How electrical apprentices are assessed

Through the apprenticeship you work towards the Level 3 electrotechnical qualification, such as City & Guilds 5357. Each unit has its own assessment, set by the awarding body and run by your training provider: typically online and written exams, practical tasks observed by your tutor, and evidence of the work you do on site.

This is where a portfolio of evidence belongs. If your provider asks you to build one, it counts towards your qualification. It is not reviewed at the end-point assessment.

Gateway is the check that you are ready for the end-point assessment. Your employer and training provider decide when you go through it. You need:

NET is the only end-point assessment organisation for this apprenticeship. Under the current plan, version 1.2, the end-point assessment has three parts:

1. The AM2S practical: 17 hours over no more than 3 working days, covering planning, safe isolation and risk assessment (1 hour), installation and maintenance (10½ hours), testing and the certificate (3½ hours) and fault finding and reporting (2 hours).
2. The online knowledge test: 45 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. BS 7671, GN3, the On-Site Guide and the Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations are provided. NET sets the pass mark.
3. Your behaviours: confirmed by your employer’s declaration at gateway.

The full detail is in the electrician apprenticeship EPA guide, and the EPA preparation guide covers how to get ready for each part.

Each part is pass or fail, and you need a pass in all three. There is no merit or distinction. If you fail a part you only redo that part: your employer decides whether you re-sit it or re-take it after more training, usually within 3 months, and it must be done again within 6 months or the whole end-point assessment has to be taken again.

When you pass, your training provider requests your apprenticeship certificate.

This guide describes plan v1.2, for apprentices starting from 21 July 2025 to 16 December 2026. If you started earlier, your training provider will confirm which version applies. Skills England lists a revised plan for apprentices starting from 17 December 2026.