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

Shakey

Mark, let me get this straight

you are saying you sat the 2391 theory exam on a wednesday night?

how?

the exam is on a thursday evening, about 5 or 6 times a year

what date did you sit the exam?

have you got the day wrong?

markaj

Yes sorry Shakey it was a thursday you are quite right, trouble is trying to remember everything you have done in a short span of time , i am just trying to explain what you have to do on these four week intense courses, i thought the exam was going to be worse than it was. fingers crossed i passed

Mark

Shakey

hey no problems Mark, its always good to have feedback on these courses

the results were out yesterday for the last but one exam (07 Feb), the March exam will be a while yet, can be up to 42 working days

if you passed (considering the pass rate is currently around 33%) then well done

and if not, bang straight back in and try again

Cirrus

Am I right in thinking the pass mark is so low through colleges Shakey but much, much higher through private centres?

Bane

We all know that at my school there's currently a 100% pass mark

*Re-reads last part of cirrus's 'comments'

""Through my private centres???"

Cirrus

Perv!

Shakey

cant quote exact figures Cirrus, but leasts be honest, if you pay about a grand to a private firm for ANY course, you are REALLY going to want to pass it

plus with any decent private training provider you will be in small class sizes, which is always better

markaj

There was about 14 in our class,The highest failure rate was 3 in the part P module 1.
2 in 17th edition (passed retest),
2 failed PAT again both passed the retest
Dont know about 2391 not had results back

Like Shakey says, if you are willing to pay that much money you must be a bit of a twat not to work your balls off to pass

Mark

engee

I Am Thinking Of Doing This Course Too Would U Think It Was Worth The Money.