PAT Testing Course – Manchester

No. The course is suitable for complete beginners as well as electricians, maintenance staff, caretakers, landlords, facilities teams and health and safety professionals.

No previous electrical knowledge, qualifications or experience are required.

The course runs for one full day. It includes classroom learning, demonstrations and practical testing exercises.

Yes. The course includes hands-on practice using PAT testing equipment and a range of electrical appliances.

You will learn how to carry out visual inspections, identify appliance classes, select the correct tests, interpret results and record your findings.

The course covers:

• The legal responsibilities surrounding electrical equipment
• Appliance construction and classifications
• Visual inspection procedures
• Earth continuity testing
• Insulation resistance testing
• Testing Class I and Class II equipment
• Testing IEC leads and extension leads
• Understanding test results
• Labelling, record keeping and risk assessment of retest periods

Testing equipment is provided for classroom-based courses.

You are welcome to bring your own PAT tester if you would like help understanding its controls and test settings.

For live online courses, delegates will need access to their own PAT testing equipment.

The exact models may vary between courses, but the principles taught apply to most professional PAT testing machines.

The course focuses on understanding what each test does rather than simply memorising which button to press.

You should bring:

• A notebook and pen
• Suitable identification
• Your booking details
• Reading glasses if required
• Your own PAT tester, if you would like to use it during practical sessions

Yes. Delegates are expected to participate in the practical exercises and complete the required course assessment. The purpose is to confirm that you understand the inspection process, can select appropriate tests and can interpret the results safely.

Your trainer will explain any areas requiring further work and the options available for reassessment or additional support.

No. If you receive a marginal fail, we offer one complimentary retest. The retest can be completed online using Zoom and a web browser-based assessment, so you will not need to attend another full course.

Yes. Successful delegates receive a PAT Testing course certificate after the required course administration and assessment checks have been completed. Certificates are usually issued on the next working day after the course and are sent via email in PDF format.

The certificate confirms that you have completed the course and demonstrated the knowledge and practical skills covered during the training.

There is no single government-issued PAT Testing licence. Employers and duty holders remain responsible for deciding whether a person has the appropriate knowledge, experience, training and equipment for the work they are being asked to carry out.

The certificate does not have a fixed expiry date.

However, employers may require refresher training periodically, particularly where testing is not carried out regularly, equipment changes, procedures are updated or the tester's competence needs to be reassessed. Upon release of each new Amendment to the Code of Practice, we will release refresher/update training courses.

The law does not specifically state that every appliance must receive a PAT test at a fixed interval. Employers, landlords and other duty holders must maintain electrical equipment so that it does not present a danger. Inspection and testing are commonly used to help meet this responsibility.

There is no universal annual testing rule. Inspection and testing frequencies should be based on risk, considering factors such as:

• The type of equipment
• How often it is used
• The environment
• The users
• Previous inspection results
• The likelihood of damage
• Manufacturer guidance

The course explains how these factors affect inspection and retest intervals.

The course concentrates primarily on commonly encountered single-phase portable and movable electrical equipment. Three-phase equipment, fixed installations and specialist machinery may require additional training, equipment and electrical knowledge.

Fixed electrical equipment is not included in the standard practical testing element of the course. Testing this equipment can require safe isolation procedures, which cannot be taught safely to beginners within a one-day course.

Delegates who are already electrically qualified and competent in safe isolation can be shown how PAT testing principles apply to fixed appliances.

For other delegates, we explain how fixed equipment should be identified, managed and referred to a suitably competent person so that it is not overlooked.

Yes. Lunch is included, along with tea, coffee and water. Please highlight any dietary requirements during the booking process so that suitable arrangements can be made.

Yes. Parking is included at all course venues.

Normal comfortable clothing is suitable. Closed footwear is recommended because the course includes practical activities involving electrical appliances and test equipment.

Your course handbook will be provided when you arrive at the venue on the day of your course. You do not need to wait for it to arrive by post or bring a printed copy with you.

Each course has a maximum of 12 delegates, keeping the group small enough for questions, practical exercises and individual support from the trainer.

We keep our courses at a maximum of 12 delegates per course date to make sure that you get the help you need. If the course is sold-out you can email us and we'll inform you of future dates in that city if there are none yet on the website.

Yes. Multiple delegates can be booked together, subject to availability. Group and on-site training options may be more suitable for larger teams.

Yes. On-site training can be arranged for employers, organisations and larger groups. This can be particularly useful where staff need to practise using their own equipment or test appliances commonly found at their premises.

Yes. Employers and organisations can request an invoice when booking. A place is not normally confirmed until the invoice has been paid, unless alternative arrangements have been agreed in writing.

Yes. Delegate name changes are normally permitted, provided sufficient notice is given before the course.

Bookings are generally made for a specific date and venue. Transfers are not automatically available and are subject to the booking terms.

Yes, you can book up to midnight on the day before the course. Due to restrictions imposed by the locations, we may not be able to fulfil any special dietary requirements for lunch at such short notice though.

The course provides the knowledge and practical foundation needed to carry out routine in-service inspection and testing. Anyone offering PAT Testing commercially must also ensure they have suitable equipment, calibration arrangements, insurance, record-keeping systems and sufficient experience for the types of equipment and environments they accept.

After completing the course, delegates receive access to TechEx, our dedicated technical support and discussion platform. TechEx allows you to ask questions, discuss unusual appliances, share test results and get practical guidance as you begin carrying out PAT testing in the workplace.