To study for the IBEW aptitude test, refresh high school algebra by hand, practice reading short passages under time, and finish with full timed tests. The official test has 33 algebra questions in 46 minutes and 36 reading questions in 51 minutes, and calculators are not allowed.
You got the email with your test date, and it has been years since you did algebra. This guide covers what the test checks and how to use the weeks you have. Focus on the topics the test covers, and practice them by hand until they come quickly.
The test in two parts
Part
Questions
Time
Algebra and Functions
33
46 minutes
Reading Comprehension
36
51 minutes
On the test, calculators are not allowed. Both parts give you a little under a minute and a half per question, and in reading that time includes reading the passages. There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.
Part 1: Algebra and Functions
The electrical training ALLIANCE's sample pages show evaluating formulas, equivalent expressions, number patterns, and function tables, plus questions where you decide whether a formula gives a positive or negative result. Also, one applicant wrote that equations, number sequences and graphs made up most of the math, and another wrote that the test had parabolas. Study all of these.
Get the basics back first. These come up in almost every algebra question:
Negative numbers: −3 × −4 = 12, and −3 − 4 = −7.
Order of operations: powers first, then times and divide, then plus and minus.
Squaring a negative: (−5)² = 25, but −5² = −25.
Fractions: to divide by a fraction, multiply by it flipped.
Distributing a minus sign: −2(x − 3) = −2x + 6.
Then work the topics. The IBEW math page has each algebra topic with a worked example and a short drill with answers.
Build speed without a calculator.
Write every step. Skipped steps are where sign errors hide.
Check answer choices. If you get stuck solving for x, put each choice back into the equation. One of them will work.
Skip and flag. If a question takes more than two minutes, pick your best guess, flag it, and come back if you have time.
Know your squares from 1 to 15 and your times tables to 12. You will use them on almost every page.
Part 2: Reading Comprehension
In this part, each reading passage is followed by several questions. Each question has one correct answer, and that answer is in the passage. You don't need outside knowledge, even when the passage is about a technical subject.
Our practice sorts reading questions into six kinds:
Kind
What it asks
Main idea
What the passage is mostly about
Supporting details
A fact the passage states directly
Inference
What the passage implies but doesn't say
Words in context
What a word means in the sentence around it
Author's purpose
Why the author wrote the passage or a part of it
Sequence
The order of steps or events the passage gives
How to work a passage
Read the passage once at a steady pace. Don't stop to memorize details.
After each paragraph, sum it up in a few words in your head.
Read the question, then go back and find the line that answers it.
Rule out choices that may be true in general but are not stated in the passage. This is a common trap.
For a word question, read the sentences just before and after the word. They usually explain it.
Try a sample passage
Here are the first two paragraphs of a passage from Part 2 of the free practice test, with the questions you can answer from them. Give yourself about a minute and a half per question, then check the answers below them. Each answer quotes the line that proves it.
Conductors and their coverings
1 When people talk about wire, they usually mean two things at once. One is the conductor, the metal that carries current. The other is the insulation, the covering that keeps that current where it belongs. Choosing wire for a job means thinking about both.
2 Copper is the most common conductor in buildings. It carries current well, bends without cracking, and holds up to repeated handling. Aluminum is lighter and costs less, so it is often used for large feeders and for utility lines. However, aluminum carries less current than copper of the same size. As a result, an aluminum conductor must be larger than a copper one to do the same job. Aluminum also expands and contracts more as it heats and cools, and it forms a surface layer that resists current. For these reasons, aluminum must be connected only with terminals and devices rated for it, and installers must follow the maker's instructions closely.
According to the passage, why must an aluminum conductor be larger than a copper one doing the same job?
AA. Aluminum is heavier, so it needs extra bulk to stay strong.
BB. Aluminum expands and contracts more as it heats and cools.
CC. Aluminum insulation is always made thinner than copper's.
DD. It carries less current at the same size.
