- What TX-ME Actually Means
- Who Issues and Administers It
- Exam Format Behind the Name
- The 20 Domains That Define TX-ME
- What "ME" Requires Before You Can Test
- Fees Tied to the TX-ME Process
- Who Actually Earns This Credential
- A Study Timeline Built Around the Name
- After You Pass: What the License Covers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- TX-ME stands for the Texas Master Electrician License Exam, regulated by TDLR and delivered by PSI.
- The exam has two separately timed, separately passed portions: NEC Knowledge (75 questions, 150 minutes) and Calculations (33 questions, 170 minutes).
- You need 70% on each portion separately - passing one does not carry over to the other.
- Eligibility requires 12,000 supervised hours plus at least two years holding a Journeyman Electrician license.
What TX-ME Actually Means
TX-ME is shorthand for the Texas Master Electrician License Exam - the state-mandated test that a licensed Journeyman Electrician in Texas must pass to be legally recognized as a Master Electrician. Nothing more, nothing less. The acronym gets used loosely online, and other unrelated credentials sometimes share similar letters, but on this site TX-ME refers exclusively to the Texas electrical trades exam overseen by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Understanding what the name means matters because it shapes everything downstream: who can sit for it, how it's scored, and what it authorizes you to do once you pass. If you're still getting oriented, our companion piece What Is TX-ME? walks through the credential from a first-time-reader perspective, and What Does TX-ME Stand For? breaks the acronym down letter by letter.
Who Issues and Administers It
TDLR is the state agency that sets the licensing rules, approves candidates, and issues the Master Electrician license itself. PSI is the third-party testing vendor that builds and delivers the actual exam at computer-based testing centers. Both names show up constantly in official paperwork, so it helps to know the split: TDLR handles eligibility and licensure, PSI handles exam delivery and scoring logistics.
Before you can even schedule a seat, TDLR must approve your application. Only after that approval can you register with PSI to sit for the two portions. Once TDLR receives your application, you have one year to complete all licensing requirements - including passing the exam - or you'll need to start the process over. This single detail derails more candidates than any content gap, so mark your calendar the day your application is submitted.
Exam Format Behind the Name
The "Exam" in TX-ME is really two exams stitched together. Candidates face 108 total administered questions split across two independently timed, independently scored portions:
- NEC Knowledge: 75 administered questions (70 scored, 5 unscored) in 150 minutes.
- Calculations: 33 administered questions (30 scored, 3 unscored) in 170 minutes.
That's 320 minutes of combined seat time, but the two clocks never merge - finishing NEC Knowledge early does not give you extra minutes on Calculations. Each portion requires its own 70% passing score, and passing one without the other means you only need to retake the portion you missed.
Testing is computer-based, multiple-choice, and open-book, offered in English and Spanish. "Open-book" comes with strict rules: you may bring an approved softbound NEC only. Handbooks, loose-leaf binders, spiral or ring-bound copies, and any added papers are prohibited. Pre-made notes, highlighting, and underlining done before test day are allowed, and tabs must be permanent, publisher-manufactured or publisher-supplied tabs - no writing in your code book once the clock starts. A silent, battery-powered, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator without alphabetic keys is permitted at the testing station.
For a deeper breakdown of scoring mechanics and what "passing" actually requires numerically, see TX-ME Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
Treat the two portions as two separate exams requiring two separate prep plans - a strong Calculations score cannot rescue a failed NEC Knowledge score, and vice versa.
The 20 Domains That Define TX-ME
The "ME" content is organized into 20 domains - ten under NEC Knowledge, ten under Calculations. Several domain names repeat across the two portions (for example, "Electrical Feeders" appears as both Domain 3 and Domain 13), but they test different skills: recall and code lookup on the Knowledge side, applied math on the Calculations side.
NEC Knowledge Portion - Domains 1-10
Scored-question allocations out of 70 total:
- Domain 1: Definitions, Theory, and Plans - 7
- Domain 2: Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems - 11
- Domain 3: Electrical Feeders - 4
- Domain 4: Branch Circuit Conductors - 11
- Domain 5: Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials - 7
- Domain 6: Electrical Equipment and Devices - 8
- Domain 7: Motors and Generators - 7
- Domain 8: Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means - 3
- Domain 9: Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions - 8
- Domain 10: Renewable Energy Technologies - 4
Calculations Portion - Domains 11-20
Scored-question allocations out of 30 total:
- Domain 11: Calculations and Theory - 2
- Domain 12: Electrical Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems - 8
- Domain 13: Electrical Feeders - 3
- Domain 14: Branch Circuit Calculations and Conductors - 4
- Domain 15: Electrical Wiring Methods and Electrical Materials - 2
- Domain 16: Electrical Equipment and Devices - 2
- Domain 17: Motors and Generators - 6
- Domain 18: Electrical Control Devices and Disconnecting Means - 1
- Domain 19: Special Occupancies, Equipment, and Conditions - 1
- Domain 20: Renewable Energy Technologies - 1
Two domains stand out as the heaviest single investment of study time: Services, Service Equipment, and Separately Derived Systems is the largest topic in Calculations at 8 of 30 scored questions, while Branch Circuit Conductors and the Knowledge-side Services domain are jointly the largest in NEC Knowledge, each carrying 11 of 70 scored questions. If you only have time to master three domains before test day, these are the three. For a full walkthrough of every domain with study angles for each, read TX-ME Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 20 Content Areas.
| Portion | Administered Questions | Scored Questions | Time Allowed | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEC Knowledge | 75 | 70 | 150 minutes | 70% |
| Calculations | 33 | 30 | 170 minutes | 70% |
What "ME" Requires Before You Can Test
The "Master Electrician" part of the name isn't a marketing label - it reflects a genuine experience bar. To qualify to sit for TX-ME, applicants need:
- 12,000 supervised on-the-job hours worked under a Texas-licensed Master Electrician.
