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Exam Overview
What Is the CAST?
The CAST (Construction and Skilled Trades Selection System) is a pre-employment aptitude battery developed by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). Electric utilities and other employers use it to screen applicants for construction, maintenance and skilled-trades jobs such as line, substation, meter, plant and field positions.
The CAST does not measure job experience or trade knowledge. It measures how well you read technical drawings and do arithmetic with them, understand mechanical situations, read workplace text, and solve practical math problems under strict time limits.
The Four Tests
| Test | Questions | Time | Answer choices | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Arithmetic | 16 | 30 min | 5 (last choice: none of these) | Reading dimensions from two technical drawings and doing the arithmetic: distances, hole centers, surface area |
| Mechanical Concepts | 44 | 20 min | 3 | Pictured mechanical situations: levers, beams, pulleys, gears, cylinders, fluids, forces and motion |
| Reading for Comprehension | 32 | 30 min | Multiple choice | Questions on four written passages |
| Mathematical Usage | 18 | 7 min | 5 | Short practical math problems, often using a conversion or rate given in the question |
The full session, with instructions and sample items for each test, takes about two hours. This guide reviews the tests in teaching order (Mechanical Concepts, Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Usage, Graphic Arithmetic); the practice tests follow the same order and use the same answer-choice counts as the real tests.
Scoring
- Each test is scored by the number of questions answered correctly.
- There is no penalty for guessing or for wrong answers, so answer every question before time is called.
- The test scores are combined into one index score from 1 to 10, which estimates the likelihood of success in construction and skilled-trades work.
- There is no universal passing score: each employer sets the index score it requires for each job.
How the Test Is Given
- The CAST is given by the hiring employer, usually an electric utility, at its own testing site and schedule. You do not register with a national testing center.
- The test is given on paper or on a computer, depending on the employer.
- Calculator rules are set in the employer's test instructions. One utility's candidate guide allows a calculator on Graphic Arithmetic only, so practice all arithmetic by hand and read your test notice.
- Some employers give a revised battery (CAST-R) in which a 105-statement Work Preferences Inventory takes the place of Mathematical Usage. Ask the employer which version you will take.
- Retest waiting periods are set by the employer's testing policy. Ask before you test.
Why This Exam Matters
Your index score often decides whether you move on to the interview, the physical abilities test or a training program. Because the score is compared with the employer's cut score for the job, every additional correct answer helps.
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