# Retaking the Texas Electrician Exam

> You can retake a Texas electrician exam as many times as you need within your one-year eligibility window, paying the fee each time: $78 for journeyman or master (one or both portions) and $64 for residential wireman. No waiting period is stated, and TDLR and PSI do not say whether a passed portion carries over.

Updated: 2026-11-09

Most people who take a Texas electrician exam do not pass on a given attempt. In FY2025, TDLR's statistics show about 1 in 4 passing the journeyman NEC portion and about 1 in 5 passing either calculations portion. Failing once is normal. What matters is what you do next, and how much time is left on your eligibility.

## Key facts

- You may retake as many times as you need, paying the exam fee each time (TDLR).
- PSI allows unlimited testing within your eligibility period.
- Your eligibility runs one year from the date TDLR receives your application.
- No waiting period between attempts is stated by TDLR or PSI.
- Journeyman and master retakes cost $78, whether you failed one portion or both. Residential wireman is $64.
- Whether a passed portion carries over is **not stated** by TDLR or PSI.

## Retake fees

| Exam | Fee per attempt | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Electrician | $78 | Same fee if you failed one portion or both |
| Master Electrician | $78 | Same fee if you failed one portion or both |
| Residential Wireman | $64 | Single exam |
| Maintenance, Journeyman Industrial, Appliance Installer, Sign exams | $64 | Single exams |
| Journeyman Lineman | $61 | Single exam |

All fees are from the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, updated 9/15/2026. TDLR says you pay the exam fee again for each attempt.

## The open question: does a passed portion carry over?

This is the question everyone asks after passing one portion of the journeyman or master exam, and the primary sources do not answer it.

- The PSI bulletin says you must pass each portion separately with 70%.
- It says the retake fee is $78 whether you fail one portion or both.
- Neither the bulletin nor TDLR's exam page says whether a passed portion is kept, or for how long.

Some third-party study sites say you only retake the portion you failed. TDLR and PSI do not say that. Before you schedule, ask PSI or TDLR whether your next appointment covers one portion or both, and get the answer in writing if you can. Plan your study as if you might have to sit both.

## No waiting period, but a one-year clock

Neither TDLR nor PSI states a waiting period between attempts. In practice, the limits are:

- **Your eligibility window.** TDLR gives you one year from when it receives your application to meet every requirement, including the exam. TDLR does not say on its exam page what happens when the year runs out, so contact TDLR well before it does.
- **Appointment availability** at your PSI center.
- **Your readiness.** Rebooking for next week without changing how you study usually produces the same score.

If you need to move an appointment, cancel or reschedule at least 2 days before, through PSI online or by phone. A voicemail or email does not count as a cancellation, and a late cancellation, a no-show, arriving late or missing ID all forfeit the fee.

## Use your diagnostic report

If you do not pass, PSI gives you a diagnostic report with your score report, showing your strengths and weaknesses by area. You will not see the questions you missed. PSI says the only review it offers is the comment button you can use on any question during the exam.

The report areas follow the PSI content outline, so you can match each weak area to drills on this site:

| Weak area on your report | Drills to work |
|---|---|
| Calculations and theory | [Ohm's law](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/ohms-law/), [series and parallel](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/series-parallel-circuits/), [three-phase power](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/three-phase-power/) |
| Services (load calcs, grounding, transformers) | [Dwelling standard load](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/dwelling-standard-load/), [dwelling optional load](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/dwelling-optional-load/), [GEC sizing](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/gec-sizing/), [transformer current](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/transformer-current/) |
| Feeders | [Neutral load](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/neutral-load/), [OCPD sizing](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/ocpd-sizing/), [motor feeder](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/motor-feeder/) |
| Branch circuits and conductors | [Conductor sizing](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/conductor-sizing/), [ampacity correction](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/ampacity-correction/), [voltage drop](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/voltage-drop/), [continuous loads](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/continuous-loads/) |
| Raceways and boxes | [Box fill](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/box-fill/), [conduit fill](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/conduit-fill/) |
| Motors and generators | [Motor branch circuit](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/motor-branch-circuit/), [motor OCPD](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/motor-ocpd/), [motor overloads](https://texaselectricianexam.com/calculations/motor-overloads/) |
| NEC knowledge areas | [Code lookup drills](https://texaselectricianexam.com/code-lookup/) for the matching articles |

