What is the end-point assessment for an electrical apprentice?

For the Installation and Maintenance Electrician standard (ST0152) the end-point assessment is run by NET. Under plan v1.2 it has three parts: the AM2S practical (safe working and planning, a composite installation, inspection and testing, safe isolation and fault diagnosis), an online knowledge test of 45 questions, and your behaviours, confirmed by your employer’s declaration at gateway.

How long is the AM2S?

Under plan v1.2 the practical is 17 hours over no more than 3 working days: planning, safe isolation and risk assessment (1 hour), installation and maintenance (10½ hours), testing and the certificate (3½ hours) and fault finding (2 hours). NET’s AM2S manual adds short reading times before some sections. The online knowledge test (45 questions in 90 minutes) is the separate second part of the end-point assessment.

Is there a professional discussion in the electrical EPA?

No. Under plan v1.2 there is no interview, professional discussion or portfolio review. The three parts are the AM2S practical, the online knowledge test and your behaviours, confirmed by your employer.

What grades can I achieve?

Pass or fail. Under plan v1.2 each of the three parts is pass or fail, and you need a pass in all three. There is no merit or distinction.

What do I need to pass gateway?

Your employer and training provider confirm you are ready. You need the Level 3 electrotechnical qualification (C&G 5357 or the EAL equivalent), the off-the-job training hours on your standard (1,066 hours for ST0152 starts from August 2025), the Readiness for Assessment checklist signed by you, your employer and your training provider, your employer’s declaration that you have shown all the behaviours, and Level 2 English and maths if they apply to you.

What books can I use in the knowledge test?

None of your own. NET provides BS 7671, Guidance Note 3, the On-Site Guide and the IET Electrician’s Guide to the Building Regulations on the day. NET sets the pass mark.

APPRENTICE GUIDE

Electrician EPA: The AM2S, Grading and Gateway

For electrical apprentices on the Installation and Maintenance Electrician standard, the end-point assessment is the AM2S practical, an online knowledge test and your behaviours. Here is what each section involves, how it is graded, and what you need to reach gateway.

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8 min readUpdated 2026-10-28Andrew 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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The short answer

What is the end-point assessment for an electrician apprenticeship?

For the Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship (ST0152 v1.2) it is run by NET and has three parts: the AM2S practical (17 hours over no more than 3 working days), an online knowledge test (45 questions in 90 minutes) and your behaviours, confirmed by your employer. Each part is pass or fail.

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Key takeaways

01For the Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship (ST0152), the end-point assessment is run by NET. Under the current plan, v1.2, it has three parts: the AM2S practical, an online knowledge test and your behaviours, confirmed by your employer.
02There is no interview, professional discussion, project or portfolio review. The practical is 17 hours over no more than 3 working days; the knowledge test is 45 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes.
03Every part is graded pass or fail, and you need a pass in all three. There is no merit or distinction under plan v1.2.
04If you fail a part you only redo that part. Your employer decides whether you re-sit or re-take it, usually within 3 months, and it must be done within 6 months.
05Gateway needs the Level 3 qualification (C&G 5357 or the EAL equivalent), the off-the-job hours on your standard (1,066 for ST0152 starts from August 2025), the Readiness for Assessment checklist, your employer’s behaviours declaration and, where it applies, Level 2 English and maths.

01 · Apprentice Guide

What Is End-Point Assessment for Electricians?

End-point assessment (EPA) is the independent assessment at the end of an apprenticeship. For the Installation and Maintenance Electrician standard (ST0152) it is run by NET, the only end-point assessment organisation for this apprenticeship. Under the current plan, version 1.2, it has three parts: the AM2S practical, an online knowledge test and your behaviours, confirmed by your employer’s declaration at gateway. If you started before 21 July 2025, your training provider will confirm which version of the plan applies to you.

Many generic EPA guides describe a project, an interview or a professional discussion. None of those is in plan v1.2. You install, test, isolate and fault-find under timed conditions, and sit an online knowledge test of 45 questions in 90 minutes. Every part is pass or fail, and NET sets the pass mark.

The section-by-section detail is in the AM2 overview. This page covers the EPA rules around it: gateway, grading and resits.

Skills England lists a revised ST0152 assessment plan for apprentices starting from 17 December 2026. Anyone starting on or after that date should check the new plan with their provider.

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02 · Apprentice Guide

The AM2S Sections and Timings

Timings below are from the NET AM2S v1 pre-assessment manual (v2025.03). Under plan v1.2 the practical is 17 hours over no more than 3 working days (planning, safe isolation and risk assessment 1 hour; installation and maintenance 10½ hours; testing and the certificate 3½ hours; fault finding 2 hours), and the online knowledge test is the separate second part of the EPA.

Section A1: Safe working practices and planning

1 hour

The opening part of Section A: planning the job and showing safe working practices before the installation starts.

Sections A2 to A6: Composite installation

10 hours 30 minutes

Installing the wiring systems, containment, distribution board and accessories to the drawings and specification. The longest part of the assessment.

Section B: Inspection, testing and certification

3 hours 30 minutes, plus 20 minutes reading

Inspecting and testing your installation in the correct sequence, then completing the certificate and schedules accurately.

Section C: Safe isolation

30 minutes, plus 5 minutes reading

Safe isolation of a circuit using an approved voltage indicator and proving unit, with locking off. A dangerous step here is treated very seriously.

Section D: Fault diagnosis

2 hours, plus 5 minutes reading

Finding and recording faults on a rig, stating how each would be rectified.

Section E: Online knowledge test

1 hour 30 minutes, plus 5 minutes reading

45 multiple-choice questions on health and safety, BS 7671, the Building Regulations, inspection and testing, installation, fault diagnosis, design and planning, and behaviours.

The earlier AM2 (manual v2023.01) had a shorter knowledge test of 30 questions in 1 hour. If you registered before September 2023, check with your provider which version you will sit.

03 · Apprentice Guide

Grading: Pass or Fail

Under plan v1.2 each of the three parts is graded pass or fail, and the end-point assessment as a whole is pass or fail:

The AM2S practical — pass or fail.
The online knowledge test: pass or fail, and NET sets the pass mark.
Your behaviours — confirmed by your employer’s declaration.

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.

04 · Apprentice Guide

Gateway Requirements

Gateway is the point where your employer and training provider confirm you are ready to book the AM2S. You will normally need:

The Level 3 electrotechnical qualification: C&G 5357 or the EAL equivalent.
The off-the-job training hours on your standard, logged and signed off (1,066 hours for ST0152 starts from August 2025; apprentices who started earlier stay on the 20% rule). See the OJT evidence guide.
Level 2 English and maths where they apply. Since February 2025 they are no longer required for apprentices who started at 19 or over.
The Readiness for Assessment checklist, signed by you, your employer and your training provider, and your employer’s declaration that you have shown all the behaviours.

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05 · Apprentice Guide

Preparation Timeline

Six months out: check your off-the-job hours and Level 3 units are on track, so gateway is not held up by paperwork.
Three months out: practise the full test sequence and a complete certificate until both are routine; practise safe isolation every time you can.
Final month: timed fault-finding practice, and multiple-choice questions using BS 7671, GN3 and the On-Site Guide so you can find answers quickly.

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06 · Apprentice Guide

Common Reasons for Losing Marks

Unsafe practice — skipping a step in safe isolation or working unsafely can end a section, whatever else you got right.
Running out of time on the installation — plan the job before you start fixing and do not over-finish one area.
Certificate errors — missing entries, wrong units or results that do not match the readings cost marks in Section B.
Guessing in fault diagnosis — a logical, recorded method finds faults faster than swapping components.

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