IBEW apprenticeship
Five years of paid work and classes, run by your local IBEW and NECA training committee (JATC), that make you a journeyman electrician.
- Number series trainer
- Algebra & functions with worked steps
- Reading comprehension sets
Paid once, no subscription. Ask for a refund within 7 days of buying if you’ve done less than 25% of the class.
How to get it, step by step
Meet your local’s minimum requirements
Typically age 18 (some locals take applications at 17), a high school diploma or GED, and a full year of algebra with a passing grade. Some add a driver’s license or a drug test.1,2,3
Apply to your local JATC
Each local runs its own application and fee: $40 at Minneapolis, $125 at Local 26 near Washington, DC. Send transcripts that show your algebra grade.1,2,3,5
Take the aptitude test
The ETA test is algebra and functions, then reading, with no calculator. Some locals, like Local 26 and Minneapolis, give the GAN test instead. Our class preps the math and reading.1,3,5
Interview and get ranked
Qualify on the ETA test and a committee from NECA and the IBEW interviews you, then ranks you. At Local 26, a GAN Personal Experience Form takes the place of the interview.1,5,7
Wait on the eligibility list
Names come off the list in rank order as openings come up. In the ETA’s process you stay listed two years; Minneapolis keeps you up to one year, then you reapply.1,4
Work and train for five years
The JATC places you with a union contractor. At Local 26 that’s at least 8,000 hours on the job and 800 in class, with raises from 45% of journeyman pay as you go.4,6
The exam, and the money
The exam
Study for the exam
20 lessons in 6 chapters · about 5 minutes each
2Number series4
Algebra and Functions
3Algebra basics3
Algebra and Functions
4Equations and inequalities3
Algebra and Functions
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The full class, $39 once.
Paid once, no subscription. Ask for a refund within 7 days of buying if you’ve done less than 25% of the class.
- Number series trainer
- Algebra & functions with worked steps
- Reading comprehension sets
Not affiliated with IBEW, NECA, ETA or any JATC. Original practice questions only.
Questions
Do IBEW apprentices get paid?
Yes, with raises as you log work hours and pass school. At Local 26 pay starts at 45% of the journeyman rate, $27.90 an hour, and reaches 80% by the sixth period.6,8
How much does the IBEW apprenticeship cost?
You pay your local’s application fee: $40 at Minneapolis, $125 at Local 26. Minneapolis charges no tuition; once you’re selected, you start paying union dues.3,4,5
How hard is it to get into the IBEW apprenticeship?
It’s competitive. Minneapolis processes about 2,000 applications a year and hired 190 apprentices in 2025, starting from the top of its ranked list.3,4
Sources
Read on . Rules change, so check the source before you pay a fee or book a test.
- Applying for Apprenticeship · electrical training ALLIANCE (IBEW/NECA)
- Apprenticeship Training · electrical training ALLIANCE (IBEW/NECA)
- Applicants · Minneapolis Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 292 / NECA)
- FAQ · Minneapolis Electrical JATC (IBEW Local 292 / NECA)
- Inside Wireman “A” Apprentice: Apprentice Application – 2027 · JATC Local 26 (IBEW Local 26 / NECA)
- Inside Wireman ‘A’ Apprenticeship Program · JATC Local 26 (IBEW Local 26 / NECA)
- Aptitude Test · Warren Electrical JATC (IBEW/NECA)
- Electricians, Occupational Outlook Handbook · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics