What the hell has happened to the 18th edition course

[Creamy Goodne5]

So I decided to do my 18th edition after needing to renew my ecs card and they wouldn’t until I Did it.

My company decided to put me on the 4 day course becuase they thought it had a higher pass rate and they said they will go through the book and exam questions better

Well I’m into day 3 and the guy has literally just read the book out from page to page with a 400 slide PowerPoint giving a guide on main points on each page, has not gone through a single mock question yet and has said he won’t until just before the test. £699 to have a guy read to me for 3 friggin days?

Is this what the course is like nowadays, the 17th I did had about a day of going through the main points of the book and then doing mock exams while explaining the answers ?

 

[littlespark]

The course will be tailored for electricians that maybe don’t have a grasp of the basics such as yourself.
I’ve seen older guys walk out because they couldn’t get their heads round some calculations.

I’m pretty sure my own 18th was just a day, but I’ll have to check.

 

[Dustydazzler]

The Regs courses in the past were for plumbers, hvac guys and handymen to get a basic grasp of what they should be doing when the do minor electrics around peoples homes

 

[DPG]

Would have expected some example questions as part of the course. I'm sure mine did.

 

[Resu]

We did our 18th in one day, was exactly as you said for your 17th.

 

[Creamy Goodne5]

End of day 3, the guy finally finished reading out the book and ended with “right go off and revise it’s your test tomorrow”, not a single mock question has been given out yet. I’ve literally just had someone read me a book for 3 days, I could have just done the one day course. Half the class are nervous it becuase they haven’t done any practice for the test, I’m doing an online mock test now

Some personal favourite lines over the 3 days

He called led lighting a “brand new thing coming into homes now and taking over normal lights”

Said electricians have changed to only taking a single cable to lights and the rest to switches because “it’s hard for an electrician to run 3 cables to a ceiling”

And my absolute favourite

Said that rooms with baths or showers and swimming pools are classed as special locations because people are naked there.

I cant wait for the course evaluation form tomorrow but something tells me there won’t be one

 

[mattg4321]

I didn't bother with the course - waste of time. Just turned up, did the exam and left.

 

[Vortigern]

We were given a book on the one day course for the 18th. It went through the sections asking questions all the way through that you had to answer. Pretty intense day but passed though. It was good reading questions then thinking about it and referring to the BBB and helped with getting to grips with the new stuff in it. (£199 btw)

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Same here, exam only. There's a lot you can learn in 3 days, but not like that.

 

[Deleted account]

End of day 3, the guy finally finished reading out the book and ended with “right go off and revise it’s your test tomorrow”, not a single mock question has been given out yet. I’ve literally just had someone read me a book for 3 days, I could have just done the one day course. Half the class are nervous it becuase they haven’t done any practice for the test, I’m doing an online mock test now

Some personal favourite lines over the 3 days

He called led lighting a “brand new thing coming into homes now and taking over normal lights”

Said electricians have changed to only taking a single cable to lights and the rest to switches because “it’s hard for an electrician to run 3 cables to a ceiling”

And my absolute favourite

Said that rooms with baths or showers and swimming pools are classed as special locations because people are naked there.

I cant wait for the course evaluation form tomorrow but something tells me there won’t be one

All 3 points I actually agree with.

maybe the led a brand new thing I’d say isn’t so new.

being naked in a room with water is definitely a consideration as to the reason behind being a special location.

I also agree with the taking the loop in system to the switch rather than the light as a lot of switches now require permanent neutrals.

a 3 day course is a good idea for some. others would be ok on the one day course. Your employer thought you needed the 3 day course. That’s not the lecturers fault.

surely going through the regs book is a nessesity in preparation for an exam on how the use the regs book in question.

