am2 motor overload

[Bobster]

In a nutshell the practical has become a joke.

3way lighting.
ring final.
smoke alarm in fp200.
s-plan heating circuit.
a run of cat 5
SWA to a 3ph socket
A motor circuit, all DOL control pre wired.



All the containment is pre installed. Wiring diagrams are provided. All MCB sizes and positions in the board are pre defined.

So long as you follow written instruction, it's an easy pass. There are even pre built rigs candidates can look at.

 

[Knobhead]

Ye Gods!

That's it!

 

[davesparks]

I did the previous version of the AM2 and I found it to be an easy and enjoyable few days! Working in perfect working conditions with decent materials and a plan that actually made sense!
And we had a real motor which went round and round when we turned it on!

 

[Knobhead]

The power lab at the engineering collage I went to was shut down by the HSE.
60HP DOL? No problem. But far too dangerous for today’s little darlings.

My son went to the same collage and was quite looking forward to getting to play in the lab. He was to be disappointed.

FFS you went to work the next day, all of a sudden you have to deal with it.

 

[Knobhead]

maddad2001

Please let us know how you go on.

 

[DanSwift1988]

It's interesting how a lot of people on here 'play down' the new AM2. I've recently passed it and feel quite proud of my achievement. Remember this test is aimed at those who are nearing the end of their 4th year as an apprentice, not fully fledged sparks who have been in the game for years.

Would be interesting to see how many of the old timers would get through it first time, bad habits and all that :smilewinkgrin:

 

[davesparks]

You should be damn well near fully fledged at 4 years in, and certainly able to do your own jobs with minimal supervision.

And there's no room left for bad habits on the new AM2, it's all wire by numbers isn't it? There was precious little you could do wrong on the old one really if you knew what you were doing and could read!

 

[Darkwood]

It's interesting how a lot of people on here 'play down' the new AM2. I've recently passed it and feel quite proud of my achievement. Remember this test is aimed at those who are nearing the end of their 4th year as an apprentice, not fully fledged sparks who have been in the game for years.

Would be interesting to see how many of the old timers would get through it first time, bad habits and all that :smilewinkgrin:

I played it down because I read the requirements and TBH its been made a lot easier ... as I said the key points that most failed in my day have been dropped, you had to make a steel dogs leg bend and the conduit you were given was probably 10mm longer than required so very little room for error ... it really does explain why half my apprentices over the yrs passed the AM2 but couldn't bend conduit... its a skill required to be a competent Electrician unless you want to basically hold the title of domestic installer who would not really ever need it.

When you simplify things the level of skill entering the Electrical world also drops in line too this is not a dig at those taking the exams your a victim of a dumbed down education system which started collapsing when physical punishments were banned in state schools in 86 if I recall, we now have an unhealthy schooling environment where disruption is destroying education and leaving the UK at the bottom of the education standards in the world with regards to sciences and maths... Noted 2 key areas to becoming an Electrician.

Yes be proud of your pass Im not trying to take that away but you were educated in a very disruptive environment and sometimes had to revise harder to achieve less so the knock on effect was all further educations systems had to be dumbed down too or no-one could pass them, this isn't my opinion this has been shown to be the case and education levels have dropped year in year out but pass rates increased which sound counter-intuitive but government after government had to hide the reality to avoid the blame its only recently that changes are now been made in schools and in some ares reverting back to the old ways. Ill stand by what I posted then but understand its not an attack on anyone taking these exams and after teaching apprentices for 20yrs and helping and guiding them do you really think I'd struggle with the AM2 as it is now, Im not one to get bad habits as it puts either your or the public at risk.

 

[davesparks]

I have plenty of bad habits, but I reckon I could pass an AM2 with minimal fuss.

 

[Knobhead]

Our apprentices came to us after a year of full time collage.

If after 6 months on the works they couldn’t rattle that lot off I’d want to what they were doing.

I’m sorry but as a test of any form of competence it is a total farce.