How long is Section A of the AM2?

On the AM2S v1: A1 is 1 hour and the composite installation (A2–A6) 10 hours 30 minutes. On the original AM2S: 45 minutes and 10 hours. On the AM2: 45 minutes and 8 hours 30 minutes (A2–A5). Each has reading time first: 10 minutes for A1, 15 for the installation.

Can I use a different cable size or position to the specification?

No. NET: even if your work is safe and meets BS 7671, if it does not follow the specification you will not pass. Its feedback names positioning, cable selection and following the specification as areas candidates fail on.

Is testing part of Section A?

No. Inspection, testing and certification is Section B, with its own 3 hours 30 minutes. NET lets you correct anything in your installation during Section B, within its time.

Can I bring my own tools?

Only insulated side cutters, wire strippers and pliers, if safe and serviceable. Every other tool is the centre’s and must be used.

What if I fail one part of the installation?

Since April 2021 the installation is split into sub-sections, and you re-sit only the ones you failed, at least 10 days later and within 2 years of your first sitting.

AM2 SECTION A

AM2 Section A: AM2 Section A — Composite Installation — 10 hours 30 minutes on the AM2S v1

Section A opens the AM2. A1 is safe working practices and planning: isolate the assessment board, risk-assess, and plan. Then the composite installation (A2–A6), installed from a TP&N distribution board to the diagrams and the specification. On the AM2S v1 it is a maximum of 10 hours 30 minutes; on the original AM2S 10 hours; on the AM2 8 hours 30 minutes (A2–A5, without containment).

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9 min readUpdated 2026-11-03Andrew Moore, Founder of Elec-Mate

Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.

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Key takeaways

01A1 (safe working and planning): 1 hour on the AM2S v1, 45 minutes on the AM2 and original AM2S, plus 10 minutes’ reading.
02Installation: 10 h 30 on the AM2S v1, 10 h on the original AM2S, 8 h 30 on the AM2, plus 15 minutes’ reading.
03NET: if your work is safe and meets BS 7671 but does not follow the specification, you will not pass. Your firm’s way is irrelevant.
04NET checks by hand: a gland that undoes is not tight; a conductor that pulls out between finger and thumb is loose; no copper visible when you look square on.
05ELV cables go in a different trunking compartment to LV cables.
06Testing is not in this time: it is Section B, 3 hours 30 minutes, where you may also correct your installation.

01 · AM2 Section A

What Section A covers

A1 starts with the safe isolation of the assessment board, fully observed (NET’s procedure and the 10-point test), a risk assessment recorded on the centre’s form, and a plan for the installation using the Candidate Manual, the diagrams, the bay and its materials. Then the composite installation: prepare, install, connect and terminate conductors from a TP&N distribution board to the outlets, to industry standards, and bend and install conduit.

NET’s AM2S v1 checklist lists what candidates install: a three-phase distribution board, earthing and bonding, a three-phase direct-on-line motor with remote stop/start, a three-phase supply to an EV charger, single-phase lighting and power, a central heating and hot water system, a safety services circuit and device, data cabling and emergency lighting, in cable types from PVC singles to XLPE SWA, FP200 and data cable, with metal and PVC conduit.

New-style bay, 2026

NET’s new AM2 bay (all centres by the end of August 2026) has an updated layout, smart heating, lever-type connectors, USB sockets, an EV charging cable with data and remote motor control. NET says the skills and the marking criteria are unchanged.

02 · AM2 Section A

NET’s common errors in the installation

Not following the installation specification (NET’s example: the customer asked for white conduit and got black).
Not meeting BS 7671, so the installation cannot be certified.
The wrong type of protective device, or the wrong size or type of cable.
Glands or clamps that can be undone by hand.
Conductors that pull out of a terminal between finger and thumb.
Conductors not identified as Chapter 51 of BS 7671 requires.
Too much insulation removed, or the terminal screw on the insulation.
Circuits that do not function as intended.
Extra-low voltage and low voltage cables in the same trunking compartment.

NET marks each area with yes-or-no questions, backed by photographs, and keeps the criteria confidential. If you fail, you re-sit only the installation sub-sections you failed.

03 · AM2 Section A

Pacing the installation

NET sets only the total time. Candidates who passed first time told NET to plan the whole installation before starting, so no time goes on deciding what comes next, and to leave the part they found hardest (for one, the conduit bends) until everything else was done. Give each sub-section a target finish, check the clock against it, and keep time at the end to check everything against the specification. Once you finish the section you cannot go back to it.

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04 · AM2 Section A

Study with Elec-Mate

Elec-Mate’s AM2 course covers the installation module by module, with a practice specification drill, a mock AM2 day and a 24-decision walk-through of the whole assessment. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NET.

Test yourselfTry the free AM2 mock examTimed, marked instantly, with an explanation on every question. No sign-up.

AM2 Section A — FAQ

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