TDLR Journeyman Exam Format: Questions, Time, and the 2-Part Split
A lot of prep sites and old forum threads still describe the old single 80-question exam. That format is gone. Here is what you actually walk into now, and what the change means for how you study.
Last reviewed June 2026
The exam is now two separate tests
On March 11, 2025, TDLR split the Journeyman exam. The old version mixed code-knowledge questions and calculation questions into one 80-question test scored as a whole. Now the calculation questions are pulled out into their own part, and each part is scored on its own. The content did not change. The structure did.
That one change matters more than it sounds. Under the old format, a strong NEC Knowledge score could carry a shaky calculations score across the line. That is over. You need 70% on the Calculations part by itself. A 90 on Knowledge does nothing for a 64 on Calculations. You fail.
Part by part
| Part | Questions | Time | To pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEC Knowledge | 59 | 130 min | 70% |
| Calculations | 26 | 110 min | 70% |
| Total | 85 | 240 min | 70% each |
What the split changes about studying
Look at the time. The Calculations part gives you 110 minutes for 26 questions, which is over 4 minutes each. The Knowledge part gives you 130 minutes for 59 questions, closer to 2 minutes each. The state built more time per question into the calculations, because they know that is where the work is. Use it. Calculations is not a part you rush. It is a part you have to be accurate on, one pattern at a time.
The practical takeaway: treat the two parts as two different muscles and train them separately. Do not let a strong knowledge score lull you into ignoring calculations, because the exam will not let one cover the other anymore. We do not promise you will pass. We tell you, in priority order, which sections in each part are costing you points.
Score yourself on both parts in 15 minutes
The free diagnostic scores you by topic across knowledge and calculations, so you see which part of the new 2-part exam is dragging you down. No signup.