An overview of the assessment process for electronics artisans including the types of assessments, assessment criteria, and the importance of assessment in the field.
Introduction to Electronics – Artisan Assessment
(A concise guide for learners preparing for the Artisan (Level 3) assessment in electronics)
| Area | What you’ll be tested on | Typical tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Safety & Legislation | • Electrical safety regulations (e.g., BS 7671, OSHA) • Personal protective equipment (PPE) • Risk assessment and safe working practices |
Conduct a site‑specific risk assessment; identify required PPE for a given job. |
| Fundamentals of Electricity | • Voltage, current, resistance, power • Ohm’s Law, Kirchhoff’s laws • Power calculation and energy consumption |
Calculate the current drawn by a 120 W lamp on a 240 V supply. |
| Electronic Components | • Passive components (resistors, capacitors, inductors) • Active components (diodes, transistors, ICs) • Electromechanical parts (relays, switches, transformers) |
Identify component symbols on a schematic; select a suitable resistor value for a bias network. |
| Circuit Theory & Analysis | • Series & parallel networks • Voltage dividers, current dividers • Basic AC concepts (RMS, phase, impedance) |
Analyse a mixed series‑parallel resistive circuit and determine total resistance. |
| Soldering & Assembly | • Hand‑soldering techniques • Use of soldering iron, flux, and desoldering tools • PCB handling and component placement |
Produce a clean, reliable solder joint on a through‑hole component. |
| Testing & Measurement | • Use of multimeter, clamp meter, oscilloscope, LCR meter • Test procedures for continuity, insulation resistance, voltage, current, frequency • Interpreting waveforms |
Verify the output voltage of a 5 V regulator using a multimeter. |
| Troubleshooting | • Systematic fault‑finding (visual inspection → measurement → isolation) • Common faults (open/short circuits, component failure, wiring errors) • Documentation of findings |
Locate a failed transistor in a simple amplifier circuit. |
| Installation & Wiring | • Cable types, colour codes, conduit, cable trays • Termination methods (screw, crimp, solder) • Earthing and bonding |
Terminate a three‑core armoured cable to a distribution board. |
| Control & Automation Basics | • Relays, contactors, timers, PLC I/O basics • Simple ladder logic concepts • Sensors and actuators |
Wire a start‑stop control circuit for a motor using a contactor and overload relay. |
| Documentation | • Reading & creating schematics, wiring diagrams, bill of materials (BOM) • Test reports, risk assessments, maintenance logs • Use of CAD/CAE tools (optional) |
Produce a wiring diagram for a lighting circuit. |