A secondary-school leaving certificate or vocational certificate in electrical engineering demonstrates relevant professional education. On its own, however, it does not authorise a graduate to work independently on electrical equipment. The question “how long is an electrical certificate valid after graduation?” is therefore based on a false premise: the education certificate does not expire, but neither does it grant any authorisation. The time limit applies to the examination certificate: under § 19 odst. 2 písm. b) zákona č. 250/2021 Sb., it is valid for three years from the date of issue. Nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb. itself does not specify the validity period; it is set by the law.
The current rules are set out in nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb., which has been in force since 1 July 2022. The former vyhláška č. 50/1978 Sb. has been repealed. Nevertheless, the old designation “§ 6” is still commonly used. Under the new regulation, it corresponds to an electrician, meaning a knowledgeable person authorised to work independently. The article Vyhláška 50 is no longer valid: a guide to the old and new sections explains how the old sections correspond to the new ones.
What an electrician must meet under § 6
Under § 6 odst. 1 nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb., an electrician is a person who:
- has a professional qualification under § 2 písm. a),
- has completed training appropriate to the required activities,
- has successfully passed the examination.
An electrician may work independently, except in special cases identified through a risk assessment. Previous professional experience is not a prerequisite for taking the examination. Under § 6 odst. 2, the responsible person sets the minimum experience required for specific activities in the local operational safety rules. A person with no electrical work experience must work for at least one year under the supervision of a knowledgeable person with at least two years of experience.
A secondary-school leaving certificate or vocational certificate therefore covers only the first requirement. The more precise term for a “§ 6 certificate” is a certificate confirming successful completion of the professional competence examination in electrical engineering.
What remains valid and what must be renewed
Most misunderstandings arise from confusing proof of education with the certificate issued after the examination.
| Document or requirement | What it demonstrates | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| Vocational certificate or secondary-school leaving certificate | Completed professional education | Does not expire, but does not itself authorise independent work |
| Confirmation of experience | The duration and nature of the work actually performed | Assessed according to the required activity |
| Training | Familiarity with regulations, risks and work procedures | Must correspond to the specific work and scope of the examination |
| Examination certificate under § 6 | Verified professional competence within the stated scope | Three years from the date of issue (§ 19 odst. 2 písm. b) zákona č. 250/2021 Sb.); regular training is also required under internal rules (§ 3 odst. 4 nařízení) |
| Activities assigned by the employer | What the employee may do within a particular company | Based on the job role, risks and local rules |
The three-year period therefore does not begin “upon graduation”, but on the date the examination certificate is issued, as stipulated by § 19 odst. 2 písm. b) zákona č. 250/2021 Sb. Sections § 5 to § 8 of the former vyhláška č. 50/1978 Sb. also required re-examination at least once every three years. The same law repealed that regulation (§ 25 bod 15) with effect from 1 July 2022, but the time limit is now set directly by the law.
Which qualifications are recognised
In practice, the most common qualifications are secondary education completed with a vocational certificate or school-leaving examination in group 26, Electrical Engineering, Telecommunications and Computer Technology. Typical fields include Electrician (26-51-H/01), Electrical Engineering (26-41-M/01) and Electrical Engineering Mechanic (26-41-L/01).
For the purposes of § 6, a school-leaving examination does not grant a broader scope of authorisation than a vocational certificate. What matters is whether the qualification is in electrical engineering and whether it corresponds to the intended work.
A school-leaving examination from a grammar school, business academy or another non-electrical field is not sufficient merely because the student studied physics or took several electrical engineering classes. If the specialisation is not evident from the certificate, obtain confirmation from the school about the content of the programme before applying for the examination.
Those without a suitable qualification usually pursue retraining. The article Electrician retraining course and the § 6 examination explains what this route does and does not provide.
How much experience a recent graduate needs
The regulation does not set a single period of experience for all electricians. The legal entity or self-employed individual determines the minimum required experience based on the risk assessment, the type of equipment and the activities performed, and records it in the local operational safety rules.
For a person without electrical work experience, the regulation requires supervision for at least one year. The supervision must be provided by a knowledgeable person with at least two years of experience.
Passing the examination is therefore no substitute for workplace induction and practical training. A graduate may hold an examination certificate and still have to work under supervision during the first year.
When hiring a graduate, it is therefore not enough to find out whether they “have § 6”. You should also ask:
- What equipment have they actually worked on?
- Was it the same type of equipment and voltage level as in the new job?
- Did they work only as part of practical training at school, or also for an employer?
- Who in your company will supervise them, and does that person have the required experience?
- Which tasks should they not yet perform independently?
Experience is assessed by its substance, not by the job title. Experience with domestic wiring alone does not demonstrate experience with production-line switchboards, equipment in potentially explosive atmospheres or high-voltage equipment.
How to document experience meaningfully
A statement that someone “worked as an electrician for two years” tells a company very little. Confirmation of experience should include at least:
- the start and end dates,
- the job title,
- the type of electrical equipment,
- the voltage level,
- the activities performed, such as installation, maintenance, diagnostics or measurement,
- whether the work was carried out independently, under supervision or under direct oversight,
- the name and signature of the employer or authorised person.
