PG&E Pre-Employment Test Preparation: Key Strategies and Tips

Entering a resourceful multinational corporate almost guarantees bright future prospects. Successful companies like PG&E offer impeccable employee benefits and training for all their workers. The generous welfare makes a seat at PG&E highly competitive.

Whether you are applying for an administrative role or an IT position, you must undergo its unique pre-employment test. If you are considering a job at PG&E, this is the study guide you will need to familiarize yourself with the algorithm.

About PG&E

Headquartered in San Francisco, PG&E is a utility company with over 100 years of history. Its annual revenue exceeded USD 21 billion in 2021. With 26,000 employees worldwide, PG&E has its business scopes spanning multiple fields.

The leading electricity firm is renowned for its new energy supply. Most of its production lines are centralized and under control by the corporate. PG&E takes stringent measures to ensure talents are assigned according to their potential.

Workers in PG&E enjoy outstanding remuneration packages and benefits, including paid overseas training, family medical and dental care, childcare support, pension scheme, etc. There are also company retreats in some offices and departments.

What Is the PG&E Pre-Employment Test?

Depending on the job, different pre-employment tests will be sent to candidates. These tests quantitatively measure your skills and rank you against other applicants. High-performing candidates will be invited to a phone interview, followed by a physical interview.

According to PG&E, there will be four online pre-employment tests. They are:

1. Physical Test Battery (PTB)
2. Industrial Skills Test (IST)
3. Clerical Test Battery (CTB)
4. Work Orientation Inventory (WOI) tests

Candidates will receive the respective invitations to one or more of these tests. Once you get your login details, you have five days to complete the test. Calculators are not permitted. You have to use pen and paper for the draft.

The difficulty level for these tests is fairly average. PG&E uses these tests to ensure applicants have the basic skill set required for the job. These tests are not advanced employment tests to filter out the final candidates. Rather, they are the entry test to let in qualified candidates.

1. Physical Test Battery (PTB)

Out of all the online pre-employment tests, the PTB is the shortest one with only two components. The two components are numerical ability and space visualization.

The first section, which is the numerical ability, consists of 75 questions. These questions get progressively more difficult. There are questions involving the use of decimals and fractions. You will also exercise your mechanical knowledge in some parts as well.

In the space visualization section, there are 50 questions about blocks. These blocks are piled and organized differently. It is the candidate’s responsibility to visualize the 3D x-ray structure of these blocks and how they are spatially constructed. For example, you have to determine which block can substitute as a pillar according to its shape and size.

2. Industrial Skills Test (IST)

The IST is a standardized aptitude test for all potential employees. It evaluates your fluency in mechanical and problem-solving knowledge. The test includes reading comprehension, charts and figures, and mechanical principles.

In the reading comprehension section, you answer 25 multiple-choice questions based on the information. The charts and figures part constitutes another 25 multiple-choice questions with basic calculations. The time limit for the first two parts is 30 minutes.

Finally, the last section is mechanical principles, which has 36 multiple-choice questions. It assesses your knowledge of mechanical applications and properties. You have 20 minutes to complete this part.

3. Clerical Test Battery (CTB)

As opposed to what the name suggests, the CTB test is not given to administrative roles. Instead, it is primarily given to frontline workers and junior clerks. PG&E believes in a fair work environment where employees can exchange their skills and apply them elsewhere later.

The CTB test is a basic numerical reasoning test. It measures a candidate’s basic mathematical understanding to solve any hands-on issues at work. It revolves around the calculations and computation meter readers and clerk members would face.

Passing the CTB test not only means a frontline worker is capable of the job but also provides a safety net for the worker to transfer their skills to another department.

4. Work Orientation Inventory (WOI)

The WOI is a preliminary test in your entire hiring process at PG&E. It covers your knowledge of safety protocols, driving, customer service, and teamwork, whichever one is applicable to your position.

There is no calculation or abstract question in this test. The WOI is simple and straightforward compared to other tests. Instead of choosing the right answer, the test specifically asks you to choose the “best” answer. Candidates should utilize their common sense to judge the most appropriate answer.

How to Prepare for the PG&E Pre-Employment Test?

1. Take the Exam Now

Preparing for the PG&E pre-employment test can be unbearably stressful. Usually, the moment you start the test is the first time you get to see the whole set. You are left unprepared before it. There is a smarter way to complement your dedicated studying.

Join JobTestPrep to unlock the full study guides, practice tests, and performance analysis to understand your strengths and weaknesses.

By attempting these tests repeatedly, you will grow a strong understanding of the requirements for each section. The platform offers 24/7 customer support and instant download of your study notes.

2. Use Your Logical Deduction Skills

Getting fixated on matching the answer to the choices can be a big time-waster. A quicker way to tackle questions you are not familiar with is to logically deduct the wrong answers. All of the questions are multiple-choice based.

Some of the answers can clearly unfit for the category. Logically eliminating some choices can often leave you with one answer only.

When dealing with the mathematical questions, try to reconstruct the scenario with a simpler structure and easily calculable numbers. Then, you can use the answer to project how this ratio can apply to the actual question.

3. Do Not Overthink it

A lot of the questions can be solved by exercising your common sense. In the reading comprehension, safety protocols, and other assumption-type questions, the most logical answer is often the correct one.

You should keep in mind that the online tests are handed out at the early stage in the hiring process. They are not considered the advanced tests. Passing these tests mostly shows you have the minimum skill set needed to have satisfactory performance at work.

Therefore, you should expect these tests to be reasonably designed. There is no need to overthink each answer.

4. Time Yourself

Despite the fair difficulty, candidates will still find themselves struggling to complete the test on time without practice. Many of the sections are packed with numerous questions within a tight timeframe.

At each of your trial tests, you should time yourself for each question. Timing each question separately allows you to see clearly your best and weakest sections. You should formulate your study plan according to it.

Allowing yourself a shorter time limit than the test is another great way to push yourself. If you can perform at the standards you set, you will have no problem finishing each test on time.

5. Study as Early as Possible

Start your revision as soon as you can. Right when you decide to apply for the role, you should start preparing for the pre-employment tests. It gives you an edge and extra time to excel. Out-performing other candidates can effectively put you higher on the list, which is something you can use to your benefit in the interviews.

Break down your study session so you do not cramp everything until the last day. Spread it out over a few days or weeks if possible. Leaving yourself with more room to wiggle with is crucial in case of emergency and you cannot study during some days.

Ideally, you should put your weakness link in the beginning so you can have the most time gaining the respective skill.

Summary

Fresh graduates and seasoned talents all want a job at PG&E. You will be exposed to countless incredible opportunities and guaranteed promotions. Gaining a place at this industry giant is not easy.

The first step is to pass these online pre-employment tests. To stay competitive, get yourself the best advantage with the JobTestPrep practice test.