Texas license lookup / Exam guides
Texas licensing exams
23 guides to the exams TDLR requires, built from PSI's official candidate bulletins: how many questions, how long, what they cover, what it costs, and how many people actually pass.
Reviewed 9 October 2026
Beauty and barbering
Exam guideCosmetology operator100 written questions in 120 minutes, then a 13-section practical. Half of written candidates fail.
Exam guideClass A barber85 written questions in 90 minutes and an 11-section practical. Only 37% pass the written.
Exam guideEsthetician75 written questions in 105 minutes and an 8-section facial practical that 98% pass.
Exam guideManicurist (nail technician)A written and a practical exam through PSI. 68% pass the written; 82% the practical.
Exam guideEyelash extension specialistWritten and practical through PSI. 60% pass the written; 97% the practical.
Exam guideHair weaving specialist40 written questions in 55 minutes and a braid-and-weft practical of 50 points.
Electrical
Exam guideJourneyman electricianTwo timed portions on the 2026 NEC, open book, $78. About one in four passes.
Exam guideMaster electrician75 code questions and 33 calculations on the 2026 NEC. Under one in four passes.
Exam guideResidential wireman80 questions in 4 hours on the 2026 NEC, open book, $64. 30% pass.
Exam guideMaintenance electrician60 questions in 3 hours on the 2026 NEC, open book, $64.
Exam guideResidential appliance installer80 questions in 4 hours; pools, spas and fountains are the biggest topic. 36% pass.
Exam guideSign electrician (master and journeyman)100 or 80 questions; electric signs and outline lighting are over a third of each.
Exam guideJourneyman industrial and linemanIndustrial: 60 questions with an electrical safety section. Lineman: 40 questions in 2 hours.
Air conditioning
Other licenses
Exam guideAuctioneer75 closed-book questions, a 75% pass mark and two tries per application.
Exam guideProperty tax consultantPTC: 50 questions in 80 minutes. Senior: 100 in 125. Appraisal is over half of both.
Exam guideProperty tax appraiser and collectorFour exams from 80 to 150 questions; the Class IV appraiser exam runs 5½ hours.
Exam guideWater well drillerA general exam plus one per endorsement. Only 28% passed the water well exam.
Exam guidePump installerA 60-question general pump exam plus a 30-question exam per endorsement.
Exam guideMassage therapist100 questions in 150 minutes, in English or Spanish. Swedish massage is 38%.
Exam guideMotor fuel service technician30 open-book questions in 60 minutes, for low-flow or high-flow fuel dispensers.
Exam guideBoiler inspectorA written exam on eight boiler topics. Fewer than half passed in 2025.
Every pass rate, hardest first
Official figures TDLR publishes for fiscal year 2025 (September 2024 to August 2025), for exams taken at least 15 times. Exams taken, not people: someone who fails twice and passes once counts three times.
| Exam | Pass rate | Taken | Passed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman industrial and lineman Journeyman industrial |
15.7% | 51 | 8 |
| Master electrician Master calculations portion |
19.1% | 3,946 | 753 |
| Journeyman electrician Journeyman calculations portion |
20.6% | 6,328 | 1,301 |
| Master electrician Master NEC portion |
22.2% | 3,472 | 771 |
| Journeyman electrician Journeyman NEC portion |
24.5% | 5,731 | 1,402 |
| Sign electrician (master and journeyman) Journeyman sign |
25.5% | 55 | 14 |
| Journeyman electrician Journeyman (listed separately by TDLR) |
27.5% | 5,050 | 1,390 |
| Water well driller Water well driller |
28.2% | 156 | 44 |
| Residential wireman Residential wireman |
30.1% | 1,098 | 331 |
| Residential appliance installer Appliance installer |
35.8% | 480 | 172 |
| Class A barber Written |
37.2% | 8,457 | 3,150 |
| Journeyman industrial and lineman Journeyman lineman |
40.0% | 20 | 8 |
| Boiler inspector Exam |
40.0% | 20 | 8 |
| Sign electrician (master and journeyman) Master sign |
42.6% | 54 | 23 |
| Maintenance electrician Maintenance |
44.4% | 18 | 8 |
| Pump installer Single-phase pump |
44.6% | 92 | 41 |
| Pump installer General pump |
45.1% | 102 | 46 |
| Water well driller General well driller |
45.7% | 105 | 48 |
| Hair weaving specialist Written |
45.9% | 37 | 17 |
| Cosmetology operator Written |
49.1% | 21,331 | 10,463 |
| Property tax consultant PTC |
50.8% | 260 | 132 |
| Auctioneer Exam |
51.6% | 93 | 48 |
| Pump installer Line-shaft turbine |
52.4% | 21 | 11 |
| Property tax consultant Senior |
53.5% | 43 | 23 |
| Water well driller Monitor well driller |
54.5% | 22 | 12 |
| Pump installer Windmills and pump jacks |
54.5% | 22 | 12 |
| Esthetician Manicurist/esthetician written |
55.3% | 628 | 347 |
| Pump installer Three-phase pump |
56.6% | 53 | 30 |
| Eyelash extension specialist Written |
60.2% | 1,624 | 978 |
| Esthetician Written |
65.8% | 8,544 | 5,618 |
| Manicurist (nail technician) Written |
68.1% | 9,591 | 6,529 |
| Esthetician Manicurist/esthetician practical |
78.3% | 253 | 198 |
| Manicurist (nail technician) Practical |
82.5% | 7,031 | 5,798 |
| Cosmetology operator Practical |
89.1% | 10,630 | 9,471 |
| Class A barber Practical |
89.8% | 2,972 | 2,669 |
| Eyelash extension specialist Practical |
97.3% | 936 | 911 |
| Esthetician Practical |
98.2% | 5,472 | 5,372 |
Sources: TDLR examination statistics pages for each program, linked in each guide.
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