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United Kingdom · Wiring Regulations exam

BS7671 PDF, book and On-Site Guide

The IET sells the current edition, BS 7671:2018+A4:2026, as a 640-page paperback with a list price of £125, and says its digital packages "are not PDFs available for download". What it does give away as a free BS7671 PDF is narrower: the model forms, the Amendment 3 bolt-on and a read-only copy of Amendment 1. For the 18th Edition exam you need the printed book anyway.

Buy from the IET shop

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Ways to get BS7671

FormatWhat you getPriceUsable in the exam?
Printed book, the IET's Orange BookBS 7671:2018+A4:2026, 640 pages, ISBN 978‑1‑83953‑972‑5List price £125Yes
IET Digital Wiring Regulations, Bronze packageAmendment 4, the On-Site Guide (9th edition) and Guidance Note 3 (10th edition) in an app, updated automatically£85 + VAT a yearNo, electronic copies aren't allowed
Free downloads from the IETModel forms for A4, the Amendment 3 bolt-on, a read-only Amendment 1FreeNo, they aren't the full Regulations

The printed copies are known by their covers. The IET's editions list calls the 2018 original the blue cover, its own pages call the 2022 Amendment 2 copy the brown book, and the Amendment 4 copy is the Orange Book.

Is a free BS7671 PDF download safe?

The IET warns that counterfeit copies of BS7671, the On-Site Guide and Guidance Note 3 are in circulation, and that each one "contains many dangerous errors in technical specifications, safety requirements, and regulatory guidance". Genuine current copies carry a security hologram, but the IET says holograms can be copied too.

Its advice is to buy new from a verified supplier: BSI, CEF, Certsure, Gardners, NAPIT, Professional Books, Screwfix or Test Meter. It tells you to avoid third-party sellers on Amazon Marketplace, eBay and other auction sites, unverified online shops and social media marketplaces.

IET: Fake awareness and trusted resellers ↗

The On-Site Guide for the 18th Edition

The On-Site Guide is the IET's shorter companion to BS7671, and the edition for Amendment 4 is the 9th. Among other things it has quick-reference tables of maximum earth fault loop impedance already corrected to 80%.

It isn't on the permitted list for the 2382 test, though. City & Guilds allows only BS7671 in that exam, while other City & Guilds electrical tests allow the On-Site Guide.

Max Zs values and the 80% rule →

Which copy of BS7671 to bring to the exam

The current one. City & Guilds says the current version of BS7671 should always be used where it's permitted, and 2382‑26 tests Amendment 4. The brown book and the Amendment 3 bolt-on have been replaced.

The IET also publishes Guidance Notes 1 to 8, from Selection and Erection to Earthing and Bonding, plus the Electrician's Guide to the Building Regulations. They're useful for work, but none of them goes into the 2382 exam.

What Amendment 4 changed →Amendments 1 to 3 →What you can write in your book for the exam →
Sources: IET Shop · IET · IET and BSI and 5 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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The regulations

BS7671Amendment 4Amendments 1 to 3Certificates and formsBathroom zonesMax Zs valuesConsumer unitsSpecial locationsEarth bonding