IBEW aptitude test practice

What the real test usually looks like

The test battery. The electrical training ALLIANCE, whose aptitude test many IBEW and NECA apprenticeship programs use, describes an aptitude test battery in two parts (electrical training ALLIANCE):

• Algebra and Functions: 33 items in 46 minutes.
• Reading Comprehension: 36 items in 51 minutes.
• A short break between the two tests, and about two and a half hours in all, including instructions.
• No calculator. Pencils and other materials are provided; bring a photo ID.
• No electrical knowledge needed. The ALLIANCE says previous knowledge of electrical work is not required.

What the questions look like. The ALLIANCE publishes sample questions: three algebra questions and a short reading passage followed by three questions, each with one correct answer (electrical training ALLIANCE). Preparation sites commonly report that the algebra part covers formulas, simplifying expressions, number patterns, positive and negative values, and input and output tables (CourseCareers).

Check which test your local uses. Many IBEW and NECA programs use this battery, but testing and selection can vary by program, specialty and location (iPrep). One preparation site notes, for example, that a local program in Minneapolis names a different aptitude test in its application (CourseCareers). Your test notice or your local JATC says which test you will take.

What our mocks cover. Our full mocks are 69 questions in 97 minutes, in the same two parts and order: algebra and functions (33 questions), then reading comprehension (36 questions). There is no calculator, and you can go back and flag questions. They cover both parts described above. They do not cover any other test a local may use instead, so if your notice names a different one, practice for that one too.

Question types with worked examples

One worked example for each kind of question, with the trap most people fall into.

1. Solving an equation. If 5y + 4 = 29, what is y? Subtract 4 to get 5y = 25, then divide by 5: y = 5. Trap: dividing before you subtract. Undo addition and subtraction first, then multiplication and division.

2. Input and output tables. X is 0, 1, 2 and Y is 1, 3, 5. Y rises by 2 each step, so the rule starts with 2X; when X = 0, Y = 1, so Y = 2X + 1. Trap: checking only the first pair. Test the rule on every pair in the table.

3. Negative numbers. What is -2 x -6 - 4? Multiply first: -2 x -6 = 12, then 12 - 4 = 8. Trap: keeping the minus sign on a product of two negatives. Two negatives multiplied give a positive.

4. Simplifying expressions. 3(x + 2) - (x - 1) becomes 3x + 6 - x + 1 = 2x + 7. Trap: forgetting that the minus sign in front of a bracket changes every sign inside it.

5. Main idea. A passage describes a new tool, its cost, one drawback and how users work around it. The main idea covers all of that, not just the drawback. Trap: choosing a true detail instead of the idea that covers the whole passage.

6. Detail and conditions. "Visitors must sign in. Those arriving after 9:00 a.m. also need an escort." Someone arriving at 8:45 a.m. needs only to sign in. Trap: applying a condition to a case it does not cover. Watch words like "after", "only", "unless" and "all".

How to prepare

1. Confirm your test. Read your notice or ask your local JATC which aptitude test it uses. Most use the ALLIANCE battery, but not every local does (iPrep).
2. Work through the ALLIANCE's own samples. Its sample page shows the style of both parts, with an answer key (electrical training ALLIANCE).
3. Practice without a calculator. The test does not allow one (electrical training ALLIANCE). Rebuild speed with fractions, negatives and order of operations by hand.
4. Review the algebra basics. Solving one-step and two-step equations, putting numbers into a formula, simplifying brackets, and finding the rule in a table or a number pattern.
5. Read actively. For each passage, ask what the main point is, then answer only from the text. Underline times, numbers and conditions as you read.
6. Practice at the real pace. 33 items in 46 minutes is about 1.4 minutes an item, and 36 items in 51 minutes is about the same. Take full timed mocks so the pace feels normal on the day.
7. Answer every item. The ALLIANCE says there is no penalty for guessing, so never leave a blank.

How scoring usually works

How the ALLIANCE describes scoring. Your score is based on the number of items you answer correctly, and there is no penalty for guessing. About two to four weeks after the test, your local JATC receives the results. You are told whether or not you received a qualifying score; exact scores are not provided (electrical training ALLIANCE).

After a qualifying score. You are scheduled for an oral interview with a committee representing both NECA and the IBEW. Based on the interview and a review of your qualifications, you receive an overall ranking, and your name is placed on an eligibility list for two years (electrical training ALLIANCE).

Retakes. The ALLIANCE says a full three months (90 days) must pass before you may retake the test.

What counts as qualifying. The ALLIANCE does not publish one pass mark. A preparation site reports that some local programs publish their own minimum on a 1 to 9 scale (CourseCareers), so ask your local.

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you answered correctly, with a breakdown by part, so you can see where to focus. It is a practice score: it is not a score on the IBEW aptitude test and does not predict whether you will qualify or be selected.

Common mistakes on the IBEW aptitude test

• Sign errors. Most algebra misses come from negatives: a minus in front of a bracket, or a negative number squared. Write each step down.
• Stopping one step early. Solving 3x = 18 and choosing 18. Reread what the question asks for before you pick.
• Guessing a table rule from one pair. A rule that fits the first pair often fails the second. Check them all.
• Leaning on a calculator in practice. If you practice with one, the no-calculator test feels much slower. Practice by hand.
• Answering from what you already know. Reading questions ask what the passage says. A true fact the passage does not support is a wrong answer.
• Missing the word NOT. Some questions ask which statement is not supported. Slow down on those.
• Leaving blanks. There is no guessing penalty, so answer every item before time runs out.

A one-week IBEW aptitude study plan

• Day 1: Take the free sample above and the ALLIANCE's sample questions. Note which part cost you more.
• Day 2: Equations and formulas by hand, 20 minutes a day, with no calculator.
• Day 3: Negatives, brackets and order of operations.
• Day 4: Tables and number patterns. Find the rule, then test it on every pair.
• Day 5: Two or three reading passages, timed. Practice main idea, detail and NOT questions.
• Day 6: One full timed mock: algebra and functions, a short break, then reading comprehension.
• Day 7: Review every miss, then rest before test day.