Elevator aptitude test
The tool assessment for elevator apprenticeship applicants
NEIEP, the National Elevator Industry Educational Program, says correct responses on the tool assessment count toward the final score on the interview. NEIEP does not say when you take the tool assessment, or whether its questions are part of the EIAT or a separate step. Ask your local, or check your test letter. To be safe, learn the common tools by their jobs and practice reading a tape.
What NEIEP says
NEIEP's FAQ mentions tools in two answers. In its answer about study material, NEIEP says the EIAT assesses basic arithmetic, reading comprehension, mechanical comprehension and general tool knowledge. Its answer on how to become eligible for an interview adds a line on scoring.
NEIEP's FAQ says correct responses on the tool assessment count toward the final score on the interview. It also says the interview score is the average of the two interviewers' scores, and your rank on the hiring list is based on it. So your tool answers feed the score that sets your place on the hiring list. NEIEP's FAQ adds a floor: an interview score of 70% is the minimum to receive a rank on the local's hiring list.
NEIEP's study guide, FAQ and Apprenticeship Opportunities page give no number of questions, time, format or sample for the tool assessment. Your local's recruitment notice or your test letter may say more, so read both closely.
What one local's notice says
One local's recruitment notice is more specific: the Local 126 (Hawaii) notice says applicants also take a Tool Assessment of knowledge of basic tools and their use, and of basic measuring skills.
That notice covers one local's recruitment. It does not say whether its Tool Assessment is the one NEIEP's FAQ names, and other locals may word theirs differently. Read the notice for the local you apply to.
Common hand, power and measuring tools, by job
NEIEP's classes for hired apprentices touch the same skills. NEIEP's course list has a Measurement unit in course 100 (Trade Skills) and a Tools and Material Handling unit in course 200 (Hoistway Structures).
The tables are our own list of common hand, power and measuring tools, grouped by the job each one does. Read each row as one sentence, such as "A claw hammer is used to drive nails into wood and pull them out with a forked end." Tools in one group do similar jobs, so learn what sets each one apart. This page has no pictures of tools. If a name is new to you, look it up.
| Tool | Used to |
|---|---|
| Turn nuts, bolts and pipes | |
| Adjustable wrench | turn nuts and bolts of different sizes by moving one jaw |
| Combination wrench | turn one size of nut with an open jaw at one end and a ring at the other |
| Socket wrench | turn nuts fast with a ratchet handle and cups that fit over them |
| Torque wrench | tighten a bolt to an exact tightness that you set on the handle |
| Pipe wrench | turn round tubing with toothed jaws that bite harder as you pull |
| Turn screws | |
| Slotted screwdriver | turn screws that have a single straight groove in the head |
| Phillips screwdriver | turn screws that have a cross-shaped groove in the head |
| Hex key (Allen wrench) | turn screws and bolts that have a six-sided hole in the head |
| Strike and drive | |
| Claw hammer | drive nails into wood and pull them out with a forked end |
| Ball-peen hammer | shape and flatten metal, and strike punches and chisels |
| Rubber mallet | tap parts into place without denting or marking them |
| Punch metal | |
| Center punch | dent a spot in metal so a drill bit will not slip |
| Pin punch | drive a pin out of its hole while you tap the tool with a hammer |
| Cut metal | |
| Hacksaw | cut metal pipe and bar with a thin blade pushed back and forth |
| Tin snips | cut thin sheet metal with jaws that work like heavy scissors |
| Bolt cutters | cut chain, rebar and thick steel rods by squeezing two long handles |
| Cold chisel | chip or cut metal and concrete when struck with a hammer |
| Diagonal wire cutters | snip thin copper and trim cable ties flush with angled jaws |
| Cut wood and soft material | |
| Handsaw | cut boards with a long toothed blade, pushing and pulling by hand |
| Utility knife | cut cardboard, tape and drywall with a sharp blade that slides out |
