Who is the Experienced Worker Assessment for?
The EWA is for people already working as electricians, employed or self-employed, who never completed an industry apprenticeship or an equivalent Level 3 NVQ. City & Guilds sets the bar at 5 years as a practising electrician, and time spent in full or part-time training does not count. It replaced the old JIB Mature Candidate Assessment, and it is built on the same content as the electrotechnical apprenticeship, so you are judged to the same standard as a newly qualified apprentice.
It is not a way in for beginners. EAL states plainly that its version is not for new entrants, apprentices, or anyone who has done a technical qualification but has less than five years of full-time industry experience. If you are short on time served or have big gaps in your knowledge, an apprenticeship or adult training route will suit you better.
The City & Guilds 2346 and the EAL equivalent
The City & Guilds qualification is the 2346-03 Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification, with Installation and Maintenance pathways. EAL offers the EAL Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker, which is aligned to the same apprenticeship standard and backed by The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP). The City & Guilds 2346-03 is approved for learners aged 19 and over.
You build a portfolio of evidence from real jobs you have done. It covers six Level 3 performance units: health and safety, organising the work environment, terminating and connecting conductors, inspection, testing and commissioning, and fault diagnosis, plus one specialist unit in either design and installation or maintenance. An assessor must observe you at work, and for at least one unit City & Guilds requires direct observation on at least two separate occasions. The BS 7671 wiring regulations unit (2382) and initial verification unit (2391-50) are taken separately and count towards the 2346.
Getting in: the Skills Scan and entry test
Every candidate starts with the TESP Skills Scan, a detailed self-assessment that shows whether the route fits your qualifications and experience. Training providers may only enrol people who are eligible. They will check your certificates and experience and test your knowledge through a recorded or documented technical discussion.
For the installation route you need a Level 2 electrotechnical qualification, such as the City & Guilds 2365-02 diploma. If you do not hold one, you may be able to sit the 2346-04 Experienced Worker Entrance Test instead. This is a multiple-choice knowledge test, pass or fail, and you need TESP approval before you can register. You get up to two resits, and they must be taken within the same 30-day registration window as your first attempt. If you fail all three, you must wait 12 months before you can re-register. A pass stays valid for 6 months for entry onto the EWA qualification.
The AM2E and the gold card
Once the qualification is complete, you book the AM2E at an independent NET-licensed centre. It is a practical assessment that mirrors the AM2S apprentices take at the end of training, and NICEIC says it usually runs over three days. You cannot book it until the 2346 is finished. EAL and NICEIC say the whole Experienced Worker Assessment must be completed within 18 months.
The Experienced Worker Qualification plus a pass in the AM2E meets the criteria for an ECS Installation Electrician gold card, and the EWA is recognised as equivalent to an apprenticeship. While you work through it, the JIB offers an ECS Experienced Worker card. Domestic electricians follow a parallel route: the 2347-03, 2391-50, 2391-51 and 2382-22, then the AM2ED, leading to the ECS Domestic Electrician gold card.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. Ranges are based on ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings April 2026 (provisional), moved to the current year with a wage index; regional figures are modelled. JIB rates are the official 2026 job-employed hourly rates (£18.38 and £20.08) multiplied by 37.5 hours and 52 weeks. Overtime, travel and region change what you take home. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Time servedAt least 5 years as a practising electrician for the installation and maintenance route, or 3 years for the domestic route. Time in college or training does not count.
- Level 2 qualificationA Level 2 electrotechnical qualification such as the City & Guilds 2365-02. If you lack one, the 2346-04 entrance test may be an option once TESP approves you.
- Skills ScanYou complete the TESP Skills Scan before you enrol, and your training provider checks your evidence through a technical discussion.
- AgeThe City & Guilds 2346-03 is approved for learners aged 19 and over.
- Wiring regulations and initial verificationYou need the 2382 BS 7671 unit and the 2391-50 initial verification unit, or equivalents. If you already hold them you do not repeat them.
- AM2E passA practical assessment at a NET-licensed centre, booked only after the qualification is complete.
Across the UK
| England | City & Guilds delivers the 2346 Experienced Worker Qualification here. The JIB handles ECS gold card applications. |
|---|---|
| Wales | City & Guilds delivers the 2346 here, and Qualifications in Wales lists any funding available. The JIB handles ECS applications. |
| Northern Ireland | City & Guilds delivers the 2346 here, and the JIB handles ECS card applications. |
| Scotland | City & Guilds does not list Scotland as a delivery area for the 2346. The Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Assessment is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, not Scotland. |
How to get there
- Before enrollingCheck your eligibilityMake sure you have the years and a Level 2 qualification, then complete the TESP Skills Scan.
- Before registrationEntrance test if neededWith no Level 2, sit the 2346-04 test once TESP approves you. You get up to two resits within the same 30-day registration window.
- Month 0Register with a providerYour provider checks your evidence, holds a technical discussion and registers you for the 2346 or EAL qualification.
- Months 1 to 15Build the portfolioGather site evidence for the six performance units, be observed at work by an assessor (on at least two separate occasions for one unit), and add the 2382 and 2391-50.
- Within 18 monthsPass the AM2ETake the practical assessment at a NET-licensed centre. It usually runs over three days.
- After AM2EApply for the gold cardUse the qualification and AM2E certificate to apply for the ECS Installation Electrician gold card.
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Questions people ask
How many years of experience do I need for the EWA?
For the installation and maintenance route you need at least 5 years as a practising electrician. For the domestic route the minimum is 3 years as a practising domestic electrician. Time spent in education or training does not count.
What is the difference between the AM2E and the AM2S?
The AM2E is the version of the practical assessment for experienced workers on the EWA route. It mirrors the AM2S that apprentices sit at the end of their training. Domestic candidates take the AM2ED, which mirrors the AM2D.
Can I do the EWA without a Level 2 qualification?
Possibly. City & Guilds offers the 2346-04 Experienced Worker Entrance Test, a multiple-choice knowledge test, for experienced electricians who have no Level 2. You need to be vetted with the Skills Scan and approved by TESP before you can register.
How long does the Experienced Worker Assessment take?
EAL and NICEIC say the whole Experienced Worker Assessment must be completed within 18 months. The AM2E usually runs over three days. How quickly you finish depends on how much evidence you already have and how many gaps you need to fill.
Do I have to go back to college?
No. The qualification is assessed from a portfolio of your own site work, and an assessor observes you at work, on at least two separate occasions for one unit. If you already hold the 2382 and 2391-50 or equivalents, you do not repeat them.
Can I get an ECS card while I am doing the EWA?
Yes. The JIB offers an ECS Experienced Worker card while you work through the assessment, and the JIB-registered training provider you have signed up with must apply for it on your behalf. The card lasts 18 months and cannot be renewed.
Sources
- City & Guilds: Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker Qualification (2346)
- City & Guilds: 2346-03 Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker qualification handbook
- City & Guilds: Experienced Worker Assessment, Installation & Maintenance Electrician
- City & Guilds: Experienced Worker Assessment, Domestic Electrician
- City & Guilds: 2346-04 Experienced Worker Entrance Test centre guidance
- EAL: Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker
- Electrotechnical Certification Scheme: Experienced Worker Assessment
- Electrotechnical Certification Scheme: Experienced Worker card
- Electrotechnical Certification Scheme: Non-UK qualifications
- NICEIC: Guide to the Experienced Worker Assessment
