IBEW aptitude test study guide: what is on it and how to prepare.

What is on the test

Two sections, each on its own clock, with a short break between them. The electrical training ALLIANCE says the whole session takes about two and a half hours.

Algebra and Functions

Putting values into formulas, equal expressions, number patterns, positive and negative results, tables. Each kind worked step by step

Reading Comprehension

You read a passage and answer several questions about it. Every answer is in the passage. One passage with four questions

Calculator

Not allowed. Pencils and all other materials are provided.

Guessing

No penalty. Your score is the number of questions you answer correctly.

Not needed

Formulas learned by heart, or any knowledge of electrical work. The ALLIANCE says neither is required.

Check which test your program uses

Not every program uses this test. The ALLIANCE’s own page says you take its battery “if required”, and some local programs give a different one. The Electrical Training Alliance of Kern County, for example, uses the GAN Aptitude Battery, which adds mechanical and spatial reasoning.

Look for the name of the test in your invitation, or ask your training center. This guide and our course cover the ALLIANCE test: algebra and reading.

How to prepare: four stages

Take the stages in order. Stage 1 shows you where your study time pays off most.

1. Stage 1

   Find out where you stand. Do the free IBEW practice test on paper, without a calculator. For each miss, write down the cause: a method you have forgotten, a slip, or a sentence you misread.

2. Stage 2

   Get the arithmetic back by hand. Negative numbers, fractions and the order of operations sit under every math question. Work on the ones your list shows until they come without stopping to think.

3. Stage 3

   Work each kind of question. Take the five kinds of math question one at a time, and in the same sitting read a passage of several paragraphs, finding the sentence that answers before you look at the choices. The test gives you both on one day.

4. Stage 4

   Practice against the clock. 33 math questions in 46 minutes, a short break, then 36 reading questions in 51 minutes. Afterward go through every missed and every guessed answer, and return to stage 2 or 3 for what they show.

Spend the most time where stage 1 showed the most misses.

IBEW, NJATC, ALLIANCE: three names for this test

The battery this page describes goes by three names: the IBEW aptitude test, the NJATC aptitude test and the ALLIANCE aptitude test. Some programs use a different test: see the check above.

IBEW

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers: the union.

NECA

National Electrical Contractors Association: the contractors.

electrical training ALLIANCE

The training program the two created together. The test described here is the one on its website.

NJATC

What the ALLIANCE used to be called. Its own pages still say “NJATC aptitude test battery”.

JATC

Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee: your local program. You apply there, it receives your test result, and it tells you what happens next.

Results and retakes

Results

Your local JATC receives them about two to four weeks after the test, then tells you where your application stands.

Your score

You are told whether you reached a qualifying score. Exact scores are not given, and the ALLIANCE’s page names no qualifying score as a number. If you have read one, such as “4 out of 9”, ask your training center whether it applies to you.

After the test

A qualifying score gets you an oral interview with a committee from NECA and the IBEW. The interview and your qualifications decide your ranking, and your name stays on the eligibility list for two years.

Retake

Not before 90 days after your last test. A test taken sooner does not count, and the 90 days start again. The same page also mentions a six-month rule for later retakes without explaining it, so ask your training center before you book again.

On test day

• Bring a photo ID. Without it you cannot take the test.
• Arrive at least 15 minutes early, and plan about 3 hours at the test center.
• Leave the calculator at home. A watch with a calculator has to come off.
• If you need an accommodation, tell your training center as soon as you are scheduled. A request made on the day cannot be handled that day.