Course Map

This site is organised like a textbook course for electrical apprentices. It is not a registered training organisation and does not replace supervised training, but the sequence follows the way apprentices normally build competence: safety, theory, installation, testing and integrated systems.

Foundation Safety and Trade Practice

1. Electrical Safety Duties and the Apprentice Mindset — Why electrical work is controlled work, duty of care, supervision, risk thinking and professional conduct.
2. Hazard Identification and Risk Controls — How to identify shock, arc, mechanical, thermal, access, environmental and stored-energy hazards.
3. Safe Isolation and Prove-Test-Prove — A complete lockout and verification lesson for apprentices.
4. Tools, Meters and Instrument Categories — Meter categories, leads, proving units, hand tools, insulated tools and care of instruments.
5. Reading Electrical Drawings and Symbols — Single-line diagrams, schematics, wiring diagrams, schedules and site markups.
6. Trade Maths: Units, Prefixes and Transposition — SI units, prefixes, formula rearrangement and sensible rounding.
7. Workplace Documentation and Handover — Job notes, test sheets, as-builts, cable labels, variations and defects.
8. Using Standards Without Guessing — How apprentices should navigate standards, manufacturer instructions and workplace procedures without relying on memory.

DC Theory and Measurement

1. Voltage, Current and Resistance — The physical meaning of the three core electrical quantities and how they appear in real circuits.
2. Ohm’s Law With Trade Calculations — Applying V = I × R to lamps, heaters, voltage drop and fault symptoms.
3. Electrical Power and Energy — Watts, kilowatts, watt-hours, heating effect and appliance energy use.
4. Series Circuits — Current, total resistance, voltage drops and failure symptoms in one-path circuits.
5. Parallel Circuits — Branch currents, total resistance, common voltage and why parallel loads are used.
6. Series-Parallel Networks — Breaking mixed networks into workable sections for calculation and diagnosis.
7. Kirchhoff’s Laws for Electricians — Current at junctions and voltage around loops, applied without excessive mathematics.
8. Conductors, Insulators and Resistance — Material, length, cross-sectional area, temperature and connection quality.
9. Batteries, Polarity and DC Supplies — Cells, internal resistance, charging basics and common DC system mistakes.
10. Meter Loading and Measurement Errors — Why readings can mislead and how to test under realistic circuit conditions.

AC Theory and Three-Phase Fundamentals

1. AC Waveforms, Frequency and RMS — Sine waves, peak values, RMS, frequency and why mains readings are RMS.
2. Inductance and Magnetic Fields — Coils, relays, solenoids, transformers, motor windings and back EMF.
3. Capacitance and Electric Fields — Capacitors, stored charge, starting capacitors and safe discharge thinking.
4. Impedance, Reactance and Phase Angle — Combining resistance and reactance in AC loads.
5. Real, Reactive and Apparent Power — kW, kVAr, kVA and why power factor matters.
6. Single-Phase Supply and Final Circuits — Active, neutral, earth, switching and common final subcircuit behaviour.
7. Three-Phase Supply Fundamentals — Line/phase values, phase rotation, balanced and unbalanced loads.
8. Transformers and Isolation — Turns ratio, isolation, extra-low voltage supplies and transformer faults.
9. Harmonics and Non-Linear Loads — Electronic loads, neutral current, heating and practical warning signs.

Cables, Protection and Installation Practice

1. Cable Types and Identification — TPS, SDI, flexible cords, screened cable, data cable, colour identification and marking.
2. Cable Selection Process — Load current, installation method, derating, voltage drop and protective device coordination.
3. Voltage Drop in Real Installations — Calculating drop, recognising long-run problems and choosing practical remedies.
4. Protective Devices: Fuses, MCBs and RCBOs — Thermal/magnetic operation, fault protection, overload protection and nuisance trips.
5. RCDs and Shock Protection — Residual current operation, test button limitations, leakage current and selectivity issues.
6. Earthing, Bonding and Fault Paths — MEN thinking, protective earthing conductors and equipotential bonding.
7. Switchboards and Circuit Schedules — Layout, labelling, segregation, spare capacity and serviceability.
8. Lighting Circuits and Switching Methods — One-way, two-way, intermediate, sensor and smart switching concepts.
9. Socket Outlet Circuits — Radial final circuits, load assumptions, terminations and testing points.
10. Conduit, Trunking and Mechanical Protection — Physical protection, draw-in points, bends, fill and environmental exposure.
11. Wet Areas and External Installations — IP ratings, zones, corrosion, UV exposure, condensation and suitable accessories.
12. Appliance Connections and Fixed Equipment — Isolators, local control, flexible connections, load assessment and maintenance access.

Testing, Fault Finding and Commissioning

1. Visual Inspection Before Testing — What to inspect before instruments come out and why this prevents dangerous tests.
2. Continuity of Protective Earthing Conductors — R1+R2 concept, bonding continuity and interpreting low-resistance readings.
3. Insulation Resistance Testing — Test voltages, preparation, sensitive equipment and abnormal readings.
4. Polarity Testing — Switching the active, socket outlet checks, borrowed neutrals and dangerous reversals.
5. Earth Fault Loop Impedance — Fault loop concept, disconnection thinking and interpreting loop readings.
6. RCD Testing and Leakage Faults — Trip current, trip time, ramp testing, nuisance tripping and cumulative leakage.
7. Fault Finding Method: Divide and Prove — A structured approach to open circuits, shorts, earth faults and intermittent faults.
8. Commissioning Records and Certificates — How to record readings, limitations, defects and corrective actions professionally.

Controls, Data, Security and Modern Loads

1. Relays, Contactors and Overloads — Coils, contacts, auxiliary contacts, overloads and common control faults.
2. Start-Stop Control Circuits — Latching circuits, stop circuits, emergency stop concepts and holding contacts.
3. Motor Principles for Electricians — Rotating fields, starting current, protection and practical motor checks.
4. Variable Speed Drives Introduction — Supply, motor output, EMC, braking, parameters and safe isolation issues.
5. Sensors, Timers and Interlocks — Limit switches, photocells, timers, float switches and interlock logic.
6. Data Cabling Basics for Electricians — Structured cabling concepts, separation, bend radius, termination and testing.
7. CCTV Power, PoE and Pathways — IP camera power budgets, PoE switching, cable pathways and service loops.
8. Access Control and Door Hardware Basics — Locks, strikes, maglocks, relays, fire release and door position monitoring.
9. Solar PV Electrical Awareness — DC strings, inverters, isolation, labelling and limits of apprentice involvement.
10. Battery and EV Charger Awareness — Load assessment, isolation, protection, ventilation, communications and documentation.
11. Capstone Fault-Finding Scenarios — Mixed revision problems combining theory, installation and testing.
12. Final Exam Calculation Practice — Trade calculations covering Ohm’s Law, power, voltage drop, impedance and three-phase basics.