A complete step-by-step guide from UK electrical trainers on how to prepare for and pass the current 2382-26 (Amendment 4 / Orange Book) exam first time — covering study plan, exam format, techniques, and the mistakes that cause most failures.
Let's be honest upfront. The 2382-26 (18th Edition) exam has roughly a 55-65% first-time pass rate in most UK test centres. That means around 4 in 10 candidates fail on their first attempt, and often it's the ones who thought they'd studied enough.
The good news: passing first time is entirely achievable if you approach preparation correctly. The trainers we've spoken to across UK training centres (including our own at Learn Trade Skills in Cheshunt) consistently identify the same handful of things that separate first-time passes from first-time failures. This guide walks you through exactly those things.
Before we dive in, understand this: the 18th Edition is not testing whether you can recite BS 7671 from memory. It's an open-book exam. It's testing whether you can find the right regulation quickly, interpret it correctly under time pressure, and apply it to a specific scenario. That's a different skill from memorising — and it's why so many people who "know their stuff" still fail.
Before you can prepare properly, you need to know exactly what you're walking into. The current exam is called the City & Guilds 2382-26 and it replaced the older 2382-22 in 2026. Here's the format:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | 60 multiple-choice |
| Time allowed | 120 minutes (2 hours) |
| Per-question average | 2 minutes maximum |
| Format | Multiple choice, one correct answer out of 4 |
| Delivery | Online at an approved test centre |
| Open or closed book | Open book — bring BS 7671:2018+A4 (Orange Book) |
| Pass mark | Typically 60% (36/60) — varies with national performance |
| Calculator | Non-programmable only (Casio FX-83, FX-85, FX-991 acceptable) |
| Result | Provisional result on screen; official within days |
| Cost (typical) | £140-180 depending on centre |
60 questions in 120 minutes = 2 minutes per question. That includes reading the question, understanding what's being asked, finding the answer in your book, and marking your response.
If you can't find something in BS 7671 in under 60 seconds, you're going to run out of time. This is why the tabbing technique (Section 5 below) matters more than raw knowledge.
This is where many students trip up before they even start. There are multiple versions of BS 7671:2018 in circulation:
| Amendment | Colloquial Name | Year | Use for 2382-26? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base 18th Edition | Blue Book | 2018 | ❌ Outdated |
| Amendment 1 | Red Book | 2020 | ❌ Outdated |
| Amendment 2 | Brown Book | 2022 | ❌ Outdated |
| Amendment 4 | Orange Book | 2026 | ✅ REQUIRED |
You must have the Orange Book. Not the Brown Book, not the Blue Book. Test centres will notice if you bring an outdated copy — and importantly, around 20-25% of exam questions cover content that only exists in Amendment 4 (Chapter 57 battery storage, Section 716 PoE, updated Section 722 EV charging, etc.).
Buy the Orange Book from an approved supplier: IET Bookshop, RS Components, Farnell, or through your training centre. Around £90 new. Do not buy second-hand — annotations from a previous owner may not be permitted in the exam. For a detailed breakdown of what's new in Amendment 4, see our complete Amendment 4 guide.
You cannot cram the 18th Edition in a weekend. Here's a realistic plan that has worked for hundreds of students at UK training centres:
This single technique is what separates first-time passes from failures more than any other factor. You need to be able to find any regulation in BS 7671 in under 30 seconds.
Buy a pack of coloured sticky tabs (£2-3 from any stationery shop). Add tabs at the start of each of these sections:
Red tabs for Part 4 (Protection). Blue for Part 5 (Selection). Green for Part 6 (Verification). Yellow for Part 7 (Special Locations). Orange for Appendices. This lets you flip to the right coloured section instantly, then find the specific tab within.
Some students go overboard with tabs — adding one to every single regulation. This backfires. When you have 100+ tabs, you can't find the right one quickly. Stick to 10-15 major sections. Use the book's own index for anything more specific.
If you take one thing from this guide, take this: the single biggest predictor of first-time pass is the number of full-length timed mock exams you complete under real exam conditions.
Trainers we've spoken to consistently report that students who take fewer than 3 timed mocks fail at rates near 70%, while students who take 5+ timed mocks pass first time at rates above 85%.
