What is the AM2 assessment?
The AM2 is an independent practical competence assessment used within recognised electrical qualification routes.
Rather than simply testing what you can remember from a classroom, it assesses whether you can apply your electrical knowledge and practical skills safely under assessment conditions.
For the standard AM2 covered in this guide, you will complete practical installation work, demonstrate safe isolation, inspect and test an installation, diagnose faults and complete an applied-knowledge assessment.
The assessment is normally completed towards the end of the relevant qualification route, once the required training, workplace evidence and practical experience are in place.
AM2 is about occupational competence
You are expected to show that you can work safely, follow drawings and specifications, produce acceptable electrical work, test it properly and deal with problems logically.
Not sure where AM2 fits into your qualification? Read our NVQ Level 3 Electrical Guide.
Which AM2 assessment applies to you?
People often use the name “AM2” for the final practical assessment generally. NET runs different versions for different qualification and apprenticeship routes.
Check the exact assessment before booking. Apprentices do complete an AM2 assessment, but it may be AM2S, AM2S v1 or AM2D rather than the standard AM2 described throughout the rest of this guide.
What happens during the standard AM2?
The standard AM2 is divided into separately timed sections. Each one looks at a different part of electrical competence.
Safe isolation and risk assessment
Show that you can make the assessment distribution board safe, follow the correct isolation process and complete the required risk assessment.
Composite installation
Build the required installation from the drawings and specification, including the circuits, equipment, connections and terminations you have been asked to complete.
Inspection, testing & certification
Inspect and test the installation, interpret your readings and complete the required electrical installation documentation.
Safe isolation of circuits
Demonstrate the correct safe-isolation procedure for the circuits and equipment specified during the assessment.
Fault diagnosis & rectification
Use the information provided to identify the type and exact location of faults, then explain how they should be rectified and checked.
Applied knowledge
Complete 30 multiple-choice questions covering health and safety, BS 7671 and Building Regulations.
Follow the assessment specification, not simply your normal site routine
You will be working from drawings, instructions and assessment requirements. Read them properly before starting. Work can be electrically sound but still fail to meet the specification you were given.
Practical skills to practise before your AM2
Preparation should focus on the work you will actually be expected to carry out. If one of these areas is weak, deal with it before the assessment is booked.
Safe isolation and safe working
Your isolation routine needs to be consistent, deliberate and safe. This is not an area to rush because you are under assessment pressure.
Installation and workmanship
The composite installation checks whether you can follow drawings and specifications and produce work to the required standard.
Inspection, testing and certification
This combines practical testing with understanding the results and recording them correctly. Knowing the complete process matters as much as knowing individual tests.
Fault diagnosis
Fault finding is about using evidence to narrow the problem down rather than guessing until something works.
Inspection, testing and fault finding deserve particular attention
NET's recent candidate research found that fault finding and inspection and testing were among the areas unsuccessful first-time candidates most often said they did not feel fully prepared for.
What should you revise for the AM2 knowledge assessment?
The standard AM2 includes a one-hour online applied knowledge assessment containing 30 multiple-choice questions.
NET currently assesses your application of knowledge in three main areas: health and safety, BS 7671 and Building Regulations.
Focus your revision here
BS 7671
Know how the book is arranged and become comfortable finding information quickly. The aim is not to memorise hundreds of regulation numbers.
Health & safety
Revise safe working principles, electrical safety, risk assessment and the responsibilities that apply when electrical work is being carried out.
Building Regulations
Understand how the Building Regulations affect electrical installation work and become familiar with finding the relevant information in the permitted guidance.
Inspection & testing
Be comfortable with test sequences, why tests are carried out, interpreting results and finding supporting information in Guidance Note 3 and the On-Site Guide.
Reference material provided by NET
For the standard AM2 applied-knowledge assessment, NET currently provides:
Practise finding information rather than trying to memorise the books. The useful skill is recognising what a question is asking, knowing roughly where to look and finding the relevant information efficiently.
How should you prepare for the AM2?
Good preparation starts before the final few days. The aim is to identify weak areas early enough to get more training or practical experience where you need it.
Check that you are genuinely ready
Go through the official NET Readiness for Assessment Checklist with your employer and training provider. Be realistic about what you can and cannot yet do confidently.
Deal with practical gaps
If you have limited experience with testing, fault finding, three-phase work, safe isolation or another assessed skill, arrange further supervised practice rather than relying on revision alone.
Practise complete tasks
Do not only practise isolated techniques. Work from drawings, complete installations, test them, record the results and diagnose faults using a logical process.
Use the official NET resources
Read the current Pre-Assessment Manual, use NET's inspection and testing resources and become familiar with the forms used during assessment.
Practise under time pressure
Once your work is accurate, practise completing realistic tasks within sensible time limits. The aim is controlled progress, not rushing.
Use the Readiness for Assessment Checklist
NET provides a separate checklist for each assessment version. Make sure you use the checklist that matches the AM2 assessment you are actually taking.
