What is the EIAT?
The Elevator Industry Aptitude Test, explained straight from NEIEP's own published format — what's on it, what it actually decides, and what NEIEP has never said.
What the EIAT is, and who takes it
The EIAT is the entrance test for an IUEC elevator-constructor apprenticeship. NEIEP (the National Elevator Industry Educational Program) administers it on paper for a $25 fee, as part of applying during a local recruitment window. If you want to become an elevator constructor, the EIAT is the first gate you have to clear, before the tool assessment and the interview that actually determine where you land on the hiring list.
It is 100 multiple-choice questions, split across three sections. You can see exactly how those questions are built, and try them yourself, on our free full-length EIAT practice tests.
The three sections
| Section | Questions | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 35 | Cloze — one blank, 4 candidate words |
| Mechanical Aptitude | 35 | Bennett-style illustrated, 3 options (gears, pulleys, levers, hydraulics) |
| Math | 30 | Arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, basic algebra, 5 options incl. "No answer" |
That is 100 questions total for $25, administered on paper. Nothing about the sections requires prior elevator-trade knowledge — they measure reading, mechanical reasoning, and math ability in the abstract.
Why the reading section trips people up
Most people preparing for an aptitude test assume "reading section" means a passage followed by a few questions about it. The EIAT’s reading section is not that. It is cloze format: a single sentence with one blank, and four words to choose from to fill it. It is testing vocabulary in context, one sentence at a time, not comprehension of a longer passage.
This is the single most common thing prep material gets wrong about the EIAT. If you have been practicing passage-then-questions blocks, you have been practicing the wrong format entirely, and it will not transfer to the real test. Our practice tests build the reading section as cloze items from the start, for exactly this reason.
What NEIEP does not publish
Two things you will see confidently stated on prep-vendor sites, and that NEIEP has never actually published:
- A time limit. Numbers like "45 to 90 minutes" circulate widely and are not sourced to NEIEP.
- A calculator policy. No official statement says whether one is allowed.
We will not guess at either one, because guessing wrong could send you into the actual test unprepared for a rule that turns out to be real, or needlessly anxious about a rule that doesn’t exist. If NEIEP publishes either policy, this page updates.
How to actually prepare, given it's pass/fail
Because the EIAT only needs to clear 70% and does not rank you, the highest-value use of your time is not squeezing out extra points past a passing score, it is making sure you clear the gate calmly and then shifting your preparation to the interview that decides everything else.
Before the test
- Drill cloze-format vocabulary items, not passage-based reading comprehension.
- Practice Bennett-style mechanical reasoning: gears, pulleys, levers, and hydraulics.
- Refresh arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, and basic algebra by hand.
- Take a few full-length practice tests in the real 35/35/30 structure so the format isn’t a surprise on paper.
After you pass
Stop optimizing for the EIAT. Put your remaining preparation time into the tool assessment and the JAC interview, since those are what a standardized rubric actually scores you against for a spot on the hiring list.
Related Resources
Facts on this page trace to primary sources (NEIEP’s official study guide, BLS data) — see sources & methodology. Independent — not affiliated with or endorsed by the IUEC, NEIEP, or any union or testing organization.