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Texas Journeyman Industrial Electrician — Practice Exam

What This Practice Exam Covers

The Texas Journeyman Industrial Electrician licensing exam consists of 60 questions answered in 180 minutes, with a passing score of 70% (42 correct). Questions are drawn from 10 topic areas covering the NEC from foundational definitions through hazardous location requirements.

This site offers two ways to prepare:

• Free practice exam: 10 questions per attempt, pulled from a limited question pool. You can retake it as many times as you like — it's the fastest way to get a feel for question style, phrasing, and pacing before committing to deeper prep.
• Full practice exam (paid): 60 questions delivered under the real exam's 180-minute time limit, drawn from a pool of 551+ questions. Because the pool is large, every attempt produces a unique set — no memorizing a fixed question list. Questions are built from the exact topic breakdown the official test provider uses.

Start with the free exam to calibrate where you stand, then use the full exam for serious, timed preparation.

What You'll Be Tested On

Definitions, Theory, and Plans — 7 items

This is the code's instruction manual for itself. You need to know NEC Article 90 thoroughly: the purpose of the code (practical safeguarding of persons and property), what installations the NEC covers and what it explicitly excludes (Article 90.2(A) and 90.2(D)), and how mandatory rules ("shall"/"shall not"), permissive rules ("shall be permitted"), and explanatory notes differ (Article 90.5(A), 90.5(B), 90.5(C)). Expect questions on the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) — who enforces the code, who grants special permission — and on NEC code arrangement across its nine chapters and annexes. Equipment listing and approval (NEC 90.7) also appear here.

Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems — 4 items

Topics include overhead and underground service conductor clearances, service disconnecting means location and the maximum number of disconnects permitted, sizing of service entrance conductors, overcurrent protection for service equipment, and ground-fault protection requirements. Grounding and bonding — including the main bonding jumper and grounding electrode system — are tested, along with the system bonding jumper and grounding electrode conductor requirements for separately derived systems.

Electrical Feeders — 4 items

You must be able to apply the 125% rule for continuous loads under NEC 215.2(A)(1) and size feeder overcurrent protection per NEC 215.3. Ground-fault protection of equipment is required for feeder disconnects rated 1000A or more (NEC 215.10, Exception No. 1 identifies where this rule does not apply). Feeder equipment grounding conductor sizing follows NEC Table 250.122, and conductor identification rules under NEC 200.6(A), 200.6(B), and 200.6(D) apply to feeders as well.

Branch Circuit Calculations and Conductors — 6 items

This section demands calculation skills. The 125% rule for continuous loads (NEC 210.19(A)(1) and 210.20(A)) must be automatic. Know permissible loads by circuit size using NEC Table 210.24(1), small conductor overcurrent protection limits (NEC 240.4(D)(4)), and how to apply ampacity correction and adjustment factors from the ampacity tables. GFCI requirements for non-dwelling occupancies (NEC 210.8(B)) and AFCI protection (NEC 210.12(A)(1) and 210.12(B)) also appear, so know which locations and occupancy types trigger each requirement.

Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials — 10 items

The heaviest topic on the exam. Conductor ampacity from NEC tables, correction factors for ambient temperature, and adjustment factors for conductor bundling (fill) must all be in your toolkit. Underground installations — including minimum cover depths from NEC Table 300.5(A) and physical protection requirements under NEC 300.5(B), 300.5(D)(1), and 300.5(D)(3) — are tested directly. Know the rules for protecting cables through framing members (NEC 300.4(A)(1), 300.4(A)(2), 300.4(E), 300.4(F)). Box and conduit body fill calculations follow NEC 300.17, and raceway/cable securing and support requirements round out this section.

Electrical Equipment and Devices — 6 items

Switch types and ratings (NEC 404.8(B)), receptacle requirements, panelboard and switchboard construction and grounding (NEC 408.3(E)(1)), and motor controller and disconnecting means rules (Parts VII, VIII, IX of Article 430) all appear here. Luminaire installation and grounding requirements — including location restrictions — are also tested.

Motors and Generators — 7 items

This is a major calculation section. Motor branch-circuit conductor sizing follows NEC 430.6(A)(1) and 430.22 — always use the full-load current (FLC) from NEC tables, not the nameplate, for conductor sizing. Overload protection selection uses NEC 430.32(A)(1). Know locked-rotor code letters from motor nameplates, branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protection ratings, and motor control center (MCC) requirements for overcurrent protection, grounding, busbars, and marking. Generator output conductor sizing follows NEC Article 445.13(A).

Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means — 3 items

Motor disconnecting means location, type, and rating (Part IX of Article 430); switch ratings and load control limitations; and industrial control panel disconnecting means and short-circuit ratings (NEC 409.22(A)) are the core of this section. Know when a controller may serve as the disconnecting means.

Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions — 6 items

Hazardous location classification by Class (I, II, III), Division (1 and 2), and Group (A through G) per NEC 500.5(B)(1), 500.5(B)(2), and 500.5(C) and 500.5(D). Protection techniques — explosionproof (NEC 500.7(A)), dust-ignitionproof (NEC 500.7(B)), intrinsically safe (NEC 500.7(D)), and others — must be matched to their permitted locations. Equipment temperature classification (T-codes) and approval requirements per NEC 500.8(B)(1) and 500.8(D)(3)(b) are also tested, along with sealing and drainage requirements for conduit systems.

Electrical Safety — 7 items

Overlaps with hazardous locations but also covers overcurrent protection requirements, conductor protection, and arc energy reduction methods. Know the grounding and bonding rules specific to classified locations and wiring methods approved for Class I, II, and III Division 1 and Division 2 environments.

Worked Sample Questions

Question 1 — Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials

A 2" EMT conduit contains (4) 3/0 THHN copper conductors. Is this within code?

• A. Yes
• B. No

Correct Answer: A — Yes

NEC Chapter 9, Table 1 limits conduit fill to 40% of the cross-sectional area for three or more conductors. Using Table 1 and Chapter 9 Table 4, the total area of four 3/0 THHN conductors falls within the 40% allowable fill for 2" EMT. This is a straightforward table lookup — know the fill percentages cold, because conduit fill questions on this exam require you to calculate area, not estimate.

Question 2 — Definitions, Theory, and Plans

NEC mandatory rules are characterized by the use of the terms _____ or shall not.

• A. may
• B. shall
• C. should
• D. could

Correct Answer: B — shall

Per Article 90.5(A), mandatory rules of the NEC — those that require or prohibit specific actions — are identified by the terms "shall" or "shall not." Permissive rules use "shall be permitted" or "shall not be required." Explanatory material appears as informational notes. This distinction matters on the exam because questions may ask you to identify rule type based on language alone.

Question 3 — Motors and Generators

A 7.5 HP, 230V, 3-phase motor has a FLC of 22 amps. What is the minimum conductor ampacity?

• A. 22A
• B. 25A
• C. 27.5A
• D. 30A

Correct Answer: C — 27.5A

Under NEC 430.6(A)(1) and 430.22, motor branch-circuit conductors must have an ampacity of not less than 125% of the motor's full-load current. Using the table-derived FLC of 22A: 22 × 1.25 = 27.5A. Note that nameplate current is not used for conductor sizing — always pull FLC from the NEC tables.

How to Read Your Score

The passing threshold is 70% — 42 correct out of 60 questions. On a 60-question practice exam, every wrong answer costs you 1.67 percentage points, so a score of 60% (36 correct) means you need 6 more questions right on exam day, which represents meaningful gaps across multiple topics.

Treat your first practice attempt as a diagnostic, not a verdict. A score in the 55–65% range is common on a first attempt for candidates who have field experience but haven't studied code systematically. That score tells you which topic areas are dragging you down — it does not mean you're not ready to pass eventually.

Use the topic-by-topic breakdown after each attempt. If you're scoring well on Definitions but losing points on Motors and Generators or Wiring Methods, that's exactly where your study time should go. Those two topics together account for 17 of the 60 exam items — getting them right is one of the fastest ways to push over 70%.

Scoring near 70% on practice consistently means you are close but not comfortable. Aim for 78–80% on practice before sitting the real exam.

Where Candidates Lose Points

Misapplying the 125% rule. The continuous load multiplier appears in branch circuits, feeders, and motor circuits — but the calculation steps differ. Confusing NEC 210.19(A)(1) with NEC 430.22 is a common error under time pressure.

Wrong table for motors. Using nameplate amperage instead of the NEC full-load current table for conductor sizing violates NEC 430.6(A)(1) and produces a wrong answer even when the arithmetic is correct.

Conduit fill errors. The 10-item Wiring Methods section tests conduit fill repeatedly. Candidates look up the wrong table, use the wrong conductor area, or forget to apply the correct fill percentage (40% for 3+ conductors per Table 1, Chapter 9).

Hazardous location classification confusion. Mixing up Class I Division 1 vs. Division 2, or assigning the wrong Group to a specific material, costs points in both the Special Occupancies and Electrical Safety sections — a combined 13 items.

Underground cover depths. NEC Table 300.5(A) has different minimums for different wiring methods and locations. Candidates who memorize one number and apply it universally miss these questions.

Running out of time. At 3 minutes per question, the exam is tight when you hit multi-step calculations in Motors and Wiring Methods back to back. Use timed practice — 180 minutes, no pausing — before exam day.

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