Can I Bring My Codebook to the Electrician Exam?

Texas TDLR Journeyman exam

Texas TDLR exams require you to bring your own soft-bound printed NEC. PSI accepts any soft-bound edition, but the questions are written to the NEC 2026, so that is the book to bring. PSI administers the exam at test centers across Texas, and that book is your reference across both timed parts. The PSI bulletin lists the standard NEC 2026 as the reference, not a separate Texas amendments document.

What's typically allowed

• Your own soft-bound copy of the NEC 2026 (printed, not loose pages)
• Permanent index tabs manufactured or provided by the NEC publisher, and no other tabs
• Highlighting and margin notes added before the session (brief annotations, formula reminders)
• A silent, battery-operated, non-programmable calculator with no paper tape and no alphabet keys

What's NOT allowed

• Tabs you made or bought yourself (homemade, DIY, or non-NEC tabs), and sticky notes inside the codebook
• Loose paper inserts (printed formula sheets, study notes)
• Three-ring binders or any unbound reference
• Programmable, graphing, or internet-capable calculators
• Phones, smartwatches, fitness trackers, tablets — all in the locker
• A second codebook (one reference allowed)
• Margin notes that look like answer keys (problem-and-solution pairs may be flagged at proctor discretion)

California General Electrician exam (DIR)

California is different. The current Electrical Certification Candidate Information Bulletin says references are provided in the testing center and candidates may not bring or use their own reference materials. For the General Electrician exam, the provided references include NEC 2023, NFPA 70E 2024, and the CAL/OSHA Pocket Guide updated 2022.

What this means for prep

• Train search, not tab navigation. The references are on-screen PDFs you search with the magnifying glass or Ctrl+F, so the skill is picking the Code's own word or the section number to search for.
• Drill keyword recall: see a field clue, pick the Code's word, search it, land on the article, target 30 seconds.
• Practice without relying on personal tabs. If you've trained only with your own marked-up book, provided references can slow you down.
• JourneymanIQ's California content includes index keyword drills specifically for the provided-reference setup.

For more on index navigation training, see our codebook tabbing guide and the California-specific codebook speed playbook.

Michigan, Washington, and Maryland

These three states allow a codebook, but they do not use the same rule. Michigan writes its items to the 2023 NEC and allows factory tabs and markings only, with no highlighting. Washington uses the 2020 NEC and also lets you bring printed RCW 19.28 and WAC 296-46B in a binder for the separate laws section. Maryland uses the 2020 NEC for both journeyperson and master, allows tabs from two named brands, gives you an online calculator, and bans handwritten notes.

• Michigan codebook speed: 2023 NEC lookup with factory-tab limits and a 75% pass mark.
• Washington codebook speed: 2020 NEC lookup plus RCW and WAC lookup for the two scored sections.
• Maryland codebook speed: 2020 NEC lookup for journeyperson and master timing.

What to bring on exam day

• Government photo ID matching your application name exactly. Hyphen mismatches turn people away.
• Scheduling confirmation printed or screenshotted before you arrive. Phones go in lockers, so don’t rely on showing your screen.
• Codebook if your state allows it: Texas, Michigan, Washington, and Maryland each have different reference rules. California uses provided references at the test center.
• Calculator: Texas allows a silent, battery-operated, non-programmable calculator with no alphabet keys. California and Maryland give you an online calculator instead, so you do not bring one.
• Water and snack for the locker. Glucose at hour 3 matters.

For the full TDLR exam-day walkthrough, see the TDLR exam day checklist.