Free Practice Questions for EEI CAST

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Key Facts: EEI CAST Exam

110

Multiple-choice items on CAST

EEI CAST Test Brochure

87 min

Timed testing on CAST (30 + 20 + 30 + 7)

EEI CAST Test Brochure

Separately timed tests

EEI CAST Test Brochure

1-10

Index score range

EEI CAST Test Brochure

105

Work Preferences Inventory items on CAST-R

EEI CAST-R Test Brochure

EEI

Test publisher; employers arrange testing

EEI Industry Training & Testing page

CAST has 110 multiple-choice items in four timed tests: Graphic Arithmetic (16 items, 30 minutes), Mechanical Concepts (44 items, 20 minutes), Reading for Comprehension (32 items, 30 minutes), and Mathematical Usage (18 items, 7 minutes). Scores combine into a 1-10 index, and the hiring company arranges testing. This free bank offers independent four-option practice in each area as a study aid, not an official-format simulation.

Sample EEI CAST Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the EEI CAST exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In a first-class lever, where is the fulcrum positioned relative to the effort force and the load?

A.The load is located between the fulcrum and the effort force

B.The effort force is located between the fulcrum and the load

C.The fulcrum is located between the effort force and the load

D.The fulcrum and the load are located at the exact same point

Explanation: A first-class lever has its fulcrum positioned between the effort force and the resistance (load). Common trade examples include a crowbar, seesaw, and standard pliers, where the pivot sits between the applied force and the work being done.

2Which statement is always true regarding the mechanical advantage (MA) of an ideal second-class lever, such as a wheelbarrow?

A.The mechanical advantage is always greater than 1

B.The mechanical advantage is always less than 1

C.The mechanical advantage is always exactly equal to 1

D.The mechanical advantage depends only on the weight of the load

Explanation: In a second-class lever, the load is located between the fulcrum and the effort force. Because the effort arm (distance from fulcrum to effort) is always longer than the load arm (distance from fulcrum to load), the mechanical advantage (effort arm / load arm) is always greater than 1, meaning less effort is needed to lift the load.

3A utility technician uses a 15-inch pipe wrench to loosen a stuck valve stem. If a second 30-inch pipe wrench is used instead, what effect does the longer handle have on the force required to generate the same torque?

A.The required force is doubled

B.The required force increases by four times

C.The required force remains unchanged

D.The required force is cut in half

Explanation: Torque is calculated as Force multiplied by distance (lever arm length), or T = F x d. If the distance d is doubled from 15 inches to 30 inches, the applied force F required to produce the identical torque is reduced by half (F = T / d).

4A lineworker uses a heavy pry bar as a first-class lever to lift an 800-pound transformer off a pad. The fulcrum is positioned 1 foot from the transformer, and the lineworker applies downward force at a handle position 4 feet from the fulcrum. Neglecting the weight of the bar, how much downward force must be applied to balance the load?

A.400 pounds

B.200 pounds

C.800 pounds

D.100 pounds

Explanation: By the law of the lever, Effort x Effort Arm = Load x Load Arm. Here, Effort x 4 ft = 800 lbs x 1 ft. Solving for Effort gives Effort = 800 / 4 = 200 pounds.

5Why are third-class levers, such as tweezers, safety tongs, or a crane boom, used in mechanical applications if their mechanical advantage is always less than 1?

A.They reverse the direction of motion while eliminating all frictional resistance

B.They multiply the distance and speed moved by the load at the expense of force

C.They store mechanical potential energy indefinitely without continuous effort

D.They allow an operator to exert less force than the actual weight of the load

Explanation: Third-class levers have the effort applied between the fulcrum and the load. While they require an effort force greater than the load (mechanical advantage < 1), a small movement of the effort produces a much larger, faster movement at the load end, maximizing speed, reach, and precision.

6To increase the mechanical advantage of a crowbar when prying up a heavy concrete conduit cover, which adjustment should the technician make?

