Mike Holt vs Tom Henry
Two names come up every time someone asks how to study for the electrician exam: Mike Holt and Tom Henry. Both have been at it for decades, both are written by people who came up in the trade, and on the forums people pass with either one. They're strong in different ways. Here's the straight comparison, with current prices and where each actually helps.
Last reviewed June 2026
The honest verdict
Pick Tom Henryif you're on a budget and mainly need to drill exam questions, get faster at finding code sections, and shore up calculations. Book for book his titles are cheaper (Key Word Index $18 to $30, Exam Q&A $29 to $36, Calculations for the Electrical Exam $39 to $48), and the Key Word Index and that calculations book are his standout items.
Pick Mike Holt if you want to understand the NEC and the trade more deeply and you learn well from full-color textbooks plus video, and you're comfortable spending more for that depth. His standalone exam-prep book is around $70 and a practice-exam workbook around $27. If budget allows, you can use both, and on the forums that's a common recommendation. We don't promise either one will get you a pass. The result depends on the hours you put in, and you should confirm the NEC edition and your state's current exam format before buying.
Side by side
| Dimension | Mike Holt | Tom Henry |
|---|---|---|
| Primary format | Full-color illustrated textbooks, video, online quizzes | Print study guides, the Key Word Index, DVD series, online video courses |
| Best known for | Depth: understanding the NEC and the trade, strong video | The Key Word Index and calculations instruction |
| Entry book price | Exam Preparation textbook around $70 (promo seen near $63) | Key Word Index $18 to $30; Exam Q&A $29 to $36 |
| Practice-question product | Journeyman Practice Exam around $27: 100 theory, 100 NEC, 60 calculation questions, with answer key | Journeyman and Master Exam Questions and Answers, $29 to $36 each, with answers |
| Calculations | Covered inside the prep textbook and video | Standalone Calculations for the Electrical Exam ($39 to $48): 360+ pages, 9 chapters, 10 practice exams |
| Fast NEC code lookup | Check current site | Key Word Index points NEC terms to exact page numbers; editions through the 2026 NEC ($18 to $30) |
| Online video course | Tiered video libraries offered; current prices vary, check the site | Journeyman $199, Master $249.99, both with lifetime access |
| State-specific (TX TDLR / CA) package | General NEC prep; no state-exam-specific course found | General NEC prep; no state-exam-specific course found |
Where Mike Holt is strong
Mike Holt Enterprises, based in Leesburg, Florida, has served the electrical trade for over 50 years, founded by Mike Holt, a former journeyman electrician, master electrician, and electrical contractor. The strength is depth and format range: full-color illustrated textbooks, video instruction electricians often call clear and well organized, and a product ladder you can scale from a single book up to multi-book video libraries. Mike Holt markets its materials as suitable for NEC-based exams given by agencies such as PSI, Pearson VUE, Prometric, Prov, ICC, and NASCLA. If you're a visual learner who wants to truly understand the code rather than just cram, this is the side that fits.
Where Tom Henry is strong
Tom Henry's Code Electrical Classes (the site says it started in 1982) was founded by Tom Henry, described on the site as a State Certified Electrical Instructor and Certified Chief Electrical Inspector and the author of more than 100 books. Two items carry the brand. The Key Word Index ($18 to $30, editions through the 2026 NEC) indexes NEC terms to exact page numbers so you can find a code section in seconds during an open-book exam, which is exactly the skill the timed exam punishes you for lacking. Calculations for the Electrical Exam($39 to $48) is the title electricians name most for the calc section. Add the Journeyman and Master Q&A books and self-paced online courses ($199 Journeyman, $249.99 Master, lifetime access), and you have a cheaper, exam-focused path.
The one thing neither of them does
Here's the gap. Mike Holt and Tom Henry both sell you the material: the books, the videos, the practice questions. Neither one tells you which parts of that material you still need to study before test day. You can own the whole Mike Holt library and still waste a month re-reading chapters you already know cold while the two topics that will actually fail you sit untouched.
That's where JourneymanIQ fits, and we're honest that we're not competing with either author. We're not a book and not a video course. We're a free 15-minute diagnostic plus adaptive practice that shows you exactly which NEC topics you're weakest on, in priority order, and which exam section needs the work, like the separately-timed NEC and Calculations parts of the Texas TDLR journeyman exam. So we complement either one: keep your Holt or Henry material to learn from, and use the diagnostic to aim that study at the right topics instead of re-reading everything. We make no claim to be better than either publisher, and we don't promise you'll pass. We point you to the next focused step.
Already own Holt or Henry? Find out which chapters matter for you
The free 15-minute diagnostic scores you by topic across the NEC and calculations, so you point your Mike Holt or Tom Henry material at your actual weak spots instead of re-reading everything. No signup.
Common questions
Mike Holt vs Tom Henry: which is better for passing the electrician exam?
Neither is universally better. They suit different needs, and on the electrician forums people pass with both. The pattern: Tom Henry is the lower-cost, exam-focused choice, and his Key Word Index and Calculations for the Electrical Exam are the items electricians name most for fast NEC lookups and the calculations section. Mike Holt is the deeper, video-and-textbook choice for understanding the NEC and the trade. If budget allows, a common recommendation is to use both. Whichever you pick, the result depends on the hours you put in.
Is Tom Henry cheaper than Mike Holt?
Book for book, yes, based on prices listed in 2026 (which change, so check the seller). Tom Henry's individual titles include the Key Word Index at $18 to $30, Journeyman and Master Exam Questions and Answers at $29 to $36 each, and Calculations for the Electrical Exam at $39 to $48 on his site. Mike Holt's standalone 2023 Electrical Exam Preparation textbook is listed around $70 (promotional pricing seen near $63), and his higher-tier video libraries cost more. Mike Holt costs more largely because of the depth and the video instruction. Always confirm the current price on the seller's own site.
Which one is best for the calculations section?
Both cover calculations. Tom Henry's standalone Calculations for the Electrical Exam is the title electricians name most for the calc section. It is a 360-plus page book with nine calculation chapters and five Journeyman plus five Master practice exams, and his Key Word Index helps you find code references fast under time pressure. Mike Holt covers calculations inside his exam-prep textbook and video, which visual learners often prefer. If calculations are your weak spot, and on the Texas TDLR journeyman exam the calculations section is timed separately, it helps to first find which calculation topics you are actually missing instead of re-studying all of them.
Do I have to choose just one, or can I use both Mike Holt and Tom Henry?
You can use both, and it is a common forum recommendation: Mike Holt's textbooks and video to learn the trade and the code, plus Tom Henry's workbooks and Key Word Index to drill exam questions and speed up code-book lookups. The trade-off is cost and time. Buying both means more to study, not automatically a better outcome. A smarter first move is to find where your actual gaps are, then point whichever material you own at those specific topics.
Where does JourneymanIQ fit if I already have Mike Holt or Tom Henry?
Mike Holt and Tom Henry sell you the study material: the books, videos, and practice questions. Neither tells you which parts of it you still need to study before test day. JourneymanIQ is not a book or a course. It is a free 15-minute diagnostic plus adaptive practice that shows you which NEC topics you are weakest on, in priority order, and which exam section needs the work. For Texas that means the separately-timed NEC and Calculations parts. So it complements either author: keep your Holt or Henry material to learn from, and use the diagnostic to aim your study at the right topics instead of re-reading everything.