Self-employed electricians keep hearing the same thing: “Your employer will arrange the exam for you.” But they have no employer—and they cannot examine themselves. Nor does anyone certify their experience, because in recent years they have been issuing invoices rather than working on a payroll.
The regulations provide for this situation, but the answer is scattered across two pieces of legislation and four sections. The following text brings it all together for someone who works alone or with two employees. The general route to qualification is covered in How to obtain an electrical qualification.
Quick answer
Self-employed persons arrange the exam for themselves. § 19 odst. 4 zákona č. 250/2021 Sb. expressly states that self-employed persons are required to arrange their own professional competence exams. Arrange—not conduct.
The exam is conducted by a three-member examination board chaired by a person professionally qualified to carry out inspections under § 11 of the Act—in other words, an inspection technician (§ 6 odst. 3 for electricians and § 7 odst. 4 for lead electricians, nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb.).
If an exam under § 19 odst. 4 of the Act is arranged by an external legal entity or self-employed individual, their registered business activities must include arranging training and examinations or verifying knowledge. This requirement allows you to check a provider in the relevant register before placing an order.
Under § 9 odst. 4 písm. d) NV 194/2022 Sb., the certificate is then issued by the chair of the board on behalf of the legal entity or self-employed individual hosting the exam. Under § 19 odst. 2 písm. b) of the Act, it is valid for three years from the date of issue.
Why self-employed persons cannot issue their own certificate
The role of the board chair is defined by four duties in § 9 odst. 4 NV 194/2022 Sb. The chair prepares, conducts and evaluates the exam. The chair produces a record using the template in příloha č. 3, documenting the course, content and evaluation of the exam and bearing the signatures of all board members and the candidate. The chair ensures that the record is retained for at least six and no more than seven years by the entity hosting the exam. Finally, the chair issues the certificate on behalf of that entity.
The chair of the board is responsible for conducting the exam and for the accuracy of the certificate issued (§ 19 odst. 2 písm. c) zákona č. 250/2021 Sb.). Under the same provision, the certificate is issued in two copies: one for the candidate and one for the person or entity for whom the activities are performed.
The exam therefore requires three board members, an inspection technician as chair and an entity that hosts the exam and retains the record—and the candidate cannot perform any of these roles themselves. The obligation imposed on self-employed persons by § 19 odst. 4 of the Act therefore means finding and engaging someone to conduct the exam.
What you must meet before the exam
The professional competence requirements for a competent person authorised to work independently or supervise work are listed in § 19 odst. 2 písm. a) zákona č. 250/2021 Sb.:
- being at least 18 years old and having full legal capacity;
- being medically fit to perform the relevant activities;
- having professional education in electrical engineering, or completed education in another field whose content meets the requirements for electrical engineering education, or a certificate confirming successful completion of an úplná profesní kvalifikace (complete vocational qualification) published in the Národní soustava kvalifikací under the qualification field “Elektrotechnika, telekomunikační a výpočetní technika”;
- professional experience of a duration appropriate to the field and level of education, the degree of risk and the activities performed on electrical equipment;
- successful completion of the exam.
For self-employed tradespeople, point 3 includes an important exception. For a competent person authorised to work independently—an electrician under § 6—the same provision also permits a profesní kvalifikace (vocational qualification) from the Národní soustava kvalifikací, not only an úplná profesní kvalifikace, based on a risk assessment for the specific activities carried out by the legal entity or self-employed individual for whom those activities are performed. For a self-employed person, that entity is the customer commissioning the work. It is therefore advisable to clarify with the exam provider in advance who will prepare the assessment and how it will be documented.