 

[Dustydazzler]

As I said the regs course is not to teach a sparks how to suck an egg but to teach wet pants how to wire a basic new circuit safely without blowing themselves or the house up

 

[telectrix]

As I said the regs course is not to teach a sparks how to suck an egg but to teach wet pants how to wire a basic new circuit safely without blowing themselves or the house up

you mean like educationg pork? it don'ttell them how to do anything. it
just tells them what the regulations arein force at the time.

 

[Electrics]

So I decided to do my 18th edition after needing to renew my ecs card and they wouldn’t until I Did it.

My company decided to put me on the 4 day course becuase they thought it had a higher pass rate and they said they will go through the book and exam questions better

Well I’m into day 3 and the guy has literally just read the book out from page to page with a 400 slide PowerPoint giving a guide on main points on each page, has not gone through a single mock question yet and has said he won’t until just before the test. £699 to have a guy read to me for 3 friggin days?

Is this what the course is like nowadays, the 17th I did had about a day of going through the main points of the book and then doing mock exams while explaining the answers ?

If you think that's bad never go to uni. £9k a year 'tuition' to have someone powerpoint a few pages from a book at you and then you're on your own.

 

[DPG]

If you think that's bad never go to uni. £9k a year 'tuition' to have someone powerpoint a few pages from a book at you and then you're on your own.

You had a particularly poor uni lecturer from the sounds of it. Believe me, there are some good ones.

It's like anything, there will always be bad apples out there on all job types.

 

[Electrics]

You had a particularly poor uni lecturer from the sounds of it. Believe me, there are some good ones.

It's like anything, there will always be bad apples out there on all job types.

That is literally what a lecture is - someone reading at you from a screen. It's not the lecturer, it's lectures themselves, that's literally what they are. Trust me when i say uni 'tuition' fees are going towards basically nothing.

 

[DPG]

That is literally what a lecture is - someone reading at you from a screen. It's not the lecturer, it's lectures themselves, that's literally what they are. Trust me when i say uni 'tuition' fees are going towards basically nothing.

A good lecturer does not just read things at you verbatim. Where did you go to uni?

Are you also saying that teachers are basically just people who read PowerPoint slides to kids?

I feel you will be upsetting anyone in the teaching profession with your comments.

 

[Electrics]

A good lecturer does not just read things at you verbatim. Where did you go to uni?

I've been to three different unis, three different subjects and had over a dozen different lecturers. My wife has also been to two different unis on two different subjects and my father in law is a lecturer.

Are you also saying that teachers are basically just people who read PowerPoint slides to kids?

University lecturers are not teachers. When you start uni they specifically and explicitly tell you that you're there to do your own learning.

I feel you will be upsetting anyone in the teaching profession with your comments.

?‍

 

[DPG]

I've been to three different unis, three different subjects and had over a dozen different lecturers. My wife has also been to two different unis on two different subjects and my father in law is a lecturer.

University lecturers are not teachers. When you start uni they specifically and explicitly tell you that you're there to do your own learning.

?‍

I must have been lucky. The lecturers at my uni were very helpful and provided a lot of guidance. They also were involved in the practical side of things.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

End of day 3, the guy finally finished reading out the book and ended with “right go off and revise it’s your test tomorrow”, not a single mock question has been given out yet. I’ve literally just had someone read me a book for 3 days, I could have just done the one day course. Half the class are nervous it becuase they haven’t done any practice for the test, I’m doing an online mock test now

Some personal favourite lines over the 3 days

He called led lighting a “brand new thing coming into homes now and taking over normal lights”

Said electricians have changed to only taking a single cable to lights and the rest to switches because “it’s hard for an electrician to run 3 cables to a ceiling”

And my absolute favourite

Said that rooms with baths or showers and swimming pools are classed as special locations because people are naked there.

I cant wait for the course evaluation form tomorrow but something tells me there won’t be one

That course sounds bloody awful!
If you didn't pay for it yourself then I guess you're no worse off financially, just a bit brain dead.
I pay for my updates, so I just do lots of past exam papers a few days before, brush up on the one or 2 actual changes with any new edition and then just pay for the exam. It really is a doddle.
Come on then, tell us honestly what mark you got?

