after CAST testing "they have practice tests online" you will have to come in for a climbing test... one location they made me climb twice... the other location i went in to interview they made me climb 4 times, ground out all 3 phases and untie a phase, float it and hand tie it back and the last was to install a service from pole to box and install all the proper coverup... all this while explaining exactly what your doing.... it all depends on what state, service center makes you climb... AEP SWEPCO was like this... if you cut out any bit your done.. pack your bags and thanks for comming in.... i spent alot of money and time trying to get on with AEP... my first interview with SWEPCO, couldnt have gone any better.... the lineman that sat in on the interview pulled me aside afterwards and said id hire you but its not my decision and the interviewer said excelent job and he hadnt had someone interview that well in a long time... waited and waited and waited months and moths to hear back... 5 months later i get a letter saying sorry but we cancelled this opening... intervied in corpus and I had the same reactions with the interviewers and it was pretty much what service center do you want to work in and lets go out to lunch and spend some time bull****ting...... well while bull ****ting i told them what happend at swepco and he told me AEP needs linemen but they are still waiting for corporate to figure out if AEP can afford us and thats what the long wait with swepco was and told me that i can start pretty much right away but corporate needs to do there stupid annual reports saying they can hire more people... well that was 2 months ago and still havent heard anything back..... both my interviews was just me and one other guy and there were more than one opening for the same spot... hopefully they have there **** figured out now and are actually allowed to hire rather than interviewing with the hopes of corporate allowing them to get more guys... AEP is a great company and wish it worked out with me but oh well... just started an app in NY... good luck to you though... piece of advice, LISTEN and follow to every direction they tell you while you do your climbing.... they dont want cocky douchbags but people that have the ability to follow directions... was told this while doin the climbing test at SWEPCO and thats wut they like about me