Electrician aptitude test › Non-union apprenticeship tests
Non-union electrician apprenticeship: how IEC and ABC programs test you
Non-union electrical apprenticeships run through local chapters of IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors) and ABC (Associated Builders and Contractors), and each chapter sets its own entrance test, if it has one. IEC Rocky Mountain gives a 25-question math assessment with a 70% pass mark; ABC Southern California gives the TABE, also 70%; several chapters list no test at all.
How it differs from the union route
In an IBEW/NECA program you apply to the JATC, take the electrical training ALLIANCE or GAN test, and wait on a ranked list for a placement. Non-union programs usually start from a job. ABC of Wisconsin says it plainly: "Apprenticeships start with employment", and when a company is ready to sponsor you it files an employer application with the chapter. IEC's national page says requirements "vary by each chapter training program", and that applicants generally must be at least 18 with a high school diploma or GED and reliable transportation. At IEC Atlanta, apprentices "work full-time and earn wages from their IEC employer while enrolled in the program."
| IBEW/NECA (union) | IEC and ABC (non-union) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | Your local JATC | Your local IEC or ABC chapter |
| Entrance test | The ALLIANCE test (algebra and reading) or GAN, at nearly every program | Set by the chapter: a math assessment, the TABE, an Accuplacer, or none |
| Calculator | Not allowed | Allowed at IEC of Utah ("A basic calculator is allowed"); not stated elsewhere |
| How you get placed | Ranked list after test and interview | Usually through an employer who sponsors you |
Chapter by chapter
| Chapter | Test | Pass mark | Retake | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IEC Rocky Mountain | Required Math Assessment before first-year class; study pre-algebra. The 2024 version was 25 questions | 70% (18 of 25) | "one-time-only exam"; a second try needs the 3-night Math Module, $140 | Not stated |
| IEC Chesapeake | Reading and math assessment online, plus an interview with the apprenticeship committee | You "must pass both" the reading and the math assessments; mark not published | "re-qualify at the discretion of the Apprenticeship Committee" | $70 processing fee |
| IEC of Utah | Math test: arithmetic, fractions, measurement, pre-algebra, basic algebra, area and volume, right-triangle trig; basic calculator allowed | Not published | Not published | $15 assessment fee |
| IEC Dallas | None listed on the current apprentice page; a Texas apprentice electrician license and a drug test are | n/a | n/a | $40 application fee |
| IEC Texas Gulf Coast, IEC Atlanta | None listed; you work full time for a member contractor | n/a | n/a | Not stated |
| ABC Southern California | The TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education): reading, language, math computation, applied math; then an oral interview | 70% on the test; 80% on the interview | Two tries, then wait a year to reapply | Test at no cost |
| ABC Wisconsin | Its college partner, Moraine Park, asks for Accuplacer or TABE results | Not published | Not published | "There is no fee to apply" |
| ABC Northern California (electrical) | None: California's apprenticeship database lists "Written Test: No" | n/a | n/a | Not stated |
The pattern: where a non-union chapter tests at all, it tests the basics you need in class (arithmetic, fractions, measurement, some algebra, reading), often with a calculator, and it uses a fixed pass mark rather than a 1 to 9 score that ranks you against other applicants.
How to prepare for each kind of test
A chapter math assessment (IEC)
Read what your chapter lists and practice exactly that. IEC of Utah's list is the most detailed: whole numbers, fractions and decimals, measurement and metric conversion, reading graphs, exponents, solving for x and substituting into formulas, word problems, area and volume, and right-triangle trigonometry (a² + b² = c²). That reaches past the union test, which has no geometry or trig, and the union test's no-calculator pace matters less when a calculator is allowed. Free algebra and geometry lessons, such as Khan Academy's, cover all of it.
The TABE or Accuplacer (ABC)
These are general adult-education placement tests, not trade tests. They cover reading, language and math, so reading practice matters as much as math. If your chapter gives the TABE, ask whether it uses a set level or a percentage, as ABC Southern California's 70% does.
No test
Then the job is the gate. Line up a member contractor willing to sponsor you, have your diploma or GED, driver's license and transcripts ready, and in Texas get the state apprentice electrician license IEC Dallas asks for.
Do IBEW prep courses help here?
Partly. The packs and courses compared on the home page are built for the IBEW/NECA test, so they drill algebra, number series and timed reading. That overlaps with an IEC math assessment or the TABE's math and reading, but none of them targets these tests, and none teaches the geometry and trig IEC of Utah lists. ClassMetric's Union Aptitude Prep is in the same position: algebra and reading for the IBEW/NECA test, $39 once, with no geometry, trig or TABE language section. For a chapter test with a calculator and a fixed pass mark, free lessons on your chapter's list are usually enough.
How long it takes, what it costs, what it pays
IEC's national page says an electrical apprenticeship "typically takes about four years" with at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 classroom hours, and that finishing can earn 57 college credits through the American Council on Education. ABC Southern California's electrical program runs four and a half years and 8,000 hours. Most chapters charge tuition, though IEC notes "a student may receive tuition assistance from his or her contractor":
| Chapter | Tuition and books | Pay |
|---|---|---|
| IEC Atlanta | $1,495 a year for member contractors' employees; books $600 to $900 a year | Entry wages "averaging $17.00 – $20.00 per hour" |
| IEC Texas Gulf Coast | $882.50 a semester, two semesters a year | Not stated |
| IEC Chesapeake | $4,200 a year in tuition and fees | Not stated |
| IEC Rocky Mountain | Tuition by semester; books $500 to $650 a year | Not stated |
| ABC Wisconsin | Charges tuition (class fees, most textbooks) | At least the state's apprentice minimum, rising as you progress |
On pay in general, IEC says starting wages are "typically 50% of a journeyman's rate": around $16 an hour where journeymen earn $32.
Can you apply to both?
Yes; the programs don't exclude each other, and many people apply to a JATC while working for a non-union contractor. A ranked union list can take months, and a non-union start depends on finding a sponsor, so applying to both shortens the wait. If you go the union route, start with the IBEW apprenticeship application.