Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA): C&G 2346-03 Route to Level 3 for Working Electricians

If you have been working as an electrician for years — installing, testing, wiring, maintaining — but never went through a formal apprenticeship, the City & Guilds 2346-03 Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA) is the official route to turning that experience into a recognised Level 3 qualification and an ECS Gold Card.

The EWA is an NVQ portfolio route — you are judged on the work you actually do on site, not on classroom attendance. It lets experienced electricians skip the 2365-03 Level 3 Diploma (the taught route) and move straight to Level 3 by submitting evidence of their day-to-day work. It is the direct alternative to a four-year apprenticeship for practising tradespeople.

Pass the assessment and you hold the same Ofqual-regulated Level 3 credentialas someone who has completed an apprenticeship. The 2346-03 replaced the older 2356-99 “Mature Candidate Assessment” in 2023 and is the single experienced-worker route recognised by the JIB, NICEIC, NAPIT and ECS.

To enrol on the 2346-03 EWA you need to hold all of the following:

• ✓Minimum 5 years as a practising electrician, working across the range of activities in the TESP Skill Scan. Time spent in full- or part-time training does not count.
• ✓Level 2 Technical Diploma in Electrotechnical (City & Guilds 2365 Level 2, EAL Level 2, or recognised equivalent). If you do not hold a Level 2, you can instead sit the City & Guilds 2346-04 Experienced Worker Entrance Test.
• ✓Current 18th Edition BS 7671 Wiring Regulations — the latest is BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 (the "Orange Book"), published 15 April 2026, qualification code 2382-26.
• ✓2391-52 Inspection & Testing (or recognised equivalent) — required as underpinning evidence for the inspection and testing performance unit.

Level 2 is the non-negotiable TESP regulatory prerequisite. The 18th Edition and 2391 are essential in practice because several of the seven Performance Units cannot be evidenced without them — especially inspection, testing and regulatory compliance. Enrolling without them would mean starting a 2346-03 you cannot finish.

We also ask you to complete the TESP Skill Scan before enrolment — a formal self-assessment of your day-to-day work that confirms it covers the full breadth of the qualification. If your day-to-day work does not cover the full range, the Skill Scan will flag it early and we will talk through alternative routes with you rather than enrolling you into an assessment you cannot complete.

Missing one of the prerequisites?

If you hold the experience but are missing one or more certificates, we can add them before (or alongside) the EWA rather than making you delay indefinitely. Common sequences:

• ✓Missing 18th Edition — add the short 2382-26 Orange Book course, then start the EWA.
• ✓Missing 2391 — complete the 2391-52 Inspection & Testing course, which also serves as the evidence base for the corresponding EWA unit.
• ✓Missing Level 2 — either complete the full Level 2 Diploma, or sit the City & Guilds 2346-04 Experienced Worker Entrance Test (approved by TESP as an alternative route for candidates whose Level 2 underpinning knowledge has been built through years of practice).

If you have the experience but no qualifications at all, the NVQ Level 3 (2357) may be the right alternative route — it can be taken alongside Level 2 and Level 3 diplomas. Contact us if you are unsure which path fits your circumstances — we will walk through the Skill Scan with you before recommending a route.

The EWA is competence-based, not taught. You are judged on the work you already do, not on course attendance. The assessment covers seven Level 3 Performance Units:

• ✓Installing wiring systems and enclosures
• ✓Installing electrical equipment
• ✓Terminating and connecting conductors
• ✓Inspection and testing of electrical installations
• ✓Diagnosing and correcting electrical faults
• ✓Applying health and safety in the workplace
• ✓Understanding environmental technologies and their requirements

How evidence is gathered

Evidence comes from a combination of sources designed to reflect your everyday work rather than forcing new training:

• ✓On-site assessor visits — a qualified assessor observes you working at your regular workplace.
• ✓Photographic and documentary evidence of completed projects, with supporting job sheets and certificates.
• ✓A structured professional discussion — a recorded interview where you explain the decisions you made on past jobs.
• ✓A practical assessment task — a defined piece of installation work carried out under assessor supervision.
• ✓A written knowledge test — multiple-choice exam covering the underpinning regulations and theory.

