Short answer: Many IBEW/NECA JATCs use the electrical training ALLIANCE test, formerly NJATC: 33 algebra questions in 46 minutes and 36 reading questions in 51 minutes. Some JATCs instead use GAN, which can include mechanical reasoning, paper folding and other sections. Local 26 and Phoenix list five test areas, while Minneapolis lists six. These programs also use a Personal Experience Form, but selection and interview procedures differ. Check current JATC instructions; if the test is unclear, confirm it directly before choosing study materials.
Confirmed your JATC uses the ALLIANCE test? Practice its published format. The Electrical Apprenticeship Aptitude & Interview Kit is built on the electrical training ALLIANCE format: 1,300 math and 216 reading practice questions, 6 timed mocks, 20 interview answers and an 8-question mock interview set, plus a reference table covering 49 JATCs, the test each names and any minimum score it publicly states. Verify current requirements with your JATC. US$39 once, 30-day refund.
Independent practice built on the published electrical training ALLIANCE format. If your JATC uses GAN, use the GAN Aptitude Test Practice Pack (US$29) instead.
Not affiliated with the IBEW, NECA, the electrical training ALLIANCE or any JATC. Program names belong to their owners. We are not affiliated with GAN Human Resources either. The facts below come from the ALLIANCE applicant pages and from JATC pages and documents we opened on October 10, 2026.
NJATC and the electrical training ALLIANCE are the same organization
The National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) now operates as the electrical training ALLIANCE. The old njatc.org address forwards to electricaltrainingalliance.org, and the ALLIANCE’s own application page still calls the test the “NJATC aptitude test battery”. So “NJATC aptitude test”, “IBEW aptitude test” and “electrical training ALLIANCE aptitude test” usually mean the same test. Some JATC pages describe it as the electrical trade’s aptitude test developed and validated by the American Institutes for Research.
GAN is different. GAN Human Resources is a separate testing company in Chicago that sells testing and applicant selection services to employers (GAN services page).
Side by side
| electrical training ALLIANCE (NJATC) | GAN | |
|---|---|---|
| Sections | Algebra and Functions; Reading Comprehension | Local 26 and Phoenix list five areas: Numerical Computation, Numerical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Mechanical Reasoning, Paper Folding. Minneapolis lists six, adding Problem Solving. Confirm your JATC’s sections |
| Questions and time | 33 in 46 minutes; 36 in 51 minutes | The pages reviewed did not specify complete item counts or section time limits; ask your JATC for current instructions |
| Format | In person; pencils and other materials provided | Set by each program; Nashville, for example, tests by computer at its JATC with your GAN login. Follow your program’s notice |
| Calculator | Not allowed | Not allowed at JATC Local 26 and Nashville |
| Minimum score | Requirements vary by JATC and program. North Texas publishes 5 or higher; other programs may differ or publish no minimum | Local 26 and Phoenix publish no minimum for the reviewed 2026 process; Nashville says not pass or fail, and results are used in ranking |
| After the test | Qualifying score leads to an oral interview; the interview and a review of qualifications set your rank | Personal Experience Form scored by GAN; it replaces the interview at Local 26 and Phoenix |
| Old scores | Some JATCs accept a score from the last two years | JATC Local 26 does not count earlier ALLIANCE scores |
Sources: ALLIANCE application page; JATC Local 26 GAN bullet points; Phoenix Electrical JATC FAQ; Nashville Electrical JATC information packet; Sacramento Area Electrical JATC FAQs.
How to tell which test your JATC uses
Identify your test before you study or buy a prep pack:
- Open your JATC’s current application or FAQ page.
- Find the named aptitude test and its listed sections.
- If it names the electrical training ALLIANCE or NJATC battery, confirm that the listed sections are Algebra and Functions and Reading Comprehension.
- If it names GAN, follow that JATC’s published GAN test areas and Personal Experience Form instructions.
- If the name or sections are missing, ask the JATC to confirm the current format before you purchase practice materials.
Use the following words as clues, not as confirmation.
| If the page says | You will most likely take |
|---|---|
| NJATC, electrical training ALLIANCE, Algebra and Functions, American Institutes for Research, stanine, a link to electricaltrainingalliance.org/SamplePage | electrical training ALLIANCE test |
| GAN, GAN Human Resources, Personal Experience Form or PEF, paper folding, mechanical reasoning | GAN test |
| Only “aptitude test” with no name | Call or email the JATC and ask which test and which study guide they recommend |
Keywords are clues, not confirmation. Before you buy a prep pack, ask your JATC which aptitude test it uses now, which sections it includes, whether calculators are allowed, and whether it holds an interview or uses a Personal Experience Form.
Examples from October 2026:
- ALLIANCE test: North Texas Electrical JATC, Houston Electrical JATC, Austin Electrical Training Alliance, DuPage County JATC, IBEW Local 117, Youngstown, Cleveland, Richmond, Puget Sound, Portland’s NECA-IBEW Electrical Training Center, Sacramento, Terre Haute and IBEW Local 99.
- GAN test: JATC Local 26 (Washington, D.C. area), Phoenix Electrical JATC, Nashville Electrical JATC and the Minneapolis Electrical JATC. This is not a complete list.
