Do Electricians Need to be Good at Math?
A common question that people have when they’re considering the electrical trade as a career path is whether or not electricians need to be good at math.
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In order to even begin the process of becoming an electrician, you’ll likely need to pass an aptitude test upon applying for an apprenticeship program. Most IBEW locals require you to pass an aptitude test as a part of the application process. These aptitude tests typically consist of two parts (reading comprehension and math). While the math portion of this test typically isn’t too difficult, some people do struggle passing it on their first try. The idea with these aptitude tests is that if you’re able to pass them, then you have the basic fundamental math and reading skills needed to make it through your apprenticeship program and ultimately be successful as an electrician. For more information on the aptitude test click here.
Unless you become something like a project manager, master electrician, or an electrical engineer, it could be argued that you’ll use math the most during career while you’re going through your apprenticeship. This is because a huge part of your electrician apprenticeship consists of in classroom schooling and homework, and a good portion of your schoolwork can be quite math intensive.
Here’s a list of some things that you’ll use math for during your apprenticeship:
Solving for and manipulating Ohm’s Law
Series, parallel, and combination circuits
Calculating fault currents
Sizing conductors (calculating ampacity) and overcurrent protection devices
Calculating conduit fill
AC Theory (calculating power factor, inductive reactance, etc)
Here’s something to keep in mind. While it’s true that some of the math during your apprenticeship can get fairly complicated, things start out relatively simple. As you progress through your apprenticeship, you’ll build on concepts that you’ve previously learned. So as long as you’re putting in the work to understand different math concepts as you’re being taught them, you’ll have a solid foundation to build on as you progress. In the IBEW, there are often times tutors available along with other resources that you can use to help you understand concepts that you’re having a difficult time grasping.
A fantastic resource that every apprentice and journeyman should have is an Ugly’s Electrical References book. These are incredibly helpful resources to have that can make the math side of being an electrician much easier. It’s a very small investment for something that can make your life as an electrician much easier.
Of course, as an electrician you’re going to be using math on the job as well. Here’s a short list of some things that electricians use math for out in the field:
Taking measurements
Bending conduit
Sizing conductors
Calculating conduit fill
Sizing OCPD (circuit breakers and fuses)
Typically, the type of math that electricians do out in the field is relatively simple. There are also a lot of great resources that make math out in the field very simple.
Here’s a list of some resources that can assist you with math in the field:
Ugly’s Electrical References (as previously mentioned)
At the end of the day, asking yourself whether or not you’re good enough at math to become an electrician is the wrong question. Instead, ask yourself, “Am I willing to put in the time and energy that it’s going to take to learn the skills necessary to be successful in this trade, despite my struggles with math?” If your answer to this question is “yes”, then regardless where you’re currently at with your math skills, you absolutely can become an electrician.
See Mad Electrician’s video “Do Electricians Need to be Good at Math?” for an in depth answer to this question.
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