EEI Test Practice: CAST, POSS, MASS, TECH and SO/PD II

Premium Tests

EEI Reading Comprehension

Reading Comprehension as CAST (32 questions in 30 minutes), MASS and POSS (36 in 30) or SO/PD II (26 in 22) runs it: passages like power plant training and safety manuals, four options, answered strictly from the passage.

22-30 minutes

EEI Mathematical Usage

Mathematical Usage in its short form (18 questions in 7 minutes, CAST 2009, MASS and POSS) or long form (46 in 17 minutes, POSS version two): conversions, formulas, algebra and word problems from printed facts, with "N" for none of these.

7-17 minutes

EEI Graphic Arithmetic

Graphic Arithmetic from CAST and CAST-R: 16 questions in 30 minutes on two dimensioned drawings that are not to scale. Also runs as TECH Graphic Problem Solving, one small drawing per question.

19-30 minutes

EEI Assembling Objects

Assembling Objects from MASS, the power plant maintenance battery: 20 questions in 15 minutes. Join lettered parts at the matching points, or fit unlabelled pieces together like a puzzle, and pick the one correct assembly of four.

15 minutes

EEI Figural Reasoning

Figural Reasoning from POSS, the plant operator battery: 20 questions in 10 minutes across Picture Series, Picture Comparison and Picture Progression, each with five options.

10 minutes

EEI Analytic Thinking Skills

Analytic Thinking Skills from SO/PD II, the system operator battery: 23 questions in 45 minutes. Seven argument questions, five problem-solving questions on two passages and a fact list, and eleven statements to judge TRUE, FALSE or INDETERMINABLE.

45 minutes

EEI Reasoning from Rules

Reasoning from Rules from TECH, the technician battery: short sets of routing rules and cases to apply them to, four options each. EEI publishes no length or clock, so 15 questions in 15 minutes is our practice clock.

15 minutes

EEI Interpreting Diagrams

Interpreting Diagrams from TECH: a sector map with a symbol legend, and questions on how many of something are where and what state it is in. EEI publishes no length or clock, so 20 questions in 15 minutes is our practice clock.

15 minutes

How EEI scores it

One combined index per battery

Each subtest is scored as the number you get right, and the utility never sees a subtest on its own. The scores are combined into one result: an index from 1 to 10 on CAST and CAST-R, an Aptitude Index from 0 to 15 on POSS, a combined index on MASS and TECH, and Recommended or Not Recommended on SO/PD II. A weak subtest matters because it pulls the combined score down.

The utility sets its own cut-off

EEI says cut-off scores can be "tailored to local company employment needs". It publishes neither the weights that combine the subtests nor how a raw score becomes an index, and no utility we have read publishes its bar. So we never print an index: any figure we showed would be invented.

No penalty for a wrong answer

"There is no penalty for guessing or wrong answers", in EEI's own words. An unanswered question scores the same as a wrong one, so fill in every answer before time is called, and skip anything that stalls you on the first pass.

Results come from the utility, not EEI

EEI says it "does not provide results directly to applicants". Your utility tells you: Entergy typically within five business days, TVA in seven to ten by email. A result can follow you, too: EEI asks you to tell a new employer if you have already sat the test elsewhere.

How and where you sit it

On paper, at a test site. CAST, MASS, POSS and TECH are paper tests with a scanned answer sheet, sat in person and supervised. Southern California Edison's guides ban phones, other electronic equipment and study aids from the room, and say you may erase and change an answer. Each subtest has its own time limit, and within a subtest you can move around freely, so our games let you skip ahead, go back and finish on a review grid.

SO/PD II is on a computer. EEI describes it as computer-based: you read the questions on screen, listen to tones and answer with a mouse or keyboard.

About two hours a battery. EEI gives roughly two hours for CAST, MASS, POSS and TECH, about three for a combined MASS and POSS sitting, and about two and a half for SO/PD II. That includes instructions and worked examples, so the subtests themselves are short: Figural Reasoning is 10 minutes, Mechanical Concepts 20.

What we do not simulate, and whose clocks these are

Not simulated

The CAST-R Work Preferences Inventory: EEI publishes neither its scales nor its key, and offers no practice for it itself.
The SO/PD II Multitasking Simulation, four tasks at once including telling high tones from low ones.
The logic-network half of TECH Reasoning from Rules, which has no published example anywhere.
The SO/PD II form of Mathematical Usage, whose only published example we could not read. Our short and long forms practise the same skill.
SASS (administrative), MRAB (meter readers) and CSR (customer service), for which EEI publishes too little to build from.

Where the clocks come from

Mechanical Concepts, Reading Comprehension, Mathematical Usage, Graphic Arithmetic, Assembling Objects, Figural Reasoning and Analytic Thinking Skills use EEI's own published counts and time limits.
Reasoning from Rules (15 questions in 15 minutes) and Interpreting Diagrams (20 in 15) use clocks we set, because EEI publishes none for either.
The TECH Graphic Problem Solving setting (21 questions in 19 minutes) uses a figure from a preparation site, the only source there is, and the game says so.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EEI test?

