A schedule of test results is the BS 7671 Appendix 6 form that records the measured values for every circuit on a distribution board: continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, earth fault loop impedance and RCD disconnection time. On the current IET model forms (BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, published 15 April 2026) it is the second half of a pair: the Schedule of Circuit Details holds columns 1 to 16 and the Schedule of Test Results holds columns 17 to 31, one row per circuit, one pair of schedules per board. Both must accompany every Electrical Installation Certificate and every EICR. Without them the certificate or report is incomplete.
- Since Amendment 2 (2022) the old single schedule has been two forms: circuit details (columns 1-16) and test results (columns 17-31), keyed by circuit number in columns 1 and 17.
- One pair of schedules per distribution board or consumer unit, with Zdb and Ipf measured at that board in the header, not Ze from the origin.
- The test results columns follow the Regulation 643.1 sequence: continuity, insulation resistance, polarity, Zs, then RCD.
- There is one RCD time column, at IΔn. The 5 × IΔn column and the 40 ms figure went in 2022 and are not on the A4 form.
- Every cell carries a measured value, N/A or LIM. A blank is the most common assessor finding, and a value copied from the old certificate is the most serious.
What is a schedule of test results in practice?
The certificate is a declaration; the schedule is the evidence. The A4 EIC and the A4 EICR both record how many schedules of circuit details and schedules of test results are attached, and the declaration is not complete without them. IET Guidance Note 3 (9th Edition) treats the schedules as an integral part of the document, and that is how NICEIC and NAPIT assessors read them: a row at a time, checking that the maximum permitted Zs in column 12 is bigger than the measured Zs in column 27 on the same circuit, that an RCD listed in columns 13 to 16 has a time in column 28, and that a ring final circuit has r1, rn and r2 rather than a lone R1+R2.
The reason the IET split the form in 2022 is simply width. NAPIT's Frank Bertie, writing on the Amendment 2 changes for Professional Electrician, put it plainly: the schedule of test results "has now been replaced by a schedule of circuit details and a schedule of test results due to the increased number of columns." The extra columns were the RCD details (BS EN, type, IΔn and rating) and the insulation resistance test voltage. Amendment 4 kept the split and added the SPD and AFDD boxes described below.
Which certificates need a schedule of test results?
| Document | Schedule of circuit details and test results? | Where the test values go instead |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) | Yes, for every board covered by the new work | n/a |
| Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) | Yes, for every board within the agreed extent | n/a |
| Minor Electrical Installation Works Certificate (MEIWC) | No | Section D of the A4 MEIWC has its own boxes for R1+R2 or R2, insulation resistance, polarity, Zs and RCD time |
| Domestic Visual Condition Report (scheme forms) | No | No testing is done |
On an EICR, where sampling is agreed, the untested circuits still appear on the schedule of circuit details (you can read the board) and their test columns show LIM, with the extent and the sample stated in Section D. Our EICR sampling and limitations guide covers what counts as an agreed limitation and what does not. The what is a Minor Works Certificate page explains why a single-circuit job does not need the full schedule.
What goes in the header of each schedule?
The header is where most installers lose marks, because the A4 form asks for board-level values that are not the same as the origin values on page one of the certificate.
| Header field (A4 form) | What to enter | Common slip |
|---|---|---|
| DB/CU reference and Location | The board's own label, e.g. "DB2, garage" | Leaving it as "CU" on a two-board job |
| Supplied from | The circuit or board feeding it | Blank on the main consumer unit; write "origin" or the cut-out details |
| Distribution circuit OCPD: BS (EN), Type, Rating | The device protecting the cable into this board | Entering the cut-out fuse for a sub-board fed from an MCB |
| SPD Details: Type(s) T1 / T2 / T3 / N/A | Tick the types fitted; both boxes for a combined T1+T2 | Ticking T2 for a board with no SPD |
| RCD: BS (EN), Type, Rating, IΔn | The upfront RCD or main switch RCD on this board, if any | Repeating the RCBO details that belong in columns 13-16 |
| Zdb (Ω) | Earth fault loop impedance measured at this board's incoming terminals | Copying Ze from the origin onto a sub-board |
| Ipf (kA) | Prospective fault current at this board, the higher of L-N and L-E | Writing "16" from the DNO's declared maximum rather than measuring |
| SPD: Operational status confirmed | Tick, or N/A; footnote: "Not all SPDs have visible functionality indication" | Ticking it on a board where the indicator is not visible |
| Confirmed: Correct polarity; Phase sequence | Tick; phase sequence N/A on single-phase | Ticking phase sequence on a domestic single-phase board |
Zdb matters because it is the number you add R1+R2 to when you check a calculated Zs for a circuit on a sub-board. On the main consumer unit Zdb is for practical purposes Ze plus the tails, and the two will be within a few hundredths of an ohm. On a garage board at the end of 25 m of 6 mm² SWA it will not be, and an assessor who sees Zs values on the sub-board that are lower than the Ze declared at the origin knows the values were not measured. The what is Ze page covers the difference. The bottom of the test results sheet asks for the instrument serial numbers (continuity, insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance, RCD, earth electrode resistance, or one multifunction instrument), the tester's name in capitals, signature and date.