| Wood chisel | carve slots and trim joints in boards by pushing or tapping the blade |
| Grip and clamp | |
| Slip-joint pliers | grip flat or round parts, with a pivot that moves to open the jaws wider |
| Needle-nose pliers | reach into tight spaces to hold or bend small wire |
| Locking pliers | grip a part with jaws that stay clamped once you squeeze the two handles |
| C-clamp | hold two pieces together with a C-shaped frame and a screw |
| Smooth and clean metal | |
| Metal file | smooth sharp edges and rough spots left after cutting or drilling |
| Wire brush | scrub rust and loose paint off metal with stiff bristles |
| Make holes | |
| Electric drill | spin a bit to bore small round holes in wood, metal or plastic |
| Hole saw | cut a wide round opening in wood or sheet metal with a toothed cup |
| Work with wire | |
| Wire strippers | take the insulation off the end of a wire so the copper shows |
| Crimping tool | squeeze a metal connector onto the end of a cable |
| Tool | Used to |
|---|---|
| Measure length and size | |
| Tape measure | find how long something is with a flexible blade that rolls into a case |
| Steel rule | find short lengths on a stiff, flat strip marked in inches |
| Laser measure | find how far away a wall is by firing a beam at it and reading a screen |
| Caliper | measure a small part's width between two jaws, one sliding along a scale |
| Micrometer | measure a part's thickness or diameter very precisely by turning a screw |
| Folding rule | measure lengths with a stiff jointed strip of wood that unfolds section by section |
| Feeler gauge | measure a very narrow gap with thin steel blades of known thickness |
| Depth gauge | measure how far down a hole or slot goes with a rod that slides through a body |
| Thread pitch gauge | match the spacing of the ridges on a bolt or nut with a set of toothed blades |
| Dial indicator | show tiny movement of a part, such as shaft wobble, with a needle on a round face |
| Check level and plumb | |
| Spirit level | show whether a shelf or floor is perfectly horizontal by the bubble in a vial |
| Plumb bob | show a true up-and-down line by hanging a weight on a string |
| Laser level | throw a flat line of light across a room so marks can be set at one height |
| Line level | show whether a stretched string is horizontal with a bubble vial hung on it |
| Check angles | |
| Combination square | check and mark 90 and 45 degree angles with a head that slides along a ruled blade |
| Protractor | measure any angle in degrees by lining it up with a half-circle scale |
| Framing square | mark right angles and cut lines across wide boards with a big L-shaped steel blade |
| Test electricity | |
| Multimeter | measure volts, amps and ohms in a circuit with two test leads |
| Voltage tester | check whether a wire or outlet has power before you touch it |
| Clamp meter | measure the current in a wire by closing a pair of jaws around it |
| Mark straight lines | |
| Chalk line | snap a long, straight mark on a wall or floor with a string coated in powder |
| Read pressure | |
| Pressure gauge | read how hard air or liquid is pushing inside a pipe or tank |
Reading a tape measure
Measuring skills start with the tape measure. The numbers on the blade count whole inches. The marks between two numbers split the inch into halves, quarters, eighths and sixteenths, and the longer the mark, the bigger the part it stands for.
Worked example. This tape has a mark every sixteenth of an inch. Where does the arrow point?
- The last number before the arrow is 2, so the length is 2 inches and part of an inch.
- Count the marks from the 2 to the arrow: 9 marks.
- Each mark is a sixteenth, so the part is 9/16. 9 is odd, so 9/16 can't be reduced.
The arrow points at 2 9/16 inches.
How to read a tape measure explains every mark, with more drawings, common misreads and practice questions.
Practice questions
These questions are ours, written for practice. They are not from the tool assessment, which NEIEP does not publish. Pick an answer for each, then open the answers.
Try it
- A drawing says to tighten a bolt to an exact tightness. Which tool lets you set that tightness?
- A. Locking pliers
- B. Torque wrench
- C. Rubber mallet
- D. Feeler gauge
- You need to cut a cover plate out of thin sheet metal. Which tool fits the job?
