18th Edition Course for Electricians

During the journey to becoming an electrician, one crucial element of the training is getting the 18^th Edition. This qualification ensures familiarity with the latest wiring regulations, so it’s extremely useful to have that knowledge, but it’s also an essential qualification to hold if you’re looking to get your ECS Gold Card.

In this article, we explain what the 18^th Edition course is, who needs to do it, and what’s involved in the assessment.

What is the 18^th Edition?

18^th Edition wiring regs

The 18^th Edition regulations are technically known as BS 7671. In the industry, it’s often referred to as “The 18^th Edition” or, more colloquially, “The Wiring Regs”. These regulations set national safety standards in electrical design, installation and maintenance and are produced by the IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) and the BSI (British Standards Institution).

The current 18^th Edition is BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. In plain English, that means that this edition was created in 2018, but currently we’re on ‘Amendment 4 ’, which was released in April 2026. The cumulative effects of updates and amendments can result in a new Edition being released. When that happens, it will then be called the 19^th Edition.

18^th Edition qualification

The 18^th Edition qualification is the City & Guilds 2382-26. It’s a Level 3 Award covering the content of the BS 7671.

Who needs the 18^th Edition qualification?

Anyone who needs to be up to date with the current UK wiring regulation requirements could do the 18^th Edition course, but primarily it’s aimed at new entrants to the electrical industry, electricians, electrical contractors, electrical inspectors and supervisors.

If you’re training to become an electrician, you’ll be taught about the wiring regulations during the Level 2 and Level 3, and it will be applied in both the practical elements of training and the theory.

As you move through your electrical training and gain qualifications, the 18^th Edition becomes an essential part of becoming a qualified electrician. Holding a qualification in the 18^th Edition Wiring Regulations is one of the core qualifications normally required when applying for an Installation Electrician ECS Gold Card.

The 18^th Edition course and exam

Course format

The 18^th Edition wiring regulations course is a three-day training course designed to give you a thorough understanding of the BS 7671. It covers what’s in the wiring regs booklet and how to apply it.

As the course is theory-based, it’s done in a classroom setting and ends with an exam.

Although theory-based, the course content is brought to life with instruction based on real-world examples and interactive exercises.

At the end, the exam is two hours, online and multiple choice. It’s an open book exam, meaning you can have a copy of the 18^th Edition to look at.

Preparing for the exam

The course is designed to fully prepare you for the exam. You’ll need your own current copy of the IET Wiring Regulations book for the course and exam. Electrical Regulations books are available from IET and BSI. You’ll also need a calculator, a notepad and pen, and valid photo ID.

Passing and qualification

You need to get a mark of 60% to pass the 18^th Edition exam and get the 2382-26 qualification. If you don’t pass, don’t worry, you can resit.

What the 18^th Edition means for your career in electrical installation

Holding the 18^th Edition helps to unlock eligibility for applying for an ECS Gold Card, so along with the Level 2 and Level 3, NVQ, and AM2 many new entrants factor this into the group of qualifications when training to become an electrician.

Take your 18^th Edition at Able Skills

At Able Skills we have purpose-built classrooms where we teach the 18^th Edition course and candidates can do the online exam.

During the course, we supply all candidates on our own booklet to accompany the course. This is written by an Able Skills instructor, a time-served electrician, to support the learning.

Book your 18^th Edition at Able Skills

At Able Skills, we run an 18^th Edition course regularly, with dates each month. It costs £425 for the three-day course and exam, and we can take block bookings for if you’re booking multiple candidates on behalf of a company.

View dates and book the 18^th Edition course. 

“Just completed my 18th Edition with Steve. Full on for 3 days as expected. Steve made sure we were all prepared. Excellent tutoring, I've done all my electrical qualifications with Able Skills and other trade training too since 2008. I wouldn't go anywhere else.” – review via Trustpilot.

If you have a question about completing the 18^th Edition course, contact us by phone or email. We’ve also included the answers to a few frequently asked questions below.

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FAQs about the 18^th Edition course

Is the 18^th Edition qualification difficult to get?

By its nature, the 18^th Edition is a challenging qualification – there’s a lot of information that you need to know how to find in the book and apply, but it’s very achievable because the course is designed to give you the knowledge.

What happens if I fail the 18^th Edition?

If you fail the 18^th Edition exam, you can resit it. You don’t need to do the course again; you can just resit the exam.

How long do I have to complete the 18^th Edition exam?

You get two hours to do the online multiple choice 18^th Edition exam.

How many times can I resit the 18^th Edition exam?

You can resit the 18^th Edition exam as many times as you need until you pass.

Why do I need to get the 18^th Edition qualification?

The 18^th Edition qualification is normally a requirement for applying for an ECS Gold Card and for membership in competent persons schemes.

Can I do the 18^th Edition electrical regulations course online?

Yes, some centres do offer the 18^th Edition online course. Some providers also offer blended learning, combining online study with classroom tuition. At Able Skills, the course is delivered in the classroom with the online exam completed on-site.

Are there any entry requirements for the 18^th Edition?

While there are no entry requirements to do the 18^th Edition, it is beneficial to have some preexisting understanding of electrical principles.  As it’s a theory based and an exam, you’ll also be expected to have a minimum level of literacy and numeracy as well as a good understanding of English.