What is in the schedule of circuit details (columns 1 to 16)?
| Col | Heading on the A4 form | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Circuit number | As labelled on the board |
| 2 | Circuit description | "Kitchen sockets", not "sockets" |
| 3 | Type of wiring | Code A to H or O from the key on the form (A = thermoplastic insulated/sheathed, F = thermoplastic SWA, H = mineral insulated) |
| 4 | Reference method | From Table 4A2 of Appendix 4, e.g. C (clipped direct), 100 (in insulation above plasterboard) |
| 5 | Number of points served | Count the outlets and luminaires |
| 6 | Conductor details: Live (mm²) | 2.5 for a ring, 6 or 10 for a shower |
| 7 | Conductor details: CPC (mm²) | 1.5 on a 2.5 T&E, 2.5 on 6 mm² T&E |
| 8 | OCPD: BS (EN) | 60898, 61009, 60947-2, 88-3 |
| 9 | Type | B, C, D, or gG |
| 10 | Rating (A) | 6, 32, 40 |
| 11 | Breaking capacity (kA) | 6 for a domestic MCB to BS EN 60898, 10 on many RCBOs |
| 12 | Maximum permitted Zs (Ω) | From Chapter 41 Tables 41.2 to 41.4; if from another source, say so in Remarks (form footnote) |
| 13 | RCD: BS (EN) | 61008, 61009, 62423 |
| 14 | Type | AC, A, F, B |
| 15 | IΔn (mA) | 30, 100, 300 |
| 16 | Rating (A) | The RCD's rated current |
Column 12 is the one that does the work. Table 41.3 gives a Type B 32 A MCB a maximum Zs of 1.37 Ω, and the A4 form's footnote says that where the figure comes from anywhere other than the tabulated Chapter 41 values, for instance a manufacturer's time-current curve for a BS 88 fuse, you state the source in column 31. Our maximum Zs values guide has the tables and the 0.8 rule. Column 11 against the Ipf in the header is a real check, not a paperwork one: a 6 kA device on a board where Ipf measures 7 kA needs either back-up protection from the upstream device (Regulation 536.4.201) or an observation, and BPG4 has the coding. The wiring and reference method codes in columns 3 and 4 feed straight into cable sizing checks, covered in cable sizing and volt drop basics.
What is in the schedule of test results (columns 17 to 31)?
| Col | Heading on the A4 form | Units | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Circuit number | Matches column 1 | |
| 18 | Continuity: r1 (line) | Ω | Ring finals only; end-to-end |
| 19 | Continuity: rn (neutral) | Ω | Ring finals only |
| 20 | Continuity: r2 (cpc) | Ω | Ring finals only; about 1.67 × r1 on 2.5/1.5 T&E |
| 21 | Ring final circuit (R1 + R2) | Ω | Also used for radial R1+R2 by the "method 1" link test |
| 22 | Ring final circuit R2 | Ω | Where the long-lead "method 2" was used instead |
| 23 | Insulation resistance: Test voltage | V | 250, 500 or 1000 from Table 64; footnote ties it to Table 64 on an EIC |
| 24 | Insulation resistance: Live - Live | MΩ | Record what the display shows, including ">" |
| 25 | Insulation resistance: Live - Earth | MΩ | Table 64 minimum 1 MΩ at 500 V |
| 26 | Polarity | tick | Footnote: an "X" cannot be entered when the schedule goes with an EIC |
| 27 | Maximum measured Zs | Ω | Highest value found on the circuit, usually the furthest point |
| 28 | RCD: Disconnection time | ms | At IΔn only (footnote); 300 ms non-delay, 130-500 ms Type S |
| 29 | RCD: Test button operation | tick | |
| 30 | AFDD: Manual test button operation | tick | Footnote: "Not all AFDDs have a test button" |
| 31 | Remarks | text | Form prompt: "Include details of circuits, and/or installed equipment vulnerable to damage when testing" |
Three things on this sheet catch people who learned on the 2018 form. First, columns 18 to 20 are only for ring final circuits; a radial has R1+R2 in column 21 and nothing in 18 to 20. The ring final circuit testing (r1, rn, r2) guide works through the three steps and why r1, rn and r2 are needed to prove the ring is a ring. Second, column 23 is new since 2022: you must say what voltage you tested at. For a 230 V circuit that is 500 V d.c. with a 1 MΩ minimum, or 250 V d.c. with the same 1 MΩ minimum where Regulation 643.3.3 lets you test after connecting equipment that would otherwise be damaged or skew the result. The insulation resistance testing guide covers Table 64 and GN3's advice that anything under 2 MΩ wants investigating even though it passes. Third, column 28 is a single RCD time.
