Electrical Engineering
SIWES Logbook Examples for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Students
Electrical placements carry real risk, so your logbook must state exactly what you observed, what you assisted with, and what you performed under supervision.
The short answer
A strong electrical engineering SIWES entry names the circuit, machine, or instrument you worked with, the procedure followed, the reading or result observed, and your actual level of involvement. Because electrical work is hazardous, always state whether you observed, assisted, or performed the task under supervision.
Electrical placements differ, the reporting pattern does not
Electrical and electronic engineering students are placed in very different environments. One student spends the attachment at a distribution company, another in a maintenance workshop, a building services contractor, an electronics repair shop, a telecommunications site, or the engineering unit of a factory or hospital.
The work changes from one placement to another, but the way you record it does not. Name the equipment or circuit, state the procedure, give the reading or result, and say what you learned. That pattern holds whether you spent the day on a distribution board or a soldering bench.
Read the examples below to understand the shape of a good entry. Then close the page and write from your own notes, because your supervisor can ask you to explain any instrument, rating, or procedure that appears in your logbook.
Safety is why honest involvement matters most in this discipline
Electrical work is the one area where exaggerating in a logbook can look immediately false. No serious organization allows an attachment student to work on live high voltage equipment. A supervisor who reads that a student isolated an eleven kilovolt feeder knows the entry is untrue, and every other entry becomes suspect.
Write what actually happened. Observation is not a weakness in an electrical logbook. It is what most of the first weeks are made of, and a careful account of what you watched is worth more than an invented account of what you did not do.
Record the safety procedure itself, because it is real engineering content. Isolation, proving a circuit dead before touching it, locking off, and wearing the correct protective equipment are examinable topics and they belong in your entries.
| Level | What it means | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Observed | You watched a qualified person carry out the work | I observed the technician isolate and prove the circuit dead before opening the enclosure. |
| Assisted | You handled a defined part of the task under direction | I assisted by holding and routing the cable while the electrician made the terminations. |
| Performed under supervision | You did the task yourself while being watched | I performed a continuity test on the lighting circuit under the supervision of my industry supervisor. |
Turning rough site notes into clear entries
Most students write three or four words in a notepad during the day and then struggle at night. The fix is to capture the missing detail while you are still on site: the rating, the instrument, the reading, and the outcome.
| Rough note | Clearer entry | Detail to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Wiring today | Assisted in installing a lighting circuit by drawing cable through conduit from the switch position to the ceiling point. | Cable size, conduit type, and circuit served |
| Checked a motor | Observed a routine inspection of a three phase induction motor, including the nameplate rating, terminal box condition, and bearing noise. | Motor rating in kilowatts and the fault reported |
| Used multimeter | Measured the supply voltage at a socket outlet with a digital multimeter and recorded a reading within the expected range. | Instrument used and the actual reading |
| Soldering practice | Practised soldering resistors and capacitors onto a stripboard and inspected each joint for a clean and shiny finish. | Components used and joints completed |
| Went to substation | Observed a scheduled inspection at a distribution substation and identified the transformer nameplate details and the low voltage distribution panel. | Transformer rating and what was inspected |
Week 1 example: resumption, safety briefing, and workshop familiarization
A first week in an electrical placement is usually registration, safety induction, a tour, and observation. Those are legitimate entries. Do not add installation or fault clearing work simply because an orientation week looks quiet on paper.
Five daily entries you can adapt to your real first week
Monday: Reported to the organization, completed the attachment registration, and was introduced to my industry supervisor and the members of the electrical maintenance unit.
Tuesday: Attended a safety induction covering the use of protective equipment, the isolation procedure, restricted areas, and the correct way to report an electrical fault or an accident.
Wednesday: Toured the workshop and identified the tool store, cable racks, distribution boards, motor control panel, and the section where repaired equipment is tested before release.
Thursday: Observed how job requests are received, assigned to a technician, recorded, and signed off after the affected equipment has been tested and returned to service.
Friday: Reviewed the week with my supervisor and listed the common hand tools and test instruments used in the unit, together with the purpose of each one.
Week 2 example: installation and wiring work
Installation entries become strong when you name the circuit, the cable, the protective device, and the test that confirmed the work. Saying only that you did wiring tells the reader nothing.
Sample installation and wiring entries
Monday: Assisted in setting out a lighting circuit by marking the switch and ceiling point positions and measuring the conduit runs required between them.
Tuesday: Assisted in drawing cable through installed conduit and observed how the electrician left sufficient tail length at each termination point for neat connection.
Wednesday: Observed the termination of a socket outlet circuit at a distribution board, including the identification of line, neutral, and earth conductors and the selection of the protective device.
