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IBEW Aptitude Test Score: How Stanines Work, Published Minimums at 16 JATCs, Ranking and Retest Waits (2026)

Updated About 8 min read

Short answer: Each JATC sets its own qualifying score. JATCs we checked that publish one use the 1 to 9 stanine scale: most ask for 4 or higher, a few ask for 5. The GAN JATCs we checked publish no minimum, but the score still counts in ranking. In the standard ALLIANCE process, a qualifying score gets you an oral interview; GAN JATCs such as Local 26 use a Personal Experience Form instead. Under the ALLIANCE’s general rules, a first retest waits three months (90 days) and a six month rule applies after each later retake. Your JATC sets the date, so confirm it before you register.

Check your JATC’s published score requirement, then practice at test pace. The Electrical Apprenticeship Aptitude & Interview Kit has 1,300 math and 216 reading practice questions, 6 timed mocks, 20 interview answers and an 8-question mock interview set, plus a table of 49 JATCs with the test each uses and its published minimum score. US$39 once, 30-day refund.

Independent practice built on the published electrical training ALLIANCE format. If your JATC uses GAN, use the GAN pack.

Get the aptitude test and interview kit (US$39)

Not affiliated with the IBEW, NECA, the electrical training ALLIANCE or any JATC. Program names belong to their owners. Every minimum score below is quoted from the JATC’s own page or document as we opened it on October 10, 2026. Rules change between application cycles, so check your JATC’s current page before you plan around a number.

What the electrical training ALLIANCE says about scores

The electrical training ALLIANCE application page sets out the general process:

  1. Your score is the number of questions you answer correctly. There is no guessing penalty.
  2. Your local JATC receives the results about two to four weeks after the test.
  3. You are told whether you received a qualifying score. Exact scores are not provided.
  4. With a qualifying score you are scheduled for an oral interview with a committee from NECA and the IBEW.
  5. The interview and a review of your qualifications give you an overall ranking, and your name stays on an eligibility list for two years. Openings are filled in ranking order.

In the standard ALLIANCE process the test is a gate: a qualifying score makes you eligible for an oral interview, and the interview plus a review of your qualifications set your overall ranking. Names come off the list in ranking order as openings arise, so a qualifying score alone does not mean you will be selected. Each JATC can add its own screening rules.

How the stanine scale works

Many JATCs describe the qualifying score as a stanine, short for standard nine. A stanine is a whole number score from 1 to 9 made by cutting a bell curve into nine bands, with 5 in the middle (Wolfram MathWorld, Stanine).

StanineShare of the reference group in this bandShare at this stanine or higher
94%4%
87%11%
712%23%
617%40%
520%60%
417%77%
312%89%
27%96%
14%100%

How to read it: on the standard scale, a stanine of 4 or higher covers 17 + 20 + 17 + 12 + 7 + 4 = 77% of the reference group, and 5 or higher covers 60%. Check: 4 + 7 + 12 + 17 + 20 + 17 + 12 + 7 + 4 = 100.

One caution. The ALLIANCE does not publish which group its stanines are based on, so these shares are not your odds of qualifying at a given JATC. They only show that, on the standard stanine scale, a minimum of 5 excludes one more score band than a minimum of 4.

Published minimums at 16 JATCs

JATCStateTestPublished minimumRetest wait stated
North Texas Electrical JATCTXALLIANCE5 or higherNot stated
Houston Electrical JATCTXALLIANCENot publishedNot stated
Austin Electrical Training AllianceTXALLIANCENot published90 days
DuPage County JATC, IBEW 701ILALLIANCE4 or higherNot stated
IBEW Local 117 JATCILALLIANCE4 or higherNot stated
Youngstown Electrical JATCOHALLIANCE4 or higherPage says 3 months and also 6 months
Cleveland Electrical JATCOHALLIANCENot publishedNot stated
Richmond Electricians’ JATCVAALLIANCE4 or better90 days
Puget Sound Electrical JATC standards (WA L&I)WAALLIANCEInside Wireman 5; Limited Energy 46 months
NECA-IBEW Electrical Training CenterORALLIANCENot published3 months
Sacramento Area Electrical JATCCAALLIANCENot publishedNot stated
Terre Haute Electrical JATCINALLIANCENot publishedNot stated
IBEW Local 99 JATCRIALLIANCENot publishedNot stated
JATC Local 26DC, MD, VAGANNone (removed in 2026)Not stated
Phoenix Electrical JATCAZGANNoneNot stated
Nashville Electrical JATCTNGANNone. Score used for rankingNot stated

Notes on the table:

  • Six of the 16 publish a number. DuPage County, Local 117, Youngstown and Richmond ask for 4. North Texas asks for 5. Puget Sound asks for 5 for Inside Wireman and 4 for Limited Energy.
  • The Puget Sound row comes from the JATC’s registered standards on the Washington Department of Labor & Industries site (page dated April 20, 2023). The JATC’s own site said applications were closed from May 1, 2026.
  • “Not published” means we did not find a number on the pages we opened. It does not mean there is no cutoff. Ask the JATC.
  • ALLIANCE in the Test column means the page names the NJATC or electrical training ALLIANCE test, a test validated by the American Institutes for Research, or the 33 and 36 question format.