You do not attend classroom lessons. The assessor works around your job, visiting when you are doing work that can be observed. The practical task and written knowledge test happen at our Nottingham training centre — typically one or two days in total. Everything else is on your workplace and your timescale.

TESP imposes an 18-month maximum from enrolment to completion. Typical completion for most candidates is 6 to 12 months from enrolment to final result — the time needed to gather a strong portfolio of evidence from ongoing work, schedule on-site assessor visits around your job, and complete the practical task and knowledge test at our Nottingham centre.

• ✓Closer to 6 months — if you already have a stock of photos, job sheets, test certificates and other evidence for recent work that can be submitted quickly.
• ✓Closer to 12 months — if you are building the evidence portfolio as you go, or your day-to-day work needs to cover a specific range of activities before the Skill Scan is satisfied.
• ✓Up to 18 months — the outer TESP limit before your enrolment closes and you would need to re-enrol. Builds in flexibility for longer-running projects or schedule changes.

You do not need to pause work. In fact, continuing to work is how most of the evidence is generated. The timeline is about portfolio-building and scheduling logistics, not training hours.

Our EWA package is £2,400, inclusive. That covers:

• ✓Eligibility review and enrolment.
• ✓Assessor visits at your workplace (up to the number required for your evidence).
• ✓Assessment materials and the written knowledge test at our Nottingham centre.
• ✓City & Guilds registration and certification fees on successful completion.
• ✓Ongoing tutor and assessor support throughout the evidence-gathering phase.

Interest-free payment plans are available — you can spread the cost over the duration of the assessment rather than paying upfront. If you qualify for ELCAS or a training bursary, those can cover part or all of the cost.

On successful completion of the EWA you hold the City & Guilds Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification (2346-03). That is a full Ofqual-regulated Level 3 credential — the same level as an apprenticed electrician’s qualification.

• ✓JIB Gold Card eligibility via the ECS — apply once you hold the 2346-03.
• ✓Competent Person scheme entry with NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA — required for Part P self-certification.
• ✓Recognition for employment, insurance, and contract work on the same footing as an apprenticed electrician.
• ✓Entry to specialist qualifications including EV charging (2921), solar PV, and other add-ons that require a Level 3 floor.

Both the EWA (2346-03) and the NVQ Level 3 (2357-24) award a full Level 3 qualification and both open the door to a JIB Gold Card. They differ in who they suit and how they are assessed.

Choose the EWA if…

• ✓You have 5+ years of documented electrical work experience.
• ✓You already hold or can quickly add Level 2 plus 18th Edition and 2391.
• ✓You want the fastest formal recognition of what you already do.
• ✓You need the qualification to meet an employer, scheme, or insurance requirement.

Choose the NVQ Level 3 if…

• ✓You have less than 5 years of documented experience.
• ✓You are earlier in your career and building your evidence portfolio as you go.
• ✓You want a more structured, step-by-step qualification pathway.
• ✓You are combining the NVQ with Level 2 and Level 3 diplomas on a planned adult diploma route.

Both routes take you to the same end qualification. The EWA is faster and cheaper if you meet the experience threshold; the NVQ is the correct path if you do not. If you are not sure where you sit, talk to us before committing.

If you meet the eligibility criteria, the next step is a short conversation with our team to review your work history and evidence. We will confirm you are ready, outline the timeline, and walk through payment options.

• ✓Enrol on the 2346 Experienced Worker Assessment — £2,400, payment plans available.
• ✓Contact us for eligibility review — we will tell you honestly whether the EWA is the right fit.
• ✓Not eligible? Start with Level 2, or look at the NVQ Level 3 route instead.