A.Move the fulcrum closer to the technician's hands

B.Shorten the overall length of the crowbar handle

C.Apply the effort force closer to the pivot point

D.Move the fulcrum closer to the conduit cover

Explanation: Mechanical advantage for a lever equals the effort arm divided by the load arm. Moving the fulcrum closer to the load (conduit cover) shortens the load arm and lengthens the effort arm, substantially increasing the mechanical advantage and reducing the force required from the technician.

7A compound lever mechanism inside a heavy-duty cable crimper uses two stages: the first lever stage provides a mechanical advantage of 4:1, and the second connected lever stage provides an advantage of 6:1. Neglecting friction, what is the total mechanical advantage delivered at the crimping jaws?

A.24:1

B.10:1

C.2:1

D.1.5:1

Explanation: In compound machine systems, the overall mechanical advantage is the product of the individual stage advantages. Here, total MA = MA1 x MA2 = 4 x 6 = 24:1. An applied hand force of 10 pounds results in 240 pounds of compressive force at the jaws.

8A horizontal utility pole crossarm acts as a cantilever beam supporting heavy electrical insulators and conductors at its outer tip. Where is the maximum bending stress experienced along the crossarm?

A.At the exact midpoint between the pole and the outer tip

B.At the outer tip directly beneath the insulator mount

C.At the root where the crossarm attaches to the utility pole

D.Uniformly distributed with equal stress at every point along the beam

Explanation: In a cantilever beam supported at one end and loaded at the free end, bending moment equals force times distance from the load point (M = F x x). The moment arm is greatest at the fixed attachment point (the root at the pole), resulting in the maximum bending moment and highest tensile and compressive stresses at that connection.

9A lineworker rigs a single fixed pulley at the top of a utility pole to hoist a crossarm. What is the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) of this rigging setup?

A.2

B.3

C.0.5

D.1

Explanation: A single fixed pulley changes only the direction of the applied pulling force and has an ideal mechanical advantage of 1. It provides no force reduction, so hoisting a 100-pound load requires pulling with 100 pounds of force (plus friction).

10How does adding a single movable pulley to a hoisting line change the lifting effort compared to using a single fixed pulley?

A.It doubles the required pulling force because the rope must travel twice as far

B.It halves the pulling force because two rope strands share the load

C.It eliminates the need for rope travel while keeping the required force the same

D.It quadruples the lifting speed without changing the required pulling force

Explanation: A single movable pulley moves with the load and is supported by two parts of line. Because the weight of the load is divided equally between the two supporting strands, the effort required to lift the load is cut in half (IMA = 2).

About the EEI CAST Exam

The EEI Construction and Skilled Trades Selection System (CAST) is a battery of aptitude tests that electric companies, including public power utilities such as Seattle City Light, use to select candidates for construction and skilled trades jobs such as lineworker. OpenExamPrep offers 100 free, independent practice questions on its four areas. They are four-option, text-based study questions written by OpenExamPrep, not official EEI items or a simulation of the pictured test format.

Exam sponsor: Edison Electric Institute (test publisher); hiring companies arrange and administer testing. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Four separately timed tests. Official Mechanical Concepts items are pictures with three answer choices, and Graphic Arithmetic and Mathematical Usage items include an N (none of these) choice. This bank is a four-option, text-based MCQ study adaptation, not a simulation of the official test format.

Time Limit

87 minutes (CAST); 110 minutes (CAST-R)

Passing Score

No universal cut score; component scores combine into a 1-10 index score

Exam / Certification Fees

No candidate fee published (testing is arranged by the hiring company)

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published by EEI. EEI scores each test by number correct with no guessing penalty and combines the results into an index score from 1 to 10 that predicts success in construction and skilled trades jobs. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

