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NEC 2026 changes for Texas electrician exam takers
The short version
- Texas electrician exams switched to NEC 2026 on September 1, 2026. Bring a 2026 book.
- Some answers changed. Dwelling unit load for feeders and services is now 2 VA per sq ft (was 3). The optional dwelling method's first tier is now 8 kVA (was 10). EV charging equipment is out of the 75% appliance demand factor.
- Load calculations moved from Article 220 to Article 120.
- Some old section numbers now point to a different rule, including 230.2, 300.4 and 430.22(A). These are the most dangerous changes, because the old number still takes you to a real rule.
- Most of what you know still holds. Ampacity, overcurrent, grounding conductor and motor tables are unchanged.
1. What changed on September 1, 2026
TDLR's electrician exams, administered by PSI, are referenced to the 2026 National Electrical Code for exams taken on or after September 1, 2026. TDLR's exam page lists the 2026 edition as the book you may bring in.
The exam itself did not start from scratch. Before the switch, TDLR and PSI had electrician subject-matter experts review 1,361 existing questions across the Texas electrician exams: 94 were edited, 23 deleted and 15 new ones written. Most of the question pool carried over, so the change for you is not a new exam. It is a set of specific rules that moved or changed value, and those are what this guide covers.
The format is also unchanged. The journeyman exam is still two separately timed portions, 59 knowledge questions in 130 minutes and 26 calculation questions in 110 minutes, with 70% needed on each. For the full process, see how to pass the Texas journeyman electrician exam.
2. Changes that change the answer
These matter most, because an NEC 2023 answer to these questions is now wrong.
Dwelling unit load: 2 VA per sq ft for feeders and services
For a dwelling feeder or service calculation, NEC 2026 sets the dwelling unit load at 2 VA per square foot (120.41). NEC 2023 used 3 VA per square foot. The dwelling receptacle load that used to sit in 220.14(J) is folded into the same 120.41 unit load.
The branch-circuit rule did not change. For dwelling branch-circuit loads, 120.13 still uses 3 VA per square foot. On the exam, read whether the question is about branch circuits or a feeder or service before you pick a number.
Worked example: 2,000 sq ft dwelling, general lighting and receptacle load for the service
| NEC 2023 | NEC 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit load, 2,000 sq ft | × 3 VA = 6,000 VA | × 2 VA = 4,000 VA |
| Small-appliance circuits, 2 × 1,500 VA | 3,000 VA | 3,000 VA |
| Laundry circuit | 1,500 VA | 1,500 VA |
| Total before demand | 10,500 VA | 8,500 VA |
| First 3,000 VA at 100% | 3,000 VA | 3,000 VA |
| Remainder at 35% | 7,500 × 35% = 2,625 VA | 5,500 × 35% = 1,925 VA |
| Demand load | 5,625 VA | 4,925 VA |
The 1,500 VA small-appliance and laundry values (120.52) and the demand tiers (Table 120.45) are unchanged. Only the unit load moved, and the answer is 700 VA lower.
Optional dwelling calculation: first 8 kVA at 100%
In the optional method for dwellings (120.82(B)), the first tier taken at 100% is now 8 kVA. It was 10 kVA in NEC 2023. The optional-method table for existing dwellings (120.83) also gained new 80% rows, so read the table rather than relying on a memorized one.
EV charging equipment
EV supply equipment is now excluded from the 75% demand factor for four or more fastened-in-place appliances (120.53). In the optional method it is counted at 100% (120.82(D)). Leave the EV charger out when you apply the 75% factor to the other appliances.
Continuous loads in a load calculation
A load calculation under 120.5(E) no longer adds 125% for continuous loads. The 125% has not gone away for sizing: branch-circuit conductors and overcurrent devices (210.19, 210.20) and feeders (215.4) are still sized at 125% of the continuous load plus 100% of the noncontinuous load. Watch for which one a question is asking about.
GFCI for outdoor outlets at dwellings
The temporary exception that let outdoor HVAC equipment at dwellings skip GFCI protection under 210.8(F) expired on September 1, 2026. In NEC 2026, 210.8(F) applies to dwelling outdoor outlets on branch circuits rated up to 60 A.
