NFC in Auto-Electrical Fundamentals
This course develops your ability to understand vehicle electrical and electronic systems and develop systematic diagnostic skills.
About the course
This course develops your ability to understand vehicle electrical and electronic systems and develop systematic diagnostic skills. Learning combines technical study with practical tasks relevant to Southern African organisations and communities.
What you'll learn
Read simple circuit information and identify system components.
Carry out supervised electrical measurements and fault-finding tasks.
Record diagnostic evidence and verify repairs against a specification.
Requirements
Prepare to follow practical instructions, use basic measurements and keep a simple record of your work. The facilitator will introduce the tools and safe working procedures used in each activity. Check the provider's published admission requirements before enrolment.
Course content
The programme combines supporting studies, specialist subjects and practical integration. Each subject below includes its learning focus, outcomes, practice and assessment.
3 learning stages 8 subjects
1Stage 1: Foundation knowledge and safe practice2 subjects
2Stage 2: Technical subjects and guided application4 subjects
3Stage 3: Enterprise and integrated proficiency2 subjects
Subjects in this programme
The programme combines supporting studies, specialist subjects and practical integration. Each subject below includes its learning focus, outcomes, practice and assessment.
8 subjects are listed below with a short description of each. The Subject descriptions tab contains the learning outcomes, topics, practical tasks and assessments.
Stage 1: Foundation knowledge and safe practice
- Electrical Quantities and Vehicle Circuit Drawings. Build foundation skills in electrical quantities and vehicle circuit drawings. Guided examples introduce electrical quantities and units, followed by practice with vehicle symbols and circuit paths. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use wiring diagrams and measurement records to review the result.
- Workshop Safety and Test Equipment. Build foundation skills in workshop safety and test equipment. Guided examples introduce electrical hazards and authorised tests, followed by practice with meter selection and equipment condition. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use protective equipment and reporting to review the result.
Stage 2: Technical subjects and guided application
- Automotive Components and Wiring. Build foundation skills in automotive components and wiring. Guided examples introduce connectors and wires, followed by practice with fuses and relays. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use component identification and wiring records to review the result.
- Starting and Charging Systems. Build foundation skills in starting and charging systems. Guided examples introduce starter functions and charging functions, followed by practice with battery care principles and circuit paths. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use observed symptoms and supervisor referral to review the result.
- Ignition and Fuel-Management Principles. Build foundation skills in ignition and fuel-management principles. Guided examples introduce ignition concepts and fuel-management concepts, followed by practice with sensors and actuators. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use control-unit roles and system diagrams to review the result.
- Automotive Electrical Fault Observation. Build foundation skills in automotive electrical fault observation. Guided examples introduce customer symptoms and visual inspection, followed by practice with supplied test readings and fault records. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use escalation and completion reports to review the result.
Stage 3: Enterprise and integrated proficiency
- Small Enterprise Records and Customer Communication. Study the development of a viable small enterprise from a defined customer need. Guided practice centres on a small-enterprise plan and test record, drawing on customer problems and enterprise opportunities and products, services and value propositions. You will record findings, justify decisions and check whether the financial assumptions and customer evidence support the proposal.
- Automotive Electronics Skills Proficiency. Demonstrate the practical skills developed across the programme. Tasks integrate electrical quantities and vehicle circuit drawings, automotive components and wiring within an agreed work brief. You will prepare resources, carry out the authorised task and check the result. Your evidence should show consistent performance, accurate records and an explanation of decisions within your learner role.
Assessment and practical learning
- Suggested learning checks: explain a procedure, complete a short task and respond to practical questions.
- Suggested practical assessment: demonstrate the skill under supervision and keep a record of completed work.
- Use assessor feedback to correct errors and repeat a task until the agreed quality criteria are met.
Practical application
Build a training-circuit and vehicle-electrics portfolio using supervised measurements, fault diagnosis and documented checks.
Subject descriptions
Select a subject to read its learning outcomes, main topics, practical task and assessment.
Stage 1: Foundation knowledge and safe practice
Electrical Quantities and Vehicle Circuit Drawings
Build foundation skills in electrical quantities and vehicle circuit drawings. Guided examples introduce electrical quantities and units, followed by practice with vehicle symbols and circuit paths. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use wiring diagrams and measurement records to review the result.
Learning outcomes
- Explain electrical quantities and units using a practical example.
- Complete a guided task involving vehicle symbols and circuit paths.
- Review your work using wiring diagrams and measurement records.
Main topics
- Electrical quantities
- Units
- Vehicle symbols
- Circuit paths
- Wiring diagrams
- Measurement records
Practical task
Complete a guided electrical quantities and vehicle circuit drawings task using a classroom simulation, supplied records or an authorised supervised work area. Record the preparation, work completed and quality checks.
Assessment
Assessment uses the completed task, a short knowledge check and your explanation of the result. Correct errors after feedback and demonstrate the revised work.
Workshop Safety and Test Equipment
Build foundation skills in workshop safety and test equipment. Guided examples introduce electrical hazards and authorised tests, followed by practice with meter selection and equipment condition. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use protective equipment and reporting to review the result.
Learning outcomes
- Explain electrical hazards and authorised tests using a practical example.
- Complete a guided task involving meter selection and equipment condition.
- Review your work using protective equipment and reporting.
Main topics
- Electrical hazards
- Authorised tests
- Meter selection
- Equipment condition
- Protective equipment
- Reporting
Practical task
Complete a guided workshop safety and test equipment task using a classroom simulation, supplied records or an authorised supervised work area. Record the preparation, work completed and quality checks.
