two passes. Work through every question once: answer what you know, flag what you don't. Then go back to the flagged questions. Our practice exam lets you bookmark questions for later review, just like the PSI interface. Don't let one hard question eat 10 minutes.
4. Read the answer choices first. Before committing, scan the options for the key term or code section that matches the question. The more exam-style questions you've seen, the faster the right wording jumps out.
5. Skip the untimed PDFs for final prep. PDF guides can help you learn concepts, but they don't build the time-pressure skills you need. Use timed practice exams as your primary prep tool in the final weeks.
Get Started Today
The Texas Residential Appliance Installer license is within reach. The exam is open book, the topics are well-defined, and the right prep makes a real difference. Start with our free practice exam — no account or payment required, 10 questions, instant results. When you're ready for full-length simulation, upgrade to the paid exam for 80 timed questions drawn from all seven topic areas. Get your NEC tabbed, your weak topics identified, and walk into that PSI center ready to pass.