Why is there only one RCD column now?
Until 2022 the schedule had two RCD time columns, at IΔn and at 5 × IΔn, and the 40 ms figure at five times was drilled into every 2391 candidate. Amendment 2 rewrote Regulation 643.8 so that an RCD's effectiveness is verified with an a.c. test at the rated residual operating current only; the A4 form carries that as a footnote to column 28: "RCD effectiveness is verified using an alternating current test at rated residual operating current (IΔn)." The limits are those of the product standards: 300 ms for a general (non-delayed) RCD to BS EN 61008 or 61009, and between 130 ms and 500 ms for an S-type. Test on both half-cycles, 0° and 180°, and record the longer. GN3 still allows the 5 × test as a diagnostic, but there is no column for it, so if you do it, note it in column 31. RCD testing explained has the full method and what the 5 × result does and does not tell you. Column 29 (RCD test button) and column 30 (AFDD manual test button) are ticks, and on an EICR the recipient notes 12 and 13 of the A4 form tell the client to press those buttons six-monthly.
What changed between the 2018, A2 and A4 schedules?
| Feature | BS 7671:2018 model form | A2:2022 model form | A4:2026 model form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layout | One schedule of test results | Split: circuit details + test results | Split kept |
| RCD details per circuit | Type and IΔn | BS (EN), Type, IΔn, Rating (cols 13-16) | Same |
| RCD time columns | At IΔn and at 5 × IΔn | At IΔn only (643.8) | At IΔn only, footnoted |
| Insulation resistance | Live-Live and Live-Earth | Adds Test voltage column | Same, Table 64 footnote |
| Board header | Ze/Zs at DB, Ipf | Zdb, Ipf | Zdb, Ipf, SPD type T1/T2/T3, SPD operational status, phase sequence |
| AFDD | Not on form | Test button column | Manual test button, footnoted |
| Polarity | Tick | Tick | Tick; footnote that an "X" cannot be entered on an EIC schedule |
The reason the polarity footnote exists is that an EIC declares the new work complies, so a polarity fault cannot be certified; it is fixed, retested and the tick entered. On an EICR a polarity fault is an observation coded in Section K and the Schedule of Inspections, and the polarity testing guide explains which items take C1 and which C2 under Electrical Safety First's Best Practice Guide 4 (Issue 7.4, August 2026).
Which entries do assessors reject?
Study guidance for the City & Guilds 2391-52 practical warns that "ticks and blanks in a test-results column are marked as incomplete", and the scheme assessors apply the same standard. From NICEIC and NAPIT assessment feedback and the forum post-mortems, these are the recurring ones:
- Blank cells. The single most common finding. Every cell is a value, N/A or LIM. If a limitation stopped you, LIM goes in the cell and the reason goes in Section D of the EICR.
- Zs above the column 12 maximum with no observation. The form puts them 15 columns apart so you cannot miss it: every row needs 27 < 12, after the 0.8 rule or temperature correction has been applied.
- A ring with only R1+R2. Columns 18 to 20 empty means the ring was never proven. A broken ring is a C2 under BPG4.
- Made-up over-range figures. Writing 300 MΩ or 999 MΩ when the instrument displayed >200 MΩ. Record the display, symbol included. Table 64 asks for 1 MΩ; the over-range reading is a pass.
- Ze copied into Zdb on a sub-board, or Zs values on a sub-board lower than the Ze at the origin. Physically impossible, and assessors look for it.
- Results carried over from the previous report. Identical values to two decimal places across a 5-year gap, on every circuit, are a red flag, and knowingly presenting them is what the 2012 "test sheet madness" thread on the electricians' forums called fraud. If you did not test a circuit, it is LIM.
- Impossible combinations. A 6 kA device on a board with Ipf recorded as 16 kA and no comment; an RCD time of 0.01 ms; a 1.5 mm² cpc recorded on 6 mm² twin and earth (it is 2.5 mm²; 10 mm² has a 4 mm² cpc).
- Wrong resolution. Writing 0.4 Ω when the instrument reads 0.43 Ω. Match the display.
- Unsigned, undated schedules, or instrument serial numbers left off the bottom of the sheet.
Most of these have one root cause: the reading is taken on the instrument and written down later, from memory or from a notebook, and the gap is where the transposition, the missed cell and the wrong column happen. GN3's advice is to record each result as the test is made, not afterwards.
How Certio helps
Certio produces the EICR, EIC, Minor Works certificate and PAT records on the BS 7671 model forms and turns them into branded PDFs. Photograph the consumer unit and the circuit schedule drafts itself; point the phone camera at a Megger MFT-X1 and the reading goes straight into the schedule of test results, or dictate it while your hands stay on the probes. Suggested observation wording with the regulation reference is there for you to check and confirm. The judgement stays yours; the typing goes. Starter is £4.99 a month, charged when you sign up.