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Job simulations · Engineering

Engineering job simulations

Do the work of a PLC programmer, commissioning engineer, maintenance electrician or designer at a simulated company. Real project documents, UK standards named in the work, and every task checked. Free to start.

Free days
1 to 5
Roles
18
Certificate, optional
£14.99
Premium, optional
£53.99

Prices include VAT. A job simulation is practice at a simulated company, not employment.

Roles

Engineering roles

Controls, electrical, energy, quality and projects. Search, filter, or let the helper pick.

Free means free: no card, nothing to buy. Days 1 to 5 of every role.

Area
Good for
Starting point
  • Engineer in a hard hat pointing at a touchscreen on a machine control panel

    Free to start · Automation and controls

    PLC Programmer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    Write the I/O list, program the line, run the FAT and handle a change request.

    • PLC programming (ladder)
    • I/O lists and tag lists
    • Cause-and-effect and interlocks

    You produce

    • URS clarification queries
    • I/O list, section B
    • Cause and effect matrix
  • Electrician testing contactors in a control panel with a probe

    Free to start · Automation and controls

    Commissioning Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    Loop checks, I/O checkout, SAT and a punch list on a plant that is nearly ready.

    • Commissioning
    • Loop checks and I/O checkout
    • Fault finding

    You produce

    • Insulation resistance results with pass or fail
    • Loop check sheet for three analogue loops
    • Daily commissioning report
  • Operator at a desk in a plant control room with a wall of monitoring screens

    Free to start · Automation and controls

    SCADA and HMI Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    Build the tag list, alarm list and screens for a live process.

    • Alarm management
    • HMI and SCADA screens
    • I/O lists and tag lists

    You produce

    • Tag scaling sheet from raw counts to engineering values
    • Alarm priority list
    • Alarm performance measured against targets
  • Wide view of an industrial processing plant with storage tanks, pipework and towers

    Free to start · Automation and controls

    Instrumentation Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    Instrument index, datasheets, loop diagrams and calibration on a process plant.

    • Instruments and calibration
    • Process control and tuning
    • Loop checks and I/O checkout

    You produce

    • Instrument index entries
    • As-found calibration error review
    • Calibration summary note for PT-2102
  • Yellow industrial robot arms working inside an automated production cell

    Free to start · Automation and controls

    Robotics Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    Risk-assess, program and hand over a robot cell.

    • Robot programming
    • Analysis and statistics
    • Fault finding

    You produce

    • Functional specification review findings
    • Robot and PLC handshake signal table
    • Required performance level for each hazard
  • Two operators at a control desk with panels and monitors in a plant control room

    Free to start · Automation and controls

    OT Security Analyst

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 11 hours

    Asset inventory, zones and conduits, and a remote-access incident at a plant.

    • OT security
    • Industrial networks
    • Root-cause analysis

    You produce

    • OT asset inventory with level and criticality
    • Observed network flows judged against the zone rules
    • Firewall rule review findings
  • Engineer working on a laptop at a workbench surrounded by tools

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Electrical Design Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 9 hours

    Load list, single-line diagram, cable sizing and a late design change.

    • Cable sizing and voltage drop
    • Protection and discrimination
    • Load lists and demand

    You produce

    • Load list with full-load currents
    • MCC-1 motor cable sizing table
    • Cable schedule review comments
  • Electrician in a hi-vis work shirt standing beside a board of circuit breakers

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Maintenance Electrical Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    Work orders, safe isolation, fault finding and a root-cause report.

    • Safe isolation and LOTO
    • Planned and corrective maintenance
    • Root-cause analysis

    You produce

    • Isolation certificate review
    • Thermography action list
    • A closed work order with findings
  • Automated conveyor and stacking line running through an industrial plant hall

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Multi-skilled Maintenance Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    Mixed faults on a food line, safe isolation, PPM in a CMMS and a reliability plan.

    • Safe isolation and LOTO
    • Fault finding
    • CMMS and work order records

    You produce

    • Checked shift handover log
    • PPM frequencies with isolation needs
    • A closed work order with cause, parts, labour and downtime
  • Offshore wind turbine rising from sea mist

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Solar PV and EV Charging Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 9 hours

    Size a PV array, test it to IEC 62446 and fit EV chargers on a limited supply.

    • PV system design
    • EV charging and load management
    • Cable sizing and voltage drop

    You produce

    • String voltage table: coldest and hottest design day
    • Check comments on the string sizing calculation
    • AC cable calculation from the inverter
  • Industrial control panel with network cables and drive modules

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Data Centre Critical Facilities Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 8 hours

    MOPs, change control and a UPS event in a live data hall.

    • UPS, generators and critical power
    • Method statements and MOPs
    • Cooling and environmental control

    You produce

    • Rack feed check: A and B path loading
    • UPS battery runtime calculation
    • Monthly PUE calculation from the meter readings
  • Woman technician in a lab coat working on a machine's electrical control cabinet

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Control Panel Design Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    GA drawing, schematics, BOM, heat calculation and the routine test.

