Guides
Everything you need to understand the EIAT and the route into an elevator apprenticeship — what's on the test, how scores decide your roles, the application steps, and how to prepare. Clear and jargon-free.
EIAT basics
The Elevator Industry Aptitude Test (EIAT) explained
What the EIAT is, the three sections and their question counts, the 70% pass mark, and the tool assessment that follows it.
8 min read
What the EIAT's 70% pass mark really means
The EIAT is pass or fail at 70%. Why the interview, not the test score, decides your place on the hiring list — and why a near miss is costly.
6 min read
Section guides
EIAT reading comprehension guide: the cloze format explained
The EIAT reading section is a cloze passage, not True/False/Cannot Say. How the format works and how to answer it quickly.
6 min read
EIAT mechanical comprehension guide: levers, pulleys, gears and hydraulics
Levers, pulleys, gears and hydraulics, judged from a diagram rather than calculated. The handful of rules that answer most questions.
7 min read
EIAT maths guide: decimals, fractions and no calculator
Decimal long division, mixed numbers, order of operations and algebra — by hand. Plus what the fifth 'No answer' option is really for.
7 min read
The elevator tool assessment: what it asks and why it matters
The tool assessment does not count towards your EIAT score, but it feeds your interview score. What it asks and how to prepare.
6 min read
Getting in
How to become an elevator mechanic
Entry requirements, the EIAT, the interview, the four-year apprenticeship and what the trade pays. No degree needed, but real competition.
8 min read
How IUEC recruitment windows work, and why timing matters
Elevator locals do not recruit year-round. How the two-year list cycle works and what to have ready before a window opens.
5 min read
The elevator apprenticeship interview: what decides your ranking
Passing the EIAT gets you an interview; the interview sets your place on the list. Who conducts it and how to prepare for it.
6 min read
What elevator mechanics earn, and what apprentices earn while training
What qualified elevator mechanics earn, what apprentices earn while training, and why the pay explains the competition for places.
5 min read
Preparing
How hard is the EIAT, really?
An honest look at the difficulty: what the content is really like, why people fail, and what separates a comfortable pass from a near miss.
6 min read
A four-week EIAT study plan
A four-week schedule for the EIAT and the tool assessment, built around finding your weakest section early and practising on paper.
6 min read
How to read a tape measure to a sixteenth of an inch
Reading an imperial tape to a sixteenth, quickly: what each length of mark means, converting sixteenths, and the mistakes that cost marks.
6 min read