2394/5 Advice

[SeánH]

Hello everyone, been a while since I've been on this forum.

Anyway, I'm going to be doing the 2394/5 course at the end of March.  Can anyone give me any advice on what to expect on the course.  I was hoping to read up on as much information as possible before I start it and before my baby gets here lol, such as; what each section contains and what to look out for.

Thanks in advance, 

Sean

 

[MeFil]

I've just started the course today. Sat going through a past papers now. Trying to get my head around the way they word the questions.

40 % pass rate nationally. The written exam is the one that catches people out.

Sorry. Should have said to read guidance note 3. Everything you need for the exams can be found in it.

 

[Sidewinder]

Vinnie,

Which one are you doing & where?

 

[SeánH]

I've just started the course today. Sat going through a past papers now. Trying to get my head around the way they word the questions.

40 % pass rate nationally. The written exam is the one that catches people out.

Sorry. Should have said to read guidance note 3. Everything you need for the exams can be found in it.

Ok thanks for the info.  Any chance of an update once you've done it?

Vinnie,

Which one are you doing & where?

 as far as i'm aware, it will be both.  I'll be doing them in my firms' training centre

 

[Sidewinder]

Ahh, forgot about that facility!

Good luck.

 

[MeFil]

You will need to know GN3 inside out

You will also need to know the BGB inside out

And all the drawings of supply types - all labelled properly (the ones in the BGB are not that good and there are much better ones)

Here is an example of answering a testing question on how to do a Ze test

Be very clear

Use Bullet points for all defined steps and make sure you get all the points for correct procedure, correct instrument and correct wording

That answer should get you full marks  :innocent

But what would I know…..

sorry. You dropped a mark. You should have retained the key when locked of the circuit.

 

[MeFil]

Vinnie, no problem. Should have also mentioned that the 2394/5 exam success book is quite handy. 2 sample papers and model answers. I got a copy from amazon.

According to my tutors, most people struggle on the exams because they confuse the 2394 and 2395 answers. 2394 is initial verification, so circuits should not be in service, 2395 is periodic inspection and so they are.

I should be able to send you the past papers that ive been given if that would help.

 

[Technician]

The best answers, as canoe has demonstrated, are written as

method statements that someone else could follow if the writer

wanted THEM to do the same thing.

If you frame your answers like that you will not go far wrong.

 

[northernspark]

I did mine last year, if you can get access to past paper then do so and get your head round the way the questions are worded as they try their hardest to throw you with the majority of the questions.

Canoes example answer is an absolute gem and if you can structure yours like that and also have the knowledge to go with it then you'll have no problem. I was told to brush up on all supply types and be able to produce detailed diagrams of them, also a detailed account of how to carry out IR tests, ring finals, Zs and also testing earth electrodes with all the expected values and a detailed drawing of how the tests are carried out

in the written exams you only just have enough time so keep your answers concise and don't go off on a tangent, practice this as its so easy to do and loses alot of people so much time

 

[SeánH]

Vinnie, no problem. Should have also mentioned that the 2394/5 exam success book is quite handy. 2 sample papers and model answers. I got a copy from amazon.

According to my tutors, most people struggle on the exams because they confuse the 2394 and 2395 answers. 2394 is initial verification, so circuits should not be in service, 2395 is periodic inspection and so they are.

I should be able to send you the past papers that ive been given if that would help.

If you could send me the past papers that would be amazing thanks mate

Thanks for the rest of the supplies chaps, its been a good help

 

[MeFil]

If you could send me the past papers that would be amazing thanks mate

no problem. I'll finish up the course this week and then I'll scan any past papers I get. Pm me your email address and I'll send you a link to my google drive.

Got my practical next friday and then the exams are mid feb.

Good luck with your course. I'm finding it good fun although my head is full of gn3

 

[mport]

Did the 2395 last October, GN3 is an absolute must, past papers helped me out, also keep an eye on the time in the written exam and always check you've answered ALL the questions, with 10 minutes left I thought I was done and was just going over my answers to make sure I was happy with them, realised that I'd missed the last question completely and had 6 minutes to answer a question worth 8 marks!!

 

[SeánH]

Thanks mport, just a quick question. Is there much of a difference between the old Exam Success 2391 and the Exam Success 2394/5

Thanks in advance

Sean

 

[Technician]

Vinnie; the new book, Exam Success deals with both the 2394

& 2395.  There are practice exams, plus analyses of why candidates

lose marks.  There are also sample written papers but I would

guess that the standard is represented in these papers and not

repeated in the actual exams.

In the practice multiple choice you really have to READ the question

very carefully but I think anyone on the forum would agree that this

is the case with all C & G exams, not just this one.

If you look at Canoe's example, use that template to write out in a

bullet point format HOW you would carry out each of the tests that

are detailed in Gn3. 

 

[MeFil]

I passed my multichoice last week. Got 90% which I was ok, but I was mad with myself. Dont like dropping marks like that :/ you get no feedback on your result, just a mark for each section. Write down any awkward questions as you go, so you can ask/check answers after the exam.

Plenty of time for the multichoice. So no panic. My computer locked up during the exam, no drama, was moved to a new computer, logged back in and carried on. However, when I checked through before I submitted my paper I found 5 questions had not been answered. They were the ones that I was on at the time of the computer glitch. So check carefully..

Practical exam on friday. Then head down for revision, written exam mid feb.

 

[SeánH]

Ok thanks for the advice again. I'm going to getting gn3 to read over, ive got two months before I do the course and just want to prep as much as possible. To repeat my earlier question, is there much difference between the exam success books? The old 2391 and the new 2394 one? As I can get a 2391 for free.

Thanks again

 

[Technician]

Vinnie;  the 2391 MIGHT look suitable but believe

me, its like chalk and cheese when compared to the

more recent one.

I saw one multiple choice question about why the

prospective current needed to be known.  Two

of the answers were correct.  The RIGHT one was

the one that was pertinent/relevant to the exam

being taken. 

 

[SeánH]

Ok thanks for clearing that up

 

[PhilM]

You might find this useful too, I certainly did - do a search for "city and guilds 2395 examiners report" and you'll get something along these lines:

http://cdn.cityandguilds.com/ProductDocuments/Building_Services_Industry/Electrical_Installation/2395/Additional_documents/2395-302_Chief_Examiners_Report_August_2013.pdf

Not really a revision tool but a good indicator of where people have lost marks in the past.

There should be the same for the 2394 but I didn't look as I only did the 2395

 

[SeánH]

You might find this useful too, I certainly did - do a search for "city and guilds 2395 examiners report" and you'll get something along these lines:

http://cdn.cityandguilds.com/ProductDocuments/Building_Services_Industry/Electrical_Installation/2395/Additional_documents/2395-302_Chief_Examiners_Report_August_2013.pdf

Not really a revision tool but a good indicator of where people have lost marks in the past.

There should be the same for the 2394 but I didn't look as I only did the 2395

that document was quite informative, thanks for posting the link.  I'll look for the 2394 tomorrow