Acs exam

[kirkgas]

@ Kirkgas

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply, sorry its taken me so long to get back on here but I've had a few things going on that needed dealing with.

I've read both of your replies and I am still very interested in doing a Gas Engineers course. Like you, I am slightly concerned about the short length of the course offered by Trade Qualified (8 weeks but not consecutive) although I have been assured by them that no previous experience or knowledge is needed and completion of the course will qualify me competently.

This is a copy of thier course outline on the website:

Domestic Gas Engineer – DGE1 Course Qualifications

Gas Foundation Certificate – Bpec Certified
Portfolio of Evidence (Not in itself a qualification but you cannot get qualified without it)
Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) for Gas Installers/Fitters and Engineers
CCN1 - Core Gas Safety (Now includes Combustion Performance Analysis- CPA1)
MET1 - Domestic Gas Meters
CKR1 - Gas Cookers and Hobs
HTR1 - Gas Space Heaters (Gas Fires)
CENWAT - Domestic Gas Central Heating Boilers & Gas Water Heaters (An updated combined qualification that replaces CEN1 & WAT1)

DGE1 Course Structure
Stage One – 15 Days in Centre to gain the Gas Foundation Certificate
Stage Two – 20 Days of which 5 days are In-Centre and the rest off-site for Portfolio work.
Stage Three – 4 Days in Centre for ACS examinations

As you can see, it says that it is Bpec certified so surely it must be up to a decent standard?

I have looked at a couple of different courses but it seems that I can't get any good reviews on them as people only seem to think 5 years apprenticeships are good enough. Again, I'm only looking to do very small jobs to start with as a way of supplementing my current income and will happilly work for free with a larger local firm to gain that all important experience.

I will have another look at the Bpec Gas foundation course but one of my problems is that I need to be able to study part time due to my current job.


@ Paulsanderson

Thanks also for the advice, much appreciatted.

its all in the sales spin, as stated the bpec "GAS FOUNDATION CERTIFICATE" is a certified course, this is avery basic intro into gas to ascertain whether you are potentially able to learn the gas via a set of exams based on basic core knowledge, once you have this cert you are eligible to join a training course to learn all the modules and work towards the ACS exams and full qualification, the 28 weks i mentioned, include the basic gas foundation cert, the theory training and the portfolio building all of which takes 28 weeks, i'm not convinced it can be done any quicker,
the bpec manual is quite good although there are about 20 typos in it, send me a PM with an email address and i will send you the correction sheet i have made up for it (while i wait on bpec sorting it officially)

 

[tamz]

I bet it is offered and can be done in the time given which is both very scary and very wrong.

 

[Sudburys]

Hi,

I tried to pm you but it seems I don't have enough post counts to do so... Unfortunately I realised this after writing a long message about finally understanding how it was written as a sales pitch and that the course probably wouldnt go through the whole 20 modules that I'm reading in the Bpec manual - and then losing it all because I tried to submit it. lol.

Would you only reccommend a course found through the Bpec site then? thanks for all the advice...

suds

 

[topdog]

These training companies should be banned, they are full of crap and its all about BUMS on SEATS
& £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ of YOUR HARD EARN CASH.

I know from experience, anyone thinking of taking this route should air on caution............
topdog

 

[chris watkins]

These training companies should be banned, they are full of crap and its all about BUMS on SEATS
& £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ of YOUR HARD EARN CASH.

I know from experience, anyone thinking of taking this route should air on caution............
topdog

Na, pay your money, get the bit of paper, learn on the job, just like others, when fings go wrong & ya blow some one up, just run away quick after nicking ya money of cor's.

 

[topdog]

Na, pay your money, get the bit of paper, learn on the job, just like others, when fings go wrong & ya blow some one up, just run away quick after nicking ya money of cor's.

WHAT are you talking about...........is that a london joke or am I missing something, being Welsh....

 

[chris watkins]

Sorry topdog, silly London humour (or not), just trying to reflect what some peoples idea of gas training is !!!! Those companies have been out there trading for a long time so somebodies got to be using'em.

 

[kay-jay]

WHAT are you talking about...........is that a london joke or am I missing something, being Welsh....

Don't you have sarcasm in Wales?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[topdog]

Sorry topdog, silly London humour (or not), just trying to reflect what some peoples idea of gas training is !!!! Those companies have been out there trading for a long time so somebodies got to be using'em.

Yes there are plenty of people parting with their hard earn cash to learn the gas trade, but a lot of them are giving people the wrong information as to how long it takes.

