2391 exam

[jimj]

hi.
new on here. im sure this comes up time and time again, so sorry if im repeating old news. just woundered what everyones experience is of the 2391. im studying now for a test at end of month. its alot to take in at once, but not as much theory as i thought there would be. but still alot to remember in general.

 

[parker56]

Get to know GN3 inside out, use correct terms.

 

[vernam616]

Good question

For a few years now i had toyed with doing the 2391, but heard so many storys " rock hard ", "gotta know it all inside out ", " hard to pass "

Sort of put me off doing it, anyhow i heard it was being abolished for the 2394-2395, so i thought i better get doing it before i never ever get the chance

When doing past papers i was actually questioning my own ability as i found most of it pretty straight forward but had a niggle at the back of my mind " all these people saying its hard etc... so my answers cant be correct "

Well subsequently i passed practical and theory first go

Good luck, try ignore the idiots, remember " its only as hard as you WANT it to be "

I just wish id of done it a few years back and not listened to them people

 

[trev]

If you put thework in you'll be fine, if not you will fail

 

[Plonker 3]

If you put thework in you'll be fine, if not you will fail

^^^^^This^^^^^
Aas long as you understand inspection and testing you should be fine, read the chief examiners report and find out where people are dropping silly marks which could be the difference between a pass or fail.

Oh and learn GN3 cover to cover, can't emphasize that enough as the exam is based on that.

 

[trev]

^^^^^This^^^^^
Aas long as you understand inspection and testing you should be fine, read the chief examiners report and find out where people are dropping silly marks which could be the difference between a pass or fail.

Oh and learn GN3 cover to cover, can't emphasize that enough as the exam is based on that.

Well yeah mate
It's supposed to be open only to practicing sparks with substantial experience of testing already under their belts.
Gadgie on my course was a taxi driver though, had zero experience or clue but the college took him as he had the fee.

 

[jimj]

Thanks for replying. I feel the same. Iv been doing past papers and I'm reading too much into the question and making it harder. I know the answer, just have to ignore what everyone else says. What was the website that had previous test results? Was it city and guilds?

 

[Plonker 3]

It's supposed to be open only to practicing sparks with substantial experience of testing already under their belts.
Gadgie on my course was a taxi driver though, had zero experience or clue but the college took him as he had the fee.

Thats probably why the pass rate is so low, collleges are just as bad as the scams really. The C&G site syas

This qualification is intended for experienced personnel working in the electrical industry. Although City & Guilds does not state formal candidate entry requirements, the qualification is not intended
for non-qualified electricians and/or those who do not have experience in inspecting, testing and
certifying electrical installations.
Candidates without this experience should seriously consider undertaking the City & Guilds Level 2
Certificate in fundamental inspection, testing and initial verification (2392-10) as well as obtaining
industry experience. It is also strongly recommended that candidates have achieved either the City
& Guilds Certificate in the requirements for electrical installations (BS 7671 January 2008) (2382) or
similar qualifications where candidates have demonstrated knowledge and understating of the 17th
edition.

Yet probably never mention this so that they can just pocket the money.

 

[jimj]

To be honest, there's one or two blokes on my course who aren't electricians. They struggle with the basic stuff, its not right they are doing it just because they have the fee

 

[Plonker 3]

Thanks for replying. I feel the same. Iv been doing past papers and I'm reading too much into the question and making it harder. I know the answer, just have to ignore what everyone else says. What was the website that had previous test results? Was it city and guilds?

Yes Certificate in Inspection, Testing and Verification of Electrical Installations | Construction and Building | Electrical installation | City & Guilds has plenty of advice and reports from previous exams.

The questions are simple but you can read too much into them sometimes, remember if a question is only worth 3 marks its probably only either 3 words or a short couple of sentences for the correct answer.

 

[trev]

To be honest, there's one or two blokes on my course who aren't electricians. They struggle with the basic stuff, its not right they are doing it just because they have the fee

No doubt they cost a hell of a lot of time wasted by the lecturer having to explain basic stuff to them. It annoys me because I could tell after a couple of weeks that taxi driver gadgie had no chance but the college was a few hundred quid up on the deal so that's ok then, never mind the lads on the course.

 

[spark 68]

What is scary about this exam,

is the wording of the questions for a start, you need to learn a new language, this is called C&G speak!

Then how pedantic the answers need to be (they are very strict on this),

another is the way it is marked ie. if you miss a step (however small) then you will fail the entire question, some might say quite right too, but this is very easily done in a written exam.

And lastly is the scope of the subject, it is huge and you can be questioned on any part of it.

I too passed mine the first time around, so it is 'doable'

Good luck!

 

[parker56]

There were three guys on our course, all three are sparks all three failed, and that was there third attempt.
Some people are good at there job but just can't handle exams.

 

[jimj]

When I did my 17th edition update only four of us were electricians out of 20. None of them had even been on a building site or knew how to wire a 3 pin plug. Shocking really

 

[ackbarthestar]

Its difficult to prescribe any one set of rules on how to pass exams.

There are a couple of rules though, I have found useful.

For the colleges. Initial assessment is crucial. If an individual has not got the basic understanding of electrical principles and installation technology, then the 2391 will be useless and will have an cumulative effect of dragging the level of teaching and learning down.

For the student, Many electricians have become electricians because their academic skills have not been encouraged at home or school so they have little belief in their own abilities.

I would recommend that if a person wants to get a level 3 certificate in electrical inspection and testing then start by getting yourself assessed by a college. This will pick up any learning difficulties that have been overlooked or bypassed by the educational system (this appears to happen on a regular basis). Basic functional skills in Maths and English and particularly, Physics will help tremendously.

Apply these skills to the practical knowledge in electrical work and you will be amazed how well you will do in these exams