Which version goes with which route?
The industry guide to qualifications puts it in one line. The Installation or Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship ends with the AM2S. The Level 3 NVQ Diploma comes with the AM2. The Experienced Worker Assessment ends with the AM2E. You don't get to pick. Your route decides the version, and the assessment is what turns your training into a full Level 3 qualification.
There are domestic versions too. The Level 3 Domestic Electrician apprenticeship standard in England uses the AM2D. The domestic Experienced Worker route uses the AM2ED. Both cover work in dwellings only, so they lead to a narrower qualification than the installation routes.
What does the AM2S test?
The AM2S is the end-point assessment for apprentices who want to work as installation electricians or maintenance electricians. It is a synoptic test, meaning it covers practical work and knowledge in one go. It is set and marked by an independent body, so your college and your employer have no say in the result.
You work to an installation specification and install, terminate, connect, inspect, test and commission a three-phase distribution board and sub-circuit, a three-phase direct-on-line motor circuit, single-phase lighting and power circuits, a central heating or sustainable energy system, a safety services circuit and device, and a data cabling system.
It runs in five sections: A, the composite installation; B, inspection and testing of that installation; C, safe isolation; D, fault diagnosis and rectification; and E, an applied knowledge assessment. Risk assessment, health and safety and reading drawings are assessed throughout. The pages we checked don't give a section-by-section comparison with the plain AM2, so we haven't listed differences we couldn't confirm.
Who can take the AM2E?
The AM2E is for people who already work as electricians but never finished a recognised qualification. You can't book it on its own. It is the last step of the Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA). You start with a free Skills Scan, then build a portfolio and take any extra qualifications you are missing, and only then book the AM2E at an independent NET centre.
To get onto the installation route you need at least five years working in the electrotechnical industry, plus a Level 2 electrical qualification. The domestic route needs three years. Time spent in training doesn't count towards either. The EWA qualification must be finished within 18 months. Most people take six to 18 months, depending on how quickly they can pull their portfolio together.
Does the version change what you can do afterwards?
For full installation work, no. The industry qualifications guide treats the apprenticeship with the AM2S, the Level 3 NVQ with the AM2, and the EWA with the AM2E as equivalent routes to the same standard of core competence. The EWA exists to recognise skills you have already built up on the job. It doesn't make the work any easier to get through.
The domestic versions are where the limit is. The AM2D and AM2ED routes are listed as competence for work in dwellings only. If you want commercial or industrial work later, plan for the installation route from the start.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. JIB figures are the official National Standard Rates (Job Employed, transport provided) from 5 January 2026, worked out at 37.5 hours for 52 weeks. Percentile ranges are ONS ASHE April 2026 provisional figures brought forward with a wage index. Regional ranges are modelled. Overtime, travel and region all change the figure. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- AM2S: be on the apprenticeshipYou take it as the end-point assessment of the Installation or Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship, alongside the Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification (City & Guilds 5357, 601/6299/5, or EAL 601/7345/2).
- AM2: be on the Level 3 NVQ DiplomaThe Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (City & Guilds 2357-13 or EAL 501/1605/8) has the AM2 built in.
- AM2E: five years' experienceYou need at least five years in the electrotechnical industry, not counting training, and a Level 2 electrical qualification. The domestic AM2ED route needs three years.
- AM2E: the EWA qualificationThe AM2E goes with the Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification (City & Guilds 2346, 603/6294/7, or EAL 603/5982/1).
- Independent NET centreAll versions are taken at an independent centre licensed by NET, which keeps the assessment apart from your training provider.
Across the UK
| England | Apprentices on the Installation or Maintenance Electrician standard take the AM2S, and Domestic Electrician apprentices take the AM2D. The Level 3 NVQ Diploma route uses the AM2. |
|---|---|
| Wales | The Level 3 NVQ Diploma with integrated AM2 is recognised. So is the EAL Building Services Engineering (Level 3) Electrotechnical Installation qualification, which comes with the AM2. |
| Scotland | Scotland uses a different assessment. The SVQ 3 in Electrical Installation at SCQF Level 7 is paired with the FICA assessment of competence, not the AM2. |
| Northern Ireland | The Level 3 electrotechnical apprenticeship framework requires the AM2S. Entrants must be new to their employer or have been there less than six months, and need at least grade C in GCSE maths and English. |
How to get there
- Before you startPick your routeNew entrants with an employer go the apprenticeship route (AM2S). Learners on the Level 3 NVQ Diploma take the AM2. Workers with years on the tools but no full qualification look at the EWA (AM2E).
- Throughout trainingBuild the knowledge and site evidenceApprentices and NVQ learners collect a portfolio of workplace evidence alongside the Level 3 technical knowledge qualification.
- First weeks of the EWAEWA candidates: Skills ScanA free self-assessment checks your experience and qualifications against the EWA criteria, then you fill any gaps with portfolio work and extra qualifications.
- End of trainingBook the assessmentOnce your training provider or assessor confirms you are ready, book the right version at an independent NET centre.
- After the resultPass and qualifyPassing completes the apprenticeship, NVQ or EWA, and gives you the Level 3 evidence that card schemes and competent person schemes look for.
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Questions people ask
Can I choose to sit the AM2 instead of the AM2S?
No. The version comes with your training route. Apprentices on the Installation or Maintenance Electrician standard take the AM2S, and the Level 3 NVQ Diploma has the AM2 built in.
Is the AM2E easier than the AM2S?
It isn't treated that way. The industry qualifications guide lists the apprenticeship with the AM2S, the NVQ with the AM2 and the EWA with the AM2E as equivalent routes to full core competence. The EWA takes less time because it recognises experience you already have.
How much experience do I need for the AM2E?
At least five years in the electrotechnical industry for the installation route, or three years for the domestic AM2ED route. Time spent in training doesn't count, and you need a Level 2 electrical qualification as well.
What are the AM2D and AM2ED?
They are the domestic versions. The AM2D goes with the Level 3 Domestic Electrician apprenticeship in England, and the AM2ED ends the domestic Experienced Worker route. Both are recognised for electrical work in dwellings only.
Do electricians in Scotland take the AM2?
Scottish electricians qualify through the SVQ 3 in Electrical Installation at SCQF Level 7, which is paired with the FICA assessment of competence instead of the AM2.
How long do I have to finish the Experienced Worker Assessment?
The EWA qualification must be completed within 18 months. Most candidates take six to 18 months, depending on how quickly they gather their portfolio and whether they need extra qualifications such as the 18th Edition.