 

[mountainman]

Don't you have sarcasm in Wales?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Saying that the Welsh have a sense of humour is like saying that the Swiss Navy have the best submarine fleet in the world.
Lol

 

[kirkgas]

These training companies should be banned, they are full of crap and its all about BUMS on SEATS
& £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ of YOUR HARD EARN CASH.

I know from experience, anyone thinking of taking this route should air on caution............
topdog

is this very route not the way you got qualified? some are good some are bad just like your good selves who are now qualified and doing a range of work from very poor to very good, a lot depending on their attitude rather than aptitude

 

[kirkgas]

Hi,

I tried to pm you but it seems I don't have enough post counts to do so... Unfortunately I realised this after writing a long message about finally understanding how it was written as a sales pitch and that the course probably wouldnt go through the whole 20 modules that I'm reading in the Bpec manual - and then losing it all because I tried to submit it. lol.

Would you only reccommend a course found through the Bpec site then? thanks for all the advice...

suds

i work in various bpec centres (private and colleges) so i know the bpec course very well, but im sure there are others available via other certification bodies, you will learn from plenty on places like this about the good and the bad, but i have trained many decent people over the 6 month courses who have brought plenty into the gas industry from their vast experience, gas is gas, nothing any more special than other peoples jobs, its all about the workers attitude to doing a goo, fair job and not always about being "time served" because i talk from experience when i say i have assessed a right few zoomers who have a bit of paper to say they are time served and have 15+ years experience
send me an email to [email protected] if you want any further info

 

[Deleted member 25704]

Its all about the workers attitude to doing a good, fair job and not always about being "time served" because i talk from experience when i say i have assessed a right few zoomers who have a bit of paper to say they are time served and have 15+ years experience

So experience works for you but not the student!

 

[buckley plumb]

just retook mine could not belive how many questions on u and se ducts

ant

 

[mountainman]

They are making a comeback!

 

[PlumbersMate]

Start my acs training on 1st October do I need to buy any books or manuals or will I receive these on my course?

 

[kirkgas]

So experience works for you but not the student!

i dont really know what you mean, but good candidates who go through the gas foundation with no gas and/or plumbing background can be very successful in gas as they bring their other strenghts to the table while they learn about gas, the ACS is just a starting poing for us all and only concerned with safety, everything else has to be added to that just as a driving instructor and examiner get you ready for the road, who amonst us would give a ferrari to a 17yr old who has just passed his test, although they are as qualified as us they havent the relevant experience and once they build the experience and have the right attitude to respecting the ferrari they will be ok, its the same with gas, and i have assessed loads of people who are time served and crap because they dont care enough to do a good job, "because the price is crap", " because the customer is a nightmare" etc etc never their fault

 

[kirkgas]

Start my acs training on 1st October do I need to buy any books or manuals or will I receive these on my course?

any decent place supplies all training material in the price, when we take a deposit for a course we give the candidate the book away with them to have a look over

 

[PlumbersMate]

Very good angle to look at things there kirk. There's a guy I know who is gas safe who I asked to cap a pipe feeding a fire for me at a customers of mine as I'm not GSR and he didn't even test gas before or after I had to ask him to do it! Lol obviously paying him £50 wasn't enough!

 

[PlumbersMate]

any decent place supplies all training material in the price, when we take a deposit for a course we give the candidate the book away with them to have a look over

Would like that as would like to have some idea of stuff before I start

 

[PowerFlusher2]

At the end of the day the method of getting your certificate of 'gas competence' is irrelevant and you have to love the approach of the Gas Register when replying to a telephone query I made about a year ago - "the gas safe certificate you receive is to confirm that the installation was done by a gas safe registered engineer, nowhere on the certificate does it say that he did the job properly!"

 

[chris watkins]

i dont really know what you mean, but good candidates who go through the gas foundation with no gas and/or plumbing background can be very successful in gas as they bring their other strenghts to the table while they learn about gas, the ACS is just a starting poing for us all and only concerned with safety, everything else has to be added to that just as a driving instructor and examiner get you ready for the road, who amonst us would give a ferrari to a 17yr old who has just passed his test, although they are as qualified as us they havent the relevant experience and once they build the experience and have the right attitude to respecting the ferrari they will be ok, its the same with gas, and i have assessed loads of people who are time served and crap because they dont care enough to do a good job, "because the price is crap", " because the customer is a nightmare" etc etc never their fault

