Applying for an electrical apprenticeship through NJATC. Took the aptitude test two weeks ago and bombed the algebra section. Got 71% overall, needed 74% to advance. Really frustrated because the reading section went great.
I graduated high school 8 years ago and haven't touched algebra since. The questions I missed were mostly about solving equations with variables and interpreting graphs. How much time do I realistically need to get comfortable with that material again?
Planning to retake in 90 days. Is that enough time to get the math skills back?
90 days is plenty if you're consistent. Start with Khan Academy's algebra basics — an hour a day, 5 days a week. After 4 weeks you'll barely recognize yourself.
Don't neglect the mechanical aptitude section either if your version includes it. Pulleys and levers questions show up and they're easy points if you know the basic formulas.
I went from 68% to 81% in 10 weeks. The graph interpretation questions have a pattern — they always ask about slope, intercepts, or what happens when a variable increases. Practice those specifically.
Man, I feel this. I work full time and I've got two kids, so finding time to study was honestly the hardest part. Algebra was the same wall for me. I hadn't done any of it since high school and the first practice test I took it felt like a different language. What actually worked was just doing 20 or 30 minutes after everyone went to bed, every night, instead of trying to cram on weekends. Small chunks but consistent. I'd keep a few practice questions on my phone and run through them on my lunch break too.
Don't beat yourself up over the 71. You were close, and the math is the part that comes back fast once you start drilling it. Focus on the basics first, solving for x, fractions, ratios, that kind of thing, because the test leans on those way more than the fancy stuff. It took me about six weeks of doing it that way before the algebra section stopped scaring me. You graduated 8 years ago like me so trust me, it does click again. Good luck on the retake.
```Quick update for anyone following along. I retook a full practice test last night and pulled a 79%, which is the first time I've cracked the algebra section without panicking. The trick for me was just grinding the same problem types over and over until the steps felt automatic. Two weeks ago I couldn't tell you what to do with a fraction inside an equation. Now it's muscle memory.
I've got my real exam booked for the 27th, so about three weeks out. Still shaky on word problems and anything with ratios, but I figure if I keep my practice scores in the high 70s I'll clear that 74% with a little room to spare. If you bombed it like I did, don't write yourself off. Eight years out of school and I'm finally getting it, so you can too.
I was in almost the exact same boat, scored a 72 my first try and the algebra section wrecked me. What I changed the second time was simple but it worked. Instead of just reviewing math in general, I drilled the actual question types every day for about 6 weeks. Ratios, solving for x, number series stuff. It's not hard math, it's just math you haven't seen in years, and speed matters way more than you'd think. I also stopped studying passively. No more watching videos and nodding along. I did timed practice problems until the rust came off.
One thing that helped me a ton was doing practice tests instead of textbook chapters, because the format matters. I used a khan academy algebra refresher plus whatever free practice tests I could find, and I even ran through the njatc motor controls stuff since it got me thinking in electrical terms early. Passed with an 84 on my retake. You've got this, the retest wait is annoying but honestly the extra prep time was what saved me.
I was in the exact same spot last year, failed by two points and had to wait six months to retest. What actually helped me wasn't grinding through textbooks -- it was just drilling the specific question types they repeat over and over. Fractions, ratios, and solving for a single variable. That's basically it. Once I stopped trying to relearn all of algebra and focused there, it clicked.
Also don't sleep on the njatc motor controls material while you're prepping -- it showed up more than I expected and it's stuff you can actually learn fast. You've got a 3-point gap which honestly isn't bad, you're close. Two weeks of focused practice on those algebra types and you'll clear it.
Update for anyone following along — I retook a practice run yesterday and scored 81% on the math portion, which honestly shocked me. I've been grinding through algebra review for about three weeks now, mostly just YouTube videos and whatever practice tests I could find online. The njatc motor controls stuff helped me get comfortable with the applied math problems, which was my biggest weakness. It's not as scary once you see the patterns.
Planning to retest in about six weeks. Fingers crossed the real thing goes as well as the practice did.