- A Journeyman Electrician license held for at least two years. Note that a Journeyman Industrial license does not satisfy this requirement - it must be the standard Journeyman Electrician license.
- Verification from supervising masters confirming the hours actually occurred under their oversight.
TDLR reviews and approves this eligibility package before you're cleared to register for testing. If any piece is missing - hours undocumented, wrong license type, expired supervision records - your approval stalls, and remember the one-year clock keeps running once TDLR receives your application. For the complete eligibility checklist, see TX-ME Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Fees Tied to the TX-ME Process
Because "TX-ME" describes a regulated state process, the fee structure is fixed rather than market-driven:
- TDLR license application fee: $45
- PSI testing fee: $78 to take both portions
- PSI retake fee: $78 to retake one or both portions
- License renewal: $45 per cycle, plus four TDLR-approved continuing education hours
These numbers are worth memorizing exactly as written, since confusing them with fee structures from unrelated credentials is a common - and costly - mistake. A full cost breakdown, including how retake fees stack up if you fail one portion versus both, lives at TX-ME Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Who Actually Earns This Credential
TX-ME is pursued by working Journeyman Electricians in Texas who have logged their required supervised hours and are ready to take on legal responsibility for electrical work as a licensed Master. This isn't an entry-level or optional add-on credential - it's the ceiling of the individual electrician license track in Texas. It's also distinct from the Electrical Contractor business license, which governs who can operate a contracting business rather than who can perform and sign off on electrical work as an individual.
Employers hiring for supervisory electrical roles, permit-pulling positions, and business ownership tracks often specifically require the Master license this exam confers. If you're weighing whether the investment of hours and fees pays off in your market, Is the TX-ME Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and TX-ME Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis dig into that question in more detail. You can also browse current openings that call for the license directly through TX-ME Jobs.
A Study Timeline Built Around the Name
Because TX-ME is really two exams under one name, an effective prep schedule treats them as two separate campaigns rather than one blended review. A simple way to allocate limited weeks is to front-load the heaviest domains identified earlier - Services and Branch Circuit Conductors on the Knowledge side, Services on the Calculations side - before moving to lighter-weight domains.
NEC Knowledge Heavy Hitters
- Domain 2 and Domain 4 (11 scored questions each)
- Practice locating articles quickly in your approved softbound NEC
Remaining Knowledge Domains
- Domains 6 and 9 (8 questions each), then 1, 5, 7 (7 each)
- Finish with Domains 3, 10, and 8 (lowest weight)
Calculations Core
- Domain 12 (8 questions) and Domain 17 Motors and Generators (6 questions)
- Drill calculator-based problems under timed conditions
Full Timed Simulations
- Separate 150-minute and 170-minute practice sessions
- Review open-book tabbing strategy against permitted-tab rules
This is only a skeleton - for a fuller methodology including how to interleave review sessions and handle retake planning, see TX-ME Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you're trying to gauge how much runway you genuinely need, How Hard Is the TX-ME Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and TX-ME Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows give useful context grounded in TDLR's own reported figures rather than guesswork.
After You Pass: What the License Covers
Passing both portions of TX-ME converts your Journeyman credentials into an individual Master Electrician license. That license is valid for one year, after which it renews for $45 alongside four TDLR-approved continuing education hours covering the NEC, Texas law and rules, and NFPA 70E electrical safety. Keep in mind this individual license is separate from the Electrical Contractor business license - passing TX-ME makes you a licensed Master Electrician, not automatically a licensed contracting business.
If exam dates and registration windows are your next question, check TX-ME Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling, and once you're ready for a fast final review, our TX-ME Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses the numbers above into one page. You can also start running realistic practice questions right now on the main TX-ME practice test platform to see how the domain weighting feels in an actual timed session.
Frequently Asked Questions
On this site, no. TX-ME refers exclusively to the Texas Master Electrician License Exam administered by PSI on behalf of TDLR. Other credentials may use similar-looking acronyms, but their fees, formats, and requirements are unrelated to this exam.
No. Each portion - NEC Knowledge and Calculations - is scored separately at a 70% threshold. If you pass one and fail the other, you only need to retake the portion you missed, paying the applicable PSI retake fee.
No. Only an approved softbound NEC is permitted. Handbooks, loose-leaf, spiral, and ring-bound copies, plus any added papers, are prohibited, though pre-made highlighting, underlining, and publisher-supplied permanent tabs are allowed.
No. TDLR requires at least two years holding a standard Journeyman Electrician license along with 12,000 supervised hours. A Journeyman Industrial license does not satisfy this eligibility requirement.
TDLR requires all licensing requirements, including passing the exam, to be completed within one year after TDLR receives your application. Missing that window means restarting the application process.