How to Get Into a Lineworker Apprenticeship

There are two main routes into a US lineworker apprenticeship, and which one you take decides which aptitude test you sit. Applying directly to a utility usually means an EEI battery, most often the CAST. Applying through a union apprenticeship committee means the Electrical Training Alliance aptitude test instead. The jobs at the end look similar; the selection processes do not, and preparing for the wrong one is a common and expensive mistake.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 131,070 electrical power-line installers and repairers in its May 2025 wage survey, at a median wage of $95,320, and projects about 10,900 openings a year through 2035 against employment growth of 10.3%. This is a genuinely growing trade with a high median wage and no degree requirement — BLS lists the typical entry-level education as a high school diploma or equivalent — which is precisely why entry is competitive.

Route one: direct to a utility

Investor-owned utilities hire apprentices and pre-apprentices directly. Their process typically runs: application, aptitude battery, interview, physical ability test, medical and background checks, then an offer. The aptitude battery is usually an EEI one, because most large US electric utilities belong to EEI's testing consortium and share a common set of tests. For construction and skilled trades roles that means the CAST or its revised version, CAST-R.

Some employers have moved parts of this elsewhere. AEP now routes lineworker applicants to a video assessment rather than an EEI battery, keeping EEI testing for a short list of nuclear plant roles, and several utilities have layered their own assessments on top of the EEI one. Read the posting, and ask.

Utility programs are cohort-based and often run on a schedule rather than continuously. Seattle City Light, for example, publishes its apprenticeship hiring process with its own testing centers and takes applications in defined windows. Missing a window can cost you a year, so find out when yours opens before you start preparing rather than after.

Route two: the union apprenticeship

The other route is a joint apprenticeship and training committee — a partnership between the union and contractors. These select for apprenticeships that place you with contractors rather than with a utility directly. The aptitude test is the Electrical Training Alliance's, which is a completely different instrument from the EEI batteries: two sections, algebra and functions plus reading comprehension, taking about two hours. We compare the two tests here, because confusing them is the single most common preparation error in this trade.

Committees also differ on the surrounding rules. Ithaca's committee, for instance, publishes a two-year score validity and a six-month minimum wait before retaking. Application windows are often narrow — some committees open for a couple of weeks a year — so the calendar matters as much as the preparation.

What both routes want to see

Beyond the test, the requirements converge:

• High school diploma or equivalent, with algebra usually specified. This is the requirement people most often fall down on, and it is fixable.
• A driver's license, with a commercial license required either before you start or within a defined period after.
• Physical capability. Climbing tests, weight handling and working at height are standard, and physical ability testing is near-universal for field roles even where the employer publishes nothing about it.
• A clean enough record and a drug screen.
• Willingness to travel and take storm work. This is not a formality — it is most of what distinguishes people who stay in the trade.

Where the test fits, and how to prepare for it

The aptitude test is a gate, not a ranking you can talk your way past, and it usually comes early. If you are on the utility route, the CAST is four timed tests: Graphic Arithmetic, Mechanical Concepts, Reading for Comprehension and Mathematical Usage, 110 questions in 87 minutes. The revised CAST-R swaps the math sprint for a work-style questionnaire.

The section that decides most outcomes is Mechanical Concepts, at 44 questions in 20 minutes — about 27 seconds each. Start there, practice in full blocks against a real clock, and only then worry about the rest. Our free demo runs at the real pace; full CAST practice runs the whole battery in order.

One thing no legitimate source can tell you is the score you need. EEI's brochure says cutoffs are tailored to each company's needs, and no utility publishes a figure — so set your target in terms of finishing the sections accurately under time, which is something you can actually measure.

Getting in when you do not get in

Most people do not get an apprenticeship on the first attempt, and the productive response is to become a better candidate rather than simply a more persistent one. Groundman and pre-apprentice roles put you on a crew and inside the company. Lineman school is the paid option, and worth thinking about carefully before you commit the money. A commercial driver's license obtained in advance is a genuine differentiator. And a retake wait is a preparation window, not dead time — the waits are employer-set and can run to six months.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need lineman school to get an apprenticeship?

No. Neither route requires it, and BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. Some people find it improves their chances; it is a significant cost, so weigh it deliberately.

Which test will I take?

It follows the route. Utilities in the EEI consortium generally use the CAST or CAST-R for trades roles; union apprenticeship committees use the Electrical Training Alliance test. Some employers now use a video assessment instead. Ask before you prepare.

How competitive is it?

Very. With roughly 10,900 openings a year nationally across the whole occupation, and a median wage above $95,000 with no degree required, apprenticeship slots attract far more applicants than places. Nobody publishes selection ratios.

How long does the apprenticeship take?

It varies by employer and committee, and is set locally rather than nationally. The posting or the committee's own page is the source to trust — see our practice access for the part you can control in the meantime.