Arc-flash labels
110.16 is now a single section with no 1,000 A threshold. It also spells out what the label must show: nominal system voltage, arc-flash boundary, available incident energy or minimum required PPE, and the date the arc-flash assessment was completed. NEC 2023 asked only for the date the label was applied. An answer that depends on "1,000 amperes or more" is now wrong.
Were you studying from NEC 2023? TradePass's Texas question bank is referenced to NEC 2026. A free 9-question diagnostic shows where you stand in about two minutes.
3. Where the rules moved
These rules kept their values, but you will find them somewhere new. On an open-book exam, looking in the old place costs you time.
Load calculations: Article 220 is now Article 120
Load calculations moved to Chapter 1 as Article 120. Most sections kept their number after the point: 220.52 is now 120.52, 220.55 is now 120.55, and so on. These did not:
| Rule | NEC 2023 | NEC 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Show-window and track lighting | 220.43 | 120.46 |
| Non-dwelling receptacle demand | 220.44 | 120.47 |
| Noncoincident loads | 220.60 | 120.6 |
| Receptacle outlets in office buildings | 220.14(K) | 120.14(J) |
| Other outlets | 220.14(L) | 120.14(K) |
Feeders and services
| Rule | NEC 2023 | NEC 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Feeder conductor sizing (first feeder sections) | 215.2, 215.3 | 215.4, 215.5 |
| Number of services | 230.2 | 230.4 |
| One building not supplied through another | 230.3 | 230.5 |
Article 300: most early sections moved up by two
| Rule | NEC 2023 | NEC 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Conductors | 300.3 | 300.5 |
| Protection against physical damage | 300.4 | 300.6 |
| Underground installations (burial depth table) | 300.5, Table 300.5 | 300.7, Table 300.7(A) |
| Protection against corrosion | 300.6 | 300.8 |
| Boxes, conduit bodies or fittings, where required | 300.15 | 300.17 |
| Supporting conductors in vertical raceways | 300.19 | 300.21 |
| Wiring in ducts and plenums | 300.22 | 300.25 |
The jump is three rather than two for ducts and plenums because NEC 2026 added a new 300.24 Bends.
Raceway bends: "number in one run" moved
In the conduit and tubing articles, the separate "number of bends in one run" section is gone. It is now part (B) of the bends section: 344.24(B) (RMC), 348.24(B) (FMC), 350.24(B) (LFMC), 356.24(B) (LFNC) and 358.24(B) (EMT). In NEC 2026 there is no 344.26, 348.26, 350.26, 356.26 or 358.26.
Other moves worth knowing
- Conductors: 310.3 is now 310.5.
- Listing requirements: across many Chapter 3 wiring-method articles, "Listing Requirements" moved from .6 to .2 (for example 334.6 is now 334.2 for NM cable, 344.6 is now 344.2 for RMC).
- Grounding over 1,000 V: the old Part X of Article 250 is now its own Article 270.
- Mobile homes and marinas: 550.32 service equipment is now 550.51 and 550.33 feeder is now 550.52. In Article 555, the electrical datum plane moved from 555.3 to 555.16 and location of service equipment from 555.4 to 555.17.
- Agricultural buildings: wiring methods moved from 547.5 to 547.20.
4. Same number, different rule
A section that simply moved is annoying. A section number that still exists in NEC 2026 but now holds a different rule is dangerous, because an old reference takes you somewhere real and you may not notice. These are the ones we found:
| Old reference | Meant in NEC 2023 | Is now in NEC 2026 | Rule you want is at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 230.2 | Number of services | Listing requirements | 230.4 |
| 300.4 | Protection against physical damage | Limitations | 300.6 |
| 430.22(A) | Single motor, 125% rule | dc motor on a rectifier supply (190%/150%) | 430.22 (main text) |
| 220.14(J) / 120.14(J) | Dwelling receptacle load | Receptacle outlets in office buildings | 120.41 |
| 547.5 | Agricultural wiring methods | Other articles | 547.20 |
The habit that protects you: when you land on a section, read its heading before you read the rule. If the heading does not match the question, you are in the wrong place.
