Pass the EIAT. Then ace the interview that actually decides your rank.
Elevator constructors are the highest-paid construction trade — $106,580 median pay (BLS). Getting in runs through the elevator apprenticeship aptitude test and a ranked interview. Here’s the process as NEIEP actually publishes it, and an alert when your window opens.
Get an email the moment a recruitment window opens
Announced right now: Seattle Local 19 — Sep 1–18, 2026 and Chicago Local 2 — Oct 5–12, 2026. Windows can close in days; some cap out in under 36 hours.
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
NEIEP 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
Apply during the window, pay the $25 fee, and sit the paper test: 35 reading, 35 mechanical aptitude, 30 math. Score 70% and you pass — the test is a gate, not a ranking.
Tool assessment + interview
Passers 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
Your 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.
The part most applicants get backwards: passing the test with a high score doesn’t move you up the list. 70% passes, and the interview alone sets your rank. Prep for both from day one.
What’s on the EIAT — from NEIEP’s own study guide
100 multiple-choice questions, paper-administered, $25 fee. 70% to pass — pass/fail only.
35
Reading
Cloze fill-in-the-blank: vocabulary in context with 4 options — not the passage-and-questions format most prep books teach.
35
Mechanical Aptitude
Bennett-style illustrated items with 3 options: gears, pulleys, levers, and hydraulics.
30
Math
Arithmetic, fractions, decimals, percentages, and 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.
Why this trade is worth the fight
$106,580 median pay — the highest-paid construction trade per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It’s also one of the hardest to get into: roughly 2,000 openings a year nationwide, filled through recruitment windows that open about every two years per area. That’s exactly why showing up prepared for the test and the interview matters.
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.
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 aptitude, 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: Seattle Local 19 (September 1–18, 2026) and Chicago Local 2 (October 5–12, 2026).
How much do elevator constructors make?
Median pay is $106,580 per year (BLS, Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers) — the highest-paid construction trade. Apprentices start at a percentage of the full rate and step up as they progress.
Don’t find out about your window after it closes.
Free recruitment-window alerts — Seattle Local 19 opens Sep 1.