For a longer list, see which test 49 JATCs use and their published minimum scores.

How your score affects your ranking

At the ALLIANCE JATCs we checked, the score mainly decides who gets an interview, and the interview plus a review of your qualifications sets your rank. Houston, Austin, Cleveland and Portland all say the interview score decides your place on the list. Some JATCs use the score more directly:

  • DuPage County JATC says it may interview only the top aptitude scorers, equal to 500% of the expected openings. Worked example: with 30 openings, 30 × 5 = 150 applicants would be interviewed. Check: 150 ÷ 30 = 5, which is 500%. A score just over 4 may not be enough there in a busy year.
  • GAN JATCs set their own selection rules. JATC Local 26 says the Personal Experience Form replaces the interview and only documented answers earn points, and Phoenix uses the form in lieu of in-person interviews. The Minneapolis Electrical JATC scores applications from 0 to 100, with the GAN test worth 50% alongside the form and an optional letter of recommendation. The Nashville packet says the GAN test is not pass or fail and your score helps set your rank.

Because the ALLIANCE does not give you an exact score, you cannot know how far above the line you are. Prepare to clear it with room to spare, then prepare for the interview. Our list of electrical apprenticeship interview questions covers that step.

Retest waits and score reuse

  • ALLIANCE general rule: wait a full three months (90 days) before you retest. Retesting early makes the score invalid and starts another three month wait. The same page also mentions a six month rule after later retakes, so ask your JATC how it applies.
  • Six months at some JATCs. The Puget Sound standards set six months, and the Youngstown page states both six months and three months.
  • Using a score at another JATC. The Sacramento JATC asks you to tell it if you tested in the last two years, so it can get your score and check whether it qualifies there.
  • GAN does not take old ALLIANCE scores. JATC Local 26 says prior aptitude scores will not be considered after its switch to GAN.

Worked example: you test on March 3 and do not qualify. March has 31 days, so 28 days remain in March after test day. Add 30 in April and 31 in May for 89 days, so day 90 is June 1. Three calendar months later is June 3, and six months later is September 3. Because 90 days and three calendar months can land on different dates, treat neither date as permission to retest. Ask your JATC to confirm your earliest eligible date in writing, including whether its six month rule applies to you.

In Texas? The Texas Electrical Apprenticeship Entry Kit covers 13 Texas programs.

FAQ

What is a passing score on the IBEW aptitude test?

There is no single national passing score. Each JATC sets its own. Of the 16 JATCs we checked, the ones that publish a number ask for a stanine of 4 or 5 on a 1 to 9 scale, and the GAN JATCs we checked (Local 26, Phoenix and Nashville) publish no minimum, though the score still counts in ranking.

Will I see my IBEW aptitude test score?

The electrical training ALLIANCE says you will be told whether you received a qualifying score, and exact scores are not provided. Some JATCs share more, so ask yours.

How long do I have to wait to retake the IBEW aptitude test?

The electrical training ALLIANCE says three months (90 days) from your last test date, and a six month rule after each later retake. Some JATCs, such as the Puget Sound Electrical JATC, set six months. Retesting too early can make your score invalid.

Does a higher aptitude score help after I qualify?

It depends on the JATC. Many rank applicants by interview score once they qualify. DuPage County JATC may interview only the top scorers, and GAN JATCs use the test score directly in the ranking.

Next step: practice both sections at test pace. The Electrical Apprenticeship Aptitude & Interview Kit has 6 timed mocks in the 33 question algebra and 36 question reading format, 1,516 practice questions in all, and 20 interview answers with an 8-question mock interview set for JATCs that hold an oral interview. If yours uses a Personal Experience Form instead, follow its document instructions. Its table covers 49 JATCs. US$39 once.

Independent practice built on the published electrical training ALLIANCE format. If your JATC uses GAN, use the GAN pack.

Get the aptitude test and interview kit (US$39)

Next read: which test does your JATC use? Three of the 16 JATCs above use GAN: electrical training ALLIANCE vs GAN, and how to tell which one you will take.

Sources checked October 2026

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Not a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas or any U.S. state. Does not offer engineering services. Exam-prep education only.