woodymcfc

Hi, has anyone sat the 3hr theory, 4hr practical electrical fitting exam that energysafety require for licensing, only done at polytechnic west ?

Got the theory exam tomorrow, no course or information with regards to what's on the exam, just thrown in at the deep end !!! Have been told to bring with me the ANZ wiring rules and selection of cables book, its an open book exam so the answers are in front of you !!! I've done the IEE regs 16th & 17th edition in the UK but we always had a course prior to the exam..

Any pointers would be appreciated ???????????

Thanks

woodymcfc

Well sat the exam today and all I can say is that no wonder WA has such a shortage of skilled electricians !!!!!

Like I said previously I was given no idea of the contents of the theory exam except that it was an open book exam and that the answers are either in the ANZ wiring rules or the selection of cables book.

I studied these books for several weeks, found them to be similar to the IEE wiring regulations in the UK, and thought that I would be able to answer most questions relating to these books.

Got to the college this morning, opened the exam paper and found 40 questions that had no reference to any of the books that I had been studying and 10 questions that did relate to the wiring rules !!!!!!

This exam was in 2 parts as above and a pass mark of 60% was required in each part. I have no doubt in my mind that the 10 questions in part B I have answered 100% correctly, the other 40 questions who knows !!

I am a time served maintenance electrician with 20 years experience and maybe when I was studying at college all those years ago I may have been able to answer some of the questions relating to different types of motor and their characteristics + calculations, power factor equations etc...

There were questions like

'what type of steel is usually used to manufacture the drive shaft of a small fractional KW electric motor ?'

What part of a dc motor or generator will have the highest resistance ?

there was even questions about what vernier calipers measured, which was one I answered !! What protective equipment should be worn on building sites ?? I wont be working on f##king building sites !!!!

could an Australian trained electrician tell me the answer to a question relating to oxy-acetylene and the minimum pressure, answer in Kpa ???? forgive me but what the f#=k has that got to do with electrics !!!!

Sorry if I sound dumb and some people will be able to answer the questions but without sounding arrogant, over the 20 years I have learnt to interrogate & program PLC's, input parameters in Variable speed drives, Build panels, overhaul motors, test motors + circuits, read electrical drawings, navigate software relating to machinery, install traywork, conduit, run swa and other cables of all sizes and terminate etc.....and now, if I do not get the required pass mark, energysafety will tell me I am incompetent !!!!!! The majority of questions you will not put into practice in today's industrial factories !! I had an interview the first week i arrived and the director of the company told me that industry in WA find it difficult to get the skills I have mentioned.

If I do not get the required pass mark then I have the option of resitting the exam, different questions obviously, what will they ask me next time, a question about quantum physics ?????????

Another thing that is so frustrating is that here in WA if you are an installation electrician (classed by TRA as an electrical mechanic) then for licensing purposes you attend a 2 week, 80hr course and at the end of that course you sit an exam, if successful you will obtain an unrestricted license that allows you to do any electrical work !!!!! please can someone tell me the logic in this !!!!

Rant over, after all I may pass the exam but im not that confident...if I do then I then have to do the practical exam, what the hell will that involve, rocket propulsion !!!!!!

rinkerdink

I nearly replied to the op the other day to mention there will probably be hydraulic and pneumatic questions as its a fitters exam (how many instal sparks do you know that would go any where near that) but noticed you'd probably already be on your way to the exam and didn't want to worry you. But f@ck me what you have described is even more utterly ridiculous than anything else I've read. Total joke mate go to peer get an any electrical work licence in a week ( plus correspondence) and wait for the national licence roll out in mid 2013. I'd rather spend a year working in bunnies than f@ck my mind with the sheer frustration of that!!

rinkerdink

Here's the link showing the progress with the national licencing system, looks like its moving forwards.

http://nola.gov.au/files/2012/04/MR-...April-2012.pdf