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Union apprenticeship test

GAN aptitude test

The GAN aptitude test is GAN Human Resources' entrance test for union apprenticeships. Programs list six sections: reading, numerical computation, numerical reasoning, paper folding, problem solving and mechanical comprehension; some drop problem solving. GAN does not publish how many questions each section has or how long each section lasts. Where programs say so, calculators are not allowed.

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The test comes from GAN Human Resources Associates, a firm that has built and run selection tests for apprenticeship programs since 1998. GAN says the GAN Aptitude Battery assesses basic math, reading and spatial skills, and GAN tests for more than 50 union apprenticeship programs, among them plumbers, pipe fitters, electricians, sheet metal workers, carpenters and operating engineers. Boston and Nashville say on their own pages that the GAN test replaced their earlier test. The letter or email from your program names your test, so check it first.

The test at a glance

SectionsSome programs list six sections: reading, numerical computation, numerical reasoning, paper folding, problem solving and mechanical comprehension. Others list five sections: reading, numerical computation, numerical reasoning, paper folding and mechanical reasoning. Source
Questions and timeNot published by GAN. Programs give only the whole sitting: Boston's GAN test takes 3 hours, in person at the JATC, and Louisville says testing lasts about 2.5 hours. Source
CalculatorAt Minneapolis, Columbus, Lincoln and Fresno, calculators are not allowed. Source
ScoringBoston, Phoenix and Local 26 set no minimum score; a higher score ranks you higher. Minneapolis counts the GAN test as 50% of a 0 to 100 application score, with the Personal Experience Form and a letter of recommendation. Source
Personal Experience FormMost GAN programs add a form as well: the Personal Experience Form asks for your work history with hours, your schooling, training and military service, with documents to back each answer. Source
RetakingMinneapolis and Fresno let you retake the test only after a year on their eligibility list. Boston asks every applicant to take the test each year they apply. Source
GAN's study guideGAN sells its own study guide for $20, in print or as a download, and a set of practice problems for $30. Source

Checked on October 24, 2026. Each program sets its own rules, so read the letter or email from yours as well.

Try 10 questions under the clock

Ten questions from all six sections in 10 minutes. No account and no email, and your answers stay in this browser.

  • 10questions
  • 10minutes
  • No calculatoras at the programs that state the rule

Want the whole battery? The free full-length practice test has all six sections, each with its own clock.

What each section asks

GAN's own sample pages show the question types. Our practice follows them.

  • Reading. A short passage, then sentences to finish. in GAN's sample reading page, each question has four choices, and you pick the one that best completes a sentence about a short passage.
  • Numerical Computation. Arithmetic by hand: whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percents. in Numerical Computation every question has five choices, answers are exact and not rounded, and fractions are in lowest terms.
  • Numerical Reasoning. Numerical Reasoning gives a series of numbers that follows a rule, and you pick the number that comes next from five choices.
  • Paper Folding. Paper Folding shows a square sheet being folded, then one or two holes punched through it, and you pick which of five unfolded sheets shows the holes. The paper folding guide shows the method step by step.
  • Mechanical Reasoning. Mechanical Reasoning shows a picture of a simple, everyday mechanism and asks a question about it, with no special knowledge needed. Gears, belts, levers, pulleys, ramps and fluids come up most. The mechanical comprehension guide gives the rule for each.
  • Problem Solving. Short word problems on rates, mixes, measurements and money. Only some programs give this section.

Applicants report trouble with the spatial and mechanical parts: applicants at Pipe Fitters Local 597 and in an IBEW forum report that paper folding gave them trouble, and one applicant at Pipe Fitters Local 597 wrote that the mechanical part was larger than GAN's guide suggests, about 40 to 50 questions.

Which programs use the GAN test?

These programs say on their own sites that they give the GAN test. Each one sets its own rules.

ProgramWhat its page says
JATC Local 26, Washington DC areaall applicants test on GAN's platform and fill in the PEF; no minimum score; 2027 testing runs from mid-February to mid-May
Boston, IBEW Local 103five sections in a 3-hour sitting; no minimum score; the PEF replaces the interview; every applicant gets GAN's guide free
Columbus, IBEW Local 683six sections, no calculators; a 0 to 100 score from the test and the PEF sets your rank
Canton, Ohio, IBEW Local 540five sections; the JATC points to GAN's $20 guide
Phoenix, IBEW Local 640five sections; no minimum score; the PEF replaces the interview; tests are held on Saturdays
Minneapolis, IBEW Local 292six sections, no calculators; the test is half of your score; tests four times a year; retake only after a year on the list
Lincoln, Nebraska, IBEW Local 265six sections, no calculators; a 0 to 100 score from the test, the PEF and a letter; up to a year on the rank list
Fresno, IBEW Local 100six sections, no calculators, given at the CCETI building; retake only after a year on the list
Louisville, IBEW Local 369PEF within two weeks; about 2.5 hours of testing; applicants who meet the requirements are also interviewed
Denver, IBEW Local 68five sections; the PEF must be done within two weeks of GAN's email; tests on the second, third and fourth Friday of each month
Detroit, IBEW Local 58the PEF goes through GAN's portal; once you finish the test, the PEF and a letter of recommendation, you stay on the selection list for one year
Nashville, IBEW Local 429five sections taken on computers the program supplies; no calculators; not pass or fail, your score sets your rank, valid for one year
Pipe Fitters Local 597, ChicagoGAN Human Resources gives the test in five sections, with GAN's $20 study guide offered when you apply
Plumbers Local 23, Rockford, IllinoisPEF, aptitude test and interview merged into one ranking; testing on January 8, 2027; study guide from GAN's store

