- TX-ME has two separately timed, separately passed portions: NEC Knowledge (75 questions, 150 min) and Calculations (33 questions, 170 min).
- You need 70% on each portion separately - a high score on one side never offsets a low score on the other.
- Services and Branch Circuit Conductors tie as the largest NEC Knowledge domains at 11 of 70 scored questions each.
- PSI fee is $78 to sit both portions, or $78 to retake one or both; TDLR's separate application fee is $45.
Exam Structure at a Glance
The Texas Master Electrician License Exam (TX-ME), administered by PSI on behalf of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), is built from 108 total administered questions split across two independent portions. Each portion has its own clock, its own pass threshold, and its own content domains. There is no combined score - you must clear 70% on each portion separately, and time from one portion cannot be borrowed by the other.
| Portion | Administered Questions | Scored / Unscored | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC Knowledge | 75 | 70 scored / 5 unscored | 150 minutes |
| Calculations | 33 | 30 scored / 3 unscored | 170 minutes |
| Combined Total | 108 | 100 scored / 8 unscored | 320 minutes |
Notice that Calculations has fewer questions but more time - roughly 5.7 minutes per scored question versus 2 minutes per scored question on NEC Knowledge. That imbalance tells you something important about the exam's design philosophy: NEC Knowledge rewards fast, confident code navigation, while Calculations rewards careful, methodical arithmetic under less time pressure per item. For a deeper breakdown of how these two portions differ in style and pacing, see How Hard Is the TX-ME Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Fees, Registration, and Scoring Mechanics
TDLR and PSI charge separately, and candidates frequently underestimate the total cost because they only budget for one fee. TDLR's license application fee is $45. PSI then charges $78 to sit both portions in a single session, or $78 to retake one or both portions if you need to reschedule after a failed attempt. Full pricing context, including how these fees stack against renewal costs, is covered in TX-ME Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Before you can even schedule a PSI seat, TDLR must approve your application. That approval step is not a formality you can skip - attempting to book a test date before TDLR clears your file will not work. Once approved, licensing requirements (including passing both exam portions) must be completed within one year after TDLR receives your application, so procrastination has a hard deadline attached to it.
Key Takeaway
Budget for TDLR's $45 application fee and PSI's $78 testing fee as two separate transactions, and start the TDLR approval process well before you want to sit for the exam - the one-year completion clock starts at application receipt, not at your first test date.
Domain Weight Cheat Sheet
TX-ME's content is organized into 20 domains total - 10 for NEC Knowledge and 10 for Calculations. Confusingly, several domain names repeat across the two portions (for example, "Electrical Feeders" and "Motors and Generators" each appear once in NEC Knowledge and once in Calculations), but they are scored independently and test different skills: code lookup versus applied math. Here is the official scored-item breakdown for quick reference.
| NEC Knowledge Domain | Scored Items (of 70) |
|---|---|
| 1. Definitions, Theory, and Plans | 7 |
| 2. Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems | 11 |
| 3. Electrical Feeders | 4 |
| 4. Branch Circuit Conductors | 11 |
| 5. Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials | 7 |
| 6. Electrical Equipment and Devices | 8 |
| 7. Motors and Generators | 7 |
| 8. Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means | 3 |
| 9. Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 8 |
| 10. Renewable Energy Technologies | 4 |
| Calculations Domain | Scored Items (of 30) |
|---|---|
| 11. Calculations and Theory | 2 |
| 12. Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems | 8 |
| 13. Electrical Feeders | 3 |
| 14. Branch Circuit Calculations and Conductors | 4 |
| 15. Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials | 2 |
| 16. Electrical Equipment and Devices | 2 |
| 17. Motors and Generators | 6 |
| 18. Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means | 1 |
| 19. Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions | 1 |
| 20. Renewable Energy Technologies | 1 |
The Two Heaviest Hitters
Services and Branch Circuit Conductors are jointly the largest domains in NEC Knowledge, each carrying 11 of 70 scored questions. Services is also the single largest Calculations domain at 8 of 30 scored questions. Together, these three domain slots represent a disproportionate share of your total exam score.
- Master service sizing, grounding/bonding, and separately derived system rules cold - they show up twice, in both code and math form.
- Branch circuit conductor sizing, ampacity adjustment, and derating are worth memorizing step-by-step, not just conceptually.
- Motors and Generators is the second-largest Calculations domain at 6 of 30 - don't neglect motor calculations while focused on services.
For a full walk-through of what each of the 20 domains actually covers question by question, read TX-ME Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 20 Content Areas. If you want a structured multi-week plan built around this exact weighting, TX-ME Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a full-length approach.
Eligibility Snapshot
Before you're even PSI-eligible, TDLR requires two things: 12,000 supervised on-the-job hours logged under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician, and a Journeyman Electrician license held for at least two years. These requirements are strict about license type - a Journeyman Industrial license does not satisfy the requirement, so double-check exactly which journeyman classification you hold before assuming you qualify.
- Supervising masters must personally verify your logged experience hours - keep documentation organized as you go rather than reconstructing it later.
