Exams and practical assessments
Practical assessments
Practical assessments are carried out by approved training providers throughout New Zealand. Practical assessments are managed by your training provider, not by the Board. Your training provider submits your practical assessment record to the Board.
If you are following the experience pathway for Electricians you must complete separate practical assessments of your skills (Stages 1, 2, and 3), these are provided on-demand throughout the year. Contact your training provider for details.
We have a list of Board approved training providers throughout New Zealand and overseas.
Electrical Appliance Serviceperson (EAS), Electrical Service Technician (EST), and Electrical Inspector practical assessments are included as part of the training course for these classes. You do not have to sit these separately.
You must sit separate practical assessments for Electricians (Stages 1, 2, and 3) and these are an assessment only of the skills you have acquired in the workplace.
If you are doing the qualified pathway, ie a New Zealand Certificate that we recognise for registration, practical assessments are not required.
Please make sure that your New Zealand Certificate is one that we recognise.
Courses and tuition
Courses run by our Approved Training Providers will contain tuition on the theory required for your chosen class of registration and may also contain practical skill tuition. Some courses are exam preparation courses that build on substantial electrical knowledge from previous learning. If you have no previous electrical learning then you will need more than one course to prepare for our exams, see a Training Provider for more guidance.
You must complete at least 80% of a course to be eligible to sit an exam. This means that any absences will count against your eligibility. Course providers will only approve eligibility to sit an exam after a course is completed AND they can confirm that you have completed 80% of classes/assignments etc. Do not sit an exam prior to course completion.
| Name of course | Theory tuition | Practical tuition | Type of course | End result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians theory | yes | Exam preparation block course | Eligibility to sit exam | |
| Electricians theory | yes | Night classes | Eligibility to sit exam | |
| Electricians regulations | yes | Exam preparation block course | Eligibility to sit exam | |
| Electricians regulations | yes | Night classes | Eligibility to sit exam | |
| Electricians practical assessments | No tuition, assessment only | Block course only | A pass meets time based pathway requirements | |
| Electrical Installer theory | yes | Check with Training Provider | Eligibility to sit exam | |
| Electrical Service Technician | yes | yes | 2 week block course or night classes (block course may combine EAS tuition in first week) | Eligibility to sit exam and assessment pass meets time based pathway requirements |
| Electrical Appliance Serviceperson (including endorsed) | yes | yes | 1 week block course | Eligibility to sit exam and assessment pass meets time based pathway requirements |
| Associated Tradesperson | yes | yes | 1 week block course | Eligibility to sit exam and assessment pass meets registration requirements |
| Inspector | yes | yes | 1-2 week block course | Eligibility to sit exam and assessment pass meets registration requirements |
Courses may be offered as block courses over 1- 2 weeks or as night classes over a semester. Pick the type of course that suits your situation. For example, if English is a second language, you may prefer a course that includes reviewing a previous class's learning before moving onto the next class.
Examinations
Examinations are carried out by Aspeq Limited. You can register within the Aspeq system and book an examination online. The online booking process will advise you of the appropriate reference material for your examination.
Register within the Aspeq system(external link)
You must have an EW number to apply online. If you don’t have an EW number request one here:
Request an EW number(external link) — kete.mbie.govt
Online examinations are run throughout the year at Aspeq facilities and results are released within 24 hours.
Please check with Aspeq Limited as to the written material and other items you are permitted to take into an exam with you.
Examination and the results process — Aspeq Limited(external link)
The fee for Aspeq examinations is $155.25 and may be charged by the training provider as part of a course fee. If you are re-sitting an exam, the fee will be requested at the time of application.
After 3 attempts at sitting an exam within a 3 month period, the Board requires a 3 month stand-down period from the date of your third unsuccessful attempt, in which you are expected to do further study (or training if required) before you can attempt another exam.
When you enrol, you must identify your training provider as they are required to confirm your eligibility to sit an examination.
Re-marking
As exams are multiple choice the remarking of an exam is not an option. However, an exam can be reviewed for the robustness of questions and if questions have not been phrased clearly a mark may be awarded. Please note that reviewing rarely finds more than one extra mark.
If you find a question ambiguous, you may flag this question and after the exam you can make comments for the Aspeq examiners to determine whether the question should be re-written for future use, and possibly award a mark. You will need to request a review of your exam if you believe a specific question (and any others) will make a difference to your result.
Further Notes regarding exams
Online exams allow a candidate to re-sit almost immediately, however if you fail 3 attempts at an exam within a 3 month period, there is a stand-down period of 3 months from the date of your third unsuccessful attempt. This is to ensure that candidates review their notes and do further study or receive further tuition, if required.