Electrician aptitude test › Passing score
IBEW aptitude test passing score: what a 4 out of 9 means
There is no single national passing score. Many IBEW/NECA programs score the electrical training ALLIANCE test from 1 to 9 and send anyone with a 4 or higher to the interview: Warren JATC, IBEW Local 81 and Local 288 say so on their own pages. The national rules tell you only whether you qualified. The programs that use the GAN test instead rank applicants and set no pass mark.
The 1 to 9 scale
The most detailed public description comes from the Waterloo and Mason City JATC (IBEW Local 288): "You are given an overall score of 1-9, with 9 being the highest. You must receive a score of at least 4 or higher to pass." Scores below the minimum are not given a number. Local 288 also breaks your math and reading results into bands: "High, Above average, Average, Below Average, Low or Below Minimum."
The national page is less generous: "You will be informed whether or not you have received a qualifying score. Exact scores are not provided." So whether you see a number depends on your local. Prep sites often call the 1 to 9 scale a "stanine"; none of the official pages checked here uses that word.
Qualifying scores by program
| Program | Test | What counts as passing | What you're told |
|---|---|---|---|
| electrical training ALLIANCE (national rules) | ALLIANCE test | "a qualifying score," not defined on the page | Qualified or not; "Exact scores are not provided" |
| Warren Electrical JATC | ALLIANCE test | "at least 4 (out of a possible 9)" | Results in about two weeks |
| IBEW Local 81 (Scranton) | ALLIANCE standards | "A score of four (4) or higher will qualify for a interview" | Scored "on a scale of 1-9" |
| Local 288 (Waterloo, Mason City) | ALLIANCE test | "at least 4 or higher" | 1 to 9 by email within two weeks, plus math and reading bands |
| NW Line JATC (outside lineman) | ALLIANCE test | "must score a 3 or higher to move on to the interview round" | Not stated |
| Southern Nevada inside wireman (2020 standards) | ALLIANCE test | "a minimum passing score of “5”" unless you qualify for direct interview or direct entry | Not stated |
| JATC Local 26 (DC area) | GAN | No minimum: "Minimum score requirements for the aptitude test and personal interview have been eliminated" | Ranked with everyone who completes |
| Des Moines Electrical JATC | GAN | "not pass/fail" | Your place on the ranked list |
| Minneapolis JATC | GAN | Ranked by score, no minimum stated; the test is "50% of total application score" | Score and rank number by email within four weeks |
One exception worth knowing: Warren JATC says applicants with "at least 4,000 hours of electrical construction work experience are not required to receive a minimum score for a personal interview," though they still take the test.
What percent of people pass?
Nobody publishes it. Neither the electrical training ALLIANCE nor any JATC page checked here gives a pass rate, so treat any percentage you read online as a guess. What the ALLIANCE does say is how crowded the field is: "Many apprenticeship programs receive large numbers of applicants - four, five, six or more times the number of new apprenticeship openings." It describes the test as a tool to decide how many applicants reach the interview table.
So a 4 is a floor, not a finish line. Clearing it gets you an interview; the job depends on what comes after.
What the score decides, and what it doesn't
At programs that give the ALLIANCE test, the national rules say a qualifying score leads to "an oral interview" with a committee "representing both NECA and the IBEW." Then: "Based on the interview, and a review of your qualifications, you will receive an overall ranking." Your name stays on the eligibility list for two years, and openings are filled in rank order. Prepare for that step too: see IBEW interview questions.
At GAN programs the test score counts directly toward your rank. Minneapolis builds a 0 to 100 application score from the GAN test, a Personal Experience Form and a letter of recommendation. Des Moines says "There is no oral interview," and Local 26 says its Personal Experience Form "takes the place of an interview." There, a higher test score raises your rank directly.
If you didn't qualify: retake rules
| Program | When you can test again |
|---|---|
| electrical training ALLIANCE (national) | "A full three (3) months (90 days) must elapse." A test taken sooner is not valid and restarts the 90 days. The page also says "The six month rule remains in effect after each subsequent retake," without explaining it. |
| Warren Electrical JATC | 90 days, "at any JATC in the country" |
| Local 288 | After three months, with a new application |
| IBEW Local 81 | After 3 months, with a new application |
| NW Line JATC | "Applicants can re-test every three months." |
| Minneapolis JATC (GAN) | "only eligible to retake the test after one year on the Eligibility List" |
| JATC Local 26 (GAN) | You stay on the two-year ranked list and may reapply and redo the GAN process for a new score |
Three months is enough time to move a score if you use it. Start with the section that pulled you down: Local 288's math and reading bands tell you which one. Then work timed sections, not single questions. The study guide has week-by-week plans, and the free practice set shows where you stand. For a full course or practice pack, the home page compares the options with prices read today, from free official material to ClassMetric's Union Aptitude Prep ($39 once, algebra and reading only).
Questions
What score do you need to pass the IBEW aptitude test?
There is no published national passing score. Many IBEW/NECA programs that give the electrical training ALLIANCE test, including Warren JATC, IBEW Local 81 and Local 288, ask for 4 or higher on a 1 to 9 scale to reach the interview. The GAN programs checked here (Local 26, Des Moines, Minneapolis) set no pass mark: they rank applicants.
What percent of people pass the IBEW aptitude test?
No official pass rate is published by the electrical training ALLIANCE or by the JATC pages checked here. The ALLIANCE does say many programs get four, five, six or more applicants for every opening, so qualifying on the test is only the first cut.
Will I find out my exact score?
It depends on the program. The national rules say you are told only whether you qualified. Local 288 emails a 1 to 9 score with a math and a reading band, and Minneapolis, which uses GAN, emails your score and rank number.