EEI Industry Training & Testing (Employment Testing Consortium) · Source checked 2026-10-02States that EEI does not administer its employment tests directly to applicants or give results to applicants.
EEI Test Battery Descriptions (PDF) · Source checked 2026-10-02
EEI CAST Test Brochure (PDF hosted by PSEG) · Source checked 2026-10-02EEI brochure listing the four CAST tests, item counts, time limits, and 1-10 index scoring.
EEI CAST-R Test Brochure (PDF hosted by Southern Company) · Source checked 2026-10-022020 EEI brochure for CAST-R, including the Work Preferences Inventory and calculator use on Graphic Arithmetic.
Seattle City Light Apprenticeship Hiring Process · Source checked 2026-10-02Public power example: links the EEI CAST brochure, practice test, and SkillBuilder through a shared login.
EEI Online Products Login · Source checked 2026-10-02Practice materials portal; access credentials come from the hiring company.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

40%

Mechanical Concepts

44 items in 20 minutes. Each item pictures a mechanical situation and offers three answer choices on principles such as levers, pulleys, gears, friction, fluids, and simple circuits.

29%

Reading for Comprehension

32 items in 30 minutes, based on four reading passages, each followed by several multiple-choice questions.

16%

Mathematical Usage

18 items in 7 minutes on basic math problems that use information given at the start of the test (CAST only; CAST-R uses the Work Preferences Inventory instead).

15%

Graphic Arithmetic

16 items in 30 minutes based on two drawings or prints, asking for missing dimensions, distances, and areas.

Preparing for the EEI CAST Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No universal cut score; component scores combine into a 1-10 index score
Assessment: Four separately timed tests. Official Mechanical Concepts items are pictures with three answer choices, and Graphic Arithmetic and Mathematical Usage items include an N (none of these) choice. This bank is a four-option, text-based MCQ study adaptation, not a simulation of the official test format.
Time limit: 87 minutes (CAST); 110 minutes (CAST-R)
Exam / certification fees: No candidate fee published (testing is arranged by the hiring company) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 100 available questions
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EEI CAST: Suggested Study Strategy

1Pace Mechanical Concepts: 44 items in 20 minutes leaves about 27 seconds per item.

2Mathematical Usage gives 18 items in only 7 minutes, so drill quick conversions using the equivalents the test provides.

3On Graphic Arithmetic, write each missing dimension as total length minus the known parts before choosing an answer.

4Answer reading questions from the passage itself, and watch for conditions such as unless, only, and except.

5There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question before time runs out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the format of the EEI CAST test?

CAST has four separately timed tests with 110 multiple-choice items: Graphic Arithmetic (16 items, 30 minutes), Mechanical Concepts (44 items, 20 minutes), Reading for Comprehension (32 items, 30 minutes), and Mathematical Usage (18 items, 7 minutes). EEI says the battery can be administered in about two hours.

What is the difference between CAST and CAST-R?

CAST-R (Construction and Skilled Trades Selection System – Revised) keeps Graphic Arithmetic, Mechanical Concepts, and Reading for Comprehension but replaces Mathematical Usage with a 105-item, 30-minute Work Preferences Inventory about work style. Ask the hiring company which version you will take.

How is CAST scored, and what is the passing score?

Each test is scored by the number of questions answered correctly, with no penalty for guessing. EEI combines the component scores into an index score from 1 to 10 that predicts success in construction and skilled trades jobs. EEI does not publish a universal passing score or pass rate.

How do I sign up for the CAST test, and is there a fee?

You cannot register with EEI directly. EEI does not administer its employment tests to applicants, so you take CAST only when a company that uses it invites you during hiring. EEI does not publish a candidate fee; ask the hiring company about any costs.

Can I use a calculator on CAST?

EEI's CAST-R brochure says a calculator is permitted on the Graphic Arithmetic test. EEI's brochures do not address calculator use on the other tests, so follow the instructions in your testing invitation.

Do these practice questions look like the real CAST items?

No. These are independent four-option, text-based study questions written by OpenExamPrep. On the real test, Mechanical Concepts items are pictures with three answer choices, and Graphic Arithmetic and Mathematical Usage items include an N (none of these) choice. Use the free EEI brochure and practice tests your hiring company provides to see the official format.