Open NET Readiness for AssessmentNET Pre-Assessment Manual
Current section guidance and common errors.
NET Inspection & Testing Forms
Familiarise yourself with the assessment paperwork.
On the day
Bring the required identification
Follow your assessment centre's joining instructions and make sure you have acceptable current photographic ID.
Use the reading time properly
Read the drawings, instructions and specification before touching the installation.
Work methodically
Keep the assessment area organised and continue checking your work against the specification.
Manage each section separately
Each section has its own time limit, so keep track of your progress without compromising safety or workmanship.
Do not sacrifice safety to save time. A calm, organised approach is more useful than trying to rush through the assessment.
Common AM2 mistakes and how to avoid them
NET publishes common errors found during the standard AM2. Many are not obscure technical problems; they are failures to follow procedures, specifications or checking routines consistently.
Rushing safe isolation
Steps are missed, test equipment is not proved correctly, warning notices are forgotten or the isolation point is not dealt with properly.
Prepare: Practise the complete routine until you can carry it out correctly without needing prompts.
Not following the specification
The installation may work, but it does not match the drawings or instructions provided for the assessment.
Prepare: Read the drawing first and keep checking your work against it as the installation progresses.
Poor connections or terminations
Loose connections, excess exposed copper or insulation caught under terminals can affect both safety and workmanship.
Prepare: Inspect every termination properly before moving on.
Weak inspection and testing
Wrong meter settings, missed tests, incomplete results or readings that have not been checked can all cause problems.
Prepare: Practise the full testing process, not just individual tests in isolation.
Incomplete certification
Correct practical testing can still be let down by missing or incorrect information on the inspection and testing paperwork.
Prepare: Use the NET template forms before your assessment so the layout and required information are familiar.
Guessing during fault finding
A vague answer does not demonstrate that you have identified the actual fault and its location.
Prepare: Use a logical test process and keep narrowing the fault down until you can describe it precisely.
Slow use of reference books
The knowledge assessment is timed, so searching through books from scratch for every question wastes valuable time.
Prepare: Practise using contents pages, indexes, tables and familiar sections before assessment day.
Feeling unprepared is a reason to deal with the gap before the assessment
NET encourages candidates, employers and training providers to make sure genuine knowledge or practical gaps are addressed before assessment rather than hoping they will be manageable on the day.
Results, re-sits and what happens after AM2
If you do not achieve the required standard in a section, it does not automatically mean repeating the whole AM2.
Review the feedback
NET provides feedback on areas where the required standard was not achieved. Detailed confidential marking points are not released.
Prepare for the re-sit
Use the feedback to identify what additional training or practical experience is needed before attempting the section again.
Complete the qualification route
Once AM2 and the other requirements of your Level 3 route are complete, your provider can complete the qualification process and you can check the ECS card route relevant to your occupation — our ECS Gold Card guide covers that step.
Re-sit time limit: NET currently requires all required elements of an assessment to be passed within two years. Previously passed sections can expire if the whole assessment is not successfully completed within that period.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AM2 assessment?
The AM2 is an independent assessment of occupational competence. It checks whether you can apply your electrical knowledge and practical skills safely under assessment conditions.
Do apprentices take an AM2?
Yes. Apprentices complete an AM2-family assessment as part of their route. Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprentices normally take an AM2S or AM2S v1, depending on the apprenticeship standard and registration date. Domestic Electrician apprentices take AM2D.
What is the difference between AM2, AM2S and AM2E?
They are versions of the occupational competence assessment used for different qualification routes. Standard AM2 is used with the industry Level 3 NVQ route, AM2S is used with the Installation and Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship route, and AM2E is used with the Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Assessment.
How long does the standard AM2 take?
The standard AM2 is split across several separately timed sections. These include 45 minutes for safe isolation and risk assessment, 8 hours 30 minutes for the composite installation, 3 hours 30 minutes for inspection and testing, 30 minutes for circuit isolation, 2 hours for fault diagnosis and 1 hour for applied knowledge. Reading and preparation time is provided separately.
Is the AM2 knowledge assessment open book?
NET provides the permitted reference publications for the applied knowledge section. You should still know how to find information quickly because the assessment is timed.
How many questions are in the AM2 knowledge assessment?
The standard AM2 applied knowledge assessment contains 30 multiple-choice questions and lasts one hour.
Do I need an AM2 preparation course?
NET does not endorse or recommend commercial AM2 or AM2S preparation courses. Its guidance is to use the official readiness checklist, pre-assessment material and other NET resources, and to make sure you have the required practical experience before assessment.
What happens if I do not pass part of the AM2?
You normally re-sit the section or sections in which the required standard was not achieved rather than automatically repeating the whole assessment. NET currently requires all required elements to be passed within two years.
Source and accuracy
AM2 requirements, assessment versions, timings and arrangements can change. This guide was reviewed against current information published by National Electrotechnical Training (NET) on 12 August 2026. Always follow the current NET guidance and the instructions issued by your training provider and assessment centre.