18th Edition exam...Thursday

[Chris86]

Good evening all,

Booked in for the 18th edition exam on Thursday morning after completing the online training package with XS training.

Been getting 90% plus on the majority of the practice tests and felt pretty confident.......until yesterday when the doubts started to set in. I suppose a lot of it comes down to being in my 40's and it been a good long while since I last sat a C&G exam. I am also hearing it's much harder than the 17th.

Anyone already passed who can confirm just how awful it is and/or tell me to get a grip!

ATB

Chris

 

[westward10]

It is not difficult if you can navigate the Regs and treble check the answer tallys to the question. The questions flow through the book generally so it doesn't jump back and forth between sections. The bulk of the marks fall into Parts 4 and 5 of the Regs about 20 to 30 questions which are the most difficult. As I said treble check even if you think you know the answer without looking it up.

 

[ruston]

Good luck Chris . I did the 17th when I was 60.
I felt as you did. As soon as the exam started I calmed down and passed it. It was the first online one that I had done , I was more worried about that to be honest.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Yes good luck, got mine next week.

 

[Deleted member 105166]

@Chris86 my best advice would be to use the full two hours you have available to pick up some extra marks. Like you, I was regularly getting around 90% on the practice tests, but was finishing them in around an hour.

At the exam, I took a little extra time working through the 60 questions, completing it with around 40 minutes to spare. I then used this time to go back and double check my answers and did make 4 or 5 changes. This paid off, with a 98.3% (59/60) result.

 

[westward10]

Same as me Tony we both got one incorrect.

 

[KEV 1 N]

I did a One day course last month with the exam at the end.
I had previously done the 17th over 10 week (3 hours per week with mock tests)
I found the 1 day course (compared to 10 week) to be very rushed and really can’t remember anything, it was so fast paced! And no mock tests!
Having said that, I did PASS!73% part 4, 64% part 5 and 100% on the others. Total 85%
During the course the tutor would make suggestions of where to fit “post it” notes in the book....I had several in places while others, the book was practically full! During the exam....hardly any of the post it notes were of any use and mainly got in the way!
60 questions in 2 hours, 2 mins a question. I found some took around 4-5 minutes to answer and others well under the 2min. I finished the exam with around 1 minute to spare!
Also a lot of the questions were worded badly (typical city and guilds!)

As long as you can navigate the book, you should be fine, and don’t linger too long on a difficult question, flag it and leave them till last....good luck!!

 

[westward10]

Sounds exactly like mine Kev it was pointless the tutor had two packs of Post its I was the only one with none in my book and I had to correct him twice as the info he said was incorrect. He never once spoke about the 18th Ed changes.

 

[Strima]

It's the same exam as the 17th with a couple more questions relevant to the 18th added in.

If you passed the 17th then the 18th is no different.

Complete waste of money if you ask me as it should be about the relevant changes not just rehashing an old exam to extort more money out of us.

 

[littlespark]

I got mine on Friday this week. I am also in my 40’s

Get a grip, OP!

 

[KEV 1 N]

Sounds exactly like mine Kev it was pointless the tutor had two packs of Post its I was the only one with none in my book and I had to correct him twice as the info he said was incorrect. He never once spoke about the 18th Ed changes.

I pleased the company paid for it as I feel it was a waste of time and money!

Tutor “ ok, we now fit metal clad DBs....moving on. Anybody heard of AFDDs?.......ok, we now fit them but it’s not currently a requirement....moving on....”

That’s pretty much how it all went, although one thing I remember is an MCB is now called a CB!
Over and out!

 

[Deleted member 105166]

During the course the tutor would make suggestions of where to fit “post it” notes in the book....I had several in places while others, the book was practically full! During the exam....hardly any of the post it notes were of any use and mainly got in the way!

The only useful tabs or post it notes to insert are for the 7 chapters + a handful of appendices that you regularly refer to.

You'd have thought for an £80 book, the publisher could distinguish the chapters somehow using colour, even a solid flash like used in the On-Site Guide would be better than nothing.

 

[Chris86]

Thanks all for your replies, I do feel slightly better now (only slightly though) All advice about checking back through will be taken on board, as will flagging the more difficult ones and moving on.

As always with me, it's the questions that require the calculations that slow me right down. Maths has never been my strong point and under exam conditions I am even worse. Doing the XS training practice tests, I have never come across a question requiring a calculation yet if I try the ----------- online quiz I get loads and my mind goes blank. Roughly how many of the 60 questions will require calculation?

Thanks again for your help and advice.

Chris

 

[westward10]

No questions require calculations.

 

[sinewove]

No questions require calculations.

Not in my exam,had to work out voltage drop on a given cct lengthy.

 

[westward10]

Interesting we were told at the start no calculations required.

 

[dave274]

I also used my calculator, well I tried but couldn't remember how to use it properly. but the exam was very simple and I felt the days worth of "tuition" was a waste of money, the only thing they told us about the 18th changes was to highlight them in a different colour.

 

[Chris86]

Thanks again all, I will be happy once 11.30am on Thursday rolls round and it's all done (assuming I pass that is)

If it's only a couple of questions which require calculations, that will be fine, I can do them but it takes a while. I will definately be leaving them until I have answered the rest and will then go back.

I am trying to recall if the 16th & 17th required calculations but I have slept since I did them (both at good old Dudley college) and I can't remember for the life of me! 22 years since i sat the 16th......where has that time gone??

ATB

Chris

 

[PEG]

Not in my exam,had to work out voltage drop on a given cct lengthy.

And how many volty was it?

 

[Risteard]

Good evening all,

Booked in for the 18th edition exam on Thursday morning after completing the online training package with XS training.

