In the latest in a new series of regular articles, Pete (Monty) Monfort, Director of Arena Training Centre and Monty Electrics, offers some hints and tips to help you prepare for the AM2 assessment.
In last month’s article we considered the process of booking and preparing for your AM2. This month’s column will now take a look at what happens on test day.
Assessment day
You’ll want to give a good account of yourself, so be prepared. Get an early night, pack a lunch the night before, plan your route and give yourself time for traffic delays. If you’re travelling a long distance you might opt to book a hotel near to your test centre.
You should arrive dressed for the job – comfortable work clothing and safety work boots are essential. Your assessor will also need to see identification so you must take some form of photographic ID, such as a driving licence, passport or ECS card.
You’ll not be permitted to take in electronic equipment such as smartphones, cameras and the like, so you’ll be asked to hand these in at your chosen AM2 centre. You are, however, permitted to take in insulated side cutters, wire strippers and pliers only, but they must be in good safe working order. Everything else is provided by the centre.
On arrival at the test centre you’ll meet the assessor and will be given an induction. You’ll also be provided with the assessment manual which you MUST read carefully.
I can’t stress enough how important this document is. It provides clear instructions on what you need to do and includes diagrams and associated information required to complete the assessment. The manual is always available so check back regularly.
During the assessment
Work methodically and efficiently. You’ll be provided with regular breaks so you can always gather your thoughts over a coffee and if you’ve made mistakes you can action them and correct them. In fact, you’ll inspect and test your own installation and, if you find faults, get on and fix them just like you would in your day job.
After the assessment
Once completed, your assessor will indicate when you might expect your results – this can take up to five working days. Hopefully you’ll have been successful, but if you haven’t passed don’t be disheartened – it simply means you need to brush up on some skills that you failed to show competence in.
Since 1st April 2021 the installation section has also been broken down into sections, so if you failed one aspect you’ll not have to re-sit the entire installation section again, saving both time and money in the long run. Remember, you only have two years to re-sit failed components, after which time you would have to sit the entire assessment again.
Embrace the challenge
The End Point Assessment is challenging, but it is there to ultimately assess your competence in the industry sector. The electrotechnical sector is an ever-growing and complex environment to work in and the assessment process is, quite rightly, a rigorous one.
On completion of the AM2 you should be proud of your achievements but be mindful that it is just one step on a fascinating journey of learning, and it probably won’t be long before you’re considering what’s next for you on this career path.
Keep reading the IET books and be confident in your capabilities and capacity to progress.
Get more details on training courses and dates from Arena Training here
Read Part 1 of this new series here
