Skip to content
EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical CAD

AutoCAD Electrical for Control Design

Free AutoCAD Electrical course for beginners: draw control schematics, PLC I/O, panels and reports. Learning is free; the certificate is optional and paid.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
12
Video
16 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Set up AutoCAD Electrical projects with templates and title blocks, draw control schematics with intelligent wires, wire numbers and tagged components, insert PLC modules with addressed I/O, use the catalog and reports, exchange data with Excel, and produce single-line, panel and house-wiring drawings.

  • Install AutoCAD Electrical and master the interface and drawing aids
  • Manage projects, drawings, templates and title blocks
  • Draw wires with numbers, arrows and splices
  • Insert parent, child and standalone symbols with catalog data
  • Build three-phase and starter circuits and PLC modules with addressed I/O
  • Generate terminal lists, reports and Excel exchanges

Software

AutoCAD Electrical (free education licence for students and educators, or a 15-day trial)

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

12 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1AutoCAD Electrical versus AutoCAD, Install and Interface4 lessons
  2. 2AutoCAD Essentials for Electrical Drawings3 lessons
  3. 3Drafting Aids, Layers and Templates6 lessons
  4. 4Projects and Drawings8 lessons
  5. 5Templates and Title Blocks3 lessons
  6. 6Ladders, Wires, Wire Numbers and Signal Arrows5 lessons
  7. 7Components, Symbols and the Catalog8 lessons
  8. 8Circuits: Three-Phase, DOL Starter and Saved Circuits5 lessonsLab
  9. 9PLC Modules and I/O Addressing9 lessonsLab
  10. 10Terminals, Audits, Reports and Data Exchange4 lessons
  11. 11Panel Layout and a Complete Practice Project4 lessons
  12. 12Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Practise in the labOptionalTry a task from the module in the EDWartens Lab, in your browser.
  5. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  6. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

EDWartens Lab

Practise this in the EDWartens Lab

Wire a panel to a schedule in the Lab, test it and pass the factory acceptance test.

Works alongside AutoCAD Electrical for Control Design. The Lab is control panel build practice in your browser: no install, no hardware, free to use. Sign in as a learner and it opens with your account.

Open the free lab See the Lab
Control panel build: Wire a real control panel.

Levels to try with this course

Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.

Why practise in a lab

Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.

  • Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
  • The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
  • Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for AutoCAD Electrical for Control Design

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Questions

About this course

Is AutoCAD Electrical still used, or is it part of AutoCAD now?
AutoCAD Electrical is still current, and Autodesk now ships it as the Electrical toolset included with AutoCAD. Autodesk says the toolset gives you a library of more than 65,000 intelligent electrical symbols and automates wire numbering and component tag generation. Those are the features this course teaches: intelligent wires, wire numbers, tagged components and automatic reports.
What does an electrical drafter earn?
In the US, electrical and electronics drafters earned a median of $76,870 a year in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is above the $68,090 median for all drafters, and BLS notes that drafters use CAD systems to create and store technical drawings. BLS projects drafter employment to grow 1 percent from 2025 to 2035. Pay varies by country, so treat the US figure as a reference point only.
Is AutoCAD Electrical free?
For students and educators, yes: Autodesk's education licence is free. Otherwise the trial lasts 15 days, so plan the drawing modules into that window.
Do I need to know AutoCAD first?
No. Modules 2 and 3 teach the AutoCAD essentials the rest depends on.
Will this help with panel drawings for clients?
Yes: starters, PLC I/O, terminals and reports are the drawings every panel builder issues.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 16 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the eleven modules at your own speed.

Electrical design engineer

Take it with

See the whole path

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module