Assessment
Assessment uses the completed task, a short knowledge check and your explanation of the result. Correct errors after feedback and demonstrate the revised work.
Stage 2: Technical subjects and guided application
Automotive Components and Wiring
Build foundation skills in automotive components and wiring. Guided examples introduce connectors and wires, followed by practice with fuses and relays. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use component identification and wiring records to review the result.
Learning outcomes
- Explain connectors and wires using a practical example.
- Complete a guided task involving fuses and relays.
- Review your work using component identification and wiring records.
Main topics
- Connectors
- Wires
- Fuses
- Relays
- Component identification
- Wiring records
Practical task
Complete a guided automotive components and wiring task using a classroom simulation, supplied records or an authorised supervised work area. Record the preparation, work completed and quality checks.
Assessment
Assessment uses the completed task, a short knowledge check and your explanation of the result. Correct errors after feedback and demonstrate the revised work.
Starting and Charging Systems
Build foundation skills in starting and charging systems. Guided examples introduce starter functions and charging functions, followed by practice with battery care principles and circuit paths. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use observed symptoms and supervisor referral to review the result.
Learning outcomes
- Explain starter functions and charging functions using a practical example.
- Complete a guided task involving battery care principles and circuit paths.
- Review your work using observed symptoms and supervisor referral.
Main topics
- Starter functions
- Charging functions
- Battery care principles
- Circuit paths
- Observed symptoms
- Supervisor referral
Practical task
Complete a guided starting and charging systems task using a classroom simulation, supplied records or an authorised supervised work area. Record the preparation, work completed and quality checks.
Assessment
Assessment uses the completed task, a short knowledge check and your explanation of the result. Correct errors after feedback and demonstrate the revised work.
Ignition and Fuel-Management Principles
Build foundation skills in ignition and fuel-management principles. Guided examples introduce ignition concepts and fuel-management concepts, followed by practice with sensors and actuators. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use control-unit roles and system diagrams to review the result.
Learning outcomes
- Explain ignition concepts and fuel-management concepts using a practical example.
- Complete a guided task involving sensors and actuators.
- Review your work using control-unit roles and system diagrams.
Main topics
- Ignition concepts
- Fuel-management concepts
- Sensors
- Actuators
- Control-unit roles
- System diagrams
Practical task
Complete a guided ignition and fuel-management principles task using a classroom simulation, supplied records or an authorised supervised work area. Record the preparation, work completed and quality checks.
Assessment
Assessment uses the completed task, a short knowledge check and your explanation of the result. Correct errors after feedback and demonstrate the revised work.
Automotive Electrical Fault Observation
Build foundation skills in automotive electrical fault observation. Guided examples introduce customer symptoms and visual inspection, followed by practice with supplied test readings and fault records. You will complete a supervised task, explain your choices and use escalation and completion reports to review the result.
Learning outcomes
- Explain customer symptoms and visual inspection using a practical example.
- Complete a guided task involving supplied test readings and fault records.
- Review your work using escalation and completion reports.
Main topics
- Customer symptoms
- Visual inspection
- Supplied test readings
- Fault records
- Escalation
- Completion reports
Practical task
Complete a guided automotive electrical fault observation task using a classroom simulation, supplied records or an authorised supervised work area. Record the preparation, work completed and quality checks.
Assessment
Assessment uses the completed task, a short knowledge check and your explanation of the result. Correct errors after feedback and demonstrate the revised work.
Stage 3: Enterprise and integrated proficiency
Small Enterprise Records and Customer Communication
Study the development of a viable small enterprise from a defined customer need. Guided practice centres on a small-enterprise plan and test record, drawing on customer problems and enterprise opportunities and products, services and value propositions. You will record findings, justify decisions and check whether the financial assumptions and customer evidence support the proposal.
Learning outcomes
- Define a customer need and a practical enterprise response.
- Estimate resources, costs and cash requirements.
- Revise a business proposal using evidence from a small market test.
Main topics
- Customer problems and enterprise opportunities
- Products, services and value propositions
- Startup resources and operating costs
- Pricing, cash flow and basic records
- Market testing and customer feedback
- Business risks, responsibilities and growth choices
Practical task
For Small Enterprise Records and Customer Communication, prepare a small-enterprise plan and test record in a auto-electrical fundamentals setting. Use supplied records, a realistic simulation or authorised supervised practice. Include your working and checks of whether the financial assumptions and customer evidence support the proposal.
Assessment
Applied questions, a worked case and an individual explanation supported by calculations, diagrams or records. Use guided tasks with feedback and a further attempt after corrections.
Automotive Electronics Skills Proficiency
Demonstrate the practical skills developed across the programme. Tasks integrate electrical quantities and vehicle circuit drawings, automotive components and wiring within an agreed work brief. You will prepare resources, carry out the authorised task and check the result. Your evidence should show consistent performance, accurate records and an explanation of decisions within your learner role.
Learning outcomes
- Plan and complete an integrated task to agreed criteria.
- Demonstrate safe and consistent practical performance.
- Explain the result and correct identified weaknesses.
Main topics
- Interpreting an integrated work brief
- Preparing tools, information and resources
- Demonstrating the required technical skills
- Checking output against agreed criteria
- Responding to faults and assessor feedback
- Presenting evidence and explaining decisions
Practical task
Build a training-circuit and vehicle-electrics portfolio using supervised measurements, fault diagnosis and documented checks.
Assessment
Direct observation, the completed output, a quality-check record and oral questions provide the evidence for this subject.
Instructors
