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Texas Residential Wireman Electrician – Practice Exam

What This Practice Exam Covers

The Texas Residential Wireman Electrician exam is 80 questions, timed at 240 minutes. You need a 70% — 56 correct — to pass. Topics span load calculations, service equipment, feeders, branch circuits, wiring methods, equipment and devices, motors, control devices, special occupancies, and renewable energy.

Two practice options are available here:

Free practice exam: 10 questions per attempt, pulled from a limited pool. You can retake it as many times as you want. Use it to get a feel for question style and pacing before committing to a full session.

Full practice exam: 80 questions, 240-minute time limit — same format as the real exam. Questions are drawn from a pool of 638+ items, so each attempt gives you a different set. No duplicate exams. Coverage tracks the exact topic breakdown the official test provider uses.

Start with the free exam. If your score is shaky, that's information, not a verdict.

What You'll Be Tested On

Definitions, Calculations, Theory, and Plans — 8 items
This is where math lives. Expect branch-circuit, feeder, and service load calculations using demand factors. Know how to calculate dwelling unit loads: general lighting at the correct VA-per-square-foot figure, small-appliance circuits at 1,500 VA each, and the laundry circuit. You also need to understand NEC code structure under NEC 90.3 — mandatory vs. permissive language, and what Article 90.5(A) says about enforcement authority. Grounding electrode system types and GFCI/AFCI location requirements also appear here.

Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems — 16 items
The heaviest topic on the exam. Overhead service conductor clearances (NEC, Section 230.24(A) and NEC, Section 230.24(B)), the point of attachment rule under NEC, Section 230.26, and the maximum-six-disconnect rule at NEC, Section 230.71(B) are all fair game. Know service conductor ampacity sizing, service equipment overcurrent protection under NEC, Section 230.95 and NEC, Section 230.95(A), and the full grounding electrode system — types listed in NEC, Section 250.52(A)(1) through NEC, Section 250.52(A)(5), installation rules, and conductor sizing per NEC, Section 250.66(A) and NEC, Section 250.66(B). Bonding of service equipment under NEC, Section 250.92(B) and NEC, Section 250.97 is tested. Sixteen items means you cannot afford to be soft here.

Electrical Feeders — 7 items
The 125% rule for continuous loads governs feeder conductor sizing under NEC, Section 215.2(A)(1). Know the exceptions. Ground-fault protection requirements for feeder disconnects at 1,000 amperes or more come from NEC, Section 215.10. Demand factors apply to multifamily and non-dwelling loads. Surge-protective device requirements for feeders to dwelling units are addressed under NEC, Section 215.18(C).

Branch Circuit Calculations and Conductors — 14 items
Second-heaviest topic. You will calculate minimum conductor ampacity for continuous and noncontinuous loads using NEC 210.19(A)(1). AFCI protection requirements for dwelling units are tested in detail — know what NEC 210.12(A)(3)(b) and NEC 210.12(B) require and what protection methods qualify. GFCI requirements by location under NEC 210.8(A) are specific: bathroom, garage, outdoors, crawl space, unfinished basement, kitchen, boathouse, and more. Know the small-appliance circuit count requirement at NEC 210.11(C)(1) and the laundry circuit at NEC 210.11(C)(2). Circuit ratings and permissible loads are tested against the tables in NEC Handbook, Table 210.24(1).

Electrical Wiring Methods and Materials — 10 items
Know ampacity tables and insulation ratings. Physical protection of cables through framing members is governed by NEC 300.4(A)(1) and NEC 300.4(A)(2) — nail plate dimensions, when they apply, and the exceptions. Underground cover depths come from NEC Handbook, Table 300.5(A). Type NM cable support intervals and securing rules, box fill calculations, and armored cable bending radius requirements all appear here. NEC 300.3(B) addresses conductors of the same circuit.

Electrical Equipment and Devices — 12 items
Switch ratings, dimmer rules, and circuit breakers used as switches. Receptacle requirements: CO/ALR markings for aluminum conductors, tamper-resistant, and weather-resistant types. Luminaire placement in clothes closets, bathtub/shower areas, and wet/damp locations. Panelboard working space — width of equipment or 30 inches, whichever is greater, per NEC 110.26(A)(2). Motor branch-circuit conductor sizing under NEC Handbook, Section 430.22 and overload protection under NEC Handbook, Section 430.32(A)(1).

Motors and Generators — 2 items
Two questions, but easy to miss. The 125% rule for motor branch-circuit conductors, maximum fuse and circuit breaker ratings for short-circuit protection, the in-sight disconnecting means requirement from NEC, Section 430.102(A), and overload trip percentages are all testable.

Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means — 2 items
Switch connection requirements, grounded conductor rules, panelboard overcurrent protection, and motor controller ratings. NEC, Section 404.14(A) covers AC snap switch ratings. Two questions — know the basics cold.

Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions — 7 items
Class I, II, and III hazardous locations. Division 1 vs. Division 2. Material groups for Class I under NEC, Section 500.6(A)(1) and Class II under NEC, Section 500.6(B)(1). Protection techniques — explosionproof per NEC, Section 500.7(A), dust-ignitionproof per NEC, Section 500.7(B). Wiring methods permitted by division. Sealing requirements. Temperature class (T-code) markings and equipment classification under NEC, Section 500.5(B)(1) and NEC, Section 500.5(C).

Renewable Energy Technologies — 2 items
Photovoltaic systems: maximum system voltage under NEC Article 690.7, rapid shutdown under NEC Handbook, Section 690.12(C), and conductor sizing under NEC Handbook, Section 690.8(A)(1)(a). EV chargers: circuit requirements under NEC Article 625.41 and overcurrent protection per NEC Handbook, Section 625.43.

Worked Sample Questions

Question 1 — Load Calculation

A retail space is 8,000 sq ft. The lighting load is 3.5 VA/sq ft. What is the calculated load?

• A. 25,000 VA
• B. 26,500 VA
• C. 28,000 VA
• D. 29,000 VA

Correct answer: C — 28,000 VA

Multiply floor area by the unit load: 8,000 × 3.5 = 28,000 VA. No demand factor applies here; this is a straight multiplication. The wrong answers are designed to catch candidates who use the wrong square footage or a different VA-per-square-foot figure. Do the arithmetic and confirm your units before selecting.

Question 2 — Branch Circuit Requirements at Patient Bed Locations

How many branch circuits are required at patient bed locations?

• A. 2
• B. 3
• C. 4
• D. 5

Correct answer: A — 2 branch circuits

NEC 517.18(A) requires a minimum of two branch circuits at each patient bed location in general care areas. Candidates often overthink this and pick a higher number. The code is specific: two circuits minimum. Know this number.

Question 3 — Panelboard Working Space Width

What is the minimum width of working space for panelboards?

• A. 24 inches
• B. 30 inches
• C. Width of equipment
• D. Equipment width or 30 inches, whichever is greater

Correct answer: D — Equipment width or 30 inches, whichever is greater

NEC 110.26(A)(2) sets the working space width as the greater of 30 inches or the width of the equipment. A narrow panelboard does not reduce the required clearance below 30 inches. Candidates who pick "B" miss the fact that the rule works in both directions: if the equipment is wider than 30 inches, the full equipment width is required.

How to Read Your Score

Passing is 70% — 56 out of 80 correct. If you score below that on a practice attempt, treat it as a diagnostic, not a failure. Your first run tells you where the gaps are, not whether you will pass.

Use the topic breakdown. If you score well on Motors and Generators (2 items) but miss half the Branch Circuit questions (14 items), your study time belongs in branch circuits — not motors. That math matters.

Scoring 70–75% on practice typically means you are close but not safe. The real exam will mix topics and phrase questions differently than any single practice session. A consistent 80%+ across multiple attempts is a more reliable indicator of readiness. If you score below 60% on a first attempt, prioritize the heavy topics: Electrical Services (16 items) and Branch Circuits (14 items) together represent 37.5% of the exam. Getting those right moves your score significantly.

Retake the full practice exam with fresh question sets to build consistency.

Where Candidates Lose Points

Multi-step calculations done halfway. Load calculations for dwelling units require applying demand factors after the initial VA count. Candidates calculate the raw load correctly, then skip the demand factor step. That produces a wrong answer even when the math is right.

Wrong table, right concept. Ampacity questions require the correct table for the conductor type and installation conditions. Using the uncorrected table value when temperature correction or adjustment factors apply costs points on multiple Wiring Methods questions.

AFCI vs. GFCI confusion. The exam tests both by location and occupancy type. Bathroom — GFCI. Bedroom — AFCI. Some locations require both. Mixing these up under NEC 210.8(A) and NEC 210.12(B) is one of the most common errors on Branch Circuit questions.

Misreading the 125% rule. Both feeders (NEC, Section 215.2(A)(1)) and branch circuits (NEC 210.19(A)(1)) use the 125% multiplier for continuous loads — but the exceptions differ. Candidates apply the rule correctly and miss the exception, or apply the exception where it does not belong.

Running out of time on Services. Sixteen service equipment questions packed with grounding electrode, bonding, and clearance math slow candidates down. Budget your time. If you stall on a calculation, mark it and move.

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