Elevator apprenticeship aptitude test
Pass the EIAT.Then win the interviewthat decides your rank.
Elevator constructors are the highest-paid construction trade — $109,910 median ($52.84/hr, BLS). Getting in runs through a 100-question aptitude test and a ranked interview. Here is the process exactly as NEIEP publishes it — and an alert the day your window opens.
EIAT Prep app · coming soon10 full-length EIAT tests + an AI mock interview that scores youSee it Window open now
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Tracking all 82 NEIEP recruitment areas across 65 IUEC locals. See the full board — 9 areas have published dates.
35
Reading
35
Mechanical
30
Math
70%
To pass
The pipeline
How getting hired actually works
NEIEP runs recruitment for the elevator constructor apprenticeship nationally. Four steps stand between you and the hiring list.
A recruitment window opens
Every ~2 years, per areaNEIEP runs all intake. Each recruitment area opens roughly every 2 years, announced on neiep.org. Windows run days to 3 weeks — some cap out in under 36 hours. Miss it and you wait for the next cycle.
Take the 100-question EIAT
35/35/30 · $25 · paperApply during the window, pay the $25 fee, and sit the paper test: 35 reading, 35 mechanical, 30 math. Score 70% and you pass — the test is a gate, not a ranking.
Tool assessment, then the interview
2 JAC interviewersPassers complete a hands-on tool assessment that scores into the interview. Two JAC interviewers score you on a standardized rubric — scores averaged, 70% minimum.
The interview sets your rank
List valid 2 yearsYour interview score alone determines your position on the hiring list, which stays valid for 2 years. Apprentices are hired from it in rank order — so the interview, not the test, decides when you get the call.
What most applicants get backwards
Passing with a high score does not move you up the list. 70% passes, and the interview alone sets your rank. Prep for both from day one — here is what NEIEP publishes about the interview.
The EIAT Prep app · coming to the App Store
Prep for the test and the interview in one app
10 full-length tests
The real 35 / 35 / 30 format, cloze reading and illustrated mechanical items.
AI mock interview
An AI plays the JAC panel, follows up on thin answers and scores you 1–5.
AI tutor
Any question you miss, worked step by step.
Window reminders
All 82 NEIEP areas, free for everyone.
Verified against NEIEP’s 2024 study guide
What’s actually on the EIAT
100 multiple-choice questions, paper-administered, $25 fee. 70% to pass — pass/fail only.
Reading
Cloze fill-in-the-blank — vocabulary in context, 4 options. Not the passage-and-questions format most prep books teach.
Mechanical
Bennett-style illustrated items with 3 options: gears, pulleys, levers, hydraulics.
Math
Arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, basic algebra — 5 options including “No answer.”
NEIEP does not publish a time limit or calculator policy — be skeptical of any prep source that asserts one. See our sources.
Take a free practice testThe payoff
Why this trade is worth the fight
$109,910 median pay — the highest-paid construction trade per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is also one of the hardest to get into: roughly 1,900 openings a year nationwide, filled through recruitment windows that open about every two years per area. That is exactly why showing up prepared for the test and the interview matters.
Who wrote this
Michael Briglio
Federally Recognized Pre-Apprenticeship Instructor
Michael is a federally recognized pre-apprenticeship instructor and licensed Illinois teacher who has helped hundreds of students get accepted into union apprenticeships. He built EIAT Prep around what actually decides who gets hired: the NEIEP application window, the aptitude test’s pass/fail gate, and the interview that sets your rank.
FAQ
EIAT questions, answered straight
+What is the EIAT?
The EIAT (Elevator Industry Aptitude Test) is the entrance exam for the elevator constructor apprenticeship, administered by NEIEP. It has 100 multiple-choice questions — 35 reading, 35 mechanical, 30 math — is paper-administered, and costs $25.
+What score do I need on the EIAT?
70% to pass. The score is a pass/fail gate only — the EIAT does not rank candidates. After passing, a tool assessment scores into your interview, and the interview alone determines your rank on the hiring list.
+Is there a time limit on the EIAT?
NEIEP does not publish a time limit or calculator policy for the test. Any prep source quoting a specific time limit is not quoting NEIEP.
+When can I apply for the elevator apprenticeship?
Only when NEIEP opens a recruitment window for your area — each area opens roughly every 2 years, windows run days to 3 weeks, and some cap out in under 36 hours. Announced right now: IUEC Local 2 (Chicago, IL) — open now, closes Monday, October 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT; IUEC Local 7 (Baltimore, MD) — open now, closes Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET; IUEC Local 63 (Oklahoma City, OK) — open now, closes Monday, November 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT.
+How much do elevator constructors make?
Median pay is $109,910 per year ($52.84/hr) per the BLS category Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers — the highest-paid construction trade. Apprentices start at a percentage of the mechanic rate and step up as they progress.
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