Texas Master Electrician

[JJK]

Im having a hard time passing the Texas Master Electrician Test. I got the California license on my first try. I'm on my 3rd test for Texas. I got a 45 on my first try then got Mike Holts exam prep and got a 70 but missed it by 5. Anything can help. Im frustrated and have a re-test in 7 days. Any suggestions

 

[PEDRO ESCOVILLA]

i'm taking a prep class with ray holder in arlington texas, the weekend of june 9-10. he's supposed to provide an be excellent seminar/test prep. it's on 2011 nec. there may still be room in the class. look him up on the net. try "ray holder electrical classes" it's actually "ray holder electrical seminars". good luck, keep studying, you'll get it. do you know where you're having trouble with it? if so, focus on that stuff. go thru all the info you've studied so far again before you retest.

 

[PEDRO ESCOVILLA]

JJK, how you doing on prep for your exam ? did you find out what your weak spots were ?

 

[Stevareno]

i'm taking a prep class with ray holder in arlington texas, the weekend of june 9-10. he's supposed to provide an be excellent seminar/test prep. it's on 2011 nec. there may still be room in the class. look him up on the net. try "ray holder electrical classes" it's actually "ray holder electrical seminars". good luck, keep studying, you'll get it. do you know where you're having trouble with it? if so, focus on that stuff. go thru all the info you've studied so far again before you retest.

My advise: If you don't understand something, ask questions. I found that his 'seminar' was nothing more than a quick reference. If you don't already know how to do the basic calculations, this seminar will not help you. There is just not enough time to cover the intricrate details you need to know for most of the calculations.

More than half the time spent in the 'seminar' is taken up by going through and highlighting your code book from the similated test questions they give you. If you get behind asking too many questions, you will not be able to finish highlighting your code book. Not real conducive to learning.

Now I'm not saying his 'seminar' is a rip-off, but it sure isn't worth what he charges (IMHO).

 

[Stevareno]

One other thing. If you don't have a soft bound 2011 NEC, GET ONE. Loose leaf and spiral bound are not allowed for testing, and if you show up without one at the seminar they will strongly suggest that you go get one.

 

[PEDRO ESCOVILLA]

i took it today, missed it by 7 points (68) i will say this, it is HEAVY on load calculations, feeder demand , generator q's, seem like one wild load calc after another. and they are crazy questions, with tons of info to go through. I'll study up and get 'em next time










there ain't many problems that a man can't fix, with $700.00 and a 30.06

 

[dneprcowboy]

The biggest trick to the NM and TX exams are the major load calc questions are worth one point as well as the "what color is a ground screw" type questions. Skip over all the hard questions and do the easy ones first. Then go back and work on the hard ones.

 

[RowE]

i agree with dneprcowboythin do the easy calc's and the ones you know without looking up first, then the ones you know where to find, then the bigger load calc's. also had lots of questions from drawing. Don't leave any question unanswered. i took my texas masters a few years ago, studied hard for several months and had lots of different study material. learn to use your index and pick out the key words. Good luck.

 

[quinn77]

I passed my test a year ago and made 86 on my first try. I didnt study much but I will say this. As previous others have posted, do the easy ones first and flag the ones that give you trouble and come back to thim. Ive spent 10 years designing systems under a master and that seemed to have helped me. I suggest a good calculation course like the one Mike Holt sells, and a good NEC course as well.

 

[jeremysterling]

I passed my test a year ago and made 86 on my first try. I didnt study much but I will say this. As previous others have posted, do the easy ones first and flag the ones that give you trouble and come back to thim. Ive spent 10 years designing systems under a master and that seemed to have helped me. I suggest a good calculation course like the one Mike Holt sells, and a good NEC course as well.

How did you find out your score? I was under the impression that passing scores were kept secret to prevent the barely passing master from losing status (or work) to the high scoring master.

 

[quinn77]

How did you find out your score? I was under the impression that passing scores were kept secret to prevent the barely passing master from losing status (or work) to the high scoring master.

I dont know when they started giving scores, in 2004 when i passed my journeyman exam i didnt recieve my score. They've changed the proctor since then so i assume that company does it differently.

 

[Stevareno]

How did you find out your score? I was under the impression that passing scores were kept secret to prevent the barely passing master from losing status (or work) to the high scoring master.

I think they are kept secret from anyone else other than the test taker (and the TDLR). Anyone else only sees whether you passed or failed (you either have a license or you don't).

When I took my Journeyman test, it was done with a test booklet and answer sheet. IIRC, I was given my score but was not allowed to see what I missed. To my knowledge, no one else was given my score unless I told them directly.

Now they do it on a computer and you get a printout with a score and a ratio on right vs. wrong in each category (motors, transformers, etc.), but they don't show you which specific questions you got wrong. I would hope that not just anyone could access that information as that would not be fair when it comes to hiring status.

 

[PEDRO ESCOVILLA]

i missed my mqasters exam on the first try in june, by 7 points. i had just spent two days with ray holder in that class. i passed last week. i studied my arse off every day i had free time at work to do so. ( i work in an inspection office). math, brother, it's all in the math. give yourself time to get brushed up on it all. series circuits, parallel circuits, load calcs, generators, transformer ocpd, send me a pm, i'll try to send you some info. i used a ray holder and tom henry and mike holt books to prep for this. i gave myself time to study, and didn't schedule till i could DO the math in the alloted time. you wont pass just answering code questions. i'd say 25 % of that test is calculations, and 25% of those are series and parallel circuits. whe i got up from the computer, it said "pass", they gave me the score outside on a sheet that showed strengths and weaknesses.

they throw some weird stuff at you, like this one,(not exact memory, but you'll get the idea) 8 construction trailers, 720 sg. ft. each, 18 receptacles each, 10- 1500 watt, 3 lamp flouresecent fixtures, with a .95 amp ballast, each trailer has 2 outside air conditioners that are rated at 6500 watts, and they each have a HID security lamp at each trailer that is rated at 3200 watts. 120/240 volt service. what minimum size 75 degree thhn service conductor is needed for the service that supplies all these trailers and and what is the maximum size ocpd permitted on this service.

the trick to any test is taking each question apart and fiqure out what the &*&* they are asking, and then go from there.
tab your book, highlight your index, make notes in your book in ink, they will let you in, i just did it