Practical Skills and Workshop Practice
What this domain tests
Practical Skills and Workshop Practice tests safe use of hand tools, measurement and marking, conduit bending, conductor stripping, termination, soldering, panel wiring and functional testing.
Core rules
- Select the correct tool: insulated screwdriver for electrical work, crimping tool for lugs, spring or bender for PVC conduit, and a hacksaw with fine blade for conduit.
- Strip only the required insulation; avoid nicking strands. For stranded conductors use a suitable ferrule or lug and crimp it properly.
- Keep bends smooth and within the conduit’s minimum radius. Support conduit and boxes securely.
- Before energising, check continuity, polarity, insulation resistance and tightness. Clean up and replace covers.
Worked example
A 2.5 mm² stranded copper conductor is to terminate in a 16 A socket. Strip about 10–12 mm of insulation, twist the strands lightly if needed, insert a suitable ferrule or lug, crimp with the correct die, and pull-test the joint. A loose strand or overlong strip can bridge terminals. After termination, check continuity from the earth pin to the earth bar.
Traps that cost marks
Using pliers as a crimper, over-tightening terminal screws and crushing strands, leaving exposed copper outside the terminal, bending conduit with a sharp kink, and energising without a final continuity and polarity check. Good workshop practice is judged by safe sequence, not speed.