In paragraph 2, the word 'resists' most nearly means
AA. carries
BB. works against
CC. repairs
DD. measures
Answers and explanations
1. D. Because aluminum carries less current at the same size, a bigger aluminum wire is needed to carry the same load as a copper one. The line that shows it: aluminum carries less current than copper of the same size
2. B. The surface layer on aluminum makes it harder for current to pass. That is one reason aluminum needs connectors rated for it. The line that shows it: it forms a surface layer that resists current
The whole passage and its other questions are in the free practice test, along with five more passages.
A 2-week study plan
Use this plan if your test is two weeks away. Plan on about an hour a day, and longer on the two days with a full test.
Days 2 and 3. Get the basics back: the list under Part 1 above. Then read the explanation of every question you missed on day 1.
Days 4 to 6. One weak topic a day. Read its worked example on the math page, do the drill on paper, then work again the day-1 questions you missed on that topic.
Day 7. Rest, or go over your notes.
Days 8 and 9. The question types on the electrical training ALLIANCE's sample pages: formulas, equivalent expressions and positive-or-negative on day 8, then number patterns and function tables on day 9. Use the math page's drills again.
Day 10. A second full timed test, both parts with a short break. Retaking the free test still trains your pace, even though you know the questions.
Days 11 and 12. Rework every question you missed on day 10 until you can do it without the solution.
Day 13. One more timed algebra part, or the part you scored lower on.
Day 14. No new material. Do a few easy questions, read your local's letter again, and get some sleep.
Every day from day 2, read one news story, how-to article or equipment manual page, and say in one sentence what it was about. With full prep, start on day 1 with the diagnostic test instead: its study plan gives you your weakest topics, Practice by topic covers days 4 to 6, and the simulator's timed tests give you fresh questions for days 10 and 13.
A 4-week study plan
Use this plan if you have a month. Plan on about an hour a day.
Work through negative numbers, order of operations, fractions and exponents until they are automatic.
Start the reading habit: one news story, how-to article or equipment manual page a day. When you finish, say what it was about in one sentence.
Week 2: equations and expressions
Solving equations and inequalities, including answers that are a range, such as x > 4.
Multiplying out parentheses, simplifying, and factoring.
Putting numbers into formulas and finding the sign of the result.
Two or three timed reading passages.
Week 3: functions, graphs and patterns
Function tables and f(x) notation.
Slope and intercepts from graphs, and parabolas that open up or down.
Number patterns and word problems with rates, ratios and percentages.
A timed reading passage every other day.
Week 4: full timed tests
Take a full timed test early in the week and another near the end.
After each test, rework every question you missed until you can do it without looking at the solution.
Ease off in the last two days. Do a few easy questions to stay sharp and get some sleep.
Test day. Read your local's letter again for the time, place and what to bring. Plan on about 3 hours at the test center, and arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled testing time.
Full prep includes this plan as a printable PDF, plus a diagnostic test that builds a study plan from your weakest topics. See full prep.
Free printable sample
Ten questions from the free practice test, with worked solutions, on paper. It's a PDF, and no email is needed.
Want more on paper? The printable pack in full prep has an algebra method sheet, printable copies of Algebra and Reading tests 1 to 3 (from the simulator) with answer keys and worked solutions, and a study plan for four, two or one week.
Questions people ask
Is there a free IBEW aptitude test study guide PDF?
Yes. Our free printable sample has 10 practice questions with worked solutions, and no email is needed. Full prep adds a printable pack with an algebra method sheet, printable copies of Algebra and Reading tests 1 to 3 (from the simulator) with answer keys, and a study plan for four, two or one week.
How long should I study for the IBEW aptitude test?
Four weeks is a good target if you are rusty at algebra. If your test is sooner, follow the 2-week plan: the free practice test on day 1, then your weakest topics, then two full timed tests.
How do I practice for the reading comprehension part?
Read a short passage every day and answer questions on it under a timer. In the test, each reading passage is followed by several questions, and every answer can be found in the passage. Practice going back to the exact line that proves your answer.
Do I need to know electrical theory for the aptitude test?
No. The test has two parts, Algebra and Functions and Reading Comprehension. A reading passage may be about a technical subject, but the answers come from the passage itself.