You can see links to each of those pages and their published minimum scores in our guide to IBEW aptitude test scores. For more JATCs, see which test 49 JATCs use and their minimum scores.
What changes if your JATC uses GAN
JATC Local 26 described its 2026 switch in a notice to applicants. The main points:
- The GAN process replaced the old application system for its Inside Metro and Technology Services programs.
- Minimum scores for the test and interview were removed. Every applicant who finishes the GAN process is ranked.
- The Personal Experience Form replaced the interview. It asks about education and work history, and only answers backed by uploaded documents earn points. You have two weeks once you start it, and it cannot be reopened.
- Earlier aptitude scores were dropped. Applicants had to take the in-person GAN test.
Phoenix says there is no minimum score but a higher score helps, and its FAQ says the Personal Experience Form is used in lieu of in-person interviews. Interview procedures differ among JATCs using GAN. Nashville’s current application page says applicants who complete the Personal Experience Form and aptitude test enter a ranked eligibility list. The committee interviews at least 10% more applicants than the available positions and re-ranks interviewed applicants by interview score. Check your own JATC’s current process before assuming that the PEF replaces every interview.
Local 26 and Phoenix list GAN math as two areas, Numerical Computation and Numerical Reasoning, rather than one Algebra and Functions section. Nashville’s packet suggests reviewing arithmetic, fractions, decimals and pattern recognition. Read your JATC’s test description before you choose what to practice. GAN also adds mechanical reasoning, such as levers, pulleys and gears, and paper folding, a spatial skill. If you have only practiced ALLIANCE algebra and reading, those two sections will be new. For GAN, first read your JATC’s GAN and Personal Experience Form instructions and gather the documents they ask for, such as transcripts, pay stubs and recommendation letters. For extra practice, there is our GAN Aptitude Test Practice Pack (US$29).
Worked example: time per question on the ALLIANCE test
- Algebra: 46 minutes × 60 = 2,760 seconds. 2,760 ÷ 33 = 83.6 seconds per question.
- Reading: 51 × 60 = 3,060 seconds. 3,060 ÷ 36 = 85 seconds per question.
- Total timed testing: 46 + 51 = 97 minutes. The ALLIANCE says the battery takes about two and a half hours and advises planning about 3 hours at the test center.
Check: 33 × 83.6 = 2,758.8, which rounds to 2,760. 36 × 85 = 3,060.
The GAN JATC pages reviewed did not specify complete item counts or section time limits, so we cannot give the same numbers for GAN. Ask your JATC for its current test instructions and timing.
In Texas? The Texas Electrical Apprenticeship Entry Kit covers 13 Texas programs.
FAQ
Is the NJATC aptitude test the same as the electrical training ALLIANCE test?
Yes. The NJATC now operates as the electrical training ALLIANCE, and its applicant page still calls the test the NJATC aptitude test battery: Algebra and Functions (33 questions, 46 minutes) and Reading Comprehension (36 questions, 51 minutes).
What is on the GAN aptitude test for electrical apprentices?
The areas depend on the JATC. Local 26 and Phoenix list five: numerical computation, numerical reasoning, reading comprehension, mechanical reasoning and paper folding. The Minneapolis Electrical JATC lists six, adding problem solving. Calculators are not allowed at the JATCs we checked.
Does the GAN test have a passing score?
There is no single passing-score rule for every JATC using GAN. Local 26’s 2026 GAN bulletin and Phoenix’s current page state that their reviewed processes do not use a minimum aptitude-test score, but test results still affect ranking. The Personal Experience Form also contributes to selection. Nashville may additionally invite applicants to an oral interview and re-rank them afterward. Confirm your JATC’s current scoring and selection rules.
Can I use my old NJATC score if my JATC switched to GAN?
Not at JATC Local 26, which says prior aptitude scores will not be considered. Ask your own JATC, because each one sets its own rules.
Sources checked October 2026
- electrical training ALLIANCE, The Application Process: https://www.electricaltrainingalliance.org/SamplePage/ApplyingforApprenticeship
- njatc.org forwarding check (HTTP 301 to electricaltrainingalliance.org, October 10, 2026): http://www.njatc.org/
- GAN Human Resources, Our Services: https://ganhumanresources.com/our-services
- JATC Local 26, GAN Bullet Points: https://www.jatc26.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GAN-Bullet-Points-1.pdf
- JATC Local 26, Inside Wireman A Apprentice: https://www.jatc26.org/applications/inside-wireman-a-apprentice/
- Phoenix Electrical JATC, FAQ: https://pejatc.org/faq/
- Nashville Electrical JATC, information packet (8-24-2026): https://irp.cdn-website.com/e99e4dc1/files/uploaded/NEJATC+INFO+PACKET+8-24-2026+WEB.pdf
- Sacramento Area Electrical JATC, Inside Wireman FAQs: https://www.340jatc.org/applicants/inside-wireman/faqs
- North Texas Electrical JATC, Applicant Information: https://ntejatc.org/index.php/applicant-information
- Cleveland Electrical JATC, Minimum Qualifications: https://cejatc.org/minimum-qualifications-of-apprenticeship/