    • Control panel design
    • Inspection and testing
    • Wiring and terminations

    You produce

    • Cable schedule
    • Wire colour schedule by circuit
    • Heat dissipation calculation
  • Engineer in a white hard hat checking a switchboard and noting readings on a clipboard

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Substation and MCC Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 12 hours

    Protection settings, relay tests and an inrush trip on a new feeder.

    • Protection and discrimination
    • Safe isolation and LOTO
    • Root-cause analysis

    You produce

    • Current transformer sizing and burden check
    • Protection setting schedule check comments
    • Relay grading calculation R1 against R2
  • Electrician in a hard hat working on wiring

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Maintenance Technician

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 9 hours

    A first month in a moulding plant: isolation with a buddy, first PPMs, a heater fault.

    • Safe isolation and LOTO
    • Planned and corrective maintenance
    • Wiring and terminations

    You produce

    • Safe isolation steps in order
    • Review of a motor starter drawing
    • A job card with cause, parts and downtime
  • Engineer using a laptop at an automation test rig

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Mechanical Maintenance Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 9 hours

    Vibration, alignment, hydraulics, a lift plan and a bearing failure root cause.

    • Mechanical maintenance
    • Machinery safety and guarding
    • Condition monitoring (vibration, thermography, oil)

    You produce

    • Condition round zone and action list
    • Lubrication schedule review
    • Gearbox oil analysis note
  • Site crew in orange hi-vis and white hard hats beside a yellow barrier and a Stop Works sign at a London construction gate

    Free to start · Electrical and energy

    Building Services Multi-skilled Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    PPM, BMS alarms, water hygiene, fire tests, EICR codes and a 12-month compliance calendar.

    • HVAC and building plant
    • Water hygiene (L8)
    • Inspection and testing

    You produce

    • PPM visits and hours from a task library
    • Water temperature log review
    • Fire alarm test record review
  • Workers on a busy production line in a large factory

    Free to start · Quality and projects

    Quality Engineer

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 10 hours

    8D, PFMEA, SPC and a customer complaint with 24-hour containment.

    • Quality tools (8D, FMEA, SPC)
    • Root-cause analysis
    • Analysis and statistics

    You produce

    • Pareto of the rejects
    • SPC chart with Cp and Cpk
    • PFMEA with RPN and Action Priority
  • Woman in a hard hat and hi-vis vest reviewing a tablet outdoors beneath a crane

    Free to start · Quality and projects

    Engineering Project Coordinator

    Days 1 to 5 free · about 11 hours

    RAID log, status report, document register and a late vendor.

    • Project control (RAID, status, schedule)
    • Analysis and statistics
    • Written communication

    You produce

    • RAID log classified from kick-off notes
    • Action log from two meetings
    • Minutes and confirmation email

Why a job simulation

Learn by doing the job, not by reading about it

  • Try the job before you applySpend a working week in a role and see whether you like the work.
  • Real project documentsDrawings, procedures, work orders and specifications, written the way a working team writes them.
  • Every ticket markedYou get feedback on each hand-in and a model answer when you finish it.
  • Colleagues you can askAI colleagues, clearly labelled. They explain and point you to the right document; they do not hand out answers.
  • Work to talk aboutA set of finished pieces of work you can describe at an interview.
  • Proof you can verifyAn optional certificate with a public verification page, and an entry on your profile marked as a job simulation.
  • Free to startDays 1 to 5 are free. No card to start.

How it works

Five steps, one working week

About 10 hours of tickets in the free edition, self-paced across five working days. A day opens when you hand in the previous day's tickets.

  1. Step 1

    Start free

    Create a free account, pick a role and start. Days 1 to 5 are free, and no card is needed.

  2. Step 2

    Morning email and tickets

    Each working day your lead sends an email and assigns tickets, as on a real project.

  3. Step 3

    Documents and hand-ins

    Read the specifications and drawings, then hand in your work. Hands-on tasks are finished in EDWartens Lab and uploaded as a FAT sheet.

  4. Step 4

    Checked work and model answers

    Every task is checked as you hand it in. You see the model answer and why.

  5. Step 5

    Certificate, if you want one

    A graded, verifiable certificate is optional: £14.99, VAT included.

Free, Certificate, Premium

What is free and what is optional

Nothing is sold inside the work. The certificate and Premium are optional, and every price includes VAT.

Free, Certificate and Premium job simulation compared
WhatFreeCertificate (optional)Premium (optional)
Price, VAT includedFree£14.99£53.99
LengthDays 1 to 5, self-pacedFor the days you completeDays 1 to 20
Checked tasks and model answers
Graded, verifiable certificate
Capstone reviewed by an engineer
What you get
  • Every ticket of the first week, checked as you hand it in
  • Real project documents, emails and situations
  • Model answers and feedback on every task
  • A graded, verifiable certificate with your score and band
  • A public verification page and QR code
  • One-click add to LinkedIn as a licence or certification
  • The full four-week project: change requests, site work, faults and handover
  • A capstone deliverable reviewed by an engineer
  • An AI viva on your own work
  • The graded certificate and a work record PDF with your skill scores

Buy the certificate first and Premium credits it: you then pay £39.00. Nothing is sold inside the work. Certificates are issued by WARTENS LTD and are not accredited qualifications. Job simulation certificate: how it works.