A related route is provided by § 6 odst. 7 NV 194/2022 Sb.: for a given type of activity, the responsible person may accept a vocational qualification in place of a professional qualification and issue a document to this effect in accordance with příloha č. 1. However, this comes with two strict limitations: the scope of both the exam and the certificate is then restricted to activities involving equipment with voltages up to 1 kV AC or 1.5 kV DC in premises without an explosion hazard, and the certificate issued is valid only for activities performed for the relevant legal entity or self-employed individual. For a self-employed person who works for different customers, this is a crucial difference from a certificate based on a professional qualification.
Without an employer, you can document your experience by means of a statutory declaration. § 9 odst. 5 NV 194/2022 Sb. states that, before the exam begins, the candidate must submit to the chair of the board proof of their professional or vocational qualification as an original or officially certified copy, along with proof of the duration of their experience, demonstrated by an employer’s confirmation or a statutory declaration made by the candidate. The second option directly addresses the most common concern among self-employed tradespeople. If the qualification document does not clearly show that it concerns electrical engineering education, písm. c) requires supplementary confirmation from the school or the Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy.
How many years of experience are required? The regulations do not prescribe a fixed number for § 6—the minimum required experience is determined under § 6 odst. 2 NV by the responsible person in local operational safety rules, in line with the risk assessment. The requirements differ for a lead electrician under § 7, who may additionally supervise work, manage operations and design designated electrical equipment outside the scope of regulated professional authorisation. § 7 odst. 2 requires two years for scope E2A and E3A, three years for E1A, E2B and E3B, and four years for E1B. Under odstavec 3, at least one year must have been completed on equipment of the relevant type and voltage. A self-employed electrician who hires two people and supervises their work needs § 7, not § 6.
What scope your certificate should cover
Under § 6 odst. 5 NV 194/2022 Sb., the scope of professional competence is defined along two axes:
- voltage—up to 1 kV AC or 1.5 kV DC, or without a voltage limit;
- type of equipment—equipment in premises without an explosion hazard or in premises with an explosion hazard.
Under § 6 odst. 6, the examination board may also restrict the scope of the certificate to the activities actually performed. The same applies to lead electricians under § 7 odst. 6 and 7.
Self-employed tradespeople often ask for “everything, just in case.” However, § 6 odst. 4 states that the training and scope of the exam must correspond to the requested scope of professional competence. A broader scope therefore means more extensive training and, in the oral part, questions about equipment you may never encounter. Experience is also assessed under § 19 odst. 2 písm. a) bodu 4 of the Act according to the activities actually performed.
A practical rule of thumb is to base the scope on the work you have actually carried out over the past year. Domestic wiring, distribution boards and photovoltaic systems up to 1 kV are very different from work in the explosive atmosphere of a paint shop. The scope can be expanded when you next take the exam.
A § 6 or § 7 certificate is not enough for contracts involving designated equipment
A personal certificate confirms an individual’s competence, not a company’s authorisation. Under § 7 odst. 1 zákona č. 250/2021 Sb., installation, repairs, inspections and testing of designated technical equipment may be carried out only by professionally qualified legal entities and self-employed individuals. A self-employed individual who does not personally meet the professional competence requirements may carry out the activity if its performance is secured by a professionally qualified natural person. Odstavec 2 adds that these activities may be performed by entities holding authorisation under § 8 and 9.
Under § 8 odst. 1 of the Act, authorisation is requested in writing from the designated organisation. The conditions for its issue include appointing a responsible professional, ensuring that the activities are performed by a professionally qualified person and having the necessary technical equipment (§ 8 odst. 2). The authorisation is valid for 10 years (§ 8 odst. 4). The distinction between personal competence and business authorisation is explained in a separate section of How to obtain an electrical qualification.
How the exam works and what happens if you fail
Under § 9 odst. 2 NV 194/2022 Sb., the exam has two parts: a written test containing at least 10 questions covering regulations and first aid, followed by an oral interview addressing the test result, any mistakes and technical matters appropriate to the candidate’s scope and specialisation, including work procedures, operating instructions and risks.
