Electrical Service Electrician Pre-Hire Assessment

The short answer: First Move Assessment reads what a service electrician reaches for first on a call: the meter and the panel before a part, and whether they stay with the homeowner when the safe fix costs more than the homeowner hoped. It takes the candidate 10 to 20 minutes and starts at $149.

What the Service Electrician seat carries in an electrical contractor

A service electrician walks into a house with a dead circuit, a breaker that keeps tripping or lights that flicker when the dryer runs, and has to find the real fault. The strong ones test before they replace: the meter on the circuit, a look at the panel, the question about what changed in the house last month.

Then the call turns into a conversation. The flickering is an aluminum branch circuit, the panel is a brand with a known failure history, the EV charger the homeowner wants needs a service upgrade. A strong service electrician explains the safe fix and the price plainly, without scaring the customer and without talking down the risk.

Some calls turn up a hazard the homeowner does not want to hear about. Code and your company's safety rules settle what happens next, and the electrician has to explain that plainly while the customer pushes.

Every seat in the trade is listed on the electrical page.

What the standard for this seat measures

Every situation the candidate reads is written from inside this seat, in the trade's own words, and each one asks for the move they would make first. The report gives a seat match from 0 to 100 against the written standard for the Service Electrician seat, with its margin of error printed beside it. It shows where the candidate's instincts line up with the seat and where they pull away, with the interview questions to ask about the gaps and what to listen for in the answers. It does not tell you whom to hire. You make the decision.

For this seat the standard leans hardest on checking before acting and on staying with the customer through the price.

Where the wrong instinct shows up

• The breaker swapped without a test. The breaker gets replaced, the trip comes back, and the damaged cable or failing device that testing would have found is still on the circuit.
• The safety issue softened. The homeowner does not want to hear about the panel, and the electrician lets it go to keep the call pleasant.
• The upgrade nobody priced. The EV charger goes in on a service that cannot carry it, because the load calculation would have meant a harder conversation.
• The permit skipped. The customer asks for it done without a permit to save money, and the electrician says yes.

See our guide to hiring a service electrician.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Service Electrician assessment cost?

One assessment is $149. A 5 Pack is $595, a 10 Pack is $995 ($99.50 a candidate) and a 25 Pack is $1,995 ($79.80 a candidate). The Practice License is $4,950 a year and includes 100 assessments ($49.50 each). Every seat costs the same, and assessments never expire. Your first report is covered by a 30-day refund. Full details are on the pricing page.

How long does it take the candidate?

About 10 to 20 minutes on a phone or a computer, with no app and no account. The candidate link expires 30 days after you send it.

How do I get the report?

You pick the seat and enter the candidate's name and email, and the link goes out. The report lands in your inbox the moment the candidate finishes, and it stays in your account for four years, unless you delete it or close the account.

Does it check electrical code knowledge?

No. Your state license and a troubleshooting board cover knowledge and skill. The assessment reads the instinct on the call that a license does not show.

Can I use it for a licensed electrician moving into service?

Yes. Send the Service Electrician assessment to the electrician you are thinking of moving from construction to service, and compare it with the Install Electrician seat.