94/95 Practical Assessments

[CDB]

Hi everyone,

I have my 94/95 practical assessment on Tuesday and am a little confused about the sequence of tests. Basically I don't want to screw it up just because I do them in the order that they are not looking for. The 94 element I'm pretty happy with -

- Assessment of general characteristics
- Continuity of protective conductors, including protective bonding
- Continuity of ring final circuit conductors
- Insulation resistance tests
- Polarity dead tests
- Polarity live tests
- External Earth fault loop impedance (Ze)
- Prospective fault current test (PSCC and PEFC)
- Earth fault loop impedance (Zs)
- Phase sequence test
- RCD test
- Functional testing

But for 95 we have been advised by our lecturer at the same centre as the assessment:

- Assessment of general characteristics / site survey etc.
- LIVE

- Functional testing (inc RCD test?)
- Earth fault loop impedance (Zs)​

- DEAD

- Insulation resistance test - whole installation and then circuits to fault find.
- External Earth fault loop impedance (Ze)
- Prospective fault current test (PSCC and PEFC)
- Then CPC etc. as and when required to fault find.​

The suggest here is that Zs tests at sockets and light switches will tell us if we have continuity of CPC and Functional will tell us if we have working systems. Would you use a socket&see to test 'function' of a socket?

Has anyone else seen this for 95 practicals?

Look forward to your replies and thanks for your time.

Chris

 

[The Ghost]

When I did my 2395 practical and 2394 random faults were "injected" from a 20 switch board and a scenario was described like "Mrs. Higginbottom has complained her MCB keeps switching off on her socket circuit" please investigate and report. So I went about safe isolation, removing sensitive equipment from the circuit then appropriate testing. For the 2394 I was there 7 hours in all and the 2395 about four hours. On the 2395 practical I had to diagnose a motor not running properly and there was no continuity on one of the phases, stuff like that. Also identify an isolator, contactor for the correct rating for the equipment it was linked to. I think the whole thing was about using correct isolating, protecting/identifying every bit of gear likely to fry with IR and using the correct test to identify. And re-commissioning the cct correctly, including the functional testing etc.
It really seemed to be designed to make you use all the possible tests and the right processes in doing so.
Just a tip but make sure about the state of the main switch (CU) before starting anything as I have heard some centres purposefully leave it off and if it is not spotted its a fail for thee or me and they get more money for re-sitting the exam.

 

[CDB]

Thanks for the reply Vort. I was going to message you the other day regarding some help with work in Bristol but you have blocked stalkers!

Regarding the assessments we've been told what to expect.

We've been told that for the 94 assessment we will get:

1. Visual inspection - Departures from BS7671 12 to find.
2. Fault Find on Single Phase Insulation Resistance Meter Tails.
3. Earth Fault Loop Impedance Test using scenarios to check against Zs tables.

and then we have the big 3phase into singles initial inspection task.

For the 95 assessment we will get:

1. 7 photos with 0 or more coded observations to make.

and then the big 3phase into singles periodic with two faults to find.

Its more the order of tests that concerns me. For 94 its clear but the 95 list we've been suggested by our lecturer seems to contradict everything I'm reading! I like the idea of it as its much quicker but I don't want to be sucker punched out the assessment for being an Idiot!

Thanks again

 

[The Ghost]

Yes now you say it I do remember the photos some of them were quite hard to spot. There was an old wylex board pic and the fact it was not a fire proof enclosure as it was mounted direct to wood backing. And the bare terminals and bus bars. As for blocking stalkers, well haven't a clue there what I did, or did not do.

 

[CDB]

I wasn't able to send you a PM but you probably turned it off after being inundated.

 

[The Ghost]

Mhmm ok as regards the PM thing. SO best of luck with the exam anyhoo.

 

[Pat H]

Pretty sure for my 95 I had to do dead tests first. That produced 2 issues that had to be spotted and identified. They are then rectified by the examiner and you then move on to live tests.
I just followed the steps I'd been taught.