SCE 5108 CAST and 5107 TECH Test Practice

Two EEI tests, known by number

Southern California Edison publishes its own information guide for each EEI test it uses, and refers to them by internal test number:

• 5108 EEI CAST, the Construction and Skilled Trades Selection System, "a battery of aptitude tests designed and validated to aid in the selection of candidates across a wide variety of construction and skilled trade occupations". SCE names Building Maintenance, Carpenter, Equipment Operator and Repairer, Garage Mechanic, General laborer, Machinist, Shop Meter Tester and Troubleshooter among the job titles covered.
• 5107 EEI TECH, the Technician Occupations Selection System, "a group of 4 short aptitude tests designed and validated to aid in the selection of candidates for electric utility industry technical occupations".

The CAST guide does not say whether it is the 2009 CAST or the 2020 CAST-R, which differ in one subtest: the older version has Mathematical Usage, the newer a work preferences questionnaire. Practise Mathematical Usage unless you learn otherwise.

What the room is like

Both guides describe the same supervised paper session. You follow the Test Administrator's directions exactly, and "you may NOT leave the room, talk, smoke, eat, or drink". Phones, pagers and other electronic equipment are not allowed in the testing area, and "No study aids are allowed". Your answers are multiple choice, "read by a scanner", so fill each circle completely and erase fully if you change an answer.

How the EEI tests are marked

Every subtest is scored as the number you get right, and EEI's brochures say "There is no penalty for guessing or wrong answers", so leave nothing blank. The utility never sees a subtest on its own: the subtests in a battery are combined into one index (1 to 10 on CAST, 0 to 15 on POSS, Recommended or Not Recommended on SO/PD II), and the utility sets its own cut-off. Neither EEI nor any utility we have read publishes that cut-off, so aim to do well on every subtest rather than at a number. EEI does not give results to candidates; the utility does.

Practise for the Southern California Edison EEI test

Each game below is one EEI subtest on EEI's own clock where EEI publishes one, with free movement between questions as on the paper and no penalty for a wrong answer. Together they are every subtest we simulate from CAST and TECH.

• EEI Mechanical Concepts (44 questions · 20 minutes · free) - In CAST, CAST-R, MASS, POSS and TECH: 44 drawings in 20 minutes, three options each. Free, and the one to start with.
• EEI Reading Comprehension (26-36 · 22-30 minutes) - Choose your battery: 32 questions in 30 minutes for CAST, 36 in 30 for MASS and POSS, 26 in 22 for SO/PD II.
• EEI Mathematical Usage (18-46 · 7-17 minutes) - The short form, 18 questions in 7 minutes, or the long POSS form, 46 in 17. Formulas are given; the fifth option is N, none of these.
• EEI Graphic Arithmetic (16-21 · 19-30 minutes) - Arithmetic on dimensioned drawings that are not to scale. CAST and CAST-R settings, plus a TECH Graphic Problem Solving setting.
• EEI Interpreting Diagrams (20 questions · 15 minutes) - TECH: count and read symbols on a sector map against a legend. EEI publishes no clock, so ours is 20 questions in 15 minutes.
• EEI Reasoning from Rules (15 questions · 15 minutes) - TECH: apply a set of routing rules to each case. EEI publishes no clock, so ours is 15 questions in 15 minutes.

Which subtests make up each battery, and what we do not simulate, is on the EEI practice page. The EEI test guide covers calculators, scoring and retake rules across utilities.

Common questions

Where do I find the official practice tests?

Each SCE guide gives step-by-step instructions and the login for EEI's practice tests and brochure, which EEI prepared for this test. Use the guide for the test you were invited to.

Can I bring a calculator?

SCE's guides say no study aids are allowed and do not mention a calculator. EEI's 2020 CAST-R permits one on Graphic Arithmetic, so ask SCE which version you are sitting.

Also applying in California? Our PG&E guide covers its EEI POSS and TECH tests.