NEIEP Interview Questions - How to Get them Right [2026]

The NEIEP interview is a standardized interview, meaning that every candidate gets the same questions. This is important for you as the applicant, as you can better know how to prepare for your interview.

The interview takes between 15 and 25 minutes. You will be interviewed by two interviewers – a representative of the NEIEP and a representative of the employer, each asking about half of the questions.

During your elevator union (IUEC) interview, you will be asked questions based on the 7 responsibilities of the apprentice:

• Perform diligently and professionally
• Abide by working rules
• Attend the required hours of instruction and OJL (On-the-Job Learning)
• Maintain proper records of their work and of any professional training they undergo during their apprenticeship
• Observe all the relevant safety rules
• Act ethically
• Adhere to other policies established by the JAC or the IUEC

You can find more information on the NEIEP Apprenticeship Standards (p. 8).

The questions that you will be asked during your interview are there to establish that you are aware of these responsibilities and that you have the proper personality traits to be an elevator mechanic (in other words, that you are a disciplined and responsible person).

In addition, you will be asked about your educational background, your level of technical aptitude, your personal qualities, and your ability to work safely.

Here are the 4 steps to ace your elevator union interview:

As the first step of your preparation, you should research your potential employers. Elevator mechanics are typically employed by one of several large companies, such as Schindler, ThyssenKrupp, OTIS, or WMATA. You should be broadly familiar with the employer's operations, their scope, and the type of work they do.

The qualities that employers will look for in a potential apprentice elevator mechanic are those associated with the ability to work professionally in a technical workplace.

In a sense, the NEIEP interview is meant to perform as a personality test in detecting those qualities, such as thoroughness, perseverance, technical skills, and the ability to work in a team.

A major part of the elevator union interview is safety. Workplace safety has been a growing concern for companies in recent years, especially in the context of employees working with machinery such as elevators.

For this reason, candidates for elevator industry apprenticeships are advised to give the most safety-oriented answers possible during the interview, as well as remind their interviewers where feasible that they're safety oriented (though you probably don't want to harp on it in every answer!).

When you are preparing for the NEIEP interview, it's important to think in advance about how you would answer typical questions, such as questions about your work experience, personal difficulties you've overcome, or your general levels of technical knowledge.

Thinking about answers in advance and considering typical questions would help you provide better answers, and, almost as importantly, appear calm and collected during the interview.

Another great tip is to make a list of successful past experiences in the workplace (in your mind...) – a problem you were able to solve (shows technical skills), a hard obstacle you overcame (demonstrates perseverance), and adherence to rules, procedures, and safety laws.

That way, you will not be caught by surprise if you are asked to back up your statements about yourself with an example.

The Complete Elevator Union Apprenticeship Preparation provides you with prep material for both the EIAT (Elevator Industry Aptitude Test) and the NEIEP interview.

Interested in practicing for your assessment? try the following free IBEW Math and Reading Comprehension practice questions.