SDG&E's Hiring Process, Tests, and Interviews

The first step in the SDG&E is to submit an online application on the company website.

After you apply online, you will be given a link to a personality test containing up to 200 questions.

If your personality profile meets the company’s expectations, you will be asked to take either a mechanical test—Blue Battery, an administrative test—Green Battery, a technical test—Red Battery, or an electrical/meter reading & customer contact—Yellow Battery, depending on the applied position. Each of these tests contains different sections and has a different time limit.

SDG&E Sample Questions

Reading Comprehension (Red Battery) Sample Question

In the 1990s, the La Neta computer network was established to link up Mexico's numerous non-governmental organizations. La Neta arrived in 1993 and played a key role in distributing information to Mexico and the world during the Zapatista uprising. Through this network and the wider internet government fax machines were overloaded and large marches in Mexico City were organized in ways that bypassed the state propaganda machine. Government announcements concerning Chiapas were posted on this network and rebutted and classified as propaganda before they were able to gain traction and acceptance.

What did La Neta's network enable?

A. Organizing city marches

B. Manifest government propaganda

C. It created the Zapatista uprising

D. Traction and acceptance

View Explanation

The correct answer is (A).

According to the passage, "Through this network and the wider internet, government fax machines were overloaded, and large marches in Mexico City were organized."

Answer (B) is incorrect as the passage states that La Neta allowed the rebuttal of government propaganda. (C) is incorrect: although, as the passage states, the network played "a key role" in the Zapatista uprising, La Neta did not instigate it. Answer (D) is not mentioned in the passage at all.

The Technical Test—Red Battery is administered by SDG&E to job applicants seeking apprenticeships in engineering, as well as similar SDG&E occupations requiring technical training.

The JobTestPrep prep pack provides all the materials you need to prepare for the exam including 15 Reading Comprehension tests, 9 Mechanical Reasoning tests, A Mechanical study guide and 7 Math word problems tests.

Following Instructions (Yellow Battery) Sample Question

Read the RULE carefully and answer the questions.

RULE

An ingredient having a history of use in cosmetics may at any time have its safety brought into question by new information. A warning printed on the product is required for a product containing such an ingredient unless:

The new information does not demonstrate a hazard to human health; and
Adequate studies are currently being conducted to determine the safety of the ingredient.

If it is discovered that the safety of the ingredient had not been adequately substantiated prior to development of the new information, the FDA must issue a warrant demanding a recall for all products containing said ingredient.

After several reports of Dandelion Facial Soap users experiencing severe sunburns, the FDA decided to conduct a thorough study of the ingredient coded ESS-024 – the only ingredient used exclusively in Dandelion Facial Soap.

According to the RULE:

A. Even if ESS-024’s safety was not adequately substantiated prior to the reports, nothing needs to be done.

B. If ESS-024’s safety was adequately sustained prior to the reports, nothing needs to be done.

C. Even if ESS-024’s safety was adequately substantiated prior to the reports, a warning should be printed on Dandelion Facial Soaps.

D. Even if ESS-024’s safety was adequately substantiated prior to the reports, Dandelion Facial Soaps should be recalled.

View Explanation

The correct answer is (C).

The new information mentioned is the reports of severe sunburns which clearly demonstrate a hazard to human health.

Since one of the conditions of avoiding having the warning printed is that the "new information does not demonstrate a hazard to human health," a warning should be printed on the products; namely, Dandelion Facial Soaps.

You may reason that answer (D) is correct: that the product should be recalled.

However, this is false in light of the beginning of the answer; namely, "Even if ESS-024's safety was adequately substantiated prior to the reports."

The rule clearly states that only if the safety was not adequately substantiated, a recall warrant must be issued.

Solving Tip:

Pay attention to the "connecting words." For instance, the paragraph and clauses have a structure of:

Something happens UNLESS condition #1 AND condition #2

Therefore, the only way for that "something" to not happen is for BOTH conditions to occur.

The Yellow Battery assessment is used for positions such as clerks, meter readers, and customer contact managers.

JobTestPrep Clerical preparation provides all the materials you need to prepare for the exam including: 7 basic math tests, 3 math study guides, 2 following instructions tests, 1 coding tests,8 English tests that cover punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar and 3 Tables and Graphs tests.

Mechanical Comprehension (Blue Battery) Sample Question

Mechanical Comprehension - Gears and Belt Drive

In which direction will the swings tilt?

Mechnical Comprehension Gears and Belt Drive

1. A - Up B - Down.

2. A - Down B - Up.

3. Both Up.

4. Both Down.

View Explanation

When a cog wheel comes in contact with another cog wheel, the spinning direction changes (i.e the direction of the second cog wheel will be opposite to the first).

When 2 cog wheels are connected via a chain or a belt, the spinning direction remains the same.

When we count the number of contact points along a series of cog wheels, we can disregard connections via belts and chains (since they don’t change the spinning direction).

In this question, the route leading to swing A has 3 contact points (disregarding the connection via the belt) and therefore the cog wheel adjacent to swing A spins in a clockwise direction, which in turn tilts swing A in a downwards direction.

The route leading to swing B has also 3 contact points and therefore the last cog wheel spins in a clockwise direction which in turn, tilts swing B in a downwards direction.

Thus, both swings will tilt in a downwards direction.

The Blue Battery is a pre-employment assessment designed for candidates seeking engineering or technical positions

JobTestPrep Mechanical preparation provides all the materials you need to prepare for the exam including 18 Mechanical Reasoning Tests, 4 Basic Math Tests, 3 Math Study Guides, 6 Error Checking, (Visual Accuracy) Tests, and 3 Symbolic Logical Tests.

Provided you score high on your pre-employment test, you will be invited for a face-to-face interview at the company’s offices in San Diego.

Expect to speak to Human Resources managers, engineers, and team leaders. Questions posed in interviews are usually competency-based, though you may also answer technical questions if you are competing for engineering positions.

You will also talk about your work history, professional goals, and the company’s mission. Sometimes, you will be invited for another, full-day interview with upper managers and team leaders who will ask you behavioral and technical questions.

The questions usually asked in face-to-face interviews at SDG&E are as follows:

Tell us about the most interesting project that you worked on.
How do you keep up with advances in technology?
Describe a situation where you had a disagreement within your team. How did you handle this?
Tell us about standards that you have worked with.
What have you heard about our company?
Explain positive, negative, and zero sequences impedance and its importance.

Formulate answers to the above and similar questions before the interview so that you sound knowledgeable and confident when you speak to the company's managers.

Prepare for the SDG&E Hiring Process and Assessment Test

What is the SDG&E Hiring Process?

SDG&E Sample Questions

Reading Comprehension (Red Battery) Sample Question

Following Instructions (Yellow Battery) Sample Question

Mechanical Comprehension (Blue Battery) Sample Question

Mechanical Comprehension - Gears and Belt Drive

SDG&E Job Interview