Electrician

[alawrence10360]

Is it possible to get your registration without theory/practical tests in NZ.
My experience is more on the maintenance/test/inspection. I have pt2 C&G Electrical and Electronic Servicing, 16TH Ed and C&G 2391 Test and inspection.

[lockstock]

You need to speak to Leccy Lee for the answer to that one.

[Asli&Mark]

I can answer that one, after just going through all of it myself.

No, you have to take the test.
The minimum anyone has to do, unless you have an australian licence, will be your theory and practical. The practical is very basic and as long as you can rember stuff from years ago it is easy to pass. The theory is an open book exam, in the time they give you, you have to write the answer and where you got it from.

As long as you can prove you hour of experience you will have no other problems.

Hope that helps, any more questions I will try and help.

[Leccy-Lee]

Yup as Mark says the practical is pretty basic and shouldn't be a problem to you at all, in fact there was some *ALLEGEDLY* Electricians from India (not racist just fact were they came from) on our practical course in November and not one of them even knew how to use a multimeter !!!! I kid you not, and when the examiner checked one of the wiring exercises this guy had done i quote the examiner in a chat we had after "out of 30ish strands of copper i think he managed to get one of them inside the terminal the rest were sprayed out in every direction"..!

And still everyone on our practical passed somehow! albeit i think the British guys and two French sparkies finished in two and a half days, and the others must have been there all week! So i wouldn't worry about it too much.

Regards the Regulations exam, if you can find chapters in a book and recall the odd formula you will be fine, i wont say its easy, but its no harder than the UK Regs exam, the only annoying thing about the NZ requirement to get the Regs passed is that you HAVE to sit the week long course as well, i attempted to just enrol to take the exam only, with the plan to self-study and only need the exam, but the EWRB insisted that i MUST take the week long course before the exam!

So sadly allow 8-10 working days for the course / exam and the practical, and i am sure costs vary from college to college but i paid a total of $1500 to sit the exams / practical and the courses.
Oh and when you got those the EWRB will want about $200 to register you! (depending on month it is)

Ah the joys of "Electricians being needed in NZ" !!! :

PS : Mark, have you actually got your Registration card through yet? I sent my forms and fees off 2-3 weeks back and when called they said "thats fine you are registered now, just awaiting card". But i still havent got it?

[Asli&Mark]

Hi Lee

Yep I got my card, I was waiting on a it to arrive for a pay rise, so I cheated and searched the online database for my details, and there it was about 2 weeks before my card finally turned up. But I did send off for my card before the results acutally arrived, to miss the rush, they must have crossed in the post.

Silly thing I can't understand is why everyones registration runs out at the same time, do they like hard work? and they are not the quickest at moving things.

Mark

[Leccy-Lee]

Mark, why didnt i think of the website! LOL
I just took your tip and there i am! WOOHOOO
Off to grab a pay-rise Monday morning then!

And your so right about the EWRB and that, when i got here last June i called them for advice and got told "All our staff are snowed under due to renewal time of year!" LOL its crazy.

Ah well, Yaaa (spending my pay-rise already!)

[PeteS]

Congrats to both of you for passing. It's not that hard to do it when you look back on it, but the EWRB are very much a "ticks in boxes" system. The most difficult task seemed to be finding out where to take the course!

Now as I've got the required three years under my belt, do you think it worthwhile to take the inspectors course?

[Leccy-Lee]

I would Pete, i am taking it this year myself. As i worked as an Inspector in the UK and the EWRB have agreed to waive the 3yrs due to that experience

[PeteS]

I would Pete, i am taking it this year myself. As i worked as an Inspector in the UK and the EWRB have agreed to waive the 3yrs due to that experience

Where and when are you taking it? WelTech at Pet One? I was thinking of going there and flying over from Blenheim everyday, as it would be cheaper than staying overnight.

[Leccy-Lee]

Will be at Weltec yes, its only a weekly evening course starting in June i think with Exam in November..