18th Edition Course Reading

18th Edition Wiring Regulations in Reading — BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 | City & Guilds 2382-26

Reading sits at the centre of one of the most commercially active corridors in the South East — the so-called “Silicon Valley of the UK” — and the city’s construction and commercial fit-out sector reflects that scale. If you’re based in Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Newbury, Henley-on-Thames, or anywhere across Berkshire and the Thames Valley, MJ Electrical Training delivers the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations qualification entirely online — with our Reading exam centre located on Friars Street in the town centre. Whether you’re working on the Station Hill development, fitting out commercial space across the business park corridor, or running a domestic installation business across Berkshire, the City & Guilds 2382-26 is the qualification your work depends on.

Why the 18th Edition Matters in Reading

The current UK standard for electrical installation work is BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, and the qualification that demonstrates competency against it is the City & Guilds 2382-26. Amendment 4 was published in April 2026 and is the version examined in all current sittings. If your certificate carries the older 2382-22 qualification number, your knowledge of BS 7671 is now out of date.

For electricians working across Reading’s commercial, technology and residential construction sectors, current certification underpins membership of NICEIC and NAPIT competent person schemes, and is the baseline expectation of principal contractors on major office, retail and residential fit-out projects across the town.

See full course details, exam options and pricing on our national 18th Edition course page.

Reading’s Construction and Commercial Sector — What’s Driving Demand

Reading is widely regarded as the commercial capital of the Thames Valley, and its mix of major regeneration projects and a dense business park economy generates substantial, sustained electrical work.

In the town centre, the Station Hill development is one of the largest regeneration projects in the South East — a £750 million scheme between Friar Street and Station Hill that, on completion, will deliver up to 625,000 square feet of office space, 1,300 private and affordable homes, and 95,000 square feet of retail and leisure space, alongside a new central piazza. The first phase, Friars Walk, completed in 2024, with further phases ongoing. Reading Borough Council is also progressing the Minster Quarter regeneration, a town centre transformation that will deliver hundreds of new homes — including around 187 private and affordable homes in its first phase — supported by Brownfield Land Release funding.

Beyond these flagship schemes, Reading’s economy is anchored by an exceptional concentration of major technology employers. Thames Valley Park and Green Park host the UK campuses of Microsoft and Oracle, alongside Cisco, Vodafone, Sanofi and dozens of other multinationals, while Arlington Business Park near Junction 11 of the M4 is home to Nokia, KPMG, Nvidia and PepsiCo. Reading has emerged as one of the largest AI hubs outside London, with the sector now employing tens of thousands of people locally. This scale of commercial occupancy generates continuous demand for fit-out, refurbishment and maintenance electricians across the business park corridor, alongside the office-to-residential conversions increasingly common across the town centre.

For electricians working across any of these settings — commercial fit-out, residential regeneration, or business park maintenance — a current 18th Edition certificate registered against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 is the expected baseline, underpinning NICEIC and NAPIT scheme membership.

Exam Centre in Reading

Reading — Friars Street, RG1 1DX
MJ Electrical Training’s Reading exam centre is located on Friars Street in the town centre, with weekly sittings available. The venue is within easy walking distance of Reading railway station — one of the busiest and best-connected stations outside London, with direct services across Berkshire, the Thames Valley, and into London Paddington and the West Country. For candidates driving in, the town centre is served by several multi-storey car parks within short walking distance of Friars Street. This central, well-connected location makes it a straightforward option for candidates from across Berkshire and the surrounding Thames Valley area.

Full venue address, parking details and joining instructions are provided on booking confirmation. The home-based, webcam-invigilated exam is also available weekly for candidates who prefer not to travel at all.

Who Books From the Reading Area?

The typical candidate booking from Reading and the Thames Valley spans several groups:

• Site electricians working on town centre regeneration schemes such as Station Hill and the Minster Quarter, where principal contractor requirements make up-to-date certification mandatory
• Commercial and fit-out electricians working across Reading’s business park corridor — Thames Valley Park, Green Park and Arlington Business Park — where office refurbishment and tenant fit-out work is in constant supply
• Domestic and commercial installers running sole-trader or small-business operations across Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and the surrounding towns, working towards or maintaining NICEIC or NAPIT competent person scheme registration
• Maintenance electricians working across the town’s expanding office, retail and residential developments, including office-to-residential conversions
• Electricians updating from the 17th Edition or the old 2382-22 certificate, looking to align with the current 2382-26 standard against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026
• Apprentices approaching completion who need the 18th Edition alongside their NVQ Level 3 to complete their qualification pathway

The online, self-paced format suits this audience well. Most candidates are working full-time on site or running their own businesses, and being able to study evenings and weekends — then sit the exam at a centrally located, easily reached venue in the town centre — fits naturally around a working week.

How to Enrol

The course is delivered entirely online through MJ Electrical Training’s learning platform. Study is self-paced across an estimated 30–40 hours, with immediate access from enrolment. Everything is included in the single price of £288.00 Inc VAT — course access and the City & Guilds 2382-26 examination, with no additional charges.

When you’re ready to sit, choose either the home-based webcam-invigilated exam (available weekly) or the Reading town centre exam centre on Friars Street. Results are typically issued on the same day.

You will need a copy of BS 7671:2018+A4:2026 — the new orange book — for use in the open-book exam. Full details of how to obtain it are available from the IET.

Book Now — 18th Edition Wiring Regulations Course

Other Qualifications Worth Considering

While you’re updating your 18th Edition, it’s worth checking whether any of the following are also due:

• City & Guilds 2391-52 — Inspection & Testing — available at MJ Electrical Training’s centre-based venues in Manchester and West London
• City & Guilds 2383-10 — Part P Domestic Building Regulations — online, available UK-wide
• SHEA Power, ECS Card and CSCS Card — available through our sister company MJ Training Solutions, delivered weekly online via MS Teams for electrical and construction professionals across Berkshire and the UK

Frequently Asked Questions — Reading and the Thames Valley

Is the Reading exam centre easy to reach without a car?
Yes. The Friars Street centre is within easy walking distance of Reading railway station, one of the best-connected stations outside London, with direct services from across Berkshire and the Thames Valley. If you’d rather not travel at all, the home-based webcam-invigilated exam is also available weekly — both options are included in the standard £288.00 Inc VAT price.

Does working on a commercial fit-out project at one of Reading’s business parks affect which 18th Edition I need?
No — all UK electrical installation work is governed by BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, and the current qualification demonstrating competency against it is the City & Guilds 2382-26. Amendment 4 came into force in April 2026. Whether you’re working on tenant fit-out at Thames Valley Park or Green Park, on the Station Hill regeneration scheme, or on domestic installations across Berkshire, the 2382-26 is the qualification your clients and scheme providers will expect to see.

Do I need to attend any classroom sessions to complete the course?
No. The entire course is delivered online and self-paced. There are no mandatory classroom days, no fixed study timetable, and no requirement to travel before your exam sitting. You study when it suits you, and when you’re ready, you book the exam online.

Start Today

MJ Electrical Training is a City & Guilds Approved Centre delivering the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations qualification entirely online, with an exam venue in Reading town centre. The current qualification is the 2382-26 against BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, updated to reflect Amendment 4 published in April 2026. Full course details, exam dates and pricing are on our national course page.

Enrol Now — £288.00 Inc VAT, Course and Exam Included

MJ Electrical Training — City & Guilds Approved Centre | Online Courses | Reading & UK-Wide

Need your ECS Card, CSCS Card or SHEA Power Card? Visit MJ Training Solutions — weekly online training via MS Teams for construction and electrical professionals across Berkshire and the UK.