The AM2 is the practical assessment that stands between you and fully qualified status. It's run by NET (National Electrotechnical Training) at licensed centres around the UK, and it's the final unit of the Level 3 NVQ. Apprentices on the apprenticeship standard take a version called the AM2S; experienced workers take the AM2E.
It's long and it's watched, but nothing in it should be new. It tests the work you already do.
The sections at a glance
| Section | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Safe isolation of a distribution board, plus a written risk assessment | 45 min |
| A2–A5 | Composite installation: lighting and ring finals, three-phase circuits, a heating control circuit, bonding, safety and data circuits, all from a TP&N board | 8 h 30 min |
| B | Inspection, testing and certification of your own installation | 3 h 30 min |
| C | Safe isolation for three scenarios: single-phase equipment, three-phase equipment and a distribution board | 30 min |
| D | Fault diagnosis: find each fault's type and location and say how you'd fix and prove it | 2 h |
| E | Online test: 30 multiple-choice questions on health and safety, BS 7671 and Building Regulations | 1 h |
You also get reading time before each section. Full details are on NET's AM2 page.
Safe isolation (A1 and C)
This is the section people fail on nerves, not knowledge. Learn the sequence until it's automatic: identify the point of isolation, tell the customer, isolate and lock off with a warning notice, prove your tester, test every combination of lines, neutral and earth on the outgoing side, then prove your tester again. On a three-phase board that's ten tests, so don't skip any.
Practise with someone watching you. Being observed feels very different.
The composite installation (A2–A5)
It's the longest section, so pace yourself. Read the drawings fully before cutting anything. Work neatly. Assessors check workmanship, terminations, cable routes and fixings as well as whether it works.
Inspection and testing (B)
You test your own install and complete an Electrical Installation Certificate, schedule of circuit details and schedule of test results. You can fix anything you find wrong during the section. Know the test order, what sensible readings look like, and how to fill in the paperwork without hunting for boxes. NET publishes blank template forms, so practise with them.
Fault diagnosis (D)
For each fault, record its type (short circuit, open circuit, high resistance or mis-connection), exactly where it is (between which two points), and how you'd fix it and prove it's fixed. A logical method wins here; random testing burns time.
The knowledge test (E)
30 questions in an hour, with BS 7671, the On-Site Guide, Guidance Note 3 and the Building Regulations guide provided. The skill being tested is finding answers fast, so know your way around those books before the day.
Preparation checklist
- Work through NET's Readiness for Assessment checklist and be honest about weak areas.
- Watch NET's top tips videos for each section.
- Practise safe isolation and full test sequences on real boards with a colleague watching.
- Fill in practice certificates until it's quick.
- Revise regs navigation, testing theory and fault types.
NET's recommended fee is currently £885, with separate fees for resits of individual sections.
Revise with Consumables Pro
Consumables Pro's circuit-testing sims let you practise safe isolation and testing on a virtual board, and the Level 3 notes cover inspection, testing and fault finding with worked examples. Try it free for 14 days.
Revise it with the Circuit-testing sims course
Study notes, practice questions with explanations and mock exams, on your phone. Try it free for 14 days.