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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical inspection and testing

BS 7671 Inspection and Testing Essentials

Free BS 7671 Part 6 inspection and testing course for UK electricians and maintenance staff: safe isolation, GS38, dead and live tests, RCDs, EICR codes. Certificate optional and paid.

See the modules

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

Level
Beginner
Modules
8
Video
Self-paced
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Describe how EAWR 1989, BS 7671 and the Building Regulations fit together, carry out and explain a safe isolation to GS38, describe the dead and live tests in the order BS 7671 requires, check measured Zs and RCD times against the limits, and choose the right certificate and EICR codes.

  • Carry out safe isolation and explain why each step matters
  • Pick GS38 compliant test leads and a proving unit
  • Measure R1+R2 and complete the three-step ring final test
  • Choose the right insulation test voltage and prepare a circuit with electronics
  • Calculate Zs and compare it with the maximum for the protective device
  • Test RCDs at the correct currents and read the trip times
  • Choose between an EIC, Minor Works Certificate and EICR and assign C1, C2, C3 and FI

Software

None required. A spreadsheet helps with the Zs and ring final calculations.

Hardware

None required. Access to a multifunction installation tester under supervision is useful but not needed for the course.

Syllabus

8 modules

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

  1. 1BS 7671, the Law and Competence3 lessons
  2. 2Safe Isolation and GS383 lessonsLab
  3. 3Dead Tests: Continuity of Protective Conductors and Rings3 lessons
  4. 4Dead Tests: Insulation Resistance and Polarity3 lessons
  5. 5Live Tests: Ze, Zs and Prospective Fault Current3 lessons
  6. 6RCD Testing3 lessons
  7. 7Certificates, EICR Codes and Test Instruments3 lessons
  8. 8Final 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

Take null-lead, R1+R2 and insulation readings in the Lab's multimeter simulator, then prove dead on the panel.

Works alongside BS 7671 Inspection and Testing Essentials. 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 BS 7671 Inspection and Testing Essentials

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 this course a replacement for City & Guilds 2391 or 2392?
No. It is a free knowledge course that follows BS 7671 Part 6 and shows the standard sequence of tests. Competence under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 comes from formal qualifications, supervised practice and assessment by your employer or a competent person scheme. This course helps you prepare.
Which edition of BS 7671 does the course follow?
BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 (Amendment 4), published by the IET and BSI in April 2026. The earlier BS 7671:2018+A2:2022+A3:2024 text was withdrawn on 15 October 2026. Always check the IET website for the latest position before you rely on any course, and use the current edition on site.
Do I need a tester to do the course?
No. The practice tasks use worked examples and the EDWartens Lab multimeter and wiring simulators. If you work with an employer who owns an installation tester, practise only under the supervision of a competent person.
Can I use this to certify my own work?
No. Inspection, testing and certification must be done by a competent person. The course does not register you with NICEIC, NAPIT or any other scheme.
Who made the video lessons?
Independent UK electrical trainers and test equipment makers on their own YouTube channels, credited on the page. EDWartens did not make them and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. EDWartens wrote the study plan, practice tasks and assessments.

Maintenance engineer path (UK)

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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