MRAB: EEI's Meter Reader Aptitude Battery

MRAB is the Meter Reader Aptitude Battery. EEI's catalogue gives it one line: it is "used for those positions in which an employee would be required to read meters and record data."

That is a narrow brief, and it describes a job that has been shrinking for two decades as automated metering infrastructure has spread. Which is why, if you are applying for meter work today, the battery you are asked to sit may well not be MRAB.

Why CAST may apply instead

EEI's description of the Construction and Skilled Trades Selection System says CAST "is used for jobs in three general areas: transmission and distribution; facilities and equipment; and meter reader service and repair."

So meter work appears explicitly in CAST's scope as well. The distinction that seems to run through EEI's descriptions is between reading meters and recording data — MRAB — and meter service and repair, the hands-on craft side, which falls under CAST.

The practical consequence: read your invitation carefully, and if the posting says CAST, prepare for CAST. Our CAST guide covers its sections, and there is free practice for each of them on this site.

Do not assume from the job title. A vacancy called "meter technician" or "meter services" can sit on either side of that line depending on how the utility has scoped the role. The minimum qualifications on the posting are what tell you.

What EEI publishes about MRAB

Very little, compared with CAST and POSS. Those two have detailed brochures that employers self-host, giving section names, item counts and time limits. We have not found an equivalent employer-published MRAB brochure, and EEI's catalogue entry is the single sentence quoted above.

We are not going to fill that gap with guesswork. Descriptions of MRAB's sections and timings do circulate online, but they come from prep vendors and from EEI's login-gated practice area, and neither is a source we use. If your employer gives you access to EEI's brochures, that is the material to work from.

Which utilities use it

MRAB does not appear on the published test lists of the utilities that self-publish them. Hawaiian Electric names TECH, CAST, MASS, POSS, SASS and CSR. Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation names CAST, MASS, POSS and a combined POSS/MASS. Neither lists MRAB.

That is consistent with the occupation's decline rather than evidence that the battery is retired — EEI still lists it in its own catalogue. But it does suggest that most candidates searching for MRAB preparation will, on checking the posting, find they are sitting CAST.

What the job looks like now

Automated and smart metering has removed much of the routine reading work, and utilities that once employed large meter-reading teams now run smaller ones covering exceptions, non-communicating meters, disconnections and reconnections, and field verification. The roles that remain lean towards service and repair, which is the CAST side of the line.

If you are looking at meter work as a way into a utility, it is worth knowing that the craft ladder runs through the same batteries as the rest of the trades. Our hiring process guide sets out the stages, and the apprenticeship guide covers the route many people take next.

Scores and retakes

As with every battery in the family, no cut score is published — employers set their own and generally do not disclose them. Our scoring guide explains the position, and the retake guide collects the rules utilities publish for retesting.

Frequently asked questions

What is the MRAB test?

The Meter Reader Aptitude Battery, an EEI battery used for positions requiring an employee to read meters and record data.

What is on the MRAB?

EEI does not publish section details for MRAB in the materials employers self-host, and we do not repeat descriptions from prep vendors. Your employer's invitation is the reliable source.

Is MRAB the same as CAST?

No, they are separate batteries. But CAST's published scope includes "meter reader service and repair", so meter roles on the craft side are often tested with CAST.

Which test will I sit for a meter job?

Whichever the posting states under minimum qualifications. Job titles do not reliably indicate it.

Do utilities still use MRAB?

EEI still lists it in its catalogue of batteries. It does not appear on the published test lists of the utilities we have checked that publish theirs.

Is there MRAB practice on this site?

No. Our sections are built for CAST, CAST-R, POSS and MASS. If your posting names CAST, those sections are directly relevant.