Electrician aptitude test › GAN aptitude test
GAN aptitude test: sections, scoring and how to prepare
The GAN aptitude test is a battery from GAN Human Resources that some electrical JATCs give instead of the electrical training ALLIANCE test. Des Moines and Local 26 list five sections: paper folding, numerical computation, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension and mechanical reasoning. It isn't pass/fail: your score ranks you on the list. No calculator.
Which electrical JATCs use GAN
IBEW/NECA programs don't all give the same test, so ask your JATC which one it uses. These four say on their own pages that they use GAN:
- JATC Local 26 (Washington, DC area): applicants "will qualify for ranking through the George A. Neuman Human Resource company (GAN)," and "all applicants must complete an in-person GAN aptitude test."
- Minneapolis JATC Metro: "you will be required to take the GAN Aptitude Test Battery," given four times a year at its St. Michael facility.
- Des Moines Electrical JATC: applicants take "the GAN Aptitude Battery Test" at its office, which it says, "unlike the previous test, this is not pass/fail."
- Detroit EITC: its test study guide page says its "testing partner GAN Testing Systems offers a Study Guide for purchase."
Prep sites list other GAN locals; this page names only the ones confirmed on a JATC's own page.
GAN vs the ALLIANCE test
| GAN battery | electrical training ALLIANCE test | |
|---|---|---|
| Sections | Paper folding, numerical computation, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, mechanical reasoning (Minneapolis also lists problem solving) | Algebra and Functions; Reading Comprehension |
| Items and time | Not published per section; about 2½ hours in all (Des Moines) | 33 items in 46 minutes; 36 items in 51 minutes; about 2½ hours |
| Calculator | No | No |
| Format | Computer-based at Des Moines; in person at Local 26, where you bring your GAN login | Pencils and all materials provided |
| Score | Ranks you; no pass mark at Local 26 or Des Moines | A qualifying score (4 of 9 at Warren, Local 81 and Local 288) gets you an interview |
| Interview | Replaced by the Personal Experience Form at Local 26; none at Des Moines | Oral interview by an IBEW and NECA committee |
| Retake | Minneapolis: only after a year on the eligibility list | After 90 days |
| Official prep | GAN study guide, $20 | Free sample on the ALLIANCE site |
The ALLIANCE test is covered in full in the IBEW aptitude test guide.
The sections, and how to prepare for each
GAN doesn't publish item counts or time limits for its sections; its own page says the battery assesses "basic math, reading, and spatial skills." The descriptions below are the JATCs' words.
| Section | What the JATC says it tests | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical computation | "Basic arithmetic (whole numbers, fractions, decimals)" | Daily drills by hand: fractions, decimals, negatives. You won't have a calculator. |
| Numerical reasoning | "Logical thinking and pattern recognition" | Number series: look at the gaps first. The free practice set has six. |
| Reading comprehension | "Understanding and interpreting written material" | Timed passages: what is stated, what is implied, words in context. |
| Paper folding | "Visualizing three-dimensional space" | Paper-folding and shape puzzles: picture the result before you check it. |
| Mechanical reasoning | "Knowledge of physical and mechanical principles" | Des Moines suggests basic physics "like levers, pulleys, gears." |
Try one of each
Unofficial examples written for this site, not GAN items. No calculator.
Numerical computation: 3/4 + 2/3 = ?
- 5/7
- 1 5/12
- 1 1/4
- 6/12
Answer: B
Use twelfths: 9/12 + 8/12 = 17/12 = 1 5/12. Adding tops and bottoms (A) is the classic trap.
Numerical reasoning: 2, 5, 11, 23, ?
- 35
- 46
- 47
- 49
Answer: C
Each term is the one before times 2, plus 1: 23 × 2 + 1 = 47. The gaps (3, 6, 12) double, which gives the same answer.
Paper folding: a square sheet is folded in half, left edge onto right edge, and one hole is punched through both layers. Unfolded, what do you see?
- One hole
- Two holes, mirror images across the fold line
- Two holes side by side on the same half
- Four holes
Answer: B
One punch goes through two layers, so two holes, each the reflection of the other across the crease. Each extra fold doubles the count.
Mechanical reasoning: gear A (20 teeth) turns clockwise at 60 rpm and drives gear B (40 teeth). What does B do?
- Clockwise, 120 rpm
- Clockwise, 30 rpm
- Counterclockwise, 120 rpm
- Counterclockwise, 30 rpm
Answer: D
Meshed gears turn opposite ways, and speed scales by the tooth ratio: 60 × 20/40 = 30 rpm.
Des Moines' own prep list is short: review arithmetic, fractions, decimals and pattern recognition; practice reading; "explore spatial reasoning exercises (e.g., paper folding or shape manipulation)"; and brush up on mechanical principles.
The Personal Experience Form counts as much as you think
At GAN locals the test is only part of your rank. Minneapolis builds a 0 to 100 application score from the GAN test (50% of it), the Personal Experience Form and a letter of recommendation, then hires "starting from #1 (the highest score)." Local 26 says the form "replaces the personal interview."
- Document everything. Local 26: "Only information supported by uploaded documentation will earn points toward ranking." Minneapolis accepts only a current paystub, a W2 with a paystub, its work verification forms or an employer letter for work hours.
- Watch the clock. At Local 26 you have two weeks to finish the form once it opens, and it can't be reopened. Minneapolis gives 30 days from paying its fee to finish the whole application.
- Pick your letter carefully. Minneapolis scores only your highest-scoring letter and ranks writers from a union electrical contractor at the top down to "other."
Fees, dates and retakes
| JATC | Fee | Results and list | Retake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local 26 | $125 processing fee, nonrefundable; 2027-cycle applications close December 31, 2026 or at 4,200 applications | Ranked at the end of the cycle; two-year ranked list; testing mid-February to mid-May | Reapply and redo the GAN process for a new score |
| Minneapolis | $40 application fee | Score and rank by email within four weeks; on the list up to one year | Only after one year on the list |
| Des Moines | Not stated on the page read | Ranked by PEF and test together; valid one year | Not stated |
Study materials
GAN sells its own: the GAN Aptitude Test Study Guide is $20 (also sold as a $20 digital download), and a set of Aptitude Test Practice Problems is $30. Minneapolis, Local 26 and Detroit all send applicants to it, and it is the only prep written by the test's maker.
Most IBEW prep courses are built for the ALLIANCE test, so check for mechanical reasoning and spatial items before you buy one for GAN. Two sellers have them (prices read November 13, 2026): iPrep's GAN Aptitude course, $49.95, with 36 practice tests and 864 questions across paper folding, numerical computation and reasoning, reading and mechanical reasoning; and JobTestPrep's IBEW pack, $45 to $65, with 160+ mechanical questions; a dedicated GAN pack with spatial reasoning is listed as "Coming Soon". The home page comparison marks the rest. ClassMetric's Union Aptitude Prep, for example, covers only GAN's math and reading: $39 once for 20 lessons and 403 practice questions (180 number series, 168 algebra and functions, 55 reading), with no paper folding, mechanical reasoning or interview prep. See what it covers.
GAN isn't only for electricians
GAN Human Resources says it tests for "more than 50" apprenticeship programs in the Chicago area and around the US, including bricklayers, tile-setters, plumbers, pipe-fitters, operating engineers, carpenters, electricians, roofers and sheet metal workers, and that the battery "has been administered to over 200,000 applicants." As the JATCs above show, each program sets its own rules for how the score counts.