 

[HappyHippyDad]

That is literally what a lecture is - someone reading at you from a screen. It's not the lecturer, it's lectures themselves, that's literally what they are. Trust me when i say uni 'tuition' fees are going towards basically nothing.

A good lecturer does not just read things at you verbatim. Where did you go to uni?

Are you also saying that teachers are basically just people who read PowerPoint slides to kids?

I feel you will be upsetting anyone in the teaching profession with your comments.

Large lectures are pretty bad. It's just some person spouting lots of information and you write it down as quickly as possible. Smaller lectures are better as you get to have some discussion/debate. You also have tutorials at university which are even smaller, I seemed to learn most from these. This is just my experience from one pretty poor quality college in Swansea, but also Nottingham University which is pretty good. This was all 20 years ago though, I expect things have changed.
Even the big lectures are more involved than just reading out a book though.

 

[Zerax]

I feel you will be upsetting anyone in the teaching profession with your comments.

Surely it's up to them if they want to feel upset ?

 

[Electrics]

Smaller lectures are better as you get to have some discussion/debate.

Those are called seminars ?

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Those are called seminars ?

Maybe it was 30 years ago ?

 

[mickeyA]

So I decided to do my 18th edition after needing to renew my ecs card and they wouldn’t until I Did it.

My company decided to put me on the 4 day course becuase they thought it had a higher pass rate and they said they will go through the book and exam questions better

Well I’m into day 3 and the guy has literally just read the book out from page to page with a 400 slide PowerPoint giving a guide on main points on each page, has not gone through a single mock question yet and has said he won’t until just before the test. £699 to have a guy read to me for 3 friggin days?

Is this what the course is like nowadays, the 17th I did had about a day of going through the main points of the book and then doing mock exams while explaining the answers ?

Do we not go on these courses to be taught or reminded of the things we may have forgotten or don't use? If you dont work in the domestic, caravans, marina industry or solar/plugin charger side of the trade, then where does the knowledge come from to enable you to complete the 18th? Thats why you go on a course, to be taught and if a tutor isnt doing that, then its not doing what you are paying for. How would the 18th benfit those who work in an Industrial, Chemical or Oil and Gas background? Another money making racket?

 

[oracle]

I didn't bother with the course - waste of time. Just turned up, did the exam and left.

I've done that since the 16th edition. Don't like being taught like to find out for myself

 

[Lister1987]

How would the 18th benfit those who work in an Industrial, Chemical or Oil and Gas background? Another money making racket?

That Would be wherever in whatever standards (ATEX/CompEx most likely) it states that installations should comply to BS7671. Remembering of course that 7671 itself states that it can and if often supplemented by other standards (5839, 7909, ATEX [because my dumb --- can't recall its BSEN number ?]), you get thr idea anyway...

 

[Paul P]

I didn't bother with the course - waste of time. Just turned up, did the exam and left.

Would love to do just that as well

 

[Paul P]

I didn't bother with the course - waste of time. Just turned up, did the exam and left.

 

[mattg4321]

Would love to do just that as well

Why not do that then?

 

[Paul P]

Why not do that then?

Local collage will not let you.

 

[mattg4321]

Mine was the nic course held all around the country. Perhaps they still have that option

 

[oracle]

What happened about the practical assignment?

 

[DPG]

What happened about the practical assignment?

On the 18th regs course??

 

[oracle]

On the 18th regs course??

Senior moment

 

[Creamy Goodne5]

Local collage will not let you.

This

Most local learning centres around here wont let you just take the Exam, you have to do the course.

 

[Aaron b]

I used learnzonemedia. It was terrible content, there are mock tests that were helpful but badly written and not similar to the actual exam. It was just a video of someone reading the book and every so often saying this will probably come up. I gave up on the videos and watched sparky ninja cover it on YouTube. I needed to enroll on a course to book the exam.

