BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 was published 15 April 2026 and the A3:2024 model forms were formally withdrawn six months later on 15 October 2026. This page indexes every change — Chapter 41 protective requirements, AFDD inspection items, model form updates, terminology changes — with deep-dive links to each.
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Written and reviewed by Andrew Moore, founder of Elec-Mate, against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, IET Guidance Note 3 and the IET On-Site Guide.
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BS 7671:2018 (the 18th Edition) has been amended four times since publication. The current edition is A4:2026, with A3:2024 having been formally withdrawn six months after A4 was published.
From 15 April 2026, A4:2026 was the active edition. From 15 October 2026, the A3 model forms are withdrawn and certificates issued on the old forms are non-compliant with the current edition. Software providers (Elec-Mate included) shipped A4-compliant templates at the April 2026 effective date.
Every key change in the 2026 amendment on one page. AFDDs, TN-C-S protection, new schedule columns, model forms. Pinned on your van dash.
A4:2026 added Regulation 411.3.4 as a new mandatory requirement and tightened several existing Chapter 41 provisions.
A4:2026 strengthened the AFDD (Arc Fault Detection Device) regime — both where required and where prohibited.
The Section I earthing-arrangement tick-boxes on the A4:2026 EICR/EIC/MEIWC model forms now distinguish two TN-C-S variants:
PME and PNB look similar but the responsibility boundary and broken-neutral exposure are different. PME bonding-sizing rules (544.1.1, Table 54.8) apply to PME but not necessarily to PNB beyond the split. EV charger PME-specific requirements (722.411.4.1) apply differently to PNB. The new tick-box on the form makes the arrangement explicit.
A4:2026 redesigned the BS 7671 model forms. Every certificate type — Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) — has updated content alongside its supporting schedules.
Schedule of Circuit Details now records (in addition to the previous content):
Schedule of Test Results now includes:
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Section D ("Extent and Limitations of Inspection and Testing") now includes a standard disclaimer making the point-in-time nature of the certificate explicit:
No checks for safety alerts, corrective actions or product recalls for electrical equipment forming part of the installation have been made. The responsible person should periodically check OPSS, registration body publications and IET technical bulletins for items affecting installed equipment.
Terminology updates visible on the new forms:
Several Part 7 special-location sections received targeted updates in A4:2026. The most commercially significant for inspectors and installers:
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