2391 Practical

Howdy folks.

It seems quite a few of us did the 2391 on the same night so I am guessing a few of us will be doing the practical soon.
It would be good if we could discuss any issues.

I have a link to a thread that Bruce Lee gave me and I hope he doesn't mind me posting it here.
It really is the best of the best IMO.
Bruce really made the perfect post.
His post is on page 2 of the thread so if this link doesn't take you to page two you know what to do.

So once again thanks for the link Bruce Lee:
http://www.electriciansforums.net/electrical-courses-electrical-nvqs/24857-2392-1-practical-exam-question-2.html

Good luck with it fella and don't panic,I had nothing to do with testing before I did the 2391,ok I'd had 10 years industrial experience including a 4 year ford multiskilled apprenticeship,but generally I found the course favoured those from a domestic background,so I was on the back foot from the off.

I found the fault finding/3 phase testing part simple,I was actually shocked how few people on the course had even worked with 3 phase,or even seen a contactor!!!!

But when it came to r1+r2,ze,zs etc the other boys were blowing me away.

I found the practical very nerve-racking at first,it was more of a concern to me than the exam if I'm honest,but as long as you've made your notes well,think methodically and don't panic you'll be absolutely fine.

I took the full 3 hours or 3.5,whatever the time was I took it all,yet the two lads doing it with me one took about 1.45 hrs the other 2,so I was obviously not flavour of the month!!!

I passed,I think about 50% of us did which by all accounts is good going (I think it's usually 30%??) and it was a very tough paper,the instructor was actually in the middle of complaining to city&guilds about it as there were so many glaring mistakes,I must admit a lot of the questions in it weren't part of what we were taught,but I've got it now and nobody can take it away from me.

So has it done anything in your favour since you obtained the cerrt????

My prac in june consisted of a 3p board feeding a ring main, motor and a fused spur in fp200 and a sub main to a single phase db with rcd main breaker feeding two lighting circuits and another circuit s/o radial perhaps? The prac exam is less difficult than the prac at the end of the am2 i found it to be quite basic , but i did ask my boss to put me on testing before the exam so in all fairness i did have a headstart on mine but i think thisis how it went:

Safe iso- permission, knock off, lock off, cover off, prove tester, ten tests, prove tester, done(also do polarity while using testers all polarity checks and phase rotation)

Ze- remove earthing conductor 3 test each phase, replace earthing conductor immiediately!!! record highest

PFC-pefc + pscc, highest of six tests double and record

test bonding to water and gas pipes acceptable reading just tick confirm on sheet (supposed long lead but can reach with meter probes)

r1+r2 all circuits on 3p board link method at db etc, r2 test on motor circuit
three step ring test on ring circuit etc

r1+r2 all circuits on single phase db link method etc proven polarity on all circuits tick boxes

Ir test on 3phase db TURNING OFF RCD FOR SUB MAIN CIRCUIT ten tests, record

Ir test on sphase db AFTER REMOVING DIMMER SWITCH or any sensitive equipment , record

Permission to energise after all covers replaced

Zs all circuits record highest on each circuit

rcd test on sub main rcd breaker functional tests then happy days just fill out sheets to fin off i have all my notes from my 2391 prac and theory so if anyone needs info give me a shout ill dig them out before it all changes of course

almost forgot insulation resistance fault rig i had to test two faults simple all mcbs on locate which conductors the fault is between and the find which circuit it is on by elimination method to find the circuit either turning off mcbs or removing neutrals etc just record the fault dead short low resistance etc

live test rig earth loop on two test will be given mock fuse types and sizes for test have to either locate fault on tester or check with books to see if zs is of acceptable value for the fuze type/size etc and i think thats it

forgot the visual inspection rig also got to loacate 12 faults on a mock rig and record them no tests only visual inpection no grommet protection ,1p2x/ip4x faults incorrect mcb ratings cable sizes etc also very simple


not sure if the test rig is the same around britain but maybe?

Good post i think

The practical should be similar in most colleges as they have to be designed to the spec that C&G dictate.
The spec for assessment 4 is attached...

widdler said:

The practical should be similar in most colleges as they have to be designed to the spec that C&G dictate.
The spec for assessment 4 is attached...

Click to expand...

thats the one i mentioned must be a standard rig all round all in all 7 circuits to test on that rig. ring main, motor, fused spur, sub main to db2, radial s/o and two lighting circuits one way and a two way happy days

Hi le Posta, how did you do in your written exam?? i passed mine,well so the test centre says anyway, just waiting for my practical results to be verified by c&g although i was told i had passed on the day ??!!?!?

I was nervous during the final practical assessment as i hadn't had much testing experience before hand but i got through ok. just ket thinking CRIPPLE PF and all was good.

good luck

Thanks for the replies.
This is a great picture of the test board, really helpful.

Does anyone know what the small square at the top right of the three phase DB is?
If you look at the three phase DB, top right hand then go right you will find a square with
only a line and neutral attached to it, no other wires coming in or out.
It looks like some sort of switch but it doesn't switch anything, it does not seem to have a function at all.
Does anyone know what it is?
Thanks.

La Poste said:

View attachment 8048

Thanks for the replies.
This is a great picture of the test board, really helpful.

Does anyone know what the small square at the top right of the three phase DB is?
If you look at the three phase DB, top right hand then go right you will find a square with
only a line and neutral attached to it, no other wires coming in or out.
It looks like some sort of switch but it doesn't switch anything, it does not seem to have a function at all.
Does anyone know what it is?
Thanks.

Click to expand...

It's a fcu fed in either pyro or fp200 just a radial circuit mate easy one to test like

La Poste said:

View attachment 8048

Thanks for the replies.
This is a great picture of the test board, really helpful.

Does anyone know what the small square at the top right of the three phase DB is?
If you look at the three phase DB, top right hand then go right you will find a square with
only a line and neutral attached to it, no other wires coming in or out.
It looks like some sort of switch but it doesn't switch anything, it does not seem to have a function at all.
Does anyone know what it is?
Thanks.

Click to expand...

on my practical it had a neon indicator in it too, had to remove the legs of the neon.

Just got back from my practical exam this lunch time. And even though i do a fair bit of testing i was still extremely nervous, more so than the written as with the written you can go back and amend any mistakes or slip an extra sentence in. Of course if you forget to do safe isolation or ask permission in the practical and then remember later youve still blown it !
I was the only candidate at the test centre, which didnt help my nerves.
Bruce Lees post was helpful in the extreme, i printed it off and was reading it at 5am this morning, Thanks BL.
Good luck to anyone still to take it.
Its not that bad.

silver surfer said:

Just got back from my practical exam this lunch time.

Click to expand...

Did you pass it?
When I did mine the guy told me there and then.

Archy Styrigg said:

Did you pass it?
When I did mine the guy told me there and then.

Click to expand...

He said i had passed. But i think it has to get verified at c&g.

silver surfer said:

He said i had passed. But i think it has to get verified at c&g.

Click to expand...

Congratulations. :50::50::50: