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EDWartens UK

Free course · Electrical

Electrical Control Panel Design, Building and Testing

Free course for electrical beginners: read PLC wiring diagrams, then build, cool and test a UL 508A control panel. 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
9
Video
9 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Identify every part of a control panel, explain relays, contactors, transformers, terminal blocks and SCCR, read a PLC wiring diagram, wire 2-wire and 3-wire control, match sensors to inputs, build a panel from layout to test, apply workmanship rules, cool a panel and run a factory acceptance test.

  • Name every part of a PLC control panel and what UL 508A covers
  • Choose relays, contactors, overloads, transformers and terminal blocks, and state the SCCR
  • Read a PLC wiring diagram and wire 2-wire and 3-wire control
  • Match PNP and NPN sensors to sinking and sourcing inputs and shield cables
  • Build a panel from tools and hole cutting to wiring and testing
  • Apply workmanship rules: ferrules, crimps, labels, door wiring
  • Size cooling and run a three-part factory acceptance test

Software

None.

Hardware

None required; a small enclosure and components make it hands-on.

Syllabus

9 modules

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

  1. 1What a Control Panel Is3 lessons
  2. 2Components6 lessons
  3. 3Diagrams and Control Circuits5 lessonsLab
  4. 4Sensors, Commons and Noise2 lessonsLab
  5. 5Building a Panel Step by Step6 lessons
  6. 6Workmanship8 lessons
  7. 7Motor Starter Panel Build1 lessonLab
  8. 8Cooling, FAT and Design Data5 lessonsLab
  9. 9Final 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 Electrical Control Panel Design, Building and Testing. 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 Electrical Control Panel Design, Building and Testing

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

What is UL 508A?
UL 508A is the safety standard for building industrial control panels used in the United States. UL Standards & Engagement says it was first published in 2001 and sets requirements so panels are built, labeled and tested to minimize the risks of fire, electric shock and equipment failure. UL Solutions notes that its Supplement SB is the only method specifically noted as being recognized by the US National Electrical Code for setting a panel's short-circuit rating. This course walks through building a UL 508A panel step by step, from layout to test.
What is SCCR on a control panel, and does every panel need one?
SCCR, the short-circuit current rating, is the highest fault current a panel can safely withstand, and a panel needs one when it contains at least one power circuit. UL Solutions says that if a panel has only control circuits, an SCCR is not required, and that UL 508A Supplement SB is the method used to determine it. UL Solutions also notes that terminal blocks have a default SCCR of 10 kA under UL 508A table SB4.1, which is why one low-rated component can limit the whole panel. The course explains SCCR alongside relays, contactors, transformers and terminal blocks.
Is this only for UL 508A (US) panels?
The workmanship, protection and testing principles apply everywhere; IEC 61439 panels follow the same logic with different standards. The course names the differences where they matter.
Do I need tools?
No. Every exercise can be done on paper; a small enclosure and a few components make it hands-on.
Is this safe to practise at home?
Only on de-energised panels. Never work live.
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 UL or 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 UL or 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 9 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the nine modules at your own speed.

PLC foundations

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