The design qualification that sets you apart. Learn what the 2396 covers, who needs it, the exam format, prerequisites, career benefits, and how to choose the right training provider.
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The City & Guilds 2396 — Electrical Installation Design — is the qualification that teaches electricians how to design electrical installations in compliance with BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
While the 2382 teaches you to understand the Wiring Regulations and the 2391 teaches you to test and verify installations, the 2396 teaches you to design them. That means calculating cable sizes, selecting protective devices, assessing loads, designing circuit arrangements, checking voltage drop and earth fault loop impedance, and producing the design documentation that a competent electrician can install from.
It is a Level 4 equivalent qualification — a significant step up from the Level 3 qualifications that most electricians hold. It demonstrates that you can think through an installation before it is built, not just wire what is on the drawing.
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.
The 2396 is not required for every electrician, but it is valuable for several groups:
The 2396 covers the complete electrical design process from initial brief to finished design documentation. The core topics are:
Determining the total load for an installation based on connected equipment, diversity factors, and maximum demand. Understanding how to assess loads for different building types — domestic, commercial, industrial.
Calculating minimum cable sizes using Appendix 4 of BS 7671. Applying correction factors for ambient temperature (Ca), grouping (Cg), thermal insulation (Ci), and BS 3036 rewirable fuses (Cf). Voltage drop calculations for long cable runs. Where cables are buried in or pass through thermal insulation, consult the Appendix F tables in the IET On-Site Guide for the appropriate Ci correction factors — these directly determine whether a larger cable cross-section is required (OSG Reg 2.6).
Selecting MCBs, RCBOs, RCDs, and fuses based on design current, prospective fault current, and disconnection time requirements. Understanding discrimination (selectivity) between upstream and downstream devices.
Key design threshold: maximum Zs
BS 7671 Table 41.3 gives maximum earth fault loop impedance (Zs) values at operating temperature. Example: a 32 A Type B MCB has a tabulated max Zs of 1.37 Ω (Reg 411.4.204(a)). On-site cold-measured Zs must not exceed 80% of this tabulated value — the GN3 site limit — giving a maximum acceptable cold-measured reading of 1.10 Ω. This distinction between designed Zs and site-measured Zs is a common exam and interview question.
Designing circuit layouts for different installation types. Distribution board schedules, sub-main calculations, ring and radial circuit design, three-phase load balancing, and emergency lighting circuits.
Producing the paperwork: circuit schedules, cable schedules, design specifications, and supporting calculations. Understanding what documentation is needed for Building Control, the client, and the installing electrician.
The 2396 exam is now set against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026. Three A4 changes are directly relevant to electrical installation designers and are likely to feature in exam scenarios:
Regulation 421.1.7 recommends the installation of arc fault detection devices (AFDDs) in AC final circuits of a fixed installation to mitigate the risk of fire due to arc fault currents. The wording is advisory rather than mandatory — it uses 'recommending' rather than 'shall' — but designers should consider AFDDs and document their decision, particularly for domestic installations where cables may be concealed or routed through combustible materials.
Regulation 411.3.4 requires that, within domestic (household) premises, additional protection by an RCD with a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30 mA shall be provided for AC final circuits supplying luminaires. This is a mandatory requirement — note the word 'shall'. Domestic lighting circuits must now be protected by a 30 mA RCD or RCBO, not just an MCB. This changes the consumer unit design for new domestic installations and rewires.
Section 534 sets out requirements for the selection and installation of surge protective devices (SPDs). Designers must now assess whether SPD protection is required and document that assessment. Where SPDs are installed, Regulation 534.4.5.2 requires that operation of an overcurrent protective device caused by SPD failure must not interrupt continuity of supply to the connected equipment — this determines how SPDs must be arranged relative to their backup overcurrent protection.
Last reviewed for BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 (effective January 2026).
The 2396 exam is fundamentally different from the 2382 or 2391 exams. It is not multiple choice — it is a design project.
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The 2396 is not an entry-level qualification. Training providers typically require:
The 2396 opens doors that are not available to electricians with only Level 3 qualifications:
The quality of the training provider matters significantly for the 2396 because it is a design-based qualification — you need a tutor who can explain the calculation methods clearly and give you practical design exercises to work through.
Look for providers who offer small class sizes (fewer than 15 candidates), provide practice design exercises with worked solutions, include mock exams as part of the course, and have tutors with real-world design experience (not just academic knowledge). Check reviews from previous candidates — specifically ask whether the tutor explained the Appendix 4 calculation methods clearly and whether the practice exercises were representative of the actual exam.
Whether you are studying for the 2396 or already qualified, Elec-Mate gives you the tools to design electrical installations accurately and efficiently.
Elec-Mate's cable sizing calculator, voltage drop calculator, and AI circuit designer help you design installations that comply with BS 7671.
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