A family of pre-employment batteries written by the Edison Electric Institute for electric utilities, each validated for a job family: CAST, POSS, MASS, TECH, SO/PD II, MRAB, CSR and SASS. Your utility runs the test; EEI says it does not administer any of its tests directly to applicants.

Which EEI test will I take?

It depends on the job, not the utility: CAST for line, substation, trades and meter work; POSS for plant operators; MASS for plant maintenance; TECH for technician roles; SO/PD II for control rooms and dispatch. The job posting or your invitation names it. Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation, for one, says "it will be indicated under the Minimum Qualifications" for the position.

What is the difference between CAST and CAST-R?

CAST-R, from 2020, keeps Graphic Arithmetic, Mechanical Concepts and Reading for Comprehension, and replaces Mathematical Usage with a 105-item Work Preferences Inventory. Both versions are still in use, so check which one your utility names.

Is there a pass mark?

No universal one. CAST produces an index from 1 to 10, and EEI says "cutoff scores on the CAST battery can be tailored to local company employment needs". POSS produces an Aptitude Index from 0 to 15, and SO/PD II gives a result of "Recommended" or "Not Recommended". Each utility sets its own bar and none that we have read publishes it.

Can I use a calculator?

On CAST-R Graphic Arithmetic, yes: EEI says "the use of a calculator is permitted during this test". TVA provides a basic four-function calculator for its MASS and POSS sitting and does not let you bring your own. Otherwise, ask the utility before the day.

Are wrong answers penalised?

No. EEI’s MASS, POSS and CAST-R brochures all say "There is no penalty for guessing or wrong answers". Answer every question, even with a guess.

Can I take it online?

EEI offers paper, computer and testing-centre delivery, but the utilities we checked test in person: Dominion Energy on site, FirstEnergy "at various locations throughout our service territory", and TVA in a supervised sitting of about three hours. SO/PD II is the exception in format: it is taken on a computer.

How soon can I retake it, and do scores carry over?

Utility rules differ: Entergy asks for 30 days between attempts and no more than two in twelve months, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation 15 days, and LG&E and KU 90 days if you were not selected because of your result. EEI asks you to tell a new employer if you have taken the test elsewhere, and TVA keeps your highest score indefinitely.

Companies That Use EEI (Edison Electric Institute)

Entergy

Says it partners with EEI "for several of our employment tests" and names SASS, TECH, CAST, MASS, POSS and POSS/MASS, with a 30-day wait before a second attempt and at most two attempts in twelve months.

View Entergy guide →

FirstEnergy

States that its required tests "have been developed by the Edison Electric Institute" and publishes brochures for CSR, MASS, MRAB, POSS, SO/PD, SASS, TECH and CAST, the last for lineworker and substation electrician roles.

View FirstEnergy guide →

Dominion Energy

View Dominion Energy guide →

Uses "the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) test battery for many craft, skilled trades, and technical positions", naming POSS, MASS, TECH and SO/PD II, sat on site. Line Worker candidates sit a HireVue virtual job tryout instead.

PG&E

Federal Power Corporation

Names EEI as "one of our testing partners" for the Power Plant Operator Selection Test (POSS) and the Technical Test (TECH).

View PG&E guide →

Tennessee Valley Authority

Uses the EEI POSS and MASS for its instrument mechanic, electrical, mechanical, hydro and combustion turbine technician trainee programmes, and provides calculators on the day.

View Tennessee Valley Authority guide →

Exelon

Its hiring process page says "Some positions require passing an Edison Electric Institute (EEI) test", covering its utilities ComEd, PECO, BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric.

View Exelon guide →

Eversource

Electric and Gas Utility

Says "Many of the tests we administer were developed through the Edison Electric Institute" and points candidates to CAST, TECH and SO/PD II preparation material.

View Eversource guide →

Georgia Power

View Georgia Power guide →

Southern Company’s Powering Careers site describes the EEI CAST, POSS, MASS, SO/PD II and TECH tests used in Georgia Power hiring and links EEI practice tests.

LG&E and KU

Electric and Gas Utility

Lists which jobs sit which EEI battery: CAST for transmission, distribution, substation and meter work, MASS for plant maintenance trades, POSS for plant and compressor station operators, TECH for technical roles. Candidates not selected because of a test wait 90 days to retest.

View LG&E and KU guide →

Southern California Edison

View Southern California Edison guide →

Publishes its own information guides for EEI CAST (test 5108) and EEI TECH (test 5107), sat on paper under supervision with no phones or study aids.

Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation

Electric Cooperative

Says it has partnered with EEI and uses CAST, MASS, POSS and POSS/MASS, with a 15-day wait between attempts and at most two attempts in twelve months.

AEP

Electric Utility

Uses EEI preparation tools for instrument and controls technician, radiation protection technician and utility operator roles at its Cook nuclear plant. Its lineworker and several other roles use HireVue instead.

Which battery you sit depends on the job, not the utility: CAST or CAST-R for construction and line work, POSS for plant operators, MASS for plant maintenance, TECH for technicians and SO/PD II for system operators and dispatchers. Some utilities use other vendors for some roles, so check the name on your invitation.

