Originally Posted by markaj

Hi all I recently attended the technique training course near Chesterfield, I am not brand new to electricity and completed a 14 week domestic installers course through work many moons ago, i have changed consumer units added lights and sockets to existing circuits, complete rewiring, installed underfloor heating, and fitted showers etc. I dont class myself as an electrician, more a domestic installer.

Now a bit about the course.

WEEK 1

The cost for a 4 week course is approx £3500, which includes all your course work exams tea coffee and buffet lunch and of course you first tool kit, which consists of a screwdriver set some side cutters pliers hammer tape and an AVI, not alot for three and a half grand,
The first week is spent in the classroom learning about Ohmes law and various electrical calculations, resistors in parallel and series etc etc, mainly DC but also touching on AC and 3 phase, near the end of the week you get to work on a circuit board putting all you have learnt into practice (dc only).

WEEK 2

This week is much better you get to work in bays wiring things up, normal practice applies make sure everything is dead and isolated (checks with avi etc)
The first task is a single switched light, once this is complete you carry out the relevant tests, continuity of cpc,insulation resistance, etc, next is a two way lighting circuit, then relevant testing, then an intermediate lighting circuit, then a ring main then a cooker circuit then a fused spur then add a new socket to the existing ring.
Once this is complete you carry out a full test of the system using a multitester and by calculations, filling out the schedule of test results as you go along.

Week 3

On the Monday you spend the day doing portable appliance testing theory and practical and complete a 20 question exam at the end of the day, very easy but extreamley boring.
Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday are spent with your head in the 17th edition book, and taking mock exams ready for the exam on Thursday afternoon, I referenced my book as we went along but found it took me longer to look for the refence i had written on little post it notes than it did looking though the books index etc,
I passed the exam ,
Friday is the start of the 2391 theory exam preperation.

Week 4

2391 theory all day Monday, Tuesday half day practical on 230 ac and 400v 3 phase then mock exams in the afternoon followed by another one as homework.
Wednesday, mock exams in the morning followed by the real deal at night, ( i think i nailed it still waiting for results)
Thursday consited of Part P modules 3-18, if you passed these then you could have a go at module 2, I passed all of them (pat myself on the back)
Friday Morning is dedicated to module one, with friday afternoon taking the exam i though this was going to be a piece of **** as were 2-18, but i was in for a wake up call, i was under the impression that all the answers could be found in the electricians guide, buggered if i could find them i had to keep raising my hand and asking for the relevant part, ie part M disability etc, and when you have 20 questions in 40 mins you dont want to be wasting time asking for documents, any way i achieved 18 out of 20 and passed.

Conclusion.

I know this looks like all they do is teach you to pass exams and to some extent this is true, but it also teaches you where to find out any information you may need, and to help you. It also teaches what is right and wrong, how to calculate voltage drop diversity, working out r1 r2, ip coding. I am not saying it makes you an electrician because it doesn't, i am not saying if you have not had any electrical experience or building experience whether you be capable of working as a domestic installer, but i do think it will give a good grounding and a good entry point.
It is quite expensive but no more so than any of the others i looked at, the instructors are all very well versed in the subjects they teach and the are a good laugh.
I am sorry if this is not enough detail for some people but all you have to do is ask me a question and i will answer it as best i can, anyway i need to give my fingers a rest now, (I have booked my 2391 practical exam for June) so good luck to me

Mark