Your Assessment

Your assessment is a fundamental part of your business certification with NICEIC.

It allows your business to display the NICEIC brandmark with pride knowing that your business has met the high standards that people expect from NICEIC-certified businesses.

It is your chance to show that your business:

Has systems, policies, procedures and insurances in place to support you and your customers.
Your business carries out work that complies with the relevant national industry standards.

It also gives you an opportunity to ask your assessor any technical or business-related questions you might have.

Your NICEIC assessor will need to meet two key people: your qualified supervisor (QS) and your principal duty holder (PDH). In some businesses the same person can fulfil the roles of QS and PDH.

This page will provide you with guidance on how to book and prepare for your assessment, as well as top tips, additional resources including webinars, and what to have ready to show your assessor. Each scheme will have its own specific assessment criteria and guidance. Head over to the NICEIC schemes page for further information.

Booking your NICEIC assessment

After listening to feedback, we have changed the way we book assessments.

So, eight weeks before your assessment is due, we will send you an email asking you to get in touch with our scheduling team.

Remember: without regular assessment your business risks losing its certification.

Missed the email? Drop us an email and we can get your date booked in.

Male working on computer remotely, whilst making notes in a book sat down at a deck.

Using a screw driver to reconnect wiring in an electrical board.

How do I prepare for my assessment?

Being fully prepared for your assessment is the key to a good outcome.

Being organised not only helps the assessor to perform their task more efficiently, but also means you can use the time to your own advantage.

This means more time for your own questions about technical standards, industry best practice and advice on how NICEIC can support you more in your business.

Top tips when preparing for your assessment

Office premises - usually the assessor will need to see your office, whether this is in your home or a separate business address. Consider this when you are organising your day.
Office procedures and paperwork - usually checked while at your office. Ensure that all relevant policies, procedures and insurances are documented and readily available to show the assessor.
Installation records - include installation certificates raised against completed work including building regulations notifications (where applicable).
Technical qualifications of the nominated technical person are also checked as part of the office assessment. Make sure you have your qualifications at hand and consider taking a photo of them so that they are easy to find next time.
Record of your continuing professional development - this provides you with an opportunity to showcase your learning and ask any further questions.
Records showing the supervision and training of your team (where appropriate) - this element of the assessment was introduced in 2021 as part of our drive to enhance the robustness of the process.
Technical reference documents - ensure these are up to date and readily available for access. If you are missing any see our publications and downloads page.
Test instruments and leads - ensure that these have up-to-date service records and accuracy logs and are available on the day of assessment for use.
On-site work - ensure that there is suitable work for you assessor to assess the full scope of the work you undertake. This includes checking that access on the required day is possible.

A contractor repairing ceiling lighting, in an office space whilst stranded on a step ladder.

An NICEIC expert providing advise to an approved contractor, whilst on site working on an electric board at a customer's household.

Top three most forgotten items for the office audit

Insurance policy (covering all work assessed or within scope of the Scheme certification): We need the policy number, liability amount and expiry date, so make sure you have them to hand.
GS38 otherwise known as HSE’s guidance for Electrical test equipment for use on low voltage electrical systems. You can find a link to a free download here.
A suitable system in place to ensure on-going accuracy and consistency of all test instruments used for certification and reporting purposes is being maintained. Make sure you give yourself time to get this done.

Additional resources

We are here to help. These additional resources will help you with your assessment preparations, or please contact us if we can help further.

THE WIRE on demand webinars – these are available to listen again at any time. And please sign up to access future webinars here.

Articles from your NICEIC magazine Connections, and other sources

Connections (Spring 2023, issue 225) Article: Too Good To Miss (page 17)

Connections (Summer 2023, issue 226) Article: It’s All In The Paperwork (page 15)

Connections (Autumn 2023 – issue 227) Article: Preparing For The Site Visit (page 17)

Connections (Winter 2023_2024 – issue 228) Article: Getting BAFE SP203-1 Ready (page 14)

Connections (Spring 2024 – issue 229) Article: What Went Wrong? (page 23)

Connections (Summer 2024 – issue 230) Article: Doing CPD is Key; So Is Documenting It (pages 18-19)

Professional Electrician & Installer (May 2020) – A NICE(IC) Day For An Assessment (pages 19-20)

Two NICEIC approved contractors on site at a customers household, wearing a hard hats and hi-viz jackets, kneeing down reviewing data on an electrical reading device.

FAQs

Yes. In fact, many businesses that we assess have multiple qualified supervisors to maintain adequate supervision. However, each qualified supervisor must be assessed during every surveillance cycle.

It’s important to note that we will only assess one qualified supervisor per half-day assessment and no more than two per full-day assessment.

No. Assessment delivery is continually managed to support scheme requirements and demand. Assessments are allocated to assessors based on the assessors primary assessment areas (which are subject to change). However, assessors may assess locations which are outside of their allocated primary areas.

Using the NICEIC supervision record template
Using self-made supervision record templates
or ECA members, using eCOMS

Reviewing supervision and training records, can help a business reduce its operating risk.
Investing in CPD, supports people development, nurture and enhance skills, employee retainment.
CPD can support the growth of a business’s skill-set, to keep up-to-date with innovation and industry developments.
Increased skill sets can help widen work portfolio.
Evidence of compliance can provide a level of customer assurance.

As defined by the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS): employed persons are individuals engaged by the enterprise to perform electrotechnical work which may include directly employed staff, temporary, agency and/or subcontracted labour including self-employed individuals and sole-traders.

It’s not one size fits all.

For businesses certified with the NICEIC Domestic Installer Scheme, the assessment will generally* take up to 3 hours.

For businesses certified with the NICEIC Approved Contractor Scheme, the assessment will generally* take up to 6 hours. However, due to factors, some business will require more assessment time.

*Dependent on factors such as, the number of work categories the business undertakes, the geographical spread and location of work and the number qualified supervisors.

You must advise NICEIC without delay and, within 30 days of the change, provide a declaration on the form prescribed by us to confirm that all electrical installation work is, and will continue to be, under the supervision of a named competent person.

A replacement qualified supervisor accepted by NICEIC will be employed in that capacity within 120 days of the former qualified supervisor ceasing to be employed in that capacity.

Failure to notify us of a change in qualified supervisor may result in suspension or cancellation of NICEIC certification.

Booking your assessment as soon as you receive your assessment notification will provide you with a far greater selection of available dates.

Failure to contact us to agree a date will place your NICEIC certification at risk of suspension if you do not have an assessment by your assessment due date and miss your NICEIC certification deadline.

As per the definition provided by the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS) scope: this specification sets out the minimum requirements to be met by enterprises to be recognised by certification and registration bodies as technically competent to undertake electrotechnical work

The Electrotechnical Assessment Specification (EAS) requires the following.
16.1 The assessed enterprise is required to hold the following records as appropriate to the range, scale, geographical spread and categories of the electrotechnical work undertaken.
16.1.3 demonstrating that all employed persons are competent and/or adequately supervised to undertake electrotechnical work in accordance with Appendix 11.