Which companies use EEI (Edison Electric Institute)?

The EEI batteries are not bought one employer at a time the way most tests are. EEI runs an employment testing consortium, and utilities use its batteries to hire lineworkers, plant operators, maintenance trades, technicians and system operators. Every company below says so on its own careers pages. Employers and organisations commonly associated with EEI (Edison Electric Institute) include: Entergy, FirstEnergy, Dominion Energy, PG&E, Tennessee Valley Authority, Exelon, Eversource, Georgia Power, LG&E and KU, Southern California Edison, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation, AEP.

Entergy (Electric Utility): Says it partners with EEI "for several of our employment tests" and names SASS, TECH, CAST, MASS, POSS and POSS/MASS, with a 30-day wait before a second attempt and at most two attempts in twelve months.
FirstEnergy (Electric Utility): States that its required tests "have been developed by the Edison Electric Institute" and publishes brochures for CSR, MASS, MRAB, POSS, SO/PD, SASS, TECH and CAST, the last for lineworker and substation electrician roles.
Dominion Energy (Electric Utility): Uses "the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) test battery for many craft, skilled trades, and technical positions", naming POSS, MASS, TECH and SO/PD II, sat on site. Line Worker candidates sit a HireVue virtual job tryout instead.
PG&E (Electric Utility): Names EEI as "one of our testing partners" for the Power Plant Operator Selection Test (POSS) and the Technical Test (TECH).
Tennessee Valley Authority (Federal Power Corporation): Uses the EEI POSS and MASS for its instrument mechanic, electrical, mechanical, hydro and combustion turbine technician trainee programmes, and provides calculators on the day.
Exelon (Electric Utility): Its hiring process page says "Some positions require passing an Edison Electric Institute (EEI) test", covering its utilities ComEd, PECO, BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric.
Eversource (Electric and Gas Utility): Says "Many of the tests we administer were developed through the Edison Electric Institute" and points candidates to CAST, TECH and SO/PD II preparation material.
Georgia Power (Electric Utility): Southern Company’s Powering Careers site describes the EEI CAST, POSS, MASS, SO/PD II and TECH tests used in Georgia Power hiring and links EEI practice tests.
LG&E and KU (Electric and Gas Utility): Lists which jobs sit which EEI battery: CAST for transmission, distribution, substation and meter work, MASS for plant maintenance trades, POSS for plant and compressor station operators, TECH for technical roles. Candidates not selected because of a test wait 90 days to retest.
Southern California Edison (Electric Utility): Publishes its own information guides for EEI CAST (test 5108) and EEI TECH (test 5107), sat on paper under supervision with no phones or study aids.
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (Electric Cooperative): Says it has partnered with EEI and uses CAST, MASS, POSS and POSS/MASS, with a 15-day wait between attempts and at most two attempts in twelve months.
AEP (Electric Utility): Uses EEI preparation tools for instrument and controls technician, radiation protection technician and utility operator roles at its Cook nuclear plant. Its lineworker and several other roles use HireVue instead.

US Employers That Use EEI

Each guide below is written for candidates applying in the United States, and says what the published evidence actually establishes about that employer, where the source says the assessment sits, and where the source stops short. Every association is backed by a page we opened and cited, and several of them name a vendor without naming a product, which the guides say plainly rather than filling in. Hiring processes change and vary by role, so treat your own invitation as the final word.

Dominion Energy

Dominion Energy assessment guide →

Dominion uses the EEI battery for craft, skilled trades and technical positions, sat on site. Line Worker candidates take a HireVue job tryout instead.

Entergy

Entergy assessment guide →

Entergy partners with EEI for its employment tests, naming CAST, TECH, MASS, POSS, POSS/MASS and SASS, with a 30-day wait between attempts.

Eversource

Eversource assessment guide →

Eversource says many of its employment tests were developed through EEI, and points candidates to CAST, TECH and SO/PD II practice tests.

Exelon

Exelon assessment guide →

Exelon says some positions at ComEd, PECO, BGE, Pepco, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric require passing an EEI test, after a phone or video screen.

FirstEnergy

FirstEnergy assessment guide →

FirstEnergy says its required tests were developed by EEI and publishes brochures for CAST, MASS, POSS, TECH and SO/PD, with CAST for lineworker roles.

Georgia Power

Georgia Power assessment guide →

Georgia Power uses pre-employment testing and points candidates to EEI practice tests for CAST, POSS, MASS, SO/PD II and TECH.

LG&E and KU

LG&E and KU assessment guide →

LG&E and KU list which jobs take CAST, MASS, POSS and TECH, and make you wait 90 days to retake a test if your result kept you from being selected.

PG&E

PG&E names EEI as one of its testing partners, for the Power Plant Operator Selection Test (POSS) and the Technical Test (TECH).

PG&E assessment guide →

Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison assessment guide →

SCE publishes its own guides to EEI CAST (test 5108) and EEI TECH (test 5107), sat on paper under supervision with no phones or study aids.

Tennessee Valley Authority