Math for the Trades

All Carpenters must have a functional understanding of math which includes: general, fractions, decimals, measurements, perimeter, area and volume calculations.

Apprentice Applicants are required to pass Math Tests without using a calculator prior to beginning their apprenticeship. Apprentices are required to do construction math (dealing with Feet and Inches) in every class with and without a calculator.

This page includes an Apprentice Applicant Math Study Guide for those thinking about getting into the carpentry trade. It also includes a Study Guide for Carpentry Math for Apprentices and Journeymen to practice their math skills prior to taking classes that may have construction math embedded into the class.

We would strongly encourage you to review basic mathematics or take some online courses, such as Khan Academy’s courses in:

Whole Number: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Fractions: defining, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing
Decimals: adding and subtracting, multiplying and dividing, converting to fractions and converting fractions to decimals
Percentages: calculating, adding, dividing, converting to decimal, converting decimals to percentages

Khan Academy is a program that anyone can use at no cost. Just create a profile and you can utilize the features needed to improve your math skills.