Sources & Methodology
Every factual claim on this site traces to one of two places: a primary source listed below, or 13 years of first-hand IBEW Local 134 experience — and we tell you which is which.
How this site is written
Sparky AI’s content is written by Michael Briglio, a 13-year IBEW Local 134 journeyman electrician and federally recognized pre-apprenticeship instructor in Chicago. Test-format facts, scoring rules, and application policies come from the official administrators and locals below. Study strategy, interview guidance, and statistics like “roughly 70% of aptitude-test failures are math” come from his direct experience teaching pre-apprentices and placing 100+ students into the IBEW — when a number is from instructor experience rather than a published study, the page says so.
Application-window and pay data on our IBEW locals tracker is verified against each local’s own published pages and re-checked on a schedule — every local page shows its last-verified date rather than pretending to be evergreen.
Official Test Administrators
The organizations that actually write and administer the entrance exams our practice tests mirror.
- electrical training ALLIANCE (formerly NJATC)
The IBEW/NECA training organization that administers the aptitude test used by most IBEW locals. The NJATC renamed itself the electrical training ALLIANCE in 2015 — our test format, timing, and scoring facts trace to its published materials and local JATC testing notices.
- EEI — Edison Electric Institute (CAST)
Publisher of the CAST (Construction and Skilled Trades) battery used by utilities like ComEd, PG&E, and Con Edison. Basis for our CAST practice test and study guide.
Union & Industry Organizations
- IBEW — International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The international union. We use its local-union directory to verify local numbers, jurisdictions, and contact details across our 117-local application-window tracker.
- IBEW Local 134 (Chicago)
Michael's home local and the source of much of the site's first-hand application, testing, and interview detail.
- NECA — National Electrical Contractors Association
The contractor side of the IBEW/NECA partnership that funds and governs apprenticeship training through local JATCs.
- Individual IBEW local JATC / application pages
Application windows, aptitude-test policies, and apprentice wage progressions are verified against each local's own published pages — every local page on our tracker shows its source and last-verified date.
Government Data
- Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)
The federal registered-apprenticeship system — program standards and the sponsor database behind our requirements and how-to-become guides.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Electricians
Federal wage, employment, and job-outlook data used on our salary and career pages.
- OSHA — Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Construction safety standards (29 CFR 1926) referenced in our safety and OSHA-10/30 content.
Code & Technical References
- NFPA 70 — National Electrical Code
Every NEC citation on the site (ampacity, box fill, conduit fill, load calcs, AFCI/GFCI) traces to specific NEC articles and tables. Our answer-accuracy process: asksparkyai.com/nec-accuracy.
Corrections
Spot something wrong or out of date? Email asksparkyai@gmail.com — corrections ship fast, and locals-tracker fixes show a new verified date.
Michael Briglio
IBEW Local 134 Journeyman · Licensed Contractor · IL Educator
Michael started in the IBEW at 18 and made foreman as a 3rd-year apprentice. Thirteen years in, he’s a Local 134 journeyman, a licensed electrical contractor, a licensed Illinois teacher, and OSHA 30 and EPA 608 certified. He teaches a federally recognized pre-apprenticeship on the south side of Chicago — where he’s helped 100+ students get into the IBEW. He built Sparky AI around exactly what the NJATC exam tests and what trips people up. Prep with this and you walk in ready.
Facts on this page trace to primary sources or first-hand IBEW Local 134 experience — see sources & methodology.