Svanur Karl Grjetarsson, master carpenter and CEO of MótX, is here in an informative chat with Ólafur Ástgeirsson, Director of the Building and Construction Division at IÐAN, about journeyman's exams.
Journeyman's examinations in building trades are held twice a year, in the first week of January and June. Around 150 to 200 students take the exam each year, and based on the enrolment in carpentry at upper secondary schools, this number is set to increase.
The exams are both theoretical and practical. The total exam time is 22 hours, with 20 hours for the practical part and 2 for the theoretical part. In recent years, the range of projects has been diverse, featuring samples of roof structures, steps, stairs, or windows. "Of course, it would be best if these could be real projects," says Svanur, "but not on such a small scale," which is limited by the number of examinees.
In Svanur's opinion, students' readiness for the journeyman's exam varies, as there is a lot of pressure on the examinee. The exam is the key to valuable professional credentials, and "few people have their best day during the exam," says Svanur. It is therefore important to approach the exam in a very organised manner, and time management is very important.
All this and much more about the journeyman's exam in this informative chat. Here are more interesting episodes related to building and construction trades.