Guides
Deep references for UA apprenticeship aptitude test applicants. Every guide is written by someone who passed the UA aptitude test on his first attempt, and every topic is calibrated to what UA locals commonly test on.
Test day
What happens when you actually sit the test.
What to expect on the UA aptitude test
The arc of test day, the hour-three wall, how to prep when your local may test differently.
Open guide →Start here — intro to the site and the test
Short orientation to what UA aptitude testing looks like and how this site can help.
Open guide →Study techniques that actually work
How to prep for pencil-and-paper timed testing when you don't have unlimited hours to study.
Open guide →Trade math
The math a plumber uses and UA tests commonly assess. Pencil-and-paper, no calculator.
Trade math — library overview
The full trade-math section: tape measure, fractions, square feet, cubic feet, perimeter.
Open guide →How to read a tape measure to 1/16 inch
Tick-mark hierarchy, worked examples, interactive ruler, and three practice reads.
Open guide →Adding, subtracting, multiplying & dividing fractions
Common denominators, improper fractions, mixed numbers. Four worked operations and a 4-question quiz.
Open guide →Calculating total square feet
Area of rectangles, triangles, circles, and composite shapes like L-shaped rooms.
Open guide →Calculating total cubic feet
Volume of boxes and cylinders, plus the unit conversions (1 cu ft = 1,728 cu in ≈ 7.48 gallons) plumbers use daily.
Open guide →Perimeter of shapes and objects
Rectangles, triangles, circles (circumference), and composite outlines like L-shaped decks.
Open guide →More guides coming
This library grows each week. If there's a topic your UA local tests on that we don't cover yet, email support@uatestprep.com and it goes in the queue.