After each mock, spend at least 30 minutes reviewing every question you got wrong. Find the exact regulation in BS 7671 that would have given you the correct answer. Remember WHERE it was, not just what it said.
Voltaris Academy has 600+ questions specifically written for the current 2382-26 syllabus. Full timed mock exams, detailed BS 7671 explanations, and answer shuffling so you learn regulations, not sequences. Try 10 free — no card required.
Start Free Trial →Not all topics get equal weighting in the exam. Analysis of past 18th Edition papers shows these areas appear most frequently:
| Topic Area | Approximate Weight | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Protection against electric shock (Chapter 41) | 15-20% | 🔴 HIGH |
| Selection & erection of cables (Chapter 52) | 15-18% | 🔴 HIGH |
| Special locations Part 7 (mostly 701, 702, 705, 710) | 15-20% | 🔴 HIGH |
| Verification & testing (Chapter 64) | 10-12% | 🟠 MEDIUM |
| Amendment 4 new content (Ch 57, S 716, updated 722) | 15-20% | 🔴 HIGH |
| Overcurrent protection (Chapter 43) | 8-10% | 🟠 MEDIUM |
| Cable calculations & voltage drop (App 4) | 6-8% | 🟠 MEDIUM |
| Definitions, statutory framework, general | 5-8% | 🟢 LOWER |
Focus your revision time proportionally. Spending 5 hours on definitions and 30 minutes on Part 7 is a common mistake — invert those numbers.
You cannot memorise 500+ pages. The exam tests looking up, not remembering. Study the book's STRUCTURE, not its content.
Free mock sites often use content from Brown Book (Amendment 2) or older. You'll fail Amendment 4 questions that ARE in the current exam. Use only mocks written for 2382-26.
People revise by reading BS 7671, then take mocks without looking anything up. Wrong approach. Every mock should be with your book open — that's how the real exam works.
These require using Appendix 4 tables. Students avoid them because they seem hard. But they're formula-driven — once you know the formula and where the tables are, they become the easiest questions in the exam. Learn Vd = (mV/A/m × I × L)/1000.
Part 7 (Special Locations) is about 20% of the exam. Not knowing bathroom zones, RCD requirements in agricultural locations, or medical location groups will cost you serious marks.
People book the exam optimistically then feel forced to sit it before they're ready. Only book when you're consistently scoring 75%+ on timed mocks. If you fail because you rushed, you'll lose the £150+ exam fee and have to rebook.
The night before is for rest, not revision. A tired brain can't retrieve information under exam pressure. Stop revising by 8pm the day before, eat well, sleep 8 hours, arrive early.
Rules vary by test centre. Some allow highlighting; some allow underlining. NONE allow handwritten notes in the margins. If in doubt, only use coloured tabs on the outside — never write in the book itself. If your book has annotations and the centre rejects it, they may provide a clean copy — losing all your tabs.
Comfortable, not too warm. Test centres can be cold or hot depending on the day — layers work best. Avoid hoodies with large front pockets (some centres object).
Three things every UK electrical trainer has said when asked how to pass first time:
"Learn the structure of BS 7671, not the content. If you can find any regulation in under 30 seconds, you'll pass. If you can't, you'll fail — no matter how much you've memorised."
"Take at least 5 full-length timed mocks. Not partial ones, not untimed ones. Full 60 questions in 120 minutes with your book open. That's the single biggest predictor of who passes and who fails."
"Focus your revision on Part 4, Chapter 52, Part 7 special locations, and the Amendment 4 new content. That's 70% of the exam. Everything else is icing."
You've now got the framework. The last piece is practise material that reflects the current 2382-26 syllabus. Voltaris Academy has 600+ Amendment 4-updated questions with detailed BS 7671 explanations on every answer. Ten questions are completely free — no card required — so you can try the platform before spending anything.
Related reading:
10 practice questions completely free, no card required. Full access from £4.99 for 24 hours. Amendment 4 content included.
Try Free Now →Voltaris Academy is an independent UK online mock exam platform for electricians. Our 18th Edition question bank is fully updated for Amendment 4 (Orange Book / 2382-26). Free trial available — no card required.