48 people may have a passed the written exam but that is only half way there to getting the qualification, they now have to do the project.

The written exam is an old fashioned 3 hour hand written exam paper and the full qualification is a Level 4 Foundation Degree level qualification. I sat the first ever 2396 exam and it was a hard slog for 3 hours which went very quickly. My hand writing is carp at the best of times but towards the end it was v.bad and I think the C&G had to send my completed paper to GCHQ to get it translated. 

The project was a slog especially as I had to produce an excel spread sheet rather than use my Amtech to do the cable calcs. 

I needed the qualification as at my college you had to have the qualification to teach the subject.

 I went on to teach the 2396 which I enjoyed. I extended the course time and pre-selected the students at interview and not accepting anyone without out a current regs. qualification and inspecting and testing qualification. Most of the students had done those qualification with me previously. I could get most of them through the exam but getting them to do the project and submit it was very unsuccessful. If they did not submit a full  lever arch file they had not done enough.

I deplore the dilution of qualifications over the years. I taught the original 2391 inspecting which was a hand written 2 1/2 hour closed book exam and 4 practicals. After 2 dilutions the exam is now a multi choice 1 1/2 hour open book every is a a winner but no in depth knowledge of the subject.

I just hope because so few people gain the 2396 qualification it gets diluted down to a qualification that has no value but everyone gets a certificate.

JP 

John Peckham said:

I deplore the dilution of qualifications over the years.

One of the most difficult assessments that I have ever done was the C&G 2394 practical, which I did in 2017. I only needed another 10 - 15 minutes. I had some difficulty arranging a resit before the 2395 course, but I had gone away and and prepared myself better and passed. The training establishment ran about 3 times the number of 2394 courses than 2395 ones, which reflected the pass rate.

I am currently studying engineering with the Open University and year 1 finishes with the exam for the compulsory maths module. I don't think that any of it has gone beyond my A-level studies from 46 years ago. Was engineering as easy then as now?

Some of the students seem to have little or no exam skills and are panicking at the thought of a 3 hour exam. The exams have continued to be held remotely and, I suspect, may never return to a traditional exam hall, which must impose a considerable cost to the university. We have an additional 1½ hours to upload the answers, so in reality say 4¼ hours for the exam. There is also no limit to the materials that we may have with us.

Chris

Good luck with the degree maths. 

I am reliably informed that this years 2396 design project is a fire station.

JP

I think the Fire Station has been used before?

What was your Project John?

I thought I was on the first 2396 course too, but it may have been the 2nd, at the time, it was the 2391-2 or similar, a follow up to 2391, but I was advised to wait 6 months as the 2396 was coming out, and it was going to be Level 4.

I had a Argos style store to design for the project.

Alan.

alanblaby said:

I think the Fire Station has been used before?

OK, so the specific questions and requirements (including, of course, the 16th Edition of the 'Wiring Regulations' which around the time I took the exam was being published for the first time as a British Standard, BS 7671:1992) may have been slightly different when I took what was then C&G 240 back in 1992, but ... I did the 'Fire Station' over 30 years ago !

Graham

I think you may have done the 2400 which was a Level 4 qual. More elements were added to become a Level 4 qual.

Alan

Yes you did the first 2396 which was an Argos type store. Our mutual friend who I think was on your course went to her local Argos store and got permission to have a look behind the scenes to see how a real Argos was installer and took a clamp meter to get the maximum demand to give her a heads up on a real installation which was  smart thinking. 

JP

John Peckham said:

Graham

I think you may have done the 2400 which was a Level 4 qual. More elements were added to become a Level 4 qual.

Possibly the case ... but it was definitely badged as 'C&G 240' at the time to the 'delegates' (as we were called then at my local college), alongside '238' and '239'. I will send you a copy of the Cert so you can decide what it 'really' is.

That must be a very old qualification. Did you have to complete the exam with a quill pen?

JP

JP,

I dont think he did as even quill pens were not even invented then.....................

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Cheers GTB

Thanks for that John, it was a while ago. That was good thinking to look around an actual store, I do remember the project file that person gave in, it was huge, I looked at mine, which was half the size, thinking what have I missed!

GTB said:

I dont think he did as even quill pens were not even invented then.....................

GTB said:

I dont think he did as even quill pens were not even invented then.....................