How hard is it to become Part P certified?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
5 Aug 2009
Messages
66
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
I have some experience of wiring and a degree in Electrical Engineer so all the principles and calculations side of it's straightforward, it's more how todo things in accordance with IEE guidelines that I'd need to learn.

How hard is itto become Part P qualified? If there's an intensive course that I can take for a few weeks then some exams, I'd be seriously tempted!
 
Sponsored Links
you don't EVER become Part-P qualified.... there's no such qualification..

Part-P is a building regulation.
there are registration bodies that allow you to self certify and notify your work to the LABC, but it's not a qualification..

there are varying levels within these schemes also..
there's the "domestic installer" which is basic electrics for plumbers and the like who may need to add a socket here or a fused spur there..
then there's full scope, which is designing the entire installation from the meter onwards..

most "part-p" courses are domestin installer courses to teach / test basic electrics to those who need it..
 
I have some experience of wiring and a degree in Electrical Engineer so all the principles and calculations side of it's straightforward, it's more how todo things in accordance with IEE guidelines that I'd need to learn.
The most important question is why do you want to do this? What is your goal?

If you want to become an electrician then in all decency and professional responsibility you should go down the proper C&G route, including if at all possible some time as an apprentice or "helper" to gain practical experience.

If you just want to do it for your own personal satisfaction, or because you've got a big DIY project coming up and you want to sweet-talk your LABC then the EAL Level 2 Certificate for Domestic Electrical Installers would be appropriate.


How hard is itto become Part P qualified?
Pace the comments above about that term, nowhere near hard enough, IMO.


If there's an intensive course that I can take for a few weeks then some exams, I'd be seriously tempted!
There are loads of commercial training companies who will take your money and push you through the EAL VRQ in 5 days, but you'd get more out of it, and spend less, if you did it as an evening class at your local college.

Given what you say above, you'd probably have no problems in completing the course and getting the qualification, and armed with that, a few examples of your work to show, an investment in some test equipment and a good enough understanding of safe isolation, testing procedures, the theory of what test results mean etc, you could become registered and set yourself loose on an unsuspecting public as a qualified electrician. Without any experience of installation work, without any knowledge of all the practical tricks and techniques, without any manual skills, without any experience of fault-finding, without any product or design knowledge with which to advise your clients, without any knowledge of anything beyond the narrow scope of the EAL course, etc etc etc.

Hence my first question....
 
Hi

With your background you'd prob breeze through the exams etc, but to join a competent person scheme in order to sign off you own installations as meeting the requirements of part p. You would need to at least jump through some other hoops too.


1 Public Liability Insurance
2 Set up a trading company
3 Do a job that at least adds a new circuit pref a consumer unit.
4 Own a set of testers or a multifunction tester/ must hold valid calibration cert
5 Wait 2 months for a assessment day (cost £500 ish depending which of the 6 or so schemes you decide to join, most want 12 months trading history, but not all)
6 Own copies of OSG, regs and HSE 47
7 Have documented complaint system
8 Have H&S policy and risk assessments for your work.
9 Be able to answer all the questions they fire at you on the day.
10 Be able to test and inspect your installation in accordance with guidence note 3

I have prob missed something, but all in all it is very doable, if you have an end goal to use it more than once. Otherwise it is a great deal of expence and stress (the assessment is not a given and at £500 a resit there will be stress)

If you would like to know more then I can add detail, by the way, why are you thinking of doing it? Career change?

Martin
 
Sponsored Links
An example of differing levels of membership from the NICEIC and what type of work you're allowed to do:

Just a cautionary word.

The law simply requires that you are competent and absolutely no paper qualifications are required, whatever area of general electrical installation work you are carrying out; domestic/commercial/industrial.

However, should you join a trade association or registration body, some qualifications will be required and their terms of membership will dictate what work you may carry out using their logos and their approval. They may not, however, restrict what work you do for any other reason.

The NICEIC terms 'Approved Contractor' and 'Domestic Installer' are NOT different grades of electrician, as is commonly assumed. A Domestic Installer is a company or individual approved to self-certify domestic installations as being compliant with all relevant building regulations. An Approved Contractor who wishes to so self-certify must also be registered as a Domestic Installer.

It can get complicated, but competence is the key.
 
How hard is itto become Part P qualified? If there's an intensive course that I can take for a few weeks then some exams, I'd be seriously tempted!
Morning Sarah,

In general, the minimum qualifications you need to become part P qualified are two City and Guilds exams, one in theory and one in practical skills. PDFs follow....

Theory is 2382-10
http://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/Centre (Generic)/2382-10-l3-hb-v1.2.pdf

There are two practical exams you can choose from.

2392-10 http://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/ind_sport/2392-10-l2-hb-v1.1.pdf

which only really deals with single phase and

2391-10 http://www.cityandguilds.com/documents/ind_sport/2391-10-hb-v2.pdf

which also includes three phase.

So the easier is 2392, though you probably won't find 2391 too hard.

If you pass both of these, you should be able to notify to and pay LABC, do the work, then send in your own test certificate and LABC should then send you a completion certificate. I would first ask your LABC how they would behave.

To self certify without first notifying LABC you need to join one of the schemes, as described above in martinxxxxxx helpful post.

Hardest part for you will probably be the stuff like getting your cables in the right places when there appears to be no way through :)

There are various books to help, or courses. Certainly a very short formal course for the practical would help as you need to be familiar with the test equipment and learn the procedure, and they will test you at the end. For the theory exam, just turn up with BS7671 and you should be fine.
 
In general, the minimum qualifications you need to become part P qualified are two City and Guilds exams, one in theory and one in practical skills.
You should look again at p2 of the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme application form...
 
And you need to properly read both my post and sarahw's post. She didn't ask how to become a member of the NICEIC.
 
The minumum that you need to register with NICEIC is not 2 x C&G.

Therefore the minimum that you need to be able to self-certify is not 2 x C&G.
 
Why? - he's correct. You are not - re read your own posts.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsored Links
Back
Top