Not on the list? Many other locals use a different test. See which aptitude test your local uses.

How do programs score the GAN test?

There is no single passing score. Boston, Phoenix and Local 26 set none, as the table above shows. Other programs fold your test result into a score out of 100:

  • Columbus scores each application from 0 to 100 using the GAN test and the Personal Experience Form, then ranks applicants by that score.
  • Minneapolis weights the test at half of that score.
  • Lincoln and Fresno score applications from 0 to 100 using the GAN test, the Personal Experience Form and a letter of recommendation, and keep you on the list for up to a year.

Answer every question. A ranked list means each extra right answer can move you up, and a blank never helps.

Retaking the test

The table above gives the one-year wait at Minneapolis and Fresno and Boston's yearly test. One more rule: Local 26 keeps a two-year ranked list, and applicants on it may reapply and go through GAN again to get a new score.

A weak sitting can cost you a year, so take a full timed practice test before test day.

The PEF, GAN's experience form

Most GAN programs add a form, the PEF, that GAN scores along with the test. It covers the work, school and training listed in the table above.

  • Local 26 says GAN awards points only for answers backed by uploaded documents. Gather transcripts, pay stubs and letters before the email comes.
  • Local 26 and Louisville give you two weeks to finish the form once GAN sends it.
  • at Local 26, Boston and Phoenix the Personal Experience Form takes the place of an interview.
  • you may upload more than one letter of recommendation, but only the highest-scoring one counts.

GAN's guide and our practice

GAN's own guide comes first. Boston emails every applicant a free digital copy of GAN's study guide. GAN's guide explains each test that may be given, with tips, rules and practice problems with answers, and one applicant wrote that GAN's own study guide had everything they needed for the test. Start with it if you can.

What our free practice adds:

  • A full timed test. Every section with its own clock, so you learn your pace before test day.
  • Paper folding and mechanical drills. The two parts applicants report the most trouble with, with a drawing for every question.
  • Worked answers. Every question shows the method and why each wrong choice is wrong.

Canton calls GAN's $20 guide the most reliable way to know what to expect and warns against sites that claim to have leaked test questions. Our questions are written by us to the published format. They are not GAN's questions, and we never use copied test material.

nodiexam is not affiliated with GAN Human Resources Associates, Inc. or with any union program. We use the name GAN only to name the test.

Questions people ask

What is on the GAN aptitude test?

Reading, arithmetic, number series, paper folding and mechanical reasoning, plus problem solving at some programs. In all of them, the test does not ask about electrical construction; it checks reading, math and spatial skills. See what each section asks.

How long is the GAN aptitude test?

Plan on two and a half to three hours for the whole sitting. GAN does not say how long each section lasts, so treat exact counts you see elsewhere as a guess. See the test at a glance.

Can you use a calculator on the GAN test?

No. The programs that state a rule do not allow one, and GAN's own sample pages tell you to use the scratch paper you are given. Every question in our practice can be worked by hand.

Is there a passing score for the GAN test?

Not at every program. Boston, Phoenix and Local 26 set none, and others rank applicants by a score out of 100, so every point can move you up the list. See how programs score it.

What is the GAN Personal Experience Form?

It is the second part of the application that GAN scores: your work history, schooling, training and military service, each backed by documents. At Local 26, Boston and Phoenix it replaces the interview. See the PEF.

Can I retake the GAN aptitude test?

It depends on the program. Some make you wait a year on their list, Boston has everyone test each year they apply, and Local 26 lets applicants reapply for a new score. See retaking the test.

Is the GAN test the same as the IBEW aptitude test?

No. The electrical training ALLIANCE test has two parts, algebra and reading. The GAN battery adds arithmetic, number series, paper folding and mechanical reasoning. Your local's letter or email names your test. Which test does your local use?

Where can I get the GAN study guide?

From GAN itself, for $20 in print or as a download. Boston sends it free to its own applicants. See GAN's guide and our practice.

Keep reading

Sources

Facts on this page come from these pages. We checked each one on the date shown.