How long is the AM2 knowledge test?

On the AM2S v1, a maximum of 1 hour 30 minutes for 45 questions. On the AM2 and the original AM2S, 1 hour for 30 questions. Each has 5 minutes to read and prepare first.

What is the pass mark?

NET states 21 of 30 (70%) for the original AM2S. It publishes no pass mark for the AM2S v1’s 45 questions.

Is the AM2 knowledge test open-book?

Yes, with four books only, all provided by the centre: BS 7671, IET Guidance Note 3, the IET On-Site Guide and the IET Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations. You may not use any other documentation, and you cannot bring your own copies.

When do I get my result?

Not on the day. NET emails results within 5 days of the assessor submitting the marking. If you fail Section E you re-sit that section only, at least 10 days later.

AM2 SECTION E

AM2 Section E: AM2 Section E — Online Knowledge Test — 45 questions in 90 minutes on the AM2S v1

Section E is an online multiple-choice test at the assessment centre. On the AM2S v1, which apprentices registered from September 2023 sit, it is 45 questions in a maximum of 1 hour 30 minutes. On the AM2 and the original AM2S it is 30 questions in 1 hour. Either way NET provides BS 7671, GN3, the On-Site Guide and the Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations, and nothing else is allowed.

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8 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

01AM2S v1: 45 multiple-choice questions, 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 5 minutes to read and prepare (NET).
02AM2 and original AM2S: 30 questions in 1 hour. NET’s pass mark for the original AM2S is 21 of 30 (70%); it publishes none for the AM2S v1.
03Books provided: BS 7671, IET Guidance Note 3, the IET On-Site Guide and the IET Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations. You may not bring your own.
04About two minutes a question on every version, including the time to look things up.
05NET’s tip: if you can’t find an answer, carry on to the next one and go back to it if you have time.
06NET’s common errors: not knowing how to find information in BS 7671 or in the Building Regulations guide.

01 · AM2 Section E

What Section E covers

Section E, the Assessment of Applied Knowledge, is the last section of the AM2: an online multiple-choice test sat at the assessment centre. NET lists eight areas for the AM2S v1: health and safety, BS 7671, the Building Regulations, inspection and testing, installation practices, fault diagnosis and rectification, design and planning, and behaviours such as customer service. On the AM2 and the original AM2S the test covers health and safety, BS 7671 and the Building Regulations. NET does not publish how many questions come from each area.

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02 · AM2 Section E

The format, version by version

AM2S v1 (apprenticeship standard, registered from September 2023): 45 questions, 1 hour 30 minutes. No pass mark published.
Original AM2S (standard, started before September 2023): 30 questions, 1 hour, 21 correct to pass (70%).
AM2 (Level 3 NVQ, City & Guilds 2357 or EAL 1605): 30 questions, 1 hour.
All versions: 5 minutes to read and prepare, the four books provided, no other documentation, and no phones or other electronic devices.
Extra time (up to 25%) is only ever given on this section, and only as an agreed reasonable adjustment.

03 · AM2 Section E

Using the books

NET names the common error in Section E: candidates do not understand how to find information in BS 7671 or the Building Regulations guide. The books are there, but at about two minutes a question there is no time to search from the front. Candidates who passed first time told NET the same thing: you cannot learn the whole book, you need to be able to navigate it.

Know where the big tables are: maximum earth fault loop impedance (Chapter 41), minimum insulation resistance (Table 64), and the On-Site Guide’s cable tables.
Use the BS 7671 index for terms, and Part 2 for definitions.
Practise with the Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations, not just Part P: NET says the test covers any regulation that affects electrical work.
Revise with the books open and a timer running, the way the test runs.

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04 · AM2 Section E

Pacing

Answer the questions you know first, quickly.
Stuck after a couple of minutes? Move on and come back, as NET advises.
On the AM2S v1, aim to be past question 15 at 30 minutes and past 30 at an hour.
Read every question twice for words like NOT, EXCEPT, minimum and maximum.
Before the time runs out, make sure no question is left without an answer.

05 · AM2 Section E

Study with Elec-Mate

Elec-Mate’s AM2 course includes a practice knowledge test set like the AM2S v1 (45 questions in 90 minutes, with worked calculations that change every sitting) and a version picker for the 30-question format. 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 E — FAQ

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