Before you pay you accept our terms and confirm that you want the digital service straight away. Once it is supplied, the 14-day right to cancel ends. See our cancellation and refund policy.

A day in a simulation

Start the day with an email and a ticket

This is a real morning email and a real ticket from the PLC Programmer job simulation. Every role works this way.

Morning email · company

Welcome to Tarnbrook Controls, line BFL-200

From: Project Manager, Tarnbrook Controls Ltd (simulated company)

Welcome to the team. You are the junior PLC programmer on project BFL-200, the control upgrade of bottling line 2 for Larkfield Drinks. The Lead Engineer owns the software and you report to them.

How we work here: tickets have a number (BFL-101 and up) and acceptance criteria. Documents carry a number and a revision letter and we never overwrite an old revision. At the end of each day send a three-line status: done, doing next, blocked. Questions to the client go through the query log, not by phone.

Site rules and our project standards are on one page in the attachment. Read it before anything else.

BFL-101 Ticket · about 45 min

Site induction and project standards

Raised by: Client Safety Officer

Before anyone from Tarnbrook Controls touches line 2, the client's Safety Officer wants proof that you have read the site rules and understand the standards the project follows. The questions come from the one-page site rules and standards sheet (BFL200-HSE-001). Take your time: on a real site a wrong answer here is a wrong action later.

Acceptance

  • At least 60 percent correct.
  • You can say why each right answer is right.

Compare

Job simulation, virtual work experience or a placement?

The three get mixed up. They are different things, and all three have a place. Here is how they differ.

Job simulation, virtual work experience and a real placement compared
QuestionEDWartens job simulationVirtual work experienceReal placement or internship
What it isOne role's project at a simulated company, with emails, tickets and documentsOnline programmes that introduce a job or sector, run by many providersTime inside a real employer, with real colleagues
Is it employment?NoNoA placement is not always paid; an internship usually is
Who checks your workEach task is checked as you hand it in, with a model answerVaries by provider: some self-check, some give feedbackA supervisor, in real work
LengthDays 1 to 5 free; Premium days 1 to 20Varies, often a few hours to a few daysDays to many months
ProofYour work record; an optional certificate with a public verification pageOften a certificate of completion; check what each provider saysA reference, if you earn one
Best forTrying an engineering or AI role and having something specific to showExploring a sector before you chooseReal site contact, where one is possible

A fuller, neutral comparisonFree virtual work experience for engineering

Written for the UK

UK settings and the standards you will hear about

The simulated companies are UK-style employers, the money is in pounds, and the work names the standards a UK engineer meets: for example BS 7671, IEC 61131-3, PUWER 1998, CDM 2015, DSEAR and ATEX, IEC 62443 and ENA G98 and G99, depending on the role.

  • Each role page lists the UK standards and regulations for that role, for awareness. The tasks use simplified data, so always read the current edition of anything you rely on.
  • Schemes such as the ECS card and CompEx are described so you know they exist. A job simulation does not lead to them.
  • UK pay appears only where we can give a dated, sourced figure. Otherwise we leave it out.
  • The certificate is issued by WARTENS LTD. It is not an accredited or regulated qualification.

Questions

Quick answers

All the questions

Do I need a PLC or software installed?
No. The documents and tasks run in your browser. Where a real engineer would use industry software, the role page names it and says what you use here instead. Hands-on tickets are finished in EDWartens Lab, our browser-based practice labs.
Which engineering job simulation should I start with?
If you are new, start with one marked No experience needed in the filters. If you know some basics, pick the role closest to the job you want. Use the Which one suits me? helper if you are unsure.
Does it prepare me for an ECS card or a site job?
No. It shows how the work is done and names the UK standards you will hear about, but it is not a qualification, an ECS card or a site induction.
What is a job simulation?
A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. You get the emails, tickets and project documents a junior engineer gets, do the work in your browser, and have every task checked. Hands-on tickets are finished in EDWartens Lab and uploaded. It is not a real job, and it is free to start.
Is a job simulation a real job, an internship or work experience?
No. It is a training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship, a work placement or a job offer, and no employer is involved.
Is it really free to start?
Yes. Days 1 to 5 are free: the tickets, the documents, checking and model answers. The certificate (£14.99) and Premium (£53.99) are optional. Both prices include VAT.
How many hours is it?
The free edition is days 1 to 5, self-paced, and each role page lists its tickets with minutes. The hours on your record are active hours you spent on EDWartens, not hours at a company.
What do I get at the end?
A record of your work with your scores by task and skill, and the dates. The optional certificate adds a graded score, a verification page and a QR code.

Honest limits

A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.

We do not promise a job, an interview or a result. Content reviewed 21 Oct 2026.

Engineers reviewing a laptop beside an automated assembly line

Pick a role and start free

Days 1 to 5 cost nothing. Premium runs to day 20 and the certificate is optional.