The Elevator Industry Aptitude Test (EIAT) explained

The Elevator Industry Aptitude Test (EIAT) is the written test you take when you apply for an apprenticeship with the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC). It is run by NEIEP, the National Elevator Industry Educational Program. NEIEP's study guide describes it as 100 multiple-choice questions on paper in three areas, and its FAQ gives the minimum passing grade as 70%. Passing gets you an interview, and your interview score decides your place on the hiring list.

This guide sets out what NEIEP itself publishes about the test, and says clearly where something is our advice rather than an official rule.

The EIAT at a glance

Item	What NEIEP says
Format	100 multiple-choice questions, administered on paper
Reading comprehension	35 questions
Mechanical aptitude	35 questions
Mathematics	30 questions
Scoring	Pass/fail, with 70% correct the minimum passing grade
Testing fee	$25 per testing applicant
Tool assessment	Correct responses count toward your interview score

NEIEP's public pages do not give a time limit for the EIAT, so check the instructions that come with your own recruitment.

What each section covers

NEIEP's study guide lists the areas to focus on:

• Reading comprehension (35 questions). Identifying main ideas and key concepts, and drawing conclusions. Its published example is a passage with numbered gaps where you choose the word that fits from four options. See the reading section guide.
• Mechanical aptitude (35 questions). Levers, pulleys and gears; hydraulics (area and pressure); and fulcrums and levers, including how objects of different weights balance. The examples are diagrams with a choice between two outcomes and a third option such as "no difference". See the mechanical section guide.
• Mathematics (30 questions). Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals and percentages, plus algebra: solving equations and manipulating formulas. The examples offer five choices, the last being "No answer". See the math section guide.

NEIEP is explicit that the EIAT "is not an assessment of how much you already know about being an elevator constructor". No prior trade training is required.

How the EIAT is scored

NEIEP's FAQ says the EIAT "is scored on a pass/fail basis, with 70% correct being the minimum passing grade", and that your ranking on the hiring list "is based upon your interview score." So a higher EIAT score does not move you up the list; it has to clear 70%, which on 100 questions means at least 70 correct.

That makes margin the real goal, because a near miss can mean waiting for the next recruitment. More in what the 70% pass mark means.

The tool assessment

NEIEP says the process assesses "general tool knowledge" alongside the three test areas, and that "correct responses on the tool assessment will count toward the final score on the interview." It does not publish the assessment's format or length. Our tool assessment guide covers the hand tools and measuring skills worth knowing.

Is a calculator allowed?

NEIEP's public study guide and FAQ do not say. Its example math questions (a decimal long division, a mixed number multiplied by a fraction, and a multi-step expression) are plainly meant to be worked by hand. Our advice: prepare without a calculator, and follow your test-day instructions.

How to prepare

1. Work NEIEP's own examples first. The official study guide has sample questions for all three sections. Our EIAT study guide walks through them and sets out a four-week plan.
2. Find your weakest section early. Take a short timed sample of each on the EIAT practice page and put your time where the score is lowest.
3. Practice on paper, against a clock. The real test is on paper, so rehearse that way.
4. Do not skip tools. The tool assessment counts toward the interview score, and the interview is what ranks you.

Want to try some questions now? Start with our free EIAT sample questions with answers.