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PAT Testing Course Online
Faulty or misused electrical equipment is the leading cause of fire at work in the UK. The safety body IOSH puts it at 25 per cent of workplace fires. A damaged cable or a loose wire can also give someone an electric shock.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 set the duty to keep that equipment safe. As HSE explains, they do not state what needs to be done, by whom or how often. The law does not require PAT testing itself. It calls for equipment that is safe to use.
This online PAT testing course shows how to meet the duty with checks that fit the risk. Its three units are:
- Introduction to PAT Testing
- Types of PAT test
- PAT risk assessment and control measures
Who this PAT Testing Course is for
This course is for anyone who uses or manages portable electrical equipment at work.
- Staff who carry out user checks and formal visual inspections
- Site and office managers who decide how often each item is checked
- Business owners and safety leads who need a testing regime in place
This PAT testing training suits beginners, and experienced staff who want a refresher. It is an introduction to PAT testing, not training to become a professional PAT tester.
A testing regime that fits the risk
The course shows how to build a PAT testing regime in three parts:
- User checks by the staff who use the equipment
- Inspections and tests at intervals set by a risk assessment
- A record of every check, inspection and test
PAT testing is the usual way employers show their equipment is maintained.
Build an electrical safety programme
Add the Electrical Safety Course, Risk Assessment Course or Fire Marshal Course for wider cover.
PAT Testing Course Certificate
A CPD accredited certificate, emailed the moment you pass. Employers, agencies and auditors scan the QR code to check it on the spot.
- valid
- 3 years
- Emailed instantly
- QR code verification
- Audit-ready online record
- Free, unlimited retakes
Written in accordance with the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. Last updated December 2024.
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Course Content
Course Preview
At Echo3 we design our courses around how people actually learn. The content is concise, free from unnecessary repetition, and supported by motion graphics to help explain key concepts. This enables workers to train efficiently, stay engaged, and ultimately stay safe at work.
Assessment
- Complete a 10-question, multiple-choice quiz at the end of the course
- Achieve a minimum score of 80% to receive your certificate by email
- Free unlimited retakes — revisit the course and retry the quiz if needed
- A posted certificate is available for £9
- The Echo3 PAT Testing certificate is valid for 3 years
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This course runs fully online and takes 60 minutes: video lessons, then a quiz.
It is for anyone who uses, checks or manages portable electrical equipment at work.
It teaches the knowledge behind PAT testing: the equipment classes, the three types of check and how risk sets each testing interval.
Every learner who passes gets a CPD Accredited certificate by email, with a QR code anyone can scan to check it.
The course has no hands-on assessment with a Portable Appliance Tester.
The Course Content tab lists what each unit covers.
The law names no qualification for PAT testing. It requires the person doing it to be competent.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) describes what competence means. It is the combination of training, skills, experience and knowledge needed to perform a task safely.
This course gives the training part, and its CPD Accredited certificate is the record of it.
It is an introduction to PAT testing, not training to work as a professional PAT tester.
Read HSE’s guidance: What is competence?
PAT testing (portable appliance testing) is the routine checking of portable electrical equipment to make sure it is safe to use.
A portable appliance is any item you can move and connect to an electrical supply. It usually has a lead with a plug.
There are three types of check:
- user checks
- formal visual inspections
- combined inspection and testing, with a Portable Appliance Tester
The checks an item needs depend on its risk. Equipment that is moved often, or has a metal casing, needs more thorough checks.
HSE sets out the same approach in PAT: HSE’s answers to popular questions.
Unit 1 of this course explains each equipment class, and how to spot it from its symbol.
Disconnect the item and inspect it closely. Then test it with a Portable Appliance Tester if its class needs one.
- Formal visual inspection. Check the plug, cable and casing for damage. Then open the plug to check the wiring, fuse and cord grip.
- Earth continuity test. For Class 1 (earthed) items, the tester checks the earth pin connects to the metal casing.
- Insulation resistance test. For Class 1 and Class 2 items, the tester checks the insulation around the live parts has not broken down.
Record every result.
An item that fails stays out of use until it is repaired or replaced.
HSE lists every check inside the plug in Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environments.
Unit 2 of this course shows each check and test on video.
How often should PAT Testing be carried out?
No law sets a fixed interval. Each item’s interval comes from a risk assessment.
The risk depends on the equipment’s class, where it is used and how often it is used.
For low-risk workplaces such as offices and shops, HSE suggests these initial intervals:
| Equipment | User checks | Formal visual inspection | Combined inspection and testing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery-operated (less than 40 volts) | No | No | No |
| Extra low voltage (less than 50 volts AC), such as telephone equipment and low-voltage desk lights | No | No | No |
| Desktop computers, VDU screens | No | Yes, 2–4 years | No if double insulated, otherwise up to 5 years |
| Photocopiers, fax machines: not hand-held, rarely moved | No | Yes, 2–4 years | No if double insulated, otherwise up to 5 years |
| Class 2 (double insulated), not hand-held, moved occasionally, such as fans and table lamps | No | Yes, 2–4 years | No |
| Class 2 (double insulated), hand-held, such as some floor cleaners and some kitchen equipment | Yes | Yes, 6 months to 1 year | No |
| Class 1 (earthed), such as electric kettles, some floor cleaners, some kitchen equipment and irons | Yes | Yes, 6 months to 1 year | Yes, 1–2 years |
| Cables (leads with their plugs) connected to the above, mains voltage extension leads and battery-charging equipment | Yes | Yes, 6 months to 4 years depending on the type of equipment it is connected to | Yes, 1–5 years depending on the type of equipment it is connected to |
Review the intervals as results come in: check more often where checks keep finding faults, and less often where they don’t.
Higher-risk sites, such as construction sites, need more frequent checks than this table shows.
Source: HSE, Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environments.
Unit 3 of this course covers how class, environment and usage set the risk.
Yes. You don’t need to be an electrician, but you must be competent for the check you carry out.
- User checks. Anyone who uses the equipment, once shown what to look for.
- Formal visual inspections. A member of staff with simple training in what to look for.
- Combined inspection and testing. Someone with more experience, the right tester and the knowledge to read its results.
HSE sets out the same three levels in Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environments.
Anyone taking on the checks in-house can learn what each one involves on this PAT testing training course.
This course is written for beginners and needs no electrical background.
It starts with what a portable appliance is. Each unit builds on the last: equipment classes, then the three types of check, then risk assessment.
The course ends with a 10-question multiple-choice quiz with a pass mark of 80%.
Retakes are free and unlimited: you can revisit any part of the course before trying the quiz again.
The Course Preview on this page shows how the lessons look.
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