C&G 2922-34 Solar PV exam-day guide
C&G 2922-34 Solar PV · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo ID and appointment letter
Bring the photo ID the centre has specified (typically passport or photocard driving licence) plus your candidate/enrolment number and the assessment appointment letter. Confirm with the provider which ID types they accept and whether the name must match your enrolment exactly.
Approved safety footwear
Steel toe-capped or composite safety boots are normally required on a workshop rig. Confirm with the provider whether they enforce a specific standard and whether indoor-only footwear is acceptable for a bench-based assessment.
Eye protection and gloves
Safety glasses/specs for drilling, cutting and gland work; suitable gloves for cable pulling and handling modules. Bring your own even if the centre supplies them, and check the provider's PPE policy in advance.
Hi-vis and weather-appropriate workwear
Some centres run part of the practical on an external or roof-mounted training rig. Bring layered workwear and a hi-vis vest; confirm with the provider whether outdoor work is involved on your assessment day.
Your own hand tools
Insulated (VDE) screwdrivers, side cutters, cable strippers, crimping tool, spanners/sockets, knife, tape measure, spirit level, torque driver if you own one. Confirm with the provider which tools the centre supplies and which you must bring - some centres require you to use their toolkits only.
Test instruments with in-date calibration certificate
A multifunction tester is normally needed for continuity, insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance and RCD tests, and a DC clamp meter for array current. Many centres supply instruments; if you bring your own, the calibration certificate must be current. Confirm with the provider whether personal instruments are permitted and what calibration evidence they require.
Copies of standards and reference material
BS 7671, the IET Guide to the Installation of PV Systems and the On-Site Guide are commonly used references. Confirm with the provider which publications may be taken into the assessment area and whether they must be clean copies with no loose notes.
Notebook, pens, marker and calculator
For recording test results and site notes during the practical. A non-programmable calculator only; confirm the provider's rule on programmable or phone-based calculators.
Completed documentation pack (if pre-issued)
Some centres issue commissioning sheets, handover documents or a candidate pack in advance. Confirm with the provider whether any paperwork must be completed and brought with you, and whether it counts towards the assessment.
Lunch, water and any medication
Practical assessments can run a full day with limited breaks. Confirm the provider's policy on leaving the assessment area for food, water or medication.
Leave phones, smartwatches and personal kit in the locker
Mobile phones and smart devices are normally prohibited in the assessment area. Confirm with the provider where they must be stored and whether any exception applies.
Plan the day
Re-read the assessment plan and confirm logistics with the provider: start time, address, parking, whether the practical is indoor, outdoor or both, and exactly what equipment the centre supplies versus what you must bring.
Check your PPE and tool kit for damage - insulation on VDE tools, boot soles, safety glasses scratches. Replace anything that fails a visual check.
If bringing your own tester, verify the calibration certificate is in date and the batteries are fresh. Do a self-check on a known supply if you have access to one.
Walk through the job sequence in your head end to end: isolation and safe isolation procedure, mounting and fixing, DC string wiring, array-to-inverter cabling, AC connection, earthing and bonding, labelling, testing, commissioning and handover.
Pack your bag from the checklist and put it by the door. Include spare batteries, a spare pen and a printed copy of any pre-issued documentation.
Confirm your travel route and journey time, allowing a buffer for traffic. Aim to arrive at least 30 minutes early.
Avoid last-minute cramming on unfamiliar material. Review only your own notes on safe isolation, test sequence and the labels and documentation you must complete.
Get a full night's sleep and eat properly. Practical assessments are physically demanding and fatigue shows in hand skills and test readings.
Eat a proper breakfast, arrive early, and register with reception. Have your ID and candidate number ready before you reach the desk.
Listen carefully to the assessor's briefing, including the emergency arrangements, the location of the main isolator and first aid, and the specific boundaries of your work area.
Work to a written plan. Before touching anything, carry out and verbalise your safe isolation procedure - prove the tester, isolate, lock off, prove dead, and re-prove the tester.
Keep your work area tidy and your tools accounted for. Neat, methodical work is easier for an assessor to observe and easier for you to test and inspect at the end.
Record results as you take them, in the correct units, on the sheet provided. Do not rely on memory; mis-transcribed readings are a common avoidable failure point.
Complete the labelling, warning notices and handover documentation as part of the job, not as an afterthought - they are normally assessed alongside the physical installation.
If something goes wrong or you are unsure of a step, stop and ask the assessor for clarification on procedure. Confirm with the provider in advance what level of guidance the assessor is permitted to give.
Leave the rig in a safe, isolated condition, return borrowed tools and instruments, and collect your belongings. Confirm with the provider what feedback you are entitled to and when results are issued.
Rules to check
Bring the photo ID specified by the centre. If you cannot produce acceptable ID you may be refused entry and lose the assessment fee - confirm with the provider which documents are accepted and whether a digital ID is allowed.
Arrive at the time stated in your appointment letter. Confirm with the provider what happens if you are late, as centres set their own cut-off and lateness policy.
Mobile phones, smartwatches and other connected devices are normally not permitted in the assessment area. Hand them in or store them as instructed at the start of the day.
Breaks are usually at the assessor's discretion and may be limited. Confirm with the provider in advance whether you may leave the assessment area for toilet, food, water or medication, and whether the clock stops.
You must work safely at all times. Dangerous practice - working live without justification, defeating an interlock, or removing guards - can result in the assessment being stopped. Confirm with the provider how safety-related stoppages are recorded and scored.
Ask before you borrow. Using another candidate's tools, instruments or notes during the assessment is not permitted; confirm the provider's policy on sharing equipment between candidates working on adjacent rigs.
Results and any grading criteria are set by the awarding organisation. Do not rely on rumour about pass marks or tolerances - confirm with the provider what is assessed and how outcomes are reported.
If you have a disability, injury or access requirement, raise it with the provider well before the day so reasonable adjustments can be arranged. Adjustments are rarely possible on the morning of the assessment.