Experienced Worker Assessment

The City & Guilds 2346-03 Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA) is the industry-recognised NVQ portfolio route for practising electricians with 5+ years of documented work experience to gain a formal Level 3 qualification. It lets experienced electricians skip the 2365-03 Level 3 Diploma and move straight to Level 3 via on-site portfolio evidence. Entry requires Level 2 2365 (or the 2346-04 Entrance Test), current 18th Edition BS 7671 (the 2382-26 Orange Book), and 2391-52 Inspection & Testing. Typical completion 6 to 12 months within the TESP 18-month window. Ofqual-regulated credential recognised by NICEIC, NAPIT, JIB and ECS for Gold Card eligibility and Competent Person scheme registration.

The City & Guilds 2346-03 Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification — Ofqual number 603/6294/7 — is the fast-track route to ECS Gold Card for electricians with significant on-site experience but without a full diploma + NVQ pathway on paper. It recognises the competence you have already built in the trade and consolidates it into a single Level 3 qualification that is accepted by NICEIC / NAPIT / ELECSA and by specialist course entry routes (EV charging 2921-34, solar PV & battery storage, Large-Scale EV 2921-32/33). The 2346 is not suitable for new entrants to the electrical industry.

Entry Requirements

The 2346 requires you to be an experienced worker with at least 5 years’ practising experience in the electrotechnical industry as an electrician. You must also hold one of the following: a relevant Level 2 Technical qualification in Electrotechnical; OR pass the City & Guilds Experienced Worker Entrance Test (2346-04) for Installation and Maintenance Electrician; OR pass the EAL Electrical Underpinning Knowledge and Understanding Tests (Entry for Experienced Worker Route). Learners who cannot demonstrate sufficient industry experience must register for the 2357 Level 3 NVQ or 5357 Electrotechnical qualification instead. Age 19+.

Skills Scan — Mandatory Pre-Registration Step

Before registering on the 2346, every candidate completes the Installation and Maintenance Electrician Skills Scan. This is a documented initial assessment against each unit of the qualification, identifying your existing skills and any refresher training you need (most commonly current BS 7671 Amendment 4 / Orange Book knowledge). Total Skills runs the Skills Scan during onboarding — a structured interview plus a review of your evidence portfolio from site — and only registers candidates who the centre can audit as suitable for the qualification. The Skills Scan is not a pass/fail test — it is a scope-setting exercise to confirm fit.

The Gold Card Route via 2346

The 2346 on its own does not award the Gold Card. To apply for an ECS Installation Electrician Gold Card after the 2346, the four required components are: (1) this qualification (City & Guilds 2346-03 Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification); (2) a current industry-recognised Level 3 Award in the Requirements for Electrical Installations — i.e. the 18th Edition 2382-26 (Amendment 4 / Orange Book); (3) an industry-recognised Level 3 Award in Initial Verification and Certification — i.e. the 2391-52 Inspection & Testing qualification; and (4) the AM2E Occupational Test delivered by NET (National Electrotechnical Training). The AM2E is the experienced-worker equivalent of the AM2S that apprentices take at the end of their training programme. It is a robust, timed practical and theory assessment in which you carry out a series of installation and testing tasks under observation by a NET assessor.

Full Installation Electrician Scope

The 2346 covers the full scope of Installation and Maintenance Electrician competence — domestic, commercial and industrial, including three-phase. It leads to the ECS Installation Electrician Gold Card, which keeps future commercial, three-phase, EV charging (2921) and solar PV (2922) specialist work open — all of which require Installation-level (not Domestic-only) card scope.

How Long It Takes

Most 2346 candidates complete in 6 to 12 months, within the TESP 18-month maximum, depending on how quickly evidence can be gathered and assessor visits scheduled. Because assessment is based on your existing competence and a portfolio of evidence from your real work on site, it is substantially faster than the 2357 NVQ route. No weekly classroom attendance — this is a workplace-assessed qualification. Assessor visits cover the units directly, plus a structured professional discussion where you explain decision-making on past jobs; between visits you log evidence on our online portfolio platform (job sheets, photographs, test results, customer sign-offs, witness testimony). A short practical assessment task and written knowledge test are carried out at our Nottingham centre. Read our full Experienced Worker Assessment guide for detailed eligibility criteria and process. Part of our home study electrician course pathway.

Career and Earning Potential

The 2346 is the fastest legitimate route from "experienced worker without a Gold Card" to "fully scheme-registered, certificate-issuing electrician". With the Gold Card in hand, you can register with NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA, issue EICs and EICRs in your own name, self-certify work under Part P, and access specialist course routes (EV, solar) that specifically require the 2346 as a prerequisite. Gold Card electricians typically earn £33,000 to £43,000 employed, £50,000+ self-employed, and £300 to £500 per day on specialist work. The 2346 route is ELCAS eligible for Armed Forces personnel.