Practical Workshop and Internal Assessment
Practical Workshop and Internal Assessment
Practical Workshop and Internal Assessment tests workshop safety, tool use, measurement, wiring practice and the records and viva that make up internal assessment.
Core rules and concepts
- PPE: safety shoes, insulated gloves and goggles; use insulated tools; keep the bench dry; know the main switch and first-aid box.
- Tools: screwdrivers, pliers, wire stripper, crimping tool, hacksaw, conduit bender, test lamp, multimeter, megger, clamp meter and soldering iron.
- Practical tasks: wire one-way and two-way switch circuits, a lamp and socket board, a distribution board, bend and install conduit, solder and crimp joints, test a fan and a heater, and identify appliance parts.
- Internal assessment: practical file, circuit diagrams, observations, viva, project and attendance. Record readings with units and compare them with expected values.
- Good workmanship: correct polarity, tight terminals, no exposed copper, proper earth, cable routing, labelling and neat dressing.
Worked example
Testing a table fan: visually check for a cracked plug and cord; measure plug-pin continuity; test the switch; discharge and test the capacitor; measure motor winding resistance; megger the winding to the frame; then run the fan and measure current. Reasoning: go from supply to load, and test insulation before energising. A winding-to-frame reading below 1 MΩ indicates a dangerous insulation fault.
Traps that cost marks
- Working without discharging capacitors.
- Using a megger on a connected electronic control.
- Leaving exposed copper at terminals.
- Submitting a file without circuit diagrams or signed observations.