 

[kelectrictutoruk]

So I decided to do my 18th edition after needing to renew my ecs card and they wouldn’t until I Did it.

My company decided to put me on the 4 day course becuase they thought it had a higher pass rate and they said they will go through the book and exam questions better

Well I’m into day 3 and the guy has literally just read the book out from page to page with a 400 slide PowerPoint giving a guide on main points on each page, has not gone through a single mock question yet and has said he won’t until just before the test. £699 to have a guy read to me for 3 friggin days?

Is this what the course is like nowadays, the 17th I did had about a day of going through the main points of the book and then doing mock exams while explaining the answers ?

I teach for a technical learning centre and the problem with lecturers is that people can or cannot teach, you can't be taught how. As regards to his teaching methods..... my students get 3 Mock Exams, the first they do on their own to get an understanding of how the questions are designed to make you fail. The next exam I go through it with them to show how to read the question and determine where in the book to find the answer. The final mock I give them the choice of doing it themselves or we go through it together. We have to go through the book that's a must, but explanation of calculations, cable choice, and pointing out various areas we know questions are usually asked is also required to name but a few things that need to be covered. No reputable body can give a guaranteed pass all they can guarantee that the majority of answers are in the book, you just have to find them. As regards to post-it notes, I always recommend only using them to highlight the start of the chapters and to only use the index as a last resort. Every question needs to be understood what part the answer is to be found, and once you have determined this look on page 3 find the relevant part and go to the first page of that part to allow you to get more relevant information about the chapters in that section. Once you've pinpointed the relevant chapter, go to the first page of that chapter to further pinpoint the answer, by reading the contents of the page/s. Sorry you had a crap teacher/lecturer but that's a prime example of someone who doesn't know how to teach and unfortunately you don't know about their teaching abilities unless you get information from student feedback, Course Check is what the company I work for use, but no doubt there are others ,hope you found the advise useful and I would suggest you inform your company of his teaching methods and also next time to check on any tutors reputation going forward. Oh and by the way our course is taught over 3 days, and we/I get an average 80% pass rate, with probably a 85/90% average resit pass rate.

 

[Bob Geldoff1234]

Try these mock questions

at sparky facts .co .uk

 

[NOMISREPIP]

So I decided to do my 18th edition after needing to renew my ecs card and they wouldn’t until I Did it.

My company decided to put me on the 4 day course becuase they thought it had a higher pass rate and they said they will go through the book and exam questions better

Well I’m into day 3 and the guy has literally just read the book out from page to page with a 400 slide PowerPoint giving a guide on main points on each page, has not gone through a single mock question yet and has said he won’t until just before the test. £699 to have a guy read to me for 3 friggin days?

Is this what the course is like nowadays, the 17th I did had about a day of going through the main points of the book and then doing mock exams while explaining the answers ?

 

[NOMISREPIP]

So I decided to do my 18th edition after needing to renew my ecs card and they wouldn’t until I Did it.

My company decided to put me on the 4 day course becuase they thought it had a higher pass rate and they said they will go through the book and exam questions better

Well I’m into day 3 and the guy has literally just read the book out from page to page with a 400 slide PowerPoint giving a guide on main points on each page, has not gone through a single mock question yet and has said he won’t until just before the test. £699 to have a guy read to me for 3 friggin days?

Is this what the course is like nowadays, the 17th I did had about a day of going through the main points of the book and then doing mock exams while explaining the answers ?

I did an online course which was basically a guy reading line by line all the "relevant" stuff.
Thought that was a waste of £100 so I watched every SparkyNinja video on the 18th (which i found way more informative than a classroom based course) then booked an exam directly with SETA in Southampton.
Achieved 95%, very happy with that.

 

[swaRRR]

I simply took the advice of others who said figure out how to use the contents, appendix and the tables.

I then booked online with a practice exam test provider and passed with 96%.

