THE AM2
Practical Assessment
What Is The AM2 Practical Assessment?
The AM2 Practical Assessment is the final part / unit that every NVQ Level 3 Electrical candidate must complete in order to gain their qualification and be eligible to apply for their JIB ECS Gold Card.
Successful completion of the AM2 is compulsory for apprentices, adult trainees or upskilling workers who seek to gain the industry recognised qualified status that attainment of the NVQ provides.
Also known as Unit 399, the AM2 is overseen and maintained by the independent body NET (National Electrotechnical Training Organisation) and can be taken at any one of 40+ assessment centres across England, Wales & Northern Ireland.
The assessment comprises of 6 sections taken over a total of 16.5 hours (2.5 days), during which candidates undertake a series of timed tasks in specially equipped booths containing typical electrical installation wiring systems. The exercises include installation, inspection and testing and fault-finding, and the work must comply with the current British Standard (BS7671: 2015) and meet with the requirements of relevant Health & Safety legislation and industry best practice.
The purpose of the AM2 is to ensure that all qualifying installation electricians achieve a single standard that has been agreed by employers industry-wide as meeting their expectations from newly qualified personnel. The AM2 provides a reliable and trusted independent assessment of safe, high-quality standards for the electrical installation industry, and is deemed as essential by the majority of employers who recognise it as proof of competence for an electrician.
The AM2E & AM2S
The AM2E & AM2S largely follow the same format as the AM2, but with two additional tasks under the Installation section:
- Candidate to install a piece of steel conduit with a bend and a set to a box they fix to a set measurement
- Candidate to install a piece of PVC conduit between 2 fixed points with a bend and a set over a pre-fixed obstacle.
The candidate then has to wire circuits through these pieces of conduit. An extra 1.5 hrs is allowed to complete these tasks (10 hrs v 8.5 hrs for the AM2).
- The AM2 ASSESSMENT is taken with the NVQ 2356-99 & NVQ 2357 qualifications
- The AM2E ASSESSMENT is taken with the NVQ 2346-03 qualification, and,
- The AM2E ASSESSMENT is taken with the NVQ 2347-03 qualification (new 2024, more details to follow), and
- The AM2S ASSESSMENT is taken by apprentices on the NVQ 5357. You may also hear it referred to as the ‘End Point Assessment’ (EPA).
You can find out more about the AM2S Assessment – including its differences with the AM2 – here at the NET website.
Unit 399 – Electrotechnical Occupational Competence
- The Electricity at Work Regulations (1989)
- The current edition of BS7671 Wiring Regulations
- Health & Safety Act (1974)
- Building Regulations (2000)
- Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases & Dangerous Occurrences Regulations
- Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations
- Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations
- Work at Height Regulations
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
- Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations
The outcomes and the assessment criteria of this unit underpin the electrotechnical industry’s competence requirements for qualified operatives in an installation or maintenance role.
Introduction
The AM2 Electrotechnical Assessment of Occupational Competence is designed for those who wish to practise either as an installation electrician, or as a maintenance electrician.
It demonstrates they have the level of competence expected by the industry in the following key occupational areas:
- Risk assessments and health and safety
- Safe isolation
- The interpretation of specifications, drawings and diagrams
- Planning and preparing to install, terminate and connect identified wiring systems
- Installing, terminating and connecting identified wiring systems
- Inspection, testing and certification
- Fault diagnosis and correction of electrical faults
- The understanding and application of industry recognised procedures, working practices and the requirements of statutory and non-statutory regulations.
Candidates will be expected to install, terminate, connect, inspect, test, commission and diagnose faults in accordance with the installation specification and the relevant statutory and non-statutory regulations on the following:
- A three-phase distribution board and sub-circuit
- A three-phase Direct-on-Line Motor circuit
- Single-phase lighting and power circuits
- A central heating/sustainable energy system
- A safety services circuit and device
- A data-cabling system
The assessment is in six sections:
- Section A1: Safe Isolation and Risk Assessment
- Sections A2-A5: Composite Installation
- Section B: Inspection, Testing and Certification
- Section C: Safe Isolation of Circuits
- Section D: Fault Diagnosis and Rectification
- Section E: Assessment of Applied Knowledge
Section A1: Safe Isolation and Risk Assessment – 45 mins
In this section, you need to demonstrate that you can carry out a safe isolation procedure in the correct sequence to ensure the safety of not only yourself but everyone else on site. You’ll also undertake and document an assessment of any risks to safety that may be present.
You will be allowed a minimum of 10 minutes to read this section and prepare for assessment.
To demonstrate your occupational competence, you’ll carry out the correct sequence for safe isolation of a distribution board to allow you to safely complete an installation.
SAFE ISOLATION PROCEDURE
1. Identify your point of isolation
2. Inform the customer that you will be isolating the supply.
3. Operate the isolator and lock off and fit warning notice
4. Select approved test equipment and prove that it is working.
Test on the outgoing side of isolator all combinations:
- L1 and L2
- L1 and L3
- L1 and Neutral
- L1 and Earth
- L2 and L3
- L2 and Neutral
- L2 and Earth
- L3 and Neutral
- L3 and Earth
- Neutral and Earth
6. Re-prove your test equipment is working.
RISK ASSESSMENT
The aim is to make sure that no one becomes ill or gets hurt at the facility. There are three steps to achieve this:
1. Identify the Hazards
Look at what may cause harm to candidates, centre staff, or other people, because of a work activity.
