AM2 / AM2S exam-day guide
AM2 / AM2S · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID
Bring current photographic ID (typically a passport or photocard driving licence). Check in advance exactly which forms of ID your assessment centre accepts and that the name matches your booking - confirm with the provider before the day.
Booking confirmation and joining instructions
Print or download your appointment letter/booking confirmation, plus any joining instructions the centre sent (site address, gate/reception procedure, start time, emergency contact).
Regulations and reference publications
If your centre permits reference material, bring your own copy of BS 7671 and the On-Site Guide/Guidance Note 3. Ask the centre in advance which publications are allowed into the assessment area and whether they supply copies - rules vary by centre.
Non-programmable calculator
For cable calculations and test-result work. Programmable or internet-capable devices are normally not permitted; confirm the centre's position on what counts as acceptable.
Stationery
Two or three pens, pencils, eraser, small ruler and a highlighter for marking up schedules of test results and certificate paperwork.
Hand tools
Bring your own tool kit (insulated screwdrivers, pliers, side cutters, crimpers, knife, tape measure, spirit level, chisels/bolster as instructed). Confirm from your joining instructions what the centre provides and what you must supply.
Test instruments and proving unit
Many centres provide the test instruments and expect you to use theirs; others expect you to bring your own. Confirm this in advance - if you use unfamiliar instruments, book time to practise on that model beforehand.
PPE and workwear
Steel-toe safety footwear, safety glasses, and any gloves/hearing protection specified. Wear practical work clothing with no loose sleeves or dangling items, remove rings/watches and tie back long hair. Confirm whether overalls are supplied.
Food, drink and medication
Assessment days are long and physically tiring. Bring water and a packed lunch unless the centre confirms a canteen is available; bring any personal medication you may need.
Travel plan
Confirm the site address, parking arrangements and journey time, and aim to arrive well before your reporting time so a delay does not eat into your assessment.
Read the candidate guidance
Study the official candidate/centre guidance and the assessment structure and timings before the day so nothing about the format is a surprise.
Secure storage for valuables
Plan for phones, smart watches and personal valuables to be stored away from the assessment area - bring minimal valuables and confirm the centre's storage arrangements.
Plan the day
Re-read the joining instructions and candidate guidance; check the reporting time, site address, ID requirements and what to bring. Confirm with the centre anything unclear (permitted reference books, whether instruments are supplied, PPE requirements).
Do light revision only: key BS 7671 tables you use for cable selection and test limits, the safe isolation procedure, the sequence of inspection and testing, and how to complete a schedule of test results and an electrical installation certificate.
If the centre supplies test instruments you have not used, ask which make/model and find the operating instructions online so the controls are familiar.
Lay out and check your tool kit: PAT-checked/undamaged leads, sharp blades, correct screwdriver sizes, and a working voltage indicator with a proving unit if you are expected to supply one.
Pack everything from the checklist into one bag, print the booking confirmation and joining instructions, and put your ID somewhere you cannot forget it.
Confirm your journey and set two alarms. Eat properly, avoid a late night, and do not start a heavy revision session the night before.
Eat breakfast, arrive early, sign in at reception and hand over ID. Switch your phone off and store it as directed before entering the assessment area.
Listen carefully to the assessor's briefing and read any written task instructions in full before touching materials. Ask procedural questions (layout, materials, time limits, what to do if you finish early) rather than technical ones.
Plan before you build: sketch the layout, list circuits and cable sizes, and gather materials in one trip. Work methodically and keep your work area tidy - assessors observe working practice, not just the finished job.
Apply safe isolation every time you need to work dead, prove the tester before and after, and lock off. Practise correct test-lead placement and record results as you obtain them rather than from memory.
Watch the clock against each element's time allocation. If a task overruns, tell the assessor, note what is incomplete, and move on so you do not lose time on the next element.
Before handing anything over, self-check: terminations tight, conductors correctly identified, earthing and bonding in place, covers fitted, certificate and schedule complete and consistent with your readings.
Rules to check
Photographic ID is required to be admitted. Confirm the accepted forms and that the name on your ID matches your booking - contact the provider in advance if they differ.
Mobile phones, smart watches and other personal electronic devices are not permitted in the assessment area. Confirm the centre's storage arrangements and hand devices over as directed.
Only reference material, notes and instruments expressly permitted by the centre may be taken into the assessment area. Ask before the day rather than assuming.
The assessor can clarify instructions, timings and centre procedures but cannot give technical help with the installation, testing or fault-finding tasks. Work must be entirely your own.
Breaks are managed by the centre. Tell the assessor if you need to leave the room, and confirm in advance whether scheduled breaks are built into the day and whether time is added for unscheduled stops.
Unsafe working practice can result in the assessment being stopped. Work safely at all times: isolate and prove dead before working on circuits, use the correct PPE, and keep walkways clear.
The assessment is graded pass/fail against defined criteria across all elements, and you normally need to meet the standard in every element. Ask the centre for the exact pass criteria and the retake/reassessment policy for your route (AM2 or AM2S).
Be punctual. Late arrival may mean you are not admitted or that your time is reduced - confirm the centre's late-arrival policy when you receive your joining instructions.