Free · Independent · Candidate-First

The best free Hazardous Areas
preparation resource for real candidates

Whether you're preparing for Ex01–Ex04 for the first time or working through your 5-year refresher — this is where you come to understand, prepare, and arrive ready. Free. Independent. Not tied to any provider.

Free — no paywall, no login Independent — not a training provider Ex01–Ex04 deep coverage Gas & Vapours to Dust to Design Refresher and RPP routes covered
Independence Statement

TEU is not a training provider. We do not sell course places. We are not affiliated with any awarding body. We do not receive commission for directing you to any provider. The guidance here is free and editorially independent.

Which situation are you in?

Start here. Every path through TEU begins with understanding where you are and what you actually need.

I'm preparing for Ex01–Ex04 for the first time

New to Gas & Vapours hazardous areas qualifications. Want to understand what's involved, how to prepare, and what to expect on the 5-day course.

Start here — new candidate

My 5-year recertification is due

Existing certificate holder. Need to understand the RPP refresher route, what the renewal process involves, and how to prepare.

Refresher and RPP route

I'm not sure which route I need

Unsure whether you need Gas & Vapours, Dust, Fuel Forecourts, Design, or another route. Need to understand the landscape before booking anything.

Which route do I need?

I've attempted this before and want to prepare better

Have some experience of the qualification already — possibly a first attempt. Want to understand what catches candidates out and how to approach it differently.

Common mistakes — Gas & Vapours

Coverage across the Hazardous Areas landscape

TEU covers the full qualification family — from Gas & Vapours (our deepest authority) to Dust, Fuel Forecourts, Mechanical, Design and beyond.

Tier 1 — Deep Authority

Gas & Vapours
Ex01–Ex04

Our deepest coverage. Written by someone who has passed this multiple times. Installation, inspection, maintenance — theory and practical. The 5-day course. What catches people out.

Ex01 — Installation Ex02 — Inspection Ex03 — Maintenance Ex04 — Inspection & Maint. 5-Day Course Refresher / RPP
Gas & Vapours section
Tier 2 — Structured Guidance

Dust
Ex05–Ex06

Dust atmosphere qualifications. Parallel structure to Gas & Vapours but distinct in scope, classification, and equipment requirements. Overview and structured guidance.

Ex05 — Installation Ex06 — Inspection Zone 20/21/22
Dust section
Tier 2 — Structured Guidance

Fuel Forecourts
Ex07–Ex08

Fuel forecourt hazardous areas qualifications. Defined scope and audience. Structured guidance on what's involved, who it's for, and how it differs from the core gas route.

Ex07 — Installation Ex08 — Inspection
Fuel Forecourts section
Tier 2 — Overview

Water Treatment
Ex09–Ex10

Water treatment hazardous areas routes. Honest overview of scope, audience, and what distinguishes this from the gas and vapours track.

Ex09 Ex10
Water Treatment section
Tier 2 — Overview

Design
Ex12

The design route — for engineers with area classification and design responsibility. What it covers, who it's built for, and how it sits differently to the installation and inspection routes.

Ex12 — Design Area Classification
Design section
Tier 2 — Overview

Responsible Persons
Ex14

The Responsible Persons route — for duty holders, safety managers, and those with legal accountability for hazardous area compliance. Who needs it and what it covers.

Ex14 Duty Holders DSEAR
Responsible Persons section

The detail that makes the difference

Knowing the theory is not the same as being ready for the practicals. This section covers the hands-on material that candidates most often wish they had prepared better.

Build Day & Practical Tasks

Glanding, cabling, installation. What the assessor watches for. The errors that cost candidates marks they cannot recover.

Build Day guide →

Glands & Cables

Cable gland selection, installation, and common errors. The practical knowledge that most textbooks cover too lightly.

Glands & Cables guide →

Protection Methods

Ex d, Ex e, Ex i, Ex n, Ex p, Ex m — what each protection method is, what it protects against, and how to identify it correctly.

Protection Methods guide →

Hazardous Area Zoning

Zone 0, Zone 1, Zone 2 — and the Dust equivalents. Classification logic, common zone layouts, and how zoning affects equipment selection.

Zoning guide →

Calm & Focus

Five days is mentally demanding. This section covers managing pressure, staying focused across the assessment, and approaching the exam in the right state of mind.

Calm & Focus →

Ready Reckoner

Standards, protection concepts, gas groups, temperature classes, and inspection categories — structured for quick reference during preparation.

Ready Reckoner →

We only publish what we can honestly support

This is not modesty. It is the thing that makes TEU worth trusting. A site that bluffs its way through content it does not understand destroys the trust that makes the credible content valuable.

What this means in practice

Ex01–Ex04 Gas & Vapours gets our deepest, most detailed coverage — because we have lived and passed it, repeatedly. Other routes get honest structured guidance where public source material is strong, and clear overviews where it is not. Where we do not know enough, we say so and point you to better sources.

Built by someone who has actually done it

I built The Engineering University because, after more than 40 years in Engineering and Hazardous Areas work, I have seen too many good people struggle with exams and assessments they could have passed with the right guidance and proper preparation. I am a Senior Instrument Engineer and Technical Authority, and this site is my way of laying things out clearly, calmly, and honestly for real candidates. TEU is free and independent — it is not a training provider, not an awarding body, and not tied to any one course company. "I've passed Ex01–Ex04 more times than most people have attempted it. I built TEU because there was nowhere free, independent, and honest to prepare — just provider sales pages and dry official documentation. This is the resource I wish had existed."

SE
Senior Instrument Engineer — 30+ years in technical and hazardous area environments
TA
Technical Authority — lived experience of Ex01–Ex04 assessment, multiple passes
IN
Fully independent — not a training provider, not affiliated with any awarding body

About The Engineering University →

Downloads and reference tools

Free to download. No email required. No account. No paywall.

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Ready Reckoner

Standards, protection methods, gas groups, temperature classes, and inspection categories — structured for fast reference during preparation.

View Ready Reckoner →
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Pre-Course Preparation Guide

Week-by-week preparation guide for candidates booked onto the 5-day Gas & Vapours course. What to cover, in what order, and how.

Download Guide →
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Exam-Style Questions

200+ exam-style questions covering Gas & Vapours theory and practical scenarios. Free. No account. Use them as part of your preparation.

View Questions →
Independence and Disclaimer — The Engineering University is an independent educational resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any awarding body, certification scheme, or training provider. All content is published for educational and preparation purposes only. TEU does not guarantee examination success, does not provide official training, and does not represent any official qualification route. Always refer to your training provider and the relevant awarding body for official requirements.