Texas Residential Wireman Exam: Format, Fees and How to Pass

The Texas Residential Wireman exam is the test for the license that covers single-family and multifamily dwellings up to four stories. PSI gives it for TDLR, based on the 2026 NEC since September 1, 2026. Unlike the journeyman and master exams, it is one exam, with calculation questions mixed in among the code questions.

Key facts

• One exam: 80 scored questions in 240 minutes, plus 5 non-scored questions with 20 more minutes.
• You need 70% to pass.
• The PSI fee is $64. A retake costs the same fee.
• Open book with your own soft-bound NEC and only the publisher’s permanent index tabs.
• Available in English or Spanish at no extra cost.
• FY2025 pass rate: 30.15% (1,098 taken), per TDLR.

Exam format

Part	Items	Minutes	Minutes per item
Scored items	80	240	3.0
Non-scored items	5	20	4.0
Total (our reading)	85	about 260	about 3.1

PSI lists the scored and non-scored numbers separately. It does not print a single total, so 260 minutes is our sum, not PSI’s wording. The non-scored items are mixed in and you cannot tell which ones they are.

The exam is multiple choice, on a computer, at a PSI test center. You can go back and change answers while time remains. With about 3 minutes per question, you have more time per item than on the journeyman knowledge portion, but you also have to switch between quick lookups and multi-step calculations.

What the content outline covers

Scored items by subject area, from the PSI bulletin. Area names are paraphrased.

Subject area	Scored items
Definitions, calculations, theory and plan reading	8
Services and separately derived systems (load calcs, fault current, temporary wiring, grounding and bonding, transformers)	16
Feeders (load calcs, overcurrent protection)	7
Branch circuit calculations and conductors (GFCI, AFCI)	14
Wiring methods and materials	10
Equipment and devices	12
Motors and generators	2
Controls and disconnecting means	2
Special occupancies (pools, RVs and mobile homes, emergency systems)	7
Renewable energy (PV, EV chargers)	2
Total	80

Services, feeders and branch circuits add up to 37 of the 80 items, and all three areas include load calculations. Dwelling load calculation is the single most useful skill for this exam. Motors and controls are only 4 items combined.

PSI’s standing instructions apply here too: do not use code exceptions or optional calculation methods unless the question asks, and treat conductors as copper unless told otherwise.

Fees and eligibility

• Exam fee: $64, paid to PSI. Each retake is another $64.
• TDLR application fee: $20. The license renews yearly for $20.
• Experience: 4,000 hours under a Master Electrician or Residential Wireman, or an approved career and technical education program. You still take the exam on either path. See residential wireman license.
• Eligibility window: one year from when TDLR receives your application.
• Cancel or reschedule at least 2 days ahead, or the fee is lost.

Open-book and calculator rules

You bring your own soft-bound NEC. Mark it up before the exam if you like: highlighting, underlining and notes are allowed, but nothing during the exam. Only the publisher’s permanent index tabs are allowed, not homemade tabs. Spiral and ring binding, loose-leaf copies, the NEC Handbook and added paper are not allowed. See open-book NEC rules and tabs and calculator rules.

Pass rates

From TDLR’s yearly exam statistics. “Taken” is passes plus fails; no-shows are excluded.

Fiscal year	Taken	Passed	Pass rate
FY2022	722	257	35.60%
FY2023	927	294	31.72%
FY2024	967	317	32.78%
FY2025	1,098	331	30.15%

The number of people testing has grown each year while the pass rate has slipped. About 7 in 10 attempts fail. The pass rates page has the other exams for comparison.

How to study for the residential wireman exam

70% of 80 is 56 correct answers. Split your study time roughly the way the outline splits the points.

Dwelling load calculations first. These show up in services, feeders and branch circuits. Learn the standard method step by step, then the optional method so you recognize it when a question names it. Note that the 2026 NEC moved dwelling load calculations into Article 120; TDLR’s November 2026 newsletter says feeder and service minimums now use 2 VA per square foot (120.41), while the count of general lighting circuits still uses 3 VA per square foot (120.13). Our 2026 NEC changes page has more.

Drill these until they are automatic:

• Dwelling standard load and dwelling optional load
• Range demand, dryer demand, appliance demand
• Neutral load and OCPD sizing
• Conductor sizing, ampacity correction, voltage drop
• Box fill and conduit fill
• GEC sizing and EGC sizing

Code lookups second. GFCI and AFCI rules, receptacle placement, wiring methods and equipment are 36 items between branch circuits, wiring methods and equipment. Practice finding them quickly with our code lookup drills.

Special occupancies third. Pools, RVs and mobile homes, and emergency systems are 7 items. Know where those articles are in your book.

Take timed runs on the residential wireman practice test and keep a list of every question you miss and why. Keep the formula sheet handy while you learn. If calculations are your weak spot, read how to pass the calculations exam; the time budget and traps apply here too.

Before you test

Read exam day at PSI for ID and check-in. If you do not pass, the diagnostic report points to your weak areas, and retaking the exam covers the next steps.

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