For a graduate, it is also advisable to record each stage of workplace induction and practical training. The company can then demonstrate who provided supervision, how long it lasted and what equipment the employee gained experience with. The article Employee electrical qualifications: records and checks explains how to maintain these records for an entire team.
An education certificate does not replace this record. It confirms that the person studied the subject, not that they spent a year working on specific switchboards.
What happens before the certificate is issued
Before the examination, the candidate completes training appropriate to the required scope of competence. The scope of the certificate is distinguished primarily by:
- voltage – up to 1 kV AC and 1.5 kV DC, or with no voltage limitation,
- environment – premises without an explosion hazard or premises with an explosion hazard,
- the activities the person will actually perform.
The examination is conducted before a three-member board chaired by a person professionally competent to perform inspections under § 11 zákona č. 250/2021 Sb.; for transmission and distribution system operators, the operator’s responsible person may also chair the board. The examination has a written and an oral component. It tests knowledge of regulations, occupational safety and first aid for electric shock. The article Professional competence examination in electrical engineering: process and examination board describes the process in detail.
Two employees who both “have § 6” may therefore have different scopes of competence. Always check what is actually stated on the certificate.
What to do when a graduate joins your company
Under § 3 nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb., a legal entity or self-employed individual must ensure that work on electrical equipment is performed by professionally competent persons. It is therefore not enough to rely on the fact that a new employee “has a diploma and passed the examination”.
Before assigning work, we recommend that you:
- check the education certificate and the scope stated on the examination certificate,
- compare this scope with the actual work performed at the company,
- verify the employee’s medical fitness,
- determine the required experience and any necessary supervision,
- familiarise the employee with local risks and work procedures,
- specify in writing which activities the employee may perform.
Regular training under § 3 odst. 4 takes place at intervals set by the employer’s internal rules. If the employer has no such rules, training must take place at least once a year. Training does not, however, replace the examination: the certificate expires after three years, and a new re-examination is required.
Regular training, knowledge checks and changing employers
Section § 9 odst. 3 and příloha č. 2 nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb. specify the certificate template, but the regulation does not state its validity period. This is set by § 19 odst. 2 písm. b) zákona č. 250/2021 Sb.: three years from the date of issue. Under § 4 odst. 1 nařízení, a knowledgeable person whose re-examination has expired is regarded as an instructed person and regains knowledgeable-person status only after successfully passing the examination.
In addition to the examination, the regulation requires regular training under § 3 odst. 4. The intervals are set by the employer’s internal rules; if the employer has no such rules, training must take place at least once a year. These are two separate obligations: annual training does not extend the certificate’s three-year validity. Under § 9 odst. 6, the part of the training and examination concerning work procedures and risks may be replaced by confirmation from the responsible person that the employee regularly completes training concluded with knowledge checks at intervals set by the company’s internal rules. A separate article explains how repeat examinations work.
Changing employers does not in itself invalidate the certificate. The new company must, however, verify its scope, familiarise the employee with local conditions and determine again what the employee may do. The certificate may also contain restrictions to specific activities, so checking that it merely exists is not enough.
Under the transitional provision in § 10 nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb., certificates issued before 1 July 2022 are regarded as proof of professional competence under this regulation. A worker classified under the former regulations as a knowledgeable person or a knowledgeable person authorised to work independently is considered an electrician under the new regulation.
Examination dates in Brno
SOHE holds open professional competence examinations in electrical engineering in Brno always on the second Friday of the month. In July and August we do not publish a date; a summer examination can be arranged by agreement or on request. Current dates and registration for a specific date are on the Electrical training and exams page.
If you are unsure whether your education and experience are sufficient for the required scope, send the relevant documents to us with a no-obligation enquiry. We will review them before the examination date and recommend a suitable examination scope. Bring the original education certificate or an officially certified copy to the examination. If your field of study is unclear, obtain confirmation from the school in advance rather than waiting until you appear before the examination board.
Sources for this article
- Electrical training and examinations – a SOHE service.
- How to obtain electrical qualifications – the path from education to the examination.
- Renewing and retaking electrical competence certification – when and how to renew your certificate.
- Practice questions for the electrician examination under § 6 and § 7 – preparation for the written component.
- Nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb. – requirements for professional competence to work on electrical equipment and in electrical engineering.
- Zákon č. 250/2021 Sb. – occupational safety concerning designated technical equipment; § 19 odst. 2 písm. b) sets the three-year validity of the examination certificate, § 11 covers inspection technicians, and § 25 bod 15 repealed vyhláška č. 50/1978 Sb.
This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. The specific scope of competence, experience and supervision must be determined according to the actual operation, equipment type, environment and risk assessment.
Do you need to check whether an employee’s qualifications and experience meet the required scope, or enrol them for an examination in Brno? Send us a no-obligation enquiry or email info@sohe.cz. We will review the documents before the examination date.