CAP Menuisier Installateur exam-day guide
CAP Menuisier Installateur · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Convocation and ID documents
Bring the convocation (or convocation email) and a valid photo ID. The exact ID types accepted and whether a copy is allowed must be confirmed with the provider; if in doubt, bring the original document.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Safety shoes, safety glasses, hearing protection, and work gloves. Verify with the provider whether PPE is supplied on site or must be brought; assume you must bring your own unless told otherwise.
Hand tools for carpentry and installation
Bring the hand tools you normally use: tape measure, folding rule, pencil, marking gauge, chisels, hand saw, hammer, screwdrivers, clamps, and a spirit level. Confirm the provider's tool list, since some centres supply fixed machinery and larger power tools.
Cordless drill/driver and bits
A charged cordless drill with spare battery, drill bits, and driver bits is normally expected for installation tasks. Check whether battery charging is permitted in the workshop and whether 230 V tools are allowed.
Calculation and drawing materials
Scientific or standard calculator, scale ruler, pencils, eraser, and a notebook. Confirm whether a specific calculator model is required or prohibited.
Work clothing and personal comfort
Work trousers, a workshop apron or work jacket, and clothing you can move and kneel in. Bring a water bottle and a snack; confirm the provider's policy on food and drink in the workshop area.
Read the practical task instructions in advance
If the provider publishes the task structure, workshop layout, or evaluation grid beforehand, read it carefully. Confirm with the provider what information is released before the test and what is revealed only on the day.
Review the assessment criteria
Know that practical work is normally assessed on dimensional accuracy, assembly quality, finish, correct and safe use of machines and tools, working method and organisation, and respect for the drawing or specification. Ask the provider for the weighting if it is not published.
Plan transport and arrival time
Arrive at the centre with enough margin to register, change, and set up. Confirm the exact address, entrance, and required arrival time with the provider, since late arrival rules vary.
Prepare your workstation routine
Decide in advance how you will organise your bench: tools laid out, offcuts kept for test pieces, measuring and marking done before cutting, and a final check against the drawing before assembly.
Plan the day
Re-read the convocation and the provider's practical instructions. Confirm the tool and PPE list, the address, the start time, and any rules about calculators, phones, or power tools that you are unsure about. Gather and check every tool: sharpen chisels, check the tape measure, charge batteries, and replace worn drill bits.
Do a timed dry run of a representative task: read a simple drawing, produce a cutting list, mark out, cut, assemble, and check square and level. Practise the operations you find slowest, such as setting out a frame, fitting hinges, or scribing a panel to an uneven wall. Review safe machine practice for the machines the provider says will be available.
Pack the tool bag against the checklist and place it by the door. Lay out work clothes and PPE. Prepare ID and convocation in one place. Eat and sleep normally; avoid last-minute practice on unfamiliar machines. Check travel arrangements and set two alarms.
Eat a proper breakfast and arrive early. Register, store personal items where instructed, and put on PPE. Listen carefully to the briefing on time limits, machine use, and emergency procedures. Set up your bench, check the tools you will use first, and confirm the material quantities before cutting.
Read the full task and the drawing before touching material. Identify dimensions, tolerances, joint types, and the required finish. Make a short written plan with an order of operations, a cutting list, and a time budget that leaves 10 to 15 percent of the time for checking and finishing.
Work methodically: mark out from a single reference face and edge, cut test pieces from offcuts, and check square, level, and dimensions as you go rather than at the end. Keep the bench clear and tools in their place. If something goes wrong, stop, assess whether it can be corrected within the tolerance, and tell the assessor if you need to restart a component.
Stop cutting and assembling. Check the finished work against the drawing and specification, remove pencil marks and dust, tidy the bench, and return tools and unused material. Be ready to explain your method and choices briefly if the assessor asks.
Rules to check
Bring the required photo ID and convocation and present them at registration. The accepted ID types and any exceptions must be confirmed with the provider in advance.
Follow all safety instructions given at the briefing. PPE is normally mandatory in the workshop; if you are unsure what is required or supplied, confirm with the provider before the test day.
Use only the tools, machines, and materials permitted for the task. Ask the assessor before using a machine you have not been shown how to operate on the day.
Mobile phones and other electronic devices are usually restricted during the test. Confirm the provider's policy on phones, smart watches, and calculators, and keep devices stored as instructed.
Breaks are normally set by the provider and may be included in the overall time. Confirm the break rules and whether the clock stops; do not leave the workshop without telling the assessor.
Work independently. Talking to other candidates about the task, copying their work, or receiving help from outside the workshop is not permitted; ask the assessor or invigilator if you have a question about the task.
If you need to leave the room for health or personal reasons, inform the assessor first. Confirm the provider's rules on toilet breaks and whether you are accompanied.
Scoring is based on the provider's assessment grid, typically covering dimensional accuracy, quality of assembly and finish, safe and correct use of tools and machines, working method and organisation, and adherence to the drawing. Confirm the exact criteria and weighting with the provider, as they are not fixed by this guide.
If you believe an instruction was unclear or an error was made during the test, raise it with the assessor at the time and follow the provider's appeals or complaints procedure afterwards.