2. Decide Who Might be Harmed and How
Look at who may be affected by the work activity, how they may be affected; this may include other candidates and centre staff.
3. Evaluate the Risks and Decide on Precautions
If you find a hazard, there may be a risk to other people; you need to decide what steps must be taken to eliminate or reduce those risks as far as is reasonably practical. Bear in mind:
- What needs to be done depends on whether the hazard is low risk or high risk
- You can determine this by looking at what type of injury may occur and how often it may happen
- It may be possible to remove the hazard altogether or to take steps to reduce this risk to an acceptable level
- If there is no risk present, then you do not need to take any action
- Record ‘No action required’ on the Risk Assessment document.
You also need to carry out a review of safe working practices and undertake a risk assessment in accordance with organisational requirements and procedures prior to commencing the Composite Installation. Record your findings on the relevant documentation.
Sections A2-A5: Composite Installation – 8.5 hours (10 hours for AM2S)
Following the diagrams and instructions you’re given, you’ll prepare, install, connect and terminate conductors at a TP&N Distribution Board and equipment outlets to industry standards. To complete this section, you must demonstrate occupational competence in accordance with statutory and non-statutory regulations and approved industry working practices.
You will be allowed a minimum of 15 minutes to read this section and prepare for assessment
To demonstrate your occupational competence, you will be asked to:
- Apply industry working practices and procedures in keeping with relevant statutory and non-statutory regulations
- Interpret the drawings and diagrams
- Prepare, install, connect and terminate conductors and cables to industry standards
- Terminate and connect at a TP&N Distribution Board and the identified equipment outlets as detailed in the handbook and diagrams you will have been given.
The aim is to make sure that no one becomes ill or gets hurt at the facility. There are three steps to achieve this:
You’ll work across the following sub-sections:
- Installation of Lighting and Ring Final circuits
- Installation of 3-phase circuits
- Installation of Central Heating control circuit
- Installation of Main Protective Bonding, Safety and Data circuits
- Installation of Containment (For AM2S Only).
To complete this section of the assessment you must demonstrate occupational competence in accordance with statutory and non-statutory regulations and approved industry working practices.
You need to make sure that you follow all of the instructions given in the candidates’ handbook and drawings.
Section B: Inspection, Testing and Certification – 3.5 hours
During this section, you’ll carry out a visual inspection of your installation and complete a series of tests following practices and procedures that take into account electrically sensitive equipment. You can change any part of your installation that you find is incorrect or not complete.
You will be allowed a minimum of 20 minutes to read this section and prepare for assessment
You will be provided with the following documentation for use throughout the section:
- BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations
- IET Guidance Note 3. Inspection & Testing
- IET On-Site Guide
To demonstrate occupational competence, you’ll carry out a visual inspection of your installation and complete the following tests:
- Continuity of protective conductors, including main and supplementary bonding
- Continuity of ring final circuit conductors
- Insulation resistance
- Polarity
- Earth fault loop impedance
- Additional protection (effectiveness of RCDs)
- Prospective fault current
- Check of phase sequence
- Functional testing
You also need to correctly complete an Electrical Installation Certificate, Schedule of Circuit Details and Schedule of Test Results using the documentation provided.
You can download blank template forms if you wish to familarise yourself with these documents before your assessment.
You’ll be expected to follow practices and procedures that consider the presence of voltage sensitive equipment.
Faults / Alterations
During and within the time allowed for this section, you may correct any part of your installation that you decide is incorrect or faulty.
Section C: Safe Isolation of Circuits – 30 mins
This second safe isolation test covers three specific scenarios: the replacement of single-phase equipment, three-phase equipment and the isolation of the distribution board.
Maximum Time Allowed: 30 Minutes
You will be allowed a minimum of 5 minutes to read this section and prepare for assessment
To demonstrate occupational competence, you will carry out safe isolation in the correct sequence to allow for the following tasks:
Note: for tasks 1 & 2 all other circuits must remain energised.
- Task 1: To replace a single-phase piece of equipment
- Task 2: To replace a three-phase piece of equipment
- Task 3: To isolate the distribution board in your fault diagnosis bay.
Section D: Fault Diagnosis and Rectification – 2 hours
From information provided, you will identify faults in a circuit. You’ll need to record the type of fault and its specific location, then recommend how each fault could be corrected, including any works needed to prove the fault has been rectified.
Maximum Time Allowed: 2 Hours
You will be allowed a minimum of 5 minutes to read this section and prepare for assessment.
To demonstrate occupational competence, you will identify the fault in each circuit from the information provided by the Centre Assessor.
You must state and record:
- 1. The type of each fault (short or open circuit; high resistance or mis-connection)
- 2. The specific location of each fault (between what 2 points or on what piece of equipment)
- 3. How each fault could be rectified, plus any additional works required to prove that the fault has been rectified.
Section E: Assessment of Applied Knowledge – 1 hour
This is an online test consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions designed to assess your knowledge of the health and safety regulations, building regulations and BS 7671 – so make sure you revise these.
Maximum Time Allowed: 1 Hour
You will be allowed a minimum of 5 minutes to read this section and prepare for assessment
You will complete an online assessment consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions.
You’ll be assessed on your application of knowledge associated with the following:
- Health and Safety
- BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations
- Building Regulations
You will be provided with the following publications:
- BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations
- IET Guidance Note 3. Inspection & Testing
- IET On-Site Guide
- IET Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations.
You are not allowed any other documentation.