One of the questions asked by prospective Certificated Engineers (GCC factories) has to do with the time it takes to complete the GCC factories.
But firstly, I recommend developing some context about GCC factories by going through the following topics:
There are different levels to this question, and I will explore all of them in this post.
1. The time it takes to be eligible to write the GCC factories exam
It is essential to know that you need to obtain permission to write the GCC factories exam. You can get approval from the Department of Employment and Labour.
The Department of Employment and Labour firstly requires you to have completed the minimum post-qualification experience per the GCC factories route applicable to your unique circumstance. The minimum post-qualification experience for the different routes is as follows:
Route 1 (BEng graduate engineers) = two years
Route 2 (National diploma graduates) = two years
Route 3 (National technical diploma graduates) = two to four years depending on trade
So in short, you will need at least two years post-qualification experience. In general, I have seen the chances of being accepted, increasing when you have at least four years of experience.
Secondly, the Department of Employment and Labour requires you to be at least 23 years of age. This second factor becomes vital for persons who obtain their qualifications and experience early.
In general, I have seen the minimum practical age that many persons obtain approval from the Department of Employment and Labour as 26 to 28 years of age.
2. The time it takes to obtain the letter of acceptance
You will need to submit your application to write the GCC factories exams once you become eligible.
Compiling the application documentation can take about a week if you have kept good records over your working years.
It then takes between 4 and 8 weeks for the Department of Employment and Labour to process your application.
3. The time it takes to prepare to write the exams
The next hurdle after obtaining your letter to write the exams is to prepare for the exam.
Why is this a hurdle? The pass rate for the exams over the years has been between 8% and 40%. The exams can be difficult if you are not well prepared.
PRO-TIP: Consider enrolling in the Palucraft GCC factories exam preparation online course or making use of the Palucraft GCC factories exam preparation textbooks. They were designed to fast-track exam preparation and give you the confidence to write the exams.
Palucraft has been helping GCC factories candidates prepare for the exams since 2017. We have found that it can take 6 to 12 months to prepare for the exams. It all depends on:
the resources you are using to prepare,
the time you have for studying, and
the amount of time you have been out of formal schooling.
Many of our students have typically taken 4 to 8 months for exam preparation. However, our newly developed GCC factories exam preparation online course can take 3 to 5 months.
In short, you will probably need 3 to 12 months to prepare for GCC factories exams.
4. The time it takes to write the exams
The GCC factories exams are written every year in June and November. At this level, it all depends on
the timing of when you obtained your acceptance letter,
the timing of when you start preparing for the exam, and
the schedule of when the exam registration closes.
The duration of each exam is 3 hours. Remember that you need to write and pass the GCC factories plant engineering & OHS Act exam. You will write two exams a week apart.
5. The time it takes to obtain your results
It usually takes the Department of Employment and Labour about 8 to 10 weeks to finalise the exam script marking and moderation process. So, if you wrote the June exam, you can expect the results around August. If you wrote the November exam, you could expect the results around January.
6. The time it takes to obtain the Certificate of Competency
Once you have passed your two exams, you will have to send your statement of results to the Commission of Examiners at the Department of Employment and Labour. You can obtain your results as soon as the exam results have been approved and published. This process coincides with the script marking and moderation process that takes 8 to 10 weeks.
Upon verifying that you have met all the requirements, the Commission of Examiners will recommend that the Chief Inspector issue you with the Certificate of Competency. This process may take about 2 to 6 weeks. It depends on many internal factors from the Department of Employment and Labour.
Conclusion
So, how long does it take to complete the GCC factories?
It will take you between 4 and 7 years to obtain your GCC factories. The duration is from the date you receive the appropriate qualification to be issued the Certificate of Competency by the Chief Inspector.