If you are an electrician deciding which course to book, or a landlord trying to work out whether your inspector is suitable, the key point is this: no law names the 2391. The law asks for competence. The qualification is how the industry shows that competence, and different roles need different parts of it.
What is the 2391?
"2391" is shorthand for a family of City & Guilds Level 3 Awards in electrical inspection and testing. They sit on top of a trade qualification. They do not make someone an electrician, and they are not an entry route into the industry.
The current family has three awards:
| Qualification | Full title | Covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2391-50 | Level 3 Award in Initial Verification of Electrical Installations | Inspecting, testing and certifying new work | Installers who need to verify and sign off their own new work |
| 2391-51 | Level 3 Award in Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations | Inspecting existing installations and reporting their condition | People whose work is EICRs and condition reporting |
| 2391-52 | Level 3 Award in Initial and Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations | Both of the above, in one award | Anyone who wants the full scope |
The City & Guilds handbook lists the 2391-52 at 50 guided learning hours and 67 hours of total qualification time. It is short in hours because it is designed for people who already understand electrical installation.
Providers commonly describe the 2391-50 as the replacement for the older 2392 and the 2391-52 as the replacement for the older 2391-10 and the separate 2394 and 2395 awards. Those older qualifications are no longer offered, but that does not necessarily make them worthless. See the section below on older qualifications.
What is the difference between initial verification and periodic inspection?
These are two different jobs, and they use different skills even though the test instruments are the same.
Initial verification happens when new work is finished, before it is put into service. BS 7671 requires new installations, additions and alterations to be inspected and tested to confirm they meet the standard. You usually know exactly what has been installed, you can inspect it during construction, and you record the results on an Electrical Installation Certificate or Minor Works Certificate.
Periodic inspection happens on installations already in use. You often have no drawings and no record of what was installed, the building is occupied, and you have to judge how far you can safely and practically test. The result is a report rather than a certificate: the Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), which records the condition of the installation and any observations.
Observations on an EICR are given classification codes:
- C1: danger present, immediate action required.
- C2: potentially dangerous, urgent remedial action required.
- C3: improvement recommended.
- FI: further investigation required.
Classifying observations is where experienced judgement matters most. The hard part of the 2391-51 is often not the testing but deciding what you found and how serious it is. Getting this wrong has consequences both ways: unnecessary remedial work for a client, or a real danger left in place.
Which 2391 do you need?
The right award depends on the work you do. The table below is a practical guide, and your employer or scheme may have specific requirements.
| Your work | Sensible choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Installing and certifying new work only | 2391-50 | Covers the verification of your own work |
| Mainly EICRs and rental inspections | 2391-51 or 2391-52 | Periodic work is the core of the role |
| Running your own firm | 2391-52 | You will meet both kinds of work |
| Aiming for JIB Approved Electrician | 2391-52, or both 2391-50 and 2391-51 | The JIB needs the full scope |
| Domestic electrician on the experienced worker route | 2391-50 and 2391-51 | Both are part of the mandatory qualifications |
If you are already certain you need both, the combined 2391-52 is normally the simpler option. If you are newer to testing, some people prefer to take the 2391-50 first and build up. Talk to your centre, because they will know how each option is timetabled and assessed.
Who can take the 2391?
City & Guilds does not set formal entry requirements, but that does not mean the qualification is open to anyone in practice. The revised handbook, updated in July 2024, says centres should expect candidates to have already achieved a Level 3 electrotechnical qualification or similar, and it says the qualification is not for learners new to the industry who lack sufficient experience. The age range is 18 and over.
That matters because you may see adverts offering the 2391 as part of a package for complete beginners. TESP, the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership, specifically warns about bundles that mix useful knowledge with courses better taken after qualifying. Paying for the 2391 before you have installation experience usually means paying for a course you are not ready to pass, or to use. Our guide to short electrician courses covers what to watch for.
Before you book, you should be able to do the following with confidence:
- Carry out safe isolation without prompting, and explain why each step matters.
- Use the 18th Edition (BS 7671) qualification material, finding the right regulation and table quickly.
- Explain what continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance and RCD tests prove.
- Interpret results rather than only record them.
