SOLAS Bricklaying study guide
SOLAS Bricklaying · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The SOLAS Bricklaying apprenticeship is an Irish craft apprenticeship delivered through the Generation Apprenticeship system, the central route to skills development in Ireland. It is aimed at people who want to train as bricklayers while employed, combining on-the-job experience with off-the-job training at a registered provider. Because this programme is a workplace-based craft apprenticeship rather than a single written examination, assessment is continuous and practical, with competence demonstrated through work-based tasks, coursework and phase assessments set by the training provider. The craft apprenticeship training locations and training durations are published separately by Generation Apprenticeship, so candidates should check those pages for the provider nearest them and the current phase structure. Preparation therefore means building breadth, not memorising one question bank: revise mortar mixes and proportions, brick and block bonding patterns, setting out and levelling, damp-proof course and membrane installation, insulation and cavity work, lintels and openings, and the measurement and calculation skills used on site. Health and safety, tool care, and reading drawings are also fair game. Topics on this exam: Bricklaying. The SOLAS Bricklaying study guide has 1 section and about 397 words.
01Bricklaying
The SOLAS Bricklaying craft domain examines the theory behind the National Craft Certificate: mortar specification, bonding and setting out, block and brickwork to line and gauge, damp-proofing, cavity construction and the detailing that keeps a wall stable and weathertight. Expect to explain why a detail is built that way, not just name it. Questions are practical - mix proportions, bond identification and defect diagnosis - not just definitions. Gauge: 65 mm brick plus 10 mm joint gives a 75 mm course; four courses rise 300 mm.
397 words, about 2 minMore study resources for SOLAS Bricklaying
- Practice questionsOn a SOLAS bricklaying site, what is the standard nominal thickness of a stretcher brick used in a half-brick wall?
- FlashcardsCoordinating size of a brick. The nominal size of a brick plus its joint: 225 mm x 112.5 mm x 75 mm for a standard UK brick, used for setting out and calculating brick quantities.
- Cheat sheetStandard UK brick dimensions are 215 mm long x 102.5 mm wide x 65 mm high; with a 10 mm joint the coordinating size is 225 x 112.5 x 75 mm, giving 60 bricks per square metre of half-brick wall.
- Key termsCourse. A single horizontal layer of bricks or blocks in a wall.
- Study planMap the full SOLAS Bricklaying syllabus into a personal checklist of every assessed topic, marking each as known, shaky, or unknown.
- Common mistakesCandidates learn on site where mortar is often judged by feel, and under exam pressure they skip the measuring step because it feels slow and unnecessary.
- Exam-day guideBring the original, valid photo ID the provider requires for admission (typically a passport or government-issued photo card).