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IBEW apprenticeship

Which aptitude test does your local use?

By the nodiexam team Updated

Each IBEW program chooses its own test. Some give the electrical training ALLIANCE test, with algebra and reading parts. Others give the GAN test, with reading, arithmetic, number series, paper folding and mechanical sections. The letter or email from your local names your test. The tables below show what named programs say.

You got an email from your local, or you are about to apply, and you want to study for the right test. IBEW programs do not all use the same one. This page lists what named programs say on their own sites, with a link to each page.

The two tests side by side

Electrical training ALLIANCE testGAN test
PartsAlgebra and Functions, 33 questions in 46 minutes; Reading Comprehension, 36 questions in 51 minutesSome 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
Question countsPublished by the electrical training ALLIANCEGAN does not publish how many questions each section has or how long each section lasts
CalculatorOn the test, calculators are not allowedAt the programs that say so, calculators are not allowed
ResultAfter the test, you learn whether your score qualifies, not your exact scoreOften a rank: Boston, Phoenix and Local 26 set no minimum score; a higher score ranks you higher
RetakingIf you don't qualify, wait three months (90 days) before retestingMinneapolis and Fresno let you retake the test only after a year on their eligibility list
Extra formNone from the electrical training ALLIANCEMost programs add a Personal Experience Form: the Personal Experience Form asks for your work history with hours, your schooling, training and military service, with documents to back each answer

Programs that give the GAN test

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 trades use it too: Pipe Fitters Local 597 in Chicago (GAN Human Resources gives the test in five sections, with GAN's $20 study guide offered when you apply) and Plumbers Local 23 in Rockford, Illinois (PEF, aptitude test and interview merged into one ranking; testing on January 8, 2027; study guide from GAN's store).

Electrical training ALLIANCE programs

ProgramWhat its page says
Hampton Roads, IBEW Local 1340gives the electrical training ALLIANCE test battery, two tests in about two and a half hours; you need a stanine of 4 or better for an interview
Binghamton, New York, IBEW Local 325asks for a score of at least 4 out of 9 on the electrical trades aptitude test before the interview
NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center, Oregonaccepts a passed aptitude score of 5 or higher from another JATC within two years, and lets you retest after three months
Electrical Training Institute, San Diegogives an algebra and reading comprehension test of about three hours; passing leads to an interview, and it points to the electrical training ALLIANCE's practice materials

Binghamton and the Oregon center do not name the test in words, but a score out of 9 and a transfer between JATCs point to the electrical training ALLIANCE test. We checked these pages one by one. Programs not listed here were not checked, and any program can change its test, so the dates in the sources list below matter.

How can you tell which test you take?

  1. Read the letter or email from your local. It names the test, or it names GAN Human Resources.
  2. Look for the Personal Experience Form. If your program sends you a link to GAN's form, you will take the GAN test.
  3. Look at the study material they point to. GAN programs point to GAN's study guide. Programs that use the electrical training ALLIANCE test point to its sample pages or to algebra courses.
  4. Still not sure? Call the training center. Ask which test you take and what it covers before you spend weeks on the wrong one.

Practice for the right test

nodiexam is not affiliated with the IBEW, NECA, the electrical training ALLIANCE, GAN Human Resources or any program named here.

Questions people ask

Do all IBEW locals use the same aptitude test?

No. Each program decides: the electrical training ALLIANCE says applicants take its test battery "if required", so each program decides. Programs such as Boston, Minneapolis and Local 26 give the GAN test instead. Your local's letter or email names your test.

How do I know if my local uses the GAN test?

Look for GAN in your letter or email. GAN programs send you a link to GAN's Personal Experience Form and point you to GAN's study guide. If you are not sure, call the training center before you start studying.

Is the GAN test harder than the IBEW aptitude test?

It tests different skills. The electrical training ALLIANCE test has two parts, algebra and reading. The GAN test drops most of the algebra and adds arithmetic by hand, number series, paper folding and mechanical reasoning. Some programs also score a Personal Experience Form with it.

Can I use my IBEW aptitude test score for a GAN program?

Do not count on it. Local 26 keeps a two-year ranked list, and applicants on it may reapply and go through GAN again to get a new score, and its 2026 bulletin says scores from earlier tests do not carry over into GAN scoring. Ask the program you are applying to.

Sources

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