If you are still working towards your Level 3, finish that and the AM2 assessment first. The AM2 includes inspection and testing, so that work also prepares you for the 2391.
How does the 2391 fit into your career?
The 2391 becomes useful at the point you stop only installing and start taking responsibility for whether an installation is safe.
JIB Approved Electrician
The JIB's Approved Electrician grade sits above Electrician. The JIB handbook requires applicants to have fully met the requirements for Electrician as an Installation or Maintenance Electrician. For new applications it accepts the 2391-52, or both the 2391-50 and the 2391-51. People already graded as Approved Electrician, or who hold previously recognised inspection and testing qualifications, are not required to take the newer ones. The ECS Gold Card can also show inspection and testing qualifications on the reverse. Check the current grading requirements with the JIB before applying.
Competent person scheme registration
If you want your business to self-certify work in dwellings, the 2391 family matters even more. The Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS) sets minimum competence for scheme-registered businesses. For installation work, a Qualified Supervisor needs a Level 3 Award in the Initial Verification of Electrical Installations as well as underpinning competence and a BS 7671 qualification.
For periodic inspection and testing, the EAS treats dwellings and other premises as separate categories (A2.1 and A2.2). The requirement is a wiring regulations qualification and a Level 3 Award in the Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations, on top of underpinning competence. There is an alternative for those without the full underpinning requirements: at least two years' evidence of doing periodic inspection and testing, plus the periodic qualification and evidence of continuing professional development. Trainees and apprentices can still do this work under close supervision while they build experience.
Becoming a specialist inspector
Some electricians move into inspection and testing full time, working for landlords, housing associations, facilities managers or inspection firms. Demand for this work is steady because of the rental rules described below. The 2391 is the common starting point, but the people who do well are those with broad installation experience. It is much easier to spot a problem if you have installed the same thing yourself, and seen how it goes wrong.
What qualifications do you need to carry out an EICR?
Legally, no specific qualification is named. In England, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 require landlords to have electrical installations inspected and tested by a qualified person, defined as a person competent to undertake that inspection and testing. The government guidance does not list a qualification or mandate a scheme.
It does point landlords to three resources: the Electrical Safety Roundtable's guidance on choosing an inspector, the Registered Competent Person Electrical register, and Electrical Safety First's registered electrician finder.
So for a landlord, the practical test is this: can the inspector show they are competent for this property? Sensible evidence includes:
- membership of a competent person scheme that covers periodic inspection and testing
- a 2391-51 or 2391-52, or a recognised equivalent
- a trade qualification and real experience
- adequate insurance
For rental properties in England, the main rules are:
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| How often | At least every 5 years |
| Report | Usually an EICR |
| Remedial work | Within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so |
| Paperwork | Report and confirmation of work go to the tenant, and to the council where required |
| Penalty | Councils can impose a financial penalty of up to £40,000 |
These rules now reach beyond private landlords. The government's guidance, published on 1 November 2025, confirms they came into force for the social rented sector on that date. They apply to social tenancies granted after 1 December 2025, and from 1 May 2026 to those granted before it, with inspections due before 1 November 2026. That deadline is the reason so many housing providers are looking for inspectors right now. The regulations apply in England; Scotland and Wales have their own rules for rented homes, so check the rules for your nation.
What are the alternatives to the 2391?
The alternatives fall into three groups.
Equivalent awards from other awarding organisations. City & Guilds is not the only option. The EAS deliberately refers to the qualifications by generic title, a Level 3 Award in the Initial Verification of Electrical Installations and a Level 3 Award in the Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations, and points readers to its Qualifications Guide for the eligible list. EAL is the other awarding organisation you will see most often in this sector. Before you book an alternative, check that it appears on the current EAS Qualifications Guide or is accepted by the JIB and your scheme.
Older qualifications. Many experienced electricians hold the 2391-10, 2394 and 2395, 2392 or similar. The JIB says previously recognised inspection and testing qualifications remain valid for grading, and the EAS allows some existing Qualified Supervisors to carry on. Do not assume you need to retake anything, but do check whether your employer or scheme expects evidence of being up to date.
