CompEx course advice

[Owen Graham]

Hi, I am doing my CompEx Ex01-04 in May without much on site industrial experience (mainly commercial). Just wondering if there is anybody out here who has done this and can offer any advice, tips or possible revision materials in order to get through it first time. Thanks in advance

 

[bomjac]

Stay off the beer at night would be my best advice. It's a pretty intensive course.

Some training providers will send you some pre-training info to read. Pay attention to what is taught, study the material given and ask questions if you are not sure. Lots of questions.

From memory there should be 4 practical exams, and 1 online test. An Exd/Exe lighting install, an Exi instrument install and inspection for each. Lighting install will be a couple of glands in SWA with 1 barrier gland

I'm not sure if for the 5 day you need to do the equipment selection or not (choose JBs, glands, switch, light and instruments for an install).

The online is 60 questions in 2 hours. Tough, but they should provide you with all information needed including some multiple-choice questions to practice. The 60q exam is open book so if you practice the review quiz you will be able to quickly locate the right pages. Answer what you know first, then go back and search the rest. 2 mins per question is tight if you need to search all.

Another resource is the Facebook page "Compex Electricians" - they have mock exams in the files section. Join the page.

Retests are around £75-£150 per section, depending on the provider. Another reason to study and work hard. My mate failed the online - Asset in Aberdeen wanted £150 for the retest. He got it at Falkirk for £75.

 

[Owen Graham]

Thanks for the reply, I will take that onboard! I’m assuming many other people go in for the course without much past site experience?

 

[Diver233]

I did the course nearly three years ago, thinking it would be a piece of cake.
Boy was I in for a shock take everything Bomjac has said above as correct. I did it from scratch, but I honestly thought I was going to fail it was that hard.

 

[Owen Graham]

Cheers mate, did you not have any on site experience in that sector then?

 

[drzsta]

Tip: do your barrier gland first thing in the practical then tighten at the end.

 

[Diver233]

Had lots of normal site experience but not in explosive atmosphere such as the gas sites we needed this for.
So was a real shock to me, don’t forget we are alarm engineers not full sparks like most of the guys on here so prob was worse for us.