I did get a full NICEIC course online for my money (course was £300 for an online course plus exam) but it was simply trying to get you to memorise facts from the book which is completely pointless.

For the exam, memorise the pages that are useful, learn to use them to interpret and find the information, and then use the on-site guide to actually get a grip of how the regs are applied in real life.

 

[oracle]

I didn't bother with the course - waste of time. Just turned up, did the exam and left.

I don't like being taught, all i do is buy the book read whats new since last edition/amendment and sit the exam

 

[Aaron b]

I simply took the advice of others who said figure out how to use the contents, appendix and the tables.

I then booked online with a practice exam test provider and passed with 96%.

I did get a full NICEIC course online for my money (course was £300 for an online course plus exam) but it was simply trying to get you to memorise facts from the book which is completely pointless.

For the exam, memorise the pages that are useful, learn to use them to interpret and find the information, and then use the on-site guide to actually get a grip of how the regs are applied in real life.

Well done with the test. I got 90% on the 18th exam, it's a shame they don't let you know which ones were wrong. I'd like to know if I misread it or actually got it wrong.

 

[swaRRR]

Well done with the test. I got 90% on the 18th exam, it's a shame they don't let you know which ones were wrong. I'd like to know if I misread it or actually got it wrong.

Thanks. 90% is an awesome result. I actually had an educated guess at 3 of the questions since i couldn't find the answers and had about 5 minutes left. I'm not too worried about it, the reality is in real life you just google something.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The most revealing thing I remember a lecturer said to the assembled throng at uni was, "I can't teach you anything, you can only learn" That was over fifty years ago and I think its the only thing I remember now.

 

[UNG]

the reality is in real life you just google something.

So you clearly don't work to your own advice

And very important is DO NOT USE YOUR PHONE AT WORK. Super duper important.

 

[oracle]

A good lecturer does not just read things at you verbatim. Where did you go to uni?

Are you also saying that teachers are just people who read PowerPoint slides to kids?

I feel you will be upsetting anyone in the teaching profession with your comments.

I'm a retired teacher (electrical) and I'm not at all offended by this. A lot of the guys teaching in college that I've met are useless, one guy just said "read the book " and didn't teach at all

 

[swaRRR]

So you clearly don't work to your own advice

Lol really? Like really really? Wow, man.

No grey area for you huh? Looking up cat 5 colour order or checking a reg on your phone is exactly the same as the obvious surfing facebook or whatsapping your mates that i was referring to?

C'mon mate, i think you're just trying to start arguments here for some reason.

 

[UNG]

Lol really? Like really really? Wow, man.

Glad you find it funny

No grey area for you huh?

I don't like grey areas

Looking up cat 5 colour order or checking a reg on your phone is exactly the same as the obvious surfing facebook or whatsapping your mates that i was referring to?

I don't need to look up cat5 colours and do know the difference between 568A and 568B without the need to use my phone

C'mon mate, i think you're just trying to start arguments here for some reason.

You are putting yourself in the firing line with your inconsistant comments
My underpinning knowledge is stored in my head after a 5 year apprenticeship with day release at college when I qualified it was a little difficult to look up info on my PCD that I didn't have then and wasn't even available at the time. From another thread it is easy to diss college learning and rely on add on courses to make people believe you know what you are doing but something that has been said for many years is that little knowledge is a dangerous thing

 

[Lister1987]

The most revealing thing I remember a lecturer said to the assembled throng at uni was, "I can't teach you anything, you can only learn" That was over fifty years ago and I think its the only thing I remember now.

"I can teach you this but I cannot make you understand it, retain it and recall it when needed; You can say what you like about the quality of teaching but it is the quality of the pupil that is the deciding factor."

My year 11 science teacher. It took me a while to figure out what he meant but once I figured out that even a great teacher can get grounded down by shitty pupils and students. It's not that deliberately give up on those that couldn't care less but they would rather put thier efforts into those that gave a ---- and returned good results.