Thursday: Performed a continuity test on the completed lighting circuit under supervision and confirmed that the switch controlled the intended point.
Friday: Observed an insulation resistance test on the new circuit before it was energized, and recorded why this test is carried out while the installation is still isolated.
Week 3 example: motors, starters, and planned maintenance
Rotating machines give some of the most useful entries in an electrical logbook because the work has a clear sequence: isolate, inspect, test, reassemble, and confirm.
Name the machine and its rating where you know it. A three phase induction motor of a stated kilowatt rating is a far better entry than the word motor on its own.
Sample maintenance entries
Monday: Observed the isolation and locking off of a three phase induction motor before maintenance, and the use of a voltage tester to prove the supply was dead.
Tuesday: Assisted in cleaning the motor terminal box and observed the inspection of the terminal connections for tightness, overheating, and discolouration.
Wednesday: Observed an insulation resistance test between the motor windings and earth, and recorded why a low reading would indicate moisture or damaged insulation.
Thursday: Studied the control circuit of a direct on line starter and identified the contactor, overload relay, start button, stop button, and holding contact.
Friday: Observed the reconnection and restart of the motor after maintenance, and noted the checks carried out on running current and unusual noise or vibration.
Week 4 example: electronics bench and repair work
Students placed in electronics repair, instrumentation, or laboratory units should write about components, measurement, and fault tracing rather than general statements about learning electronics.
Sample electronics entries
Monday: Identified resistors, capacitors, diodes, and transistors on a circuit board and used the colour code to determine the value of several resistors.
Tuesday: Practised soldering and desoldering components on a practice board and learned how to recognise a dry joint and correct it.
Wednesday: Traced the sections of a linear power supply unit and identified the transformer, rectifier, filter capacitor, and voltage regulator in sequence.
Thursday: Assisted in fault tracing on a faulty power supply by measuring voltages at each stage with a digital multimeter to locate where the expected output was lost.
Friday: Observed the replacement of a failed component and the retesting of the unit before it was returned to the user, and recorded the importance of testing under load.
Record instruments and readings properly
Instrument use is what separates an engineering logbook from a diary. Whenever you take or witness a measurement, write the instrument, what was measured, and the value observed.
Only record a reading you actually saw. An invented figure is the easiest thing for a supervisor to challenge during defense, because the expected value depends on the equipment in front of you.
- Digital multimeter for voltage, resistance, and continuity
- Clamp meter for measuring current without breaking the circuit
- Insulation resistance tester for checking insulation to earth
- Earth resistance tester for confirming the earthing arrangement
- Voltage tester or proving unit for confirming a circuit is dead
- Tachometer or thermometer where the placement uses them
How to write the weekly summary
The weekly summary should tie the five days together rather than repeat them. State the area of work, the main procedures, the instruments used, and the understanding you gained.
Maintenance week summary example
Adapt this only where it matches the work you actually took part in.
During the week, I followed the planned maintenance of a three phase induction motor from isolation to restart. I observed the isolation and proving procedure, assisted with cleaning and inspection of the terminal connections, and observed an insulation resistance test between the windings and earth. I also studied the control circuit of a direct on line starter and identified each component in the sequence. These activities improved my understanding of safe isolation, the purpose of routine electrical testing, and the reason maintenance records are kept for every machine.
Diagrams that strengthen an electrical logbook
A clear labelled drawing often explains more than a paragraph. Draw only what you understand, and leave out anything the organization treats as confidential.
- A lighting or socket outlet circuit from the distribution board
- A direct on line or star delta motor starter control circuit
- A distribution board schedule showing circuits and protective devices
- The stages of a linear power supply from input to regulated output
- A single line diagram of the supply into the premises
- The earthing arrangement as installed at your placement
Check the entry before your supervisor sees it
Read every entry twice. Once to confirm it is true, and once to confirm another person can follow it. The best electrical logbook is not the one with the highest voltages in it. It is the one you can stand behind and explain.
- 1
Confirm that the day, date, and week number agree.
- 2
Check that every rating, reading, and component value is one you actually saw.
- 3
State clearly whether you observed, assisted, or performed the task.
- 4
Remove any claim of work on live or high voltage equipment.
- 5
Spell instrument and component names correctly.
- 6
Make sure you can explain each procedure without reading the entry aloud.
- 7
Ask your supervisor to review and sign at the required interval.
Questions students usually ask
What can an electrical engineering student write in a SIWES logbook?
Write the real installation, maintenance, testing, electronics, or observation work you took part in. Name the circuit or machine, the procedure followed, the instrument used