What counts as the Level 3 NVQ for electricians?
The Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) sets the bar. To get the Installation Electrician gold card you need a JIB recognised UK Level 3 apprenticeship standard, a JIB approved UK competency-based qualification (NVQ), or an equivalent. On top of that you need a current ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment and a recognised BS 7671:2018 qualification. A college certificate on its own does not meet the first condition.
For anyone who started from 1 September 2016, the ECS names two combinations. Apprentices complete the Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification (Installation) and the NET AM2S end-point assessment. If you are not on the apprenticeship standard or framework, the requirement is the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (Buildings, Structures and the Environment), including the NET AM2. The ECS says you must not mix and match qualifications and assessments.
City & Guilds 5357 and 2357 compared
The 5357 is the City & Guilds Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification. It supports the Installation and maintenance electrician apprenticeship standard (ST0152), and City & Guilds lists it as available to deliver in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is listed as an NVQ with 743 guided learning hours and 1,040 hours total qualification time. City & Guilds says you also have to pass the relevant AM2 through NET to be counted as occupationally competent. The ECS adds that this qualification is only valid with the AM2S for apprenticeship standards in England. There is an adult pathway, coded 5357-43.
The 2357 is the older Level 3 NVQ Diploma. It has two pathways: Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (2357-13) and Electrotechnical Services, Electrical Maintenance (2357-23). City & Guilds closed it to new registrations on 31 October 2026 and replaced it with the 5357. If you are already registered, you can still finish and be certificated up to the last certification date City & Guilds sets for your 2357 registration. The AM2 has to be the last part you complete.
The portfolio and on-site evidence
An NVQ is a workplace qualification. EAL describes NVQs as having little classroom study. Your assessor judges you competent or not yet competent on real work you do in your job. That means you need to be employed on electrical work while you build the evidence. City & Guilds publishes a workplace logbook for the 5357 and a candidate logbook for the 2357. Between them they cover the installation, testing and fault-finding jobs your assessor has to see.
Treat the portfolio like part of the job. Photograph your work, keep job sheets and test results, and get your supervisor to sign as you go. If you leave it to the end, you will struggle to show the range of work the assessor needs. You also have to pass the knowledge units and exams. The site evidence comes on top of those, not in place of them.
Why a classroom diploma alone does not get you a gold card
The City & Guilds 2365 Level 2 and Level 3 Diplomas in Electrical Installations are assessed by multiple-choice tests and practical assignments in a college or training centre. City & Guilds presents them as a foundation for further qualifications, the 2357 or the 5357, that lead to fully qualified status. They prove knowledge. They do not prove you can do the work unsupervised on a real site, and the gold card is built on that.
If you already hold the 2365, it still counts. NAPIT describes its 2357 assessment-only course as suited to people working in the industry who hold the 2365 Level 2 and 3, or an EAL equivalent. If you have worked as an electrician for years without the NVQ, the Experienced Worker Assessment is the way in. EAL's version expects at least five years working as a practising electrician.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. Survey ranges are based on the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2026 (provisional), brought up to date with a wage index; the regional figures are modelled estimates. The JIB rows are the official 2026 national standard rates for job employed staff with transport provided, worked out on a 37.5-hour week over 52 weeks. Overtime, travel and your grade all change what you take home. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Level 3 competency-based qualificationA JIB recognised Level 3 apprenticeship standard or JIB approved NVQ, such as the City & Guilds 5357, its EAL equivalent, or the 2357 NVQ Diploma.
- Matching NET end testThe AM2S if you are on the 5357 apprenticeship route in England, or the AM2 if you are on the 2357 NVQ Diploma. You cannot swap them over.
- Paid electrical workYou need site evidence of your own work to build the portfolio, so you need a job doing electrical work while you train.
- ECS HS&E AssessmentYou need a current ECS Health, Safety and Environmental Assessment before you can apply for the gold card.
- BS 7671 qualificationA recognised BS 7671:2018 Wiring Regulations qualification. City & Guilds now tests Amendment 4 through the 5357-026 and 2382-26 exams.
- Minimum ageThe City & Guilds 2357 handbook lists the approved age group as 16 and over.
Across the UK
| England | Apprentices take the Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification with the NET AM2S. The ECS says that qualification is only valid with the AM2S for apprenticeship standards in England. |
|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | City & Guilds offers the 5357 here. The JIB runs ECS card applications in Northern Ireland. |
| Wales | City & Guilds lists the 5357 as available to deliver in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The 2357 NVQ Diploma closed to registrations on 31 October 2026, and the JIB runs ECS cards in Wales. |
| Scotland | The workplace qualification in Scotland is the SVQ, not the NVQ. ECS applications in Scotland go through the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB). |
How to get there
- StartGet an electrical job or apprenticeshipFind an employer who will put you on an apprenticeship or give you enough installation work to build NVQ evidence.
- StartRegister on the right Level 3 qualificationApprentices in England register on the 5357 or EAL Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification. Adults can use the 5357-43 adult pathway where a centre offers it.
- During trainingPass the knowledge units and examsCover health and safety, science, design and installation, inspection and testing, and fault finding, including the BS 7671 exam.
- During trainingBuild the site portfolioRecord your own installation, testing and fault-finding work in the workplace logbook, signed off as you go.
- End of trainingPass the NET end testTake the AM2S on the 5357 apprenticeship route, or the AM2 as the final part of a 2357 registration.
- After qualifyingApply for the gold cardSend your certificates, a current ECS HS&E Assessment and your BS 7671 qualification to the ECS for the Installation Electrician card.
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Questions people ask
Can I still register for the City & Guilds 2357?
No. City & Guilds closed the 2357 to new registrations on 31 October 2026 and replaced it with the 5357 Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification. If you are already registered, you can still finish and be certificated up to the last certification date City & Guilds sets for your 2357 registration.
Is the Level 3 2365 Diploma enough to be a qualified electrician?
No. The 2365 is a classroom and workshop qualification assessed by tests and assignments, and City & Guilds presents it as a foundation for the 2357 or 5357. The gold card needs a competency-based Level 3 qualification backed by evidence from real site work and a NET end test.
Do I need the AM2 or the AM2S?
It depends on the qualification. In England the Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification (5357) goes with the AM2S. The Level 3 NVQ Diploma (2357) goes with the AM2. The ECS says you must not mix qualifications and assessments from different routes.
Can I do the NVQ without a job?
Not realistically. An NVQ is assessed on work you carry out in your job, so you need an employer giving you enough installation, testing and fault-finding work to fill the portfolio.
Does EAL offer an equivalent to City & Guilds?
Yes. EAL awards a Level 3 Electrotechnical Qualification. It also awards a Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker qualification (603/5982/1) for people who have worked as practising electricians for at least five years. The ECS judges your qualification by its title and route, not by which awarding body issued it.
What if I have years of experience but no NVQ?
The ECS points you to the Experienced Worker Assessment, which assesses you at Level 3 standard. While you work towards it, an ECS Experienced Worker or Labourer card can get you onto site, and you can upgrade it to a gold card once you qualify.
Sources
- ECS: Installation Electrician gold card
- ECS: Installation Electrician legacy qualifications
- City & Guilds: Electrotech qualification (5357)
- City & Guilds: Electro Technical Technology (2357)
- City & Guilds: pricing and fees 2026
- City & Guilds: Electrotechnical Craft (2365)
- City & Guilds: 2357 Level 3 NVQ Diplomas handbook
- EAL: NVQs and SVQs
- EAL: Level 3 Electrotechnical Experienced Worker
- NAPIT: City & Guilds NVQ 2357 assessment
