Electrical Installation Certificate
EIC
The certificate for electrical work that goes beyond minor works. That means a new installation, an addition or alteration with a new circuit, or a replacement or distribution board. It records the design, construction, inspection and testing, it's only valid with its schedules attached, and the original goes to the person who ordered the work. It's a record of that job, not proof that anyone is qualified or registered.
Using Electrical Installation Certificate in context
Reviewed
A distinction worth remembering
Inspection can identify unsuitable equipment or visible damage that a satisfactory resistance reading cannot rule out. Measurements add evidence about particular properties. A report needs both, with the scope and limitations recorded.
Questions to take further
- How can I revise Electrical Installation Certificate beyond the definition?
- Explain what Electrical Installation Certificate describes, compare it with a related term and use it in a topic question. State any assumptions and what evidence you would need before applying the idea to real work.
Sources
- IET: inspection and testing FAQs — Inspection, test interpretation and protecting equipment during testing.
Where Electrical Installation Certificate fits in the learning path
The Testing & Inspection section covers these units:
- Initial Verification & Dead Testing
- Live Testing
- Inspection & Certification
Curriculum mapping: C&G 2365 Unit 304 / 2391.
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- Inspection & TestingTesting & Inspection
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- Inspection & Testing — quiz previewPlus · Testing & Inspection
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Recall a related term
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Domestic electrical work that must be notified under Part P of the Building Regulations in England and Wales. Wales covers more kinds of work than England; Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own systems. It includes a new circuit, a replacement consumer unit and some work in bathrooms. There are two main lawful routes: an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme certifies and notifies it, or the householder tells local authority building control before starting and pays for it to be inspected. In England only, an installer who is not scheme-registered can also book a registered third-party certifier before work starts, to inspect and certify the job.
Notifiable work
Read the Notifiable work entryCompare related terms
Open a meaning to compare its role with Electrical Installation Certificate, or follow its full entry.
Notifiable work
Domestic electrical work that must be notified under Part P of the Building Regulations in England and Wales. Wales covers more kinds of work than England; Scotland and Northern Ireland run their own systems. It includes a new circuit, a replacement consumer unit and some work in bathrooms. There are two main lawful routes: an electrician registered with a competent-person scheme certifies and notifies it, or the householder tells local authority building control before starting and pays for it to be inspected. In England only, an installer who is not scheme-registered can also book a registered third-party certifier before work starts, to inspect and certify the job.
Read the Notifiable work entryMinor Works Certificate — Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate
The form for small electrical work that doesn't add a new circuit, such as an extra socket on an existing circuit or a repair. A new circuit or a replacement consumer unit needs an Electrical Installation Certificate instead. The work still gets inspected and tested, and the form records that for the person who ordered it. It says nothing about the installer's own qualifications.
Read the Minor Works Certificate entrySchedule of inspections
The checklist attached to an EIC or EICR showing what was inspected; the A4 model forms mostly title it Schedule of Inspection. On an EIC, each item is ticked or marked not applicable. On an EICR, each item gets an outcome: acceptable, C1 or C2, C3, FI, not verified, limitation or not applicable. The certificate or report isn't valid without it.
Read the Schedule of inspections entrySchedule of test results
The table attached to an EIC or EICR that records each circuit's readings, such as continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, Zs and RCD operating times. Each row is one circuit, so a reading that's out of line stands out. Compare the readings with their limits before signing, because the next person to inspect the installation will use them as a baseline.
Read the Schedule of test results entryEICR — Electrical Installation Condition Report
The report produced by a periodic inspection of an existing installation, recording its condition against the current edition of BS 7671. Observations are classified by urgency — C1 for danger present, C2 for potentially dangerous, C3 for improvement recommended, and FI where further investigation is needed — and a C1 or C2 makes the report unsatisfactory.
Read the EICR entryA definition is a start. Using it in a real question is where it sticks.