5. What did not change
Much of what a journeyman exam leans on is the same number and the same value in NEC 2026:
- Continuous-load sizing: 125% for conductors and overcurrent devices (210.19, 210.20). Branch-circuit ratings in 210.18.
- Overcurrent: standard ratings in 240.6, and the small-conductor limits in 240.4(D): 14 AWG copper 15 A, 12 AWG 20 A, 10 AWG 30 A.
- Conductors: Table 310.16 ampacities and the 310.15 correction and adjustment factors. Termination temperature limits in 110.14.
- Grounding: Table 250.66 (grounding electrode conductors) and Table 250.122 (equipment grounding conductors).
- Motors: the full-load current tables in 430.247 to 430.250, several motors at 125% of the largest plus the rest (430.24), overloads on nameplate current (430.32), and Table 430.52 for short-circuit and ground-fault protection.
- Load values: 1,500 VA small-appliance and laundry circuits (120.52), 5,000 VA dryer minimum (120.54), range demand (120.55), 75% for four or more appliances (120.53, EV chargers aside), and the commercial kitchen demand table (120.56).
- Services: overhead clearances in 230.24, and up to six service disconnects under 230.71.
- Working space in 110.26.
6. Studying from NEC 2023 material
A lot of prep material on the market, including books, question banks and videos, was written for NEC 2023. It is not useless, but go through it with this checklist:
- Any question citing Article 220: find the same rule in Article 120, and check the five sections in the table above that changed number.
- Any dwelling load per square foot: 2 VA for feeders and services, 3 VA for branch circuits.
- Any optional dwelling method question: the first tier is now 8 kVA.
- Any citation in 215, 230, 300 or the raceway bends sections: check it against the tables above.
- Anything citing 430.22(A), 230.2, 300.4 or 547.5: the rule you want has moved, and the old number now means something else.
- Everything else: the rule is very likely the same. Confirm the section heading in your 2026 book and carry on.
Frequently asked questions
- When did the Texas electrician exam switch to NEC 2026?
- Texas electrician exams taken on or after September 1, 2026 are referenced to the 2026 National Electrical Code. TDLR's exam page lists the 2026 edition as the code book you may bring into the exam.
- Do I need a new code book for the Texas exam?
- Yes, if yours is an older edition. An NEC 2023 book will send you to the wrong section numbers for load calculations and several wiring-method rules, and a few values have changed. Bring a soft-bound NEC 2026.
- What is the biggest NEC 2026 change for load calculations?
- Load calculations moved from Article 220 to Article 120, in Chapter 1. The biggest value change is the dwelling unit load for feeder and service calculations in 120.41: 2 VA per square foot, down from 3. Branch-circuit loads for dwellings in 120.13 still use 3 VA per square foot.
- Does the 125% rule for continuous loads still apply?
- Yes, for sizing conductors and overcurrent devices: 210.19 and 210.20 for branch circuits and 215.4 for feeders are unchanged. What changed is that a load calculation itself under 120.5(E) no longer adds the 125%.
- Did the motor rules change in NEC 2026?
- The values did not. Motor conductors are still 125% of the table full-load current and overloads are still based on the nameplate current. The single-motor 125% rule moved from 430.22(A) into the main 430.22 text, and 430.22(A) is now a different rule for dc motors on rectifier supplies.
- Are my NEC 2023 practice questions still useful?
- Mostly, for the rules. But check any question that cites Article 220, Articles 215, 230 or 300, a raceway bends rule, or a dwelling load per square foot. Those citations point to the wrong place in NEC 2026, and some of the answers have changed.
Practice on NEC 2026, not 2023. TradePass's Texas questions are referenced to NEC 2026, with drills, timed simulations at the real portion lengths and a readiness score. The diagnostic is free and takes about two minutes.
Sources
- NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2023 and 2026 editions, compared section by section by TradePass in August 2026
- TDLR, Electrician examination information (read September 2026)
- TDLR Electrical Safety and Licensing Advisory Board, staff reports, May 12, 2026 meeting (exam question review for NEC 2026)