The gas side is no different to the plumbing you will find good & bad people working in all areas. I know from the posts on here that there are a lots of plumbers who know there stuff having not come through the apprentice system & I too know apprentices that after four years I would not let loose on a WC let alone a heating system! but which route produces the majority of the gooden's & which the baden's & it is by a high percentage as well. Its not rocket science that working along side experienced tradesman for 4 years while attending college at the same time leads to somebody who, when they are finally out on their own makes fewer mistakes, knows more about what they are doing etc. etc. Prior knowledge or unrelated skills, although useful, are no substitute for working & learning at the same time, of course learning continues right through your working life but we should never give the impression that the ACS assessment is the starting point. The ACS is there to assess the competence of an engineer to work safely with gas at that point in time, it can do nothing more of less. Just as with your 17-year-old Ferrari driver, if they have passed there driving test (assessment of there driving skills on that day) then they can Legally drive it on any roads they choose. As to whether I would give them my Ferrari to drive well that’s a different matter!!!!

 

[kirkgas]

Would like that as would like to have some idea of stuff before I start

ask them, but do them and you a favour, dont get too far a head of yourself and ask them questions everyday on this and that from the later part of the book that you and the class havent covered yet, you wont understand it by reading the book thats what the trainers job is, its a balance between having the boo to get a feel of the content and format but too far to always be ahead of the class, ive had this a couple of times where the guy just wanted to appear clever by "knowing" what was being discussed

 

[PlumbersMate]

ask them, but do them and you a favour, dont get too far a head of yourself and ask them questions everyday on this and that from the later part of the book that you and the class havent covered yet, you wont understand it by reading the book thats what the trainers job is, its a balance between having the boo to get a feel of the content and format but too far to always be ahead of the class, ive had this a couple of times where the guy just wanted to appear clever by "knowing" what was being discussed

Thanks kirk I see what you're saying. Tbh i don't want it to get ahead and look smart, if anything I just don't want to get left behind. I'm sure I won't as I feel I am intelligent enough and committed enough to get through the course properly but as it's a big expense and a potentially dangerous line of work to be in I don't want ti take any chances anywhere

 

[Sudburys]

who are you doing the course with Plumbersmate?

 

[kirkgas]

Thanks kirk I see what you're saying. Tbh i don't want it to get ahead and look smart, if anything I just don't want to get left behind. I'm sure I won't as I feel I am intelligent enough and committed enough to get through the course properly but as it's a big expense and a potentially dangerous line of work to be in I don't want ti take any chances anywhere

ive highlighted where i see you might have a problem, if you are intelligent you will be the exception if you join gas

 

[brooks73]

Just done the BPEC hoping to sit ACS in Jan 12 any advise.

 

[chris watkins]

Just done the BPEC hoping to sit ACS in Jan 12 any advise.

Yes, read right through the whole 5 pages of this thread.
If you don't get the info you require,at least it will be very good practise for finding info in the British Standards !!!!!

 

[hammers4spanner]

Its about time they done real world scenarios on these courses for when you end up doing the inevitable tennant llsc's
When you go into the test bays it should be like bay 1, no access / bay 2 has old lady with six cats , cat food on floor and cooker and cat asleep on top of boiler , bay 3 has two large agressive dogs but according to tennat in bay they are harmless along with boiler/cooker and fire covered in thick layer of ten years of grease n slime, final bay has been turned into a cannibis growing operation so unable to see or test appliances .
pass this and you will be o.k for future gas works

 

[chris watkins]

Its about time they done real world scenarios on these courses for when you end up doing the inevitable tennant llsc's
When you go into the test bays it should be like bay 1, no access / bay 2 has old lady with six cats , cat food on floor and cooker and cat asleep on top of boiler , bay 3 has two large agressive dogs but according to tennat in bay they are harmless along with boiler/cooker and fire covered in thick layer of ten years of grease n slime, final bay has been turned into a cannibis growing operation so unable to see or test appliances .
pass this and you will be o.k for future gas works

You do work in some interesting places hammer ??

 

[PlumbersMate]

Brilliant hammer! Lol Chris do you teach mate you seem to know certain stuff inside out

 

[Orry Clayton]

final bay has been turned into a cannibis growing operation so unable to see or test appliances .

Would failing to notify the appropriate authorities be a pass/fail?

 

[Destroyer2813]

You doing it at skills plumbers mate, if so they will give you all books etc you need

 

[brooks73]

Yes, read right through the whole 5 pages of this thread.
If you don't get the info you require,at least it will be very good practise for finding info in the British Standards !!!!!

Doing it through RF training need to do my portfolio the i can take the ACS.

 

[Sudburys]

anyone on or completed a gas course in or around London that they can recommend?