Been getting 90% plus on the majority of the practice tests and felt pretty confident.......until yesterday when the doubts started to set in. I suppose a lot of it comes down to being in my 40's and it been a good long while since I last sat a C&G exam. I am also hearing it's much harder than the 17th.

Anyone already passed who can confirm just how awful it is and/or tell me to get a grip!

ATB

Chris

You'll be fine.

 

[Risteard]

No questions require calculations.

I came across a practice question which required calculation of the adiabatic equation.

That said in the actual exam I had no calculations. I don't think you're at all likely to get more than one question with a calculation in it.

 

[ruston]

I came across a practice question which required calculation of the adiabatic equation.

That said in the actual exam I had no calculations. I don't think you're at all likely to get more than one question with a calculation in it.

I remember having the adiabatic in the 16th , but that was a paper exam.

 

[Edtwozeronine]

Finding the neutral current in a 3 phase system was once an equation I knew how to do...

 

[cliffed]

Agree with all,it’s not particularly easy,but with the book it’s ok.
Medical locations appeared,appendix 5 used quite a bit.
I’ve done the 15,16,17 & now the 18th,this was the hardest,maybe cause of my age,but I passed with 80%,so happy,good luck .

 

[FatAlan]

Good evening all,

Booked in for the 18th edition exam on Thursday morning after completing the online training package with XS training.

Been getting 90% plus on the majority of the practice tests and felt pretty confident.......until yesterday when the doubts started to set in. I suppose a lot of it comes down to being in my 40's and it been a good long while since I last sat a C&G exam. I am also hearing it's much harder than the 17th.

Anyone already passed who can confirm just how awful it is and/or tell me to get a grip!

ATB

Chris

How did you find the XS package? I’m about to push the button with them.

 

[Chris86]

How did you find the XS package? I’m about to push the button with them.

I will let you know tomorrow how successful the package was!

It has certainly given me a good understanding of navigating my way around the book and I score 90% + on their mock exams so something must be working.

It quite simply is a lot of reading! I was expecting tutorials and training aids etc but it is just a case of reading the various training topics, referencing them with the BBB and then a test at the end of the main chapters. 18th changes are shown in green within each section.

David and Stuart who own XS are very helpful and any emails are answered very quickly. I went with the online option as I could learn at my own pace and fit it around my shifts.

ATB

Chris

 

[FatAlan]

Cheers Chris.

 

[sinewove]

And how many volty was it?

Forty

 

[Deleted member 105166]

Forty

forty volty! that's a biggy droppy, was the cabley very very thinny or the lengthy very very longy?

 

[Chris86]

Well the results are in........Passed it with 98%! Genuinely surprised and glad it's out of the way.

Only had 2 questions which needed calculation, Zs and voltage drop so both fairly simple.

From what I have seen today, the ZS online package has it very well covered. The time spent repeatedly going through the practice tests really has paid off. I would recommend going a few of thr ----------- quizes as well, just to ser thr way they word the questions.

One of the others blokes on the exam (not with ZS training) turned up without a regs book and seemed genuinely surprised when he failed!

Hopefully I will have called it a day before the 19th appears!

ATB

Chris

 

[Nigel]

Anyone that states the 18th is a waste of money don't understand business. For £200 per man I have now given all my clients confidence in our ability and secure in the knowledge that we stay up to date.

I have spent more than that on a weekend on the ----.

 

[ruston]

Well done Chris .
Your experience will help boost the confidence of those who have doubts.
I am retired now , I wasn't going to bother , but I might now ; Just to keep the mind occupied lol.

 

[littlespark]

Another pass here.

Scored 59 out of 60 but they couldn’t tell me which question I got wrong.
Best score out of the 8 taking the exam today.

I had one question needing the calculator, but as all the exams have different questions, it could have been none, or more.

Didn’t do so great on the mock papers and trials, so happy with the result

 

[Daz Cam]

I found the 18th to be a lot harder than the 17th, although in saying that, I did not do a course, just read through the regs a bit and booked an exam at a test centre some 70 miles away from where I live - the exam is more about where to find the answers to the badly worded questions rather than knowledge based - as long as you can confidently find your way around the regs you will be ok!

 

[Deleted member 26818]

No questions require calculations.

I had one question which required me to do the adiabatic equation for a 20A breaker.
Make certain your calculator has the square root function.

 

[Charlie_]

A waste of a day and a waste of money.
C&G allowed me to do just the 17th exam and I got 100%..
This time for the 18th I was told I couldn’t just sit the exam..
A full day sat there sucking eggs waiting to sit the exam.. 6 hours later 100%..
Did the 1 day ‘course’ help me?
No.. just a money spinner for something that is the most basic thing in our profession..

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I did the 18th in February.
Phoned up the training centre about 1:30 - 1:45.
Was told that if I got there before 2:30, I could do the exam that day.
Borrowed a book and a calculator (which unfortunately didn’t have the square root function) from the centre.
Passed, got 90%, took me just over an hour.
I figure I got 5 to 8 questions wrong.
When I did the 2391 multiple choice exam two months later, borrowed 3 books and a calculator (with the square root and the 1/x function, took me about 20 mins, I got 93% and 4 questions wrong.

 

[andysparkfree]

I did the Exam Friday morning, found the whole thing a lot more difficult than the 17th, mainly simply I'm looking up answers from badly worded questions( luckily no calculator needed on my test)
luckily passed at 75% even though was getting 90% at home (electra course)
just hoping that's no more exciting stressful tests for another 10 years

 

[Charlie_]

I find it strange that we seem to be forced into doing the regs exams but never any pressure to do an exam on the eawr or on the building regs, which are in actual fact proper legal acts of parliament..
When it comes to assessment day all we have to show is a copy of such publications

 

[Diver233]

Westward,
I had 2 questions with calculations on mine in November also had questions on medical locations.