- TDLR approval must happen before you can schedule a PSI test date.
- Once your application is received, you have one year to complete all licensing requirements, including passing both exam portions.
A complete eligibility walkthrough, including how the hours and journeyman-tenure rules interact, is available in TX-ME Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Test-Day Materials and Rules
TX-ME is a computer-based, multiple-choice, open-book exam offered in English and Spanish at PSI test centers. "Open-book" here means one specific, approved book - not any code reference you like.
- Tabs: Only permanent tabs manufactured or supplied by the NEC publisher are allowed - homemade sticky tabs or aftermarket tab kits are not.
- Calculator: Silent, battery-operated, nonprinting, nonprogrammable, and without alphabetic capability. A financial or programmable calculator will get flagged.
- Timing: Combined testing time across both portions is 320 minutes, but each portion's clock is independent - unused NEC Knowledge time does not carry over into Calculations.
Because tab placement and pre-highlighting strategy directly affect how fast you can navigate the code during the timed NEC Knowledge portion, it's worth rehearsing your tab system on a full practice run well before test day using resources like our TX-ME practice test platform.
2026 NEC Code Transition
This is the single most consequential logistics detail for anyone testing in the second half of 2026: the PSI bulletin revised July 9, 2026 specifies that exams administered from September 1, 2026 onward will be based on the 2026 NEC. This dated transition notice supersedes any residual references to the 2023 code cycle that may still be floating around older study materials.
Key Takeaway
If your scheduled test date falls on or after September 1, 2026, confirm your study materials, NEC book edition, and tabs all match the 2026 NEC - mismatched code editions during an open-book exam can cost you time you don't have.
If your test date falls right around the transition boundary, verify directly with PSI which code edition applies to your specific session rather than assuming based on when you started studying.
Final Rapid-Review Timeline
In the last stretch before test day, structure your remaining review around the domains carrying the most scored weight rather than reviewing every domain equally. This is the one place a generic study-scheduling technique earns its spot here - because it's mapped directly to TX-ME's actual point distribution.
Heaviest NEC Knowledge Domains
- Drill Domain 2 (Services) and Domain 4 (Branch Circuit Conductors) - 11 scored questions each, your single biggest point pool.
- Cross-reference the same topics in Domain 12 and Domain 14 so code knowledge and calculation method reinforce each other.
Second-Tier Domains
- Cover Domain 9 (Special Occupancies) and Domain 6 (Equipment and Devices) at 8 and 8 scored NEC items respectively.
- Work Calculations Domain 17 (Motors and Generators), the second-largest Calculations domain at 6 of 30.
Timed Full Simulations
- Run full-length, separately timed simulations of both portions to internalize the 150-minute and 170-minute clocks.
- Practice your open-book navigation using only your permanently tabbed, approved softbound NEC.
Light-Weight Domain Sweep
- Skim Domains 8, 18, 19, and 20 - each worth only 1-3 scored questions but still capable of nudging you below 70% if totally ignored.
- Reconfirm your NEC code edition against the September 1, 2026 transition date.
For a more granular understanding of what "70%" actually requires in raw question counts on each portion, see TX-ME Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. And if you're still mapping out your testing calendar around the code transition, TX-ME Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling covers scheduling specifics.
After the Exam: License and Renewal
Passing both TX-ME portions gets you the individual Master Electrician license - a distinct credential from the separate Electrical Contractor business license, which has its own application path. The individual license is valid for one year and renews for $45, with four TDLR-approved continuing education hours required each cycle, covering the NEC, Texas law and rules, and NFPA 70E electrical safety.
- Renewal fee: $45, same amount as the original application fee.
- CE requirement: 4 hours per cycle, spanning three mandated topic areas.
- License scope: individual credential only - running an electrical contracting business requires the separate contractor license.
Once licensed, many candidates start exploring what the credential actually opens up in the field. TX-ME Jobs and TX-ME Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis cover where the license leads professionally, while Is the TX-ME Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 weighs the time and cost investment against the outcome.
If you're earlier in the process and still deciding whether to pursue this path at all, start with the fundamentals in What Is TX-ME? or TX-ME Certification, then loop back here as your one-page reference once you're deep in preparation. You can also run timed practice sessions anytime at the TX-ME practice test hub to stress-test your readiness against the real domain weighting.
Frequently Asked Questions
They're administered as two separately timed portions typically scheduled together, but each is scored independently - you must reach 70% on each one separately, and passing one doesn't offset a low score on the other.
PSI's $78 retake fee applies to retaking one or both portions, so you can retest only the portion you didn't pass rather than sitting through the entire exam again.
No. Only an approved softbound NEC is allowed. Handbooks, loose-leaf, spiral-bound, and ring-bound copies, plus any inserted papers, are all prohibited.
Per the PSI bulletin revised July 9, 2026, exams from September 1, 2026 onward use the 2026 NEC. Confirm your specific test date's edition directly rather than relying on older 2023-code materials.
No. TDLR requires a standard Journeyman Electrician license held for at least two years plus 12,000 supervised hours under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician; a Journeyman Industrial license does not satisfy this requirement.