Electrician aptitude test › Study guide
IBEW aptitude test study guide: 2-, 4- and 6-week plans
The best way to prepare for the IBEW aptitude test is to find your weak spots first, then study them on a schedule. Take a 20-minute check (the free official sample plus six practice items), pick a 2-, 4- or 6-week plan from it, and end with full timed sections: 33 algebra items in 46 minutes, 36 reading items in 51.
Step 1: a 20-minute check
- The official sample, 11 minutes. The electrical training ALLIANCE's sample has 5 algebra items and a short passage with 3 questions, with an answer key at the bottom. No calculator.
- Six algebra items, 9 minutes. Questions 9 to 14 of this site's free practice set: an equation, two inequalities, a table, exponents and a function.
Count your right answers out of 14 and note whether you finished. Then use this rule of thumb (it is not an official cut-off):
| Your check | Plan | Time a day |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 14 right, finished in time | 2 weeks | 30 to 45 minutes |
| 8 to 11 right, or you ran out of time | 4 weeks | 45 minutes, 5 days a week |
| 7 or fewer, or algebra feels new | 6 weeks | 45 to 60 minutes, 5 days a week |
The ALLIANCE's own advice is the same idea: review the sample questions, and "if you find that certain types of questions are difficult for you, you can review material that is similar to those questions." You don't need electrical knowledge or memorized formulas.
The 2-week plan
| Days | Work on |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Number series: arithmetic, geometric, alternating, squares and cubes. 20 series a day. |
| 3 to 4 | Formulas and order of operations; exponents and roots. |
| 5 to 6 | Equations, inequalities (the sign flip), FOIL, factoring, function tables. |
| 7 | Two reading passages, timed at about 12 minutes each. |
| 8 to 10 | Mixed math sets of 11 items in 15 minutes; redo every miss the next day. |
| 11 to 12 | One full math section (33 in 46 minutes) and one full reading section (36 in 51). |
| 13 to 14 | Your misses only, then the test-day list below. Rest the night before. |
The 4-week plan
| Week | Math (about 35 minutes) | Reading and timing (about 10 minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Number series, order of operations, exponents and roots | One sample-style passage; underline the main idea |
| 2 | Ratios and proportions, linear equations, inequalities, word problems | Two passages a week, timed |
| 3 | Polynomials and FOIL, factoring, function notation and tables | Two passages a week, timed; series every day |
| 4 | Mixed timed sets, then one full math section | One full reading section; test-day list |
The 6-week plan
| Week | Work on |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Foundations: negative numbers, fractions, order of operations, exponents. Short video lessons first, then 10 number series a day. |
| 3 | Solving equations, inequalities and word problems; check every answer by substituting it back. |
| 4 | Polynomials, FOIL and factoring. |
| 5 | Functions and tables; three timed reading passages. |
| 6 | Two full timed sections of each part, a day of reviewing misses between them, then the test-day list. |
Each topic, in this order and with a worked example, is on the electrician math test page.
How to practice the reading part
The reading test is four passages with 36 questions in 51 minutes, so budget about 12 to 13 minutes a passage. The official sample's passage is shorter than the real ones. Read the questions before the passage so you read with a purpose. Then sort each question: "According to the passage" asks for something stated; "based on the information" asks you to infer; a word "most nearly means" asks for its meaning in that sentence. Any informational article of 500 to 800 words, with 9 questions you write yourself, makes a fair timed drill.
Free materials the JATCs themselves name
- The ALLIANCE sample (above). Warren JATC posts the same items as an online quiz.
- Khan Academy, Purple Math, Math Antics and the Cool Math Guy. The Waterloo and Mason City JATC (IBEW Local 288) names all four: they "have free videos to help you understand basic algebra, which is what you're going to see on the aptitude test." IBEW Local 81's page also points to Khan Academy.
- The national program's prep courses. The Inland Empire JATC in Spokane quotes its own applicants $38 for a math course and $17 for a reading course "available through our national program," once their application is complete. Electric Prep, which says it partners with the NJATC, sells Math Aptitude and Reading Comprehension courses directly for more; the home page has its prices. Ask your JATC whether it offers the lower rate.
- Material from your JATC. Raleigh-Durham's JATC hands out prep material at the applicant's initial meeting. Ask yours.
If you'd rather study from a book or a PDF: Mometrix's IBEW Aptitude Test Secrets is $27.99 as an ebook and $32.99 in print on its book page ($28.99 and $33.99 at checkout on November 13, 2026), GAN's own guide is $20 for GAN locals, and iPrep posts a free applicant guide as a PDF.
One link to skip: Local 81's page lists Detroit's sample test, but on November 13, 2026 that Detroit page pointed to a paid GAN study guide instead, because Detroit's testing partner is GAN.
If you want a paid course or question bank
Three questions sort them: does it match your local's test (the ALLIANCE test or GAN), does it show the steps on wrong answers, and can you take a full section on the real clock? The home page compares the paid options with prices read on November 13, 2026, including ClassMetric's Union Aptitude Prep, $39 once: 20 lessons and 403 practice questions (180 number series, 168 algebra and functions, 55 reading), timed like the ALLIANCE test, with no mechanical reasoning, paper folding or interview prep.
If your local gives GAN
Some JATCs, such as Local 26 in the Washington, DC area, Minneapolis and Des Moines, use the GAN battery instead. It adds paper folding and mechanical reasoning, so the plans above cover only part of it. See the GAN aptitude test.
Test-day list
- A photo ID: "No ID, No Test, No Exceptions!"
- No calculator, and no watch with one built in.
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early; Warren JATC turns away late arrivals.
- Plan on about 3 hours at the test center, and arrange childcare: children aren't allowed.
- Pencils and paper are provided.
- Need an accommodation? Ask the JATC before test day; requests made that day can't be handled that day.
- Sleep and eat first, and answer every item: there is no penalty for guessing.
If you don't qualify, you wait at least 90 days before retesting, and a retest taken sooner doesn't count.
Questions
How can I best prepare for the IBEW aptitude test?
Find your weak item types first with the free official sample and a few timed practice items, study those topics on a schedule, and finish with full timed sections: 33 algebra items in 46 minutes and 36 reading items in 51 minutes, without a calculator. The free tools JATCs name, such as Khan Academy, cover the algebra.
How long should I study for the IBEW aptitude test?
The plans on this page run two, four or six weeks, at 30 to 60 minutes a day, depending on how a 20-minute check goes. If your last algebra class was years ago, give yourself the six weeks. If you don't qualify, the ALLIANCE makes you wait 90 days to retest.