## A retake plan that changes the result

1. **Write down what happened** the day you test, while you remember. Did you run out of time? Did you get stuck on lookups? Were there question types you had never seen?
2. **Sort your weak areas by points.** A weak area worth 8 items on the master calculations outline matters more than one worth 1. The outline counts are in the [journeyman](https://texaselectricianexam.com/guides/texas-journeyman-electrician-exam/), [master](https://texaselectricianexam.com/guides/texas-master-electrician-exam/) and [residential wireman](https://texaselectricianexam.com/guides/texas-residential-wireman-exam/) guides.
3. **Fix time first if time was the problem.** Read [how to pass the calculations exam](https://texaselectricianexam.com/guides/how-to-pass-the-calculations-exam/) and practice with a timer: about 4 minutes per journeyman calculation, about 5 per master calculation.
4. **Fix the book if lookups were slow.** Re-highlight within PSI's rules using [open-book NEC rules and tabs](https://texaselectricianexam.com/guides/open-book-nec-rules-and-tabs/), and check you are using the 2026 edition. See [2026 NEC changes](https://texaselectricianexam.com/nec-2026-changes/).
5. **Drill until the misses stop.** Every drill on this site generates new numbers with full worked steps, so you can repeat a topic as often as you need.
6. **Take a full timed practice test** on the [journeyman](https://texaselectricianexam.com/practice-test/journeyman/), [master](https://texaselectricianexam.com/practice-test/master/) or [residential wireman](https://texaselectricianexam.com/practice-test/residential-wireman/) set before you book.

## What the pass-rate tables suggest

In FY2025, TDLR counted 6,328 journeyman calculations attempts against 5,731 journeyman NEC attempts, and 3,946 master calculations attempts against 3,472 master NEC attempts. TDLR does not break out first attempts and retakes, but more calculations attempts than knowledge attempts is what you would see if people retake calculations more often. If calculations is the portion you failed, you are in large company. See the [pass rates page](https://texaselectricianexam.com/pass-rates/) for every year.

TexasElectricianExam is an independent study site, not affiliated with TDLR, PSI or NFPA.

## Questions people ask

### How soon can I retake the Texas electrician exam?

Neither the PSI bulletin nor TDLR's exam page states a waiting period. TDLR says you may retake as many times as needed, paying the exam fee each time, and PSI allows unlimited testing within your eligibility period.

### How much is a retake?

$78 for the journeyman or master exam, whether you failed one portion or both. The residential wireman exam is $64 each time.

### If I pass one portion, do I only retake the other?

TDLR and PSI do not say. Neither the bulletin nor the TDLR exam pages state whether a passed portion is kept or for how long. Some third-party guides say only the failed portion is retaken, but that is not confirmed by a primary source. Ask TDLR or PSI before you schedule.

### How long do I have to pass?

TDLR gives you one year from the date it receives your application to meet every requirement, including passing the exam.

### Can I see which questions I missed?

No. If you fail, PSI gives you a diagnostic report showing strengths and weaknesses by area. The only review PSI offers is the comment button on each question during the exam.

## Sources

- [PSI, TDLR Electrician Candidate Information Bulletin (English), updated 9/15/2026](https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/1682) (checked 2026-11-09)
- [TDLR, Electrician Exam Information](https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecexam.htm) (checked 2026-11-09)
- [TDLR, Electrician exam statistics FY2025](https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/electricians/elecExamStats2025.htm) (checked 2026-11-09)

Page: https://texaselectricianexam.com/guides/retaking-the-texas-electrician-exam/