The Copper Connection Podcast – Season 2, Episode 73, Phase 2 Master systems, science and installation best practice with building services engineering revision for construction students
Phase 2 is where the 9289 gets serious. This is the phase where you stop learning about systems and start actually installing them and the assessments reflect that. With 50 exam questions, a practical assignment of up to 19 hours, and an ongoing work log to maintain, Phase 2 is the most demanding phase of the core qualification around building services engineering.
But it's also where things start to click.
In Episode 3 of The Copper Connection Podcast, host Chris Bailey walks you through every unit assessed in Phase 2 — breaking down the content, the exam weighting, and the key points you absolutely need to know going in.
Chris covers:
✅ The Phase 2 assessments — 9289-021 MCQ (75 minutes, 50 questions) and 9289-022 practical (14–19 hours)
✅ Unit 303 Scientific Principles Phase 2 — Boyle's Law, Charles' Law, latent and sensible heat, heat transfer, force and pressure, and the basics of electricity
✅ Unit 307 in full — the unit that accounts for 86% of the Phase 2 exam:
→ Cold water installation: fluid categories, backflow prevention, storage cisterns, Legionella
→ Hot water installation: vented and unvented systems, the four safety devices you must know
→ Central heating installation: open-vented vs sealed, pump positioning, zoning, controls, and Building Regs Part L
→ Sanitary appliances and pipework: trap seal loss, above-ground drainage, accessible design
→ Rainwater systems: gutters, downpipes, expansion, and sizing
✅ Unit 308 — decommissioning cold water, hot water, and sanitary systems
✅ Unit 309 — soundness testing for Phase 2 systems
✅ What the Phase 2 practical assignment actually tests — and how to prepare
✅ How to build meaningful portfolio evidence for Unit 317 while on site
Whether you're about to sit your Phase 2 assessments or you're working through the content now, this episode gives you the roadmap.
🔗 Show notes, revision resources, and study materials at thecopperconnectionpodcast.co.uk