The ECS Test

If you are an electrician wishing to work on a construction site, you must obtain an ECS Card in order to be allowed in to one. In order to obtain an ECS Card you must successfully pass the ECS Card exam.

The Electrotechnical industry is constantly striving to improve the Health and Safety awareness of everyone working in this industry. The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) requires anyone obtaining or renewing an ECS Card to demonstrate an acceptable standard of Health and Safety knowledge.

The ECS Health and Safety Test

The ECS Health and Safety test has been specifically designed to meet the H&S requirements of Electrotechnical personnel.

It is not the same as the CSCS Health and Safety test!

Special care has been made to include questions relevant to the electrical industry. These questions range from safe isolation to live working and protection principles. In order to pass the ECS Health and Safety test, a basic knowledge of electrical principles and procedures is required.

The ECS test consists of 45 multiple choice questions, from which 38 must be answered correctly in order to successfully pass it. The allowed time is 30 minutes.

The ECS test costs £48.00.

It is a closed book exam, so make sure to prepare for the test sufficiently to pass it first time.

Certification

After passing the ECS test, a Health and Safety Assessment Certificate is issued. This certificate is valid for two years during which you can apply for the ECS card.

Once obtained the ECS card is valid for three years.

Renewing the ECS card after the 3 year period requires a new Health and Safety test to be undertaken.

Note that applicants, who already meet or exceed the required Health and Safety knowledge for the ECS card, do not need to take the exam. In this case a proof of exemption must be presented during the application process. The list of qualifications that are accepted as proof of exemption can be found in the application form. One of these is a recently completed (within two years) NVQ Level 3.

How to book an ECS test

The easiest way of booking an ECS Health and Safety test is by calling the ECS Assessment Administration team on 01582 531047..

Before calling please make sure you have the following with you:
- Payment card details
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number

There is also an option for a Fast Track Card Application and H&S Assessments held at Swanley in Kent. To book this service call 01322 661633.

Further information can be found in the ECS HS Booking Information booklet provided by the ECA.

List of venues:

Region	Location
North East:	Newcastle in Tyne & Wear or York in North Yorkshire
North West:	Liverpool in Merseyside, Manchester in Lancashire or *Barrow in Furness in Cumbria
Central:	Chesterfield in Derbyshire
East Midlands:	Leicester in Leicestershire
West Midlands:	Birmingham in Warwickshire
East:	Ipswich in Suffolk, Dunstable in Bedfordshire or Cambridge in Cambridgeshire
Greater London:	Blackfriars, Ilford, Croydon in London or Slough in Berkshire
Central South:	*Oxford in Oxfordshire, Bournemouth in Dorset or Porchester in Hampshire
South East:	Burgess Hill in West Sussex
West and South West:	Bristol or Plymouth* or Exeter* or Redruth* in Cornwall or Yeovil in Somerset
South Wales:	Bridgend
Northern Ireland:	*Lisburn in County Antrim

*Assessments at these locations are less frequent than our other locations.

Computer based assessments from UNITE the Union are also available. For more information on this option please visit http://www.unitetheunion.org

Before booking an ECS test be sure to take advantage of all the revising possibilities available, such as our new ECS test Simulator.