POSS / MASS / TECH tests are EEI pre-employment exams used by utilities to screen candidates for plant, maintenance, and technical jobs. Know which test fits the job, what sections you will face, and how to prep before the hiring process cuts you loose.
POSS, MASS, and TECH are part of the Edison Electric Institute testing program. EEI says its employment tests are validated for energy industry job families and offered through paper, computer, and testing center delivery options.
Utilities use these tests before interviews, offers, or physical testing. They are not line school exams. They are hiring filters.
For power line workers, the more common EEI exam is CAST, especially for lineworker, substation electrician, and similar field roles. FirstEnergy lists CAST for “Lineworker, Substation Electrician and other similar positions,” while POSS, MASS, and TECH are listed for plant and technician tracks.
| Test | Full name | Common jobs | Main skills tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| POSS | Plant Operator Selection System | Plant operator, control room trainee | Reading, math, mechanical concepts, figural reasoning |
| MASS | Power Plant Maintenance Positions Selection System | Plant mechanic, electrical maintenance, I&C maintenance | Mechanical concepts, math, reading, assembling objects |
| TECH | Technician Occupations Selection System | Utility technician, technical field roles | Graphic problem solving, mechanical reasoning, interpreting technical information |
NextEra lists TECH, CAST, MASS, and POSS among its sample employment tests for utility hiring.
The POSS test screens plant operator candidates. That means fossil, nuclear, hydro, or other generation jobs where you read procedures, track equipment status, and work around pumps, valves, breakers, alarms, and control boards.
A common POSS outline includes 118 to 146 multiple-choice questions with about 67 to 77 minutes of testing time, depending on the version. Sections include reading comprehension, mechanical concepts, mathematical usage, and figural reasoning.
The math is fast. The mechanical section uses pulleys, gears, levers, ramps, pressure, and motion. The reading section feels like utility procedure language, not jobsite small talk.
The MASS test is for power plant maintenance positions. Think mechanics, electricians, welders, instrument techs, and maintenance trainees inside generating stations.
A common MASS format includes:
Those section counts and time limits are reported by current EEI test prep providers.
For a linehand moving toward substation or plant maintenance, MASS rewards the same habits that keep you alive around energized equipment: read the whole instruction, track the drawing, and do not assume the answer because it “looks right.”
The TECH test screens technical occupations. Utilities use it for technician jobs that require reading diagrams, solving mechanical problems, and working through technical information under a clock.
This test is not about climbing, rubber gloving, hot sticking, or framing a pole. It checks whether you can process technical material fast enough for training.
TECH matters for candidates chasing utility technician openings, meter work, relay-adjacent support roles, communications, or field technical jobs where the employer wants aptitude before training dollars get spent.
Do not study like this is a code book exam. Study speed, accuracy, and pattern recognition.
Use this prep order:
TVA tells applicants that preparing can improve performance and notes calculators are provided during testing. It also points candidates to EEI practice materials for POSS and MASS.
If you are applying for a lineworker job, ask which EEI test is required. Many utilities use CAST for lineworker and substation electrician roles, not POSS / MASS / TECH tests.
That matters. CAST leans toward construction and skilled trades aptitude. POSS leans plant operations. MASS leans maintenance. TECH leans technician work.
Do not waste a week studying the wrong battery. Read the job posting, check the testing email, and match your prep to the exact test name.
No. CAST is more common for lineworker, substation electrician, and skilled trade field jobs. POSS, MASS, and TECH are usually tied to plant, maintenance, and technician job families.
Some employers provide calculators during testing. TVA specifically says calculators will be provided for its selection testing.
The utility sets the retest rule. Some make you wait months before trying again. Treat the first attempt like it counts, because it does.
The timed math and mechanical sections give people the most trouble. Not because the math is advanced, but because the clock is tight.
POSS / MASS / TECH tests are hiring gates. Pass the right one, then chase the right call.
For lineworker, apprentice, groundman, substation, transmission, distribution, and underground openings, search the relevant job feed on PowerLinemanJobs.com.