Experience-based recognition. The EAS alternative described above, with two years' evidence of periodic inspection and testing, still requires the periodic qualification. It is an alternative to some of the underpinning requirements, not to the qualification itself.
There is also a related but different qualification for portable appliances, often called PAT testing. That covers electrical equipment, not fixed installations, and it does not qualify you to carry out an EICR.
Does the 2391 expire?
The 2391 does not carry an expiry date in the way a card does, but your knowledge has to stay current. The wiring regulations change. BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 is the current edition, and the IET has published the changes on its site. For scheme-registered Qualified Supervisors, the EAS is specific: they must hold an appropriate BS 7671 qualification within two years of a change to BS 7671 coming into effect.
That rule applies to the wiring regulations qualification, not directly to the 2391. In practice, an inspector should expect to keep up with amendments, guidance notes and the model forms, since periodic inspection means comparing an installation against the current edition.
How to prepare for the 2391
The candidates who struggle tend to be good installers who have not done much formal testing. Preparation should focus on the following.
- Do the tests for real. Practise the full sequence on a real circuit or rig with your own instrument, then read the results back and explain them.
- Practise the paperwork. Filling in schedules of test results and condition reports accurately is a skill. Accurate records are a large part of the job.
- Learn classification. Work through examples of faults and decide on C1, C2, C3 or FI. Be able to explain why.
- Know the guidance. Be familiar with BS 7671 Part 6 and the IET's Guidance Note 3 on inspection and testing. Ask your centre which publications you may use in the assessment.
- Ask your centre about assessment. Assessment arrangements can differ and they change over time, so get the current details from your centre rather than from an old forum post.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 2391-51 and 2391-52?
The 2391-51 covers periodic inspection and testing only. The 2391-52 covers both periodic inspection and initial verification. If you only carry out condition reports the 2391-51 may be enough, but if you also certify new work, or want JIB Approved Electrician status, you need the 2391-52 or both the 2391-50 and 2391-51.
Do I need the 2391 to carry out an EICR?
No law names the 2391. The regulations for rented homes require a person competent to carry out the inspection and testing. In practice, a competent person scheme will expect a periodic inspection qualification, and many landlords and agents will ask for one.
Can a new entrant take the 2391?
City & Guilds does not set formal entry requirements, but its handbook expects candidates to have a Level 3 electrotechnical qualification or similar, and says the qualification is not for learners new to the industry. A beginner would be better off completing their trade qualification first.
Do I need the 2391 to be an electrician?
Not to hold the Installation Electrician ECS Gold Card, whose requirements are set out in our guide on how to become an electrician. You need it, or an equivalent, for the JIB Approved Electrician grade. Domestic electricians on the experienced worker route must complete the 2391-50 and 2391-51.
How long is the 2391 course?
City & Guilds lists 50 guided learning hours for the 2391-52. Training centres deliver this in different ways, including short intensive blocks and evening courses. Add your own practice time, particularly if you do not test regularly.
Is my older 2394 or 2395 still valid?
The JIB states that previously recognised inspection and testing qualifications remain valid, and that people already graded are not required to take the new ones. Your employer or scheme may still ask for evidence that your knowledge is current, particularly after a change to BS 7671.
How often must a rented home have an EICR?
In England, at least every five years, or sooner if the previous report recommends it. The rules cover private rented homes and, since the 2025 changes, social housing. Landlords must act on required remedial work within 28 days, or sooner if the report says so.
How Nexis Academy can help
Nexis Academy is a City & Guilds Approved Centre (T91185) in Manchester. We currently deliver internal wall insulation training, with more trade and construction courses in development. We do not yet offer electrical courses, so please register your interest to hear when that changes.
See also domestic installer vs fully qualified electrician.
Sources
- City & Guilds, 2391-52 Level 3 Award in Initial and Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations: Qualification Handbook: title, guided learning hours, expected prior experience, age.
- IET, Electrotechnical Assessment Specification, June 2026 edition: Appendix 4 competence tables, clause 11.15.
- JIB, Handbook 2026, Section 4: grading definitions and Section 10: ECS.
- GOV.UK, Electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors: guidance, published 1 November 2025.
- Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020.
- City & Guilds, Experienced Worker Assessment: Domestic Electrician.
- IET, BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 updates.