Dead Testing Sequence
Testing & Inspection · C&G 2365 Unit 304 / 2391 · Full course section in Plus
Initial verification runs dead first, then live, and the order inside the dead block is not arbitrary. Continuity of protective conductors comes first because every test after it assumes the earth is there and intact. Then continuity, then , then — and, where the installation has an electrode, its .
Each step answers one question. Continuity asks whether the protective conductor is actually connected end to end. Ring continuity asks whether the ring is a ring rather than two spurs pretending. asks whether the conductors are separated from each other and from earth. asks whether the switching and protective devices are in the line conductor where they belong.
Everything above happens after , with the installation dead and secured. Only when the dead block passes does anything get energised, and the live sequence — again, , fault , RCD operation, functional checks — begins.
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- Can I try Dead Testing Sequence free on this page?
- Yes. The public sample below accepts answers and gives feedback and retries without an account, payment or energy. It is a short revision sample, not the complete course or a full mock paper. The full course section requires Plus.
- Where does Dead Testing Sequence sit in the City & Guilds scheme?
- Dead Testing Sequence maps to Unit 304 / 2391. On TradeTraining it lives in the Testing & Inspection section as bite-size lessons with practice questions.
- What is the order of the dead tests?
- Continuity of protective conductors including bonding, then continuity of conductors, then , then polarity, with earth electrode resistance where an electrode is used. Live testing only starts once that block is complete and satisfactory.
- Why do dead tests come before live tests at all?
- Because energising an installation with a disconnected protective conductor or a line-to-earth fault turns an unknown into a hazard. The dead block is what earns the right to switch on.
Explore key terms
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Safe isolation
The procedure that proves a circuit dead before anyone works on it. Prove the voltage indicator against a known source, isolate the circuit, secure the isolation with your own lock and tag, prove the point of work dead across all conductor combinations, then prove the indicator again. The final step is the one that catches a tester that died mid-job.
Read the full Safe isolation glossary entryContinuity testing
Low-resistance measurement proving that conductors which must be complete actually are. That means protective conductors back to the earthing terminal, bonding conductors to services, and the legs of ring final circuits. Performed dead with a low-ohm meter, it is the first step of the test sequence because everything after it assumes the earth path exists.
Read the full Continuity testing glossary entryInsulation resistance
The resistance between conductors that should be completely separated from each other. It is measured in megohms, line to neutral and each to earth, with a test instrument applying an elevated DC voltage. Healthy insulation reads very high; damaged cables, moisture or pinched conductors show up as a low reading long before they show up as a shock or a fire.
Read the full Insulation resistance glossary entryPolarity
Verification that conductors are connected the right way round throughout an installation. Single-pole switches and protective devices must sit in the line conductor, the centre contact of screw lampholders on line, and socket terminals wired as marked. A polarity fault can leave equipment live when switched off — which is why it is checked dead and confirmed again live.
Read the full Polarity glossary entry