- A. Tin snips
- B. Wood chisel
- C. Pin punch
- D. Wire strippers
- You want to mark a spot on the floor straight below a point on the ceiling. What do you hang from the ceiling point?
- A. Line level
- B. Center punch
- C. Combination square
- D. Plumb bob
- A tape is marked in sixteenths. The end of a part lines up 6 marks past the 4. How long is the part?
- A. 4 3/16 in
- B. 4 1/6 in
- C. 4 3/8 in
- D. 4 3/4 in
- One piece of conduit is 2 ft 9 in long, and another is 1 ft 6 in long. How much conduit is that in all?
- A. 4 ft 5 in
- B. 4 ft 3 in
- C. 1 ft 3 in
- D. 3 ft 3 in
Show answers
- B, torque wrench. You set the tightness on its handle. Locking pliers grip, a rubber mallet taps parts into place and a feeler gauge measures narrow gaps.
- A, tin snips. They work like strong scissors on thin sheet metal. A wood chisel carves wood, a pin punch drives out pins and wire strippers take insulation off wire.
- D, plumb bob. Its weight hangs straight down, so its point sits right below where you hold the string. A line level checks that a string is level, a center punch dents metal and a combination square checks angles.
- C, 4 3/8 in. Each mark is a sixteenth, so 6 marks make 6/16, and 6/16 reduces to 3/8. A halves the top of the fraction but not the bottom, B turns the count into sixths and D counts the marks as eighths.
- B, 4 ft 3 in. The feet make 2 + 1 = 3 ft, and the inches make 9 + 6 = 15 in, which is 1 ft 3 in. So the total is 4 ft 3 in. A counts 10 inches to a foot, C leaves out the feet and D forgets the carried foot.
Full prep adds timed practice for tools and measuring. It is our own practice and not a copy of any tool assessment. See full prep
How to prepare
- Learn the tools by their jobs. Cover the right column of each table and say what each tool is used for.
- Hold the tools. If you can, pick each one up in a hardware store or a friend's toolbox.
- Practice with a tape measure. Read lengths off a tape until you can do it without counting every mark.
- Read your local's notice. It and your test letter may say what the tool assessment covers.
- Study for the EIAT as well. The free EIAT practice test and the EIAT study guide cover reading, mechanical and math.
Keep reading
- Elevator aptitude test (EIAT): the EIAT's format and scoring, with a free quiz.
- How to read a tape measure: every mark, with drawings, misreads and practice.
- Elevator apprenticeship: the path from recruitment to the Mechanic's Exam, with pay.
Questions people ask
What is on the elevator tool assessment?
NEIEP does not say what the tool assessment covers, and it publishes no questions for it. One local's recruitment notice describes a Tool Assessment of basic tools, their use and basic measuring skills, but it does not say whether that is the one NEIEP names. Learn the hand, power and measuring tools in the tables above by their jobs, and practice reading a tape measure.
Does the tool assessment count toward my rank?
Yes, through the interview score. NEIEP's FAQ counts correct tool answers toward that score, and your rank on the hiring list is based on it. See what NEIEP says.
How many questions are on the tool assessment?
NEIEP does not say. Its study guide, FAQ and recruitment page give no count and no time for it. Your local's recruitment notice or your test letter may say more.
Are the practice questions on this page from the tool assessment?
No. We wrote them for practice. NEIEP does not publish the questions it uses.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these pages. We checked each one on the date shown.
- NEIEP Help Center: IUEC Apprenticeship FAQ, checked October 26, 2026
- NEIEP: Apprenticeship Opportunities, checked October 26, 2026
- NEIEP: EIAT Study Guide 2024, checked October 26, 2026
- IUEC Local 126 recruitment notice, Hawaii, revised August 14, 2024, checked October 26, 2026
- NEIEP: Apprenticeship Courses, checked October 26, 2026
- NEIEP: National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards, checked October 26, 2026