The last part is good news for self-employed electricians: the board asks about the work you actually do. Reviewing your own working procedures and the equipment you use on paid jobs is therefore better preparation than memorising training manuals. A set of practice questions with references to the relevant sections is available in Practice questions for the § 6 and § 7 exam. The structure of the exam day and the composition of the board are covered in the professional competence exam step by step.
The grades are “pass” and “fail.” Under § 19 odst. 2 písm. c) zákona č. 250/2021 Sb., candidates must achieve at least 80% correct answers in each part, may proceed to the oral part only if they have passed the written part, and, if they receive an overall grade of “fail,” may retake the exam, but no sooner than 15 days after the failed attempt. The Act does not limit the number of retakes. For a self-employed tradesperson, this means a two-week delay and booking another date—not the end of their business.
The SOHE exam for self-employed electricians
Our exams are held before a three-member board chaired by an inspection technician, as required by § 6 odst. 3 and § 7 odst. 4 NV 194/2022 Sb. We issue the certificate on behalf of SOHE s.r.o. as the entity hosting the exam.
- Open sessions in Brno: scheduled regularly — current dates are on the Electrical training and examinations page. Individuals can join these sessions—you do not need to put a group together.
- New § 6 or § 7 certificate (training, examination before the board and certificate) from approximately CZK 2,500 per person excluding VAT, in person.
- Online reassessment after three years from approximately CZK 1,400 per person excluding VAT—a test in the application followed by an oral interview with the board via video call. This is also available to holders of certificates issued by other companies.
- Individual dates can be arranged for urgent requirements for groups of two or more people.
The exact price always depends on the scope of the training and the number of participants. Current prices are listed in the price list, which is our single source of truth, with further details available on the Electrical training and exams page. No one can guarantee that a candidate will pass the exam—we can provide appropriate preparation and scope, but the outcome depends on the board and the candidate.
There is one more point that self-employed electricians rarely ask about: the certificate’s three-year validity is not the only recurring obligation. § 3 odst. 4 NV 194/2022 Sb. requires both a legal entity and a self-employed individual operating electrical equipment or performing activities on electrical equipment to ensure that persons qualified under § 4, 6 and 7 receive regular training on occupational health and safety regulations, in accordance with their own internal rules. The second sentence of the same paragraph adds that anyone who operates electrical equipment and has no such internal rules in place must provide training at least once a year.
Sources for this article
- Electrical training and exams – a service provided by SOHE.
- How to obtain an electrical qualification – the complete route from education and experience to certification, including the distinction between personal competence and business authorisation.
- Professional competence exam in electrical engineering: procedure and examination board – how the exam day works and how to recognise a correctly issued certificate.
- Renewal and reassessment of electrical competence – what to do when the certificate’s three-year validity is about to expire.
- Nařízení vlády č. 194/2022 Sb., ve znění pozdějších předpisů – concerning professional competence to perform activities on electrical equipment; § 3 on regular training, § 6 on electricians (experience, board, scope of the certificate and substitution with a vocational qualification), § 7 on lead electricians and § 9 on the exam, the role of the board chair and the documents submitted before the exam.
- Zákon č. 250/2021 Sb., ve znění pozdějších předpisů – concerning occupational safety in connection with the operation of designated technical equipment; § 7 and § 8 on the authorisation of business entities to install, repair, inspect and test designated equipment, § 19 odst. 2 on competence requirements, certificate validity, the 80% threshold and exam retakes, and § 19 odst. 4 on who arranges the exam.
This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. The specific training arrangements, required experience and scope of the certificate must be determined according to the actual operation, the manufacturer’s documentation, the operating environment and the risk assessment.
Are you self-employed and in need of a § 6 or § 7 certificate, or is your current certificate due to expire in a few weeks? Visit Electrical training and exams and email info@sohe.cz or use the no-obligation enquiry form to tell us what work you do and what scope you need the certificate to cover. We will get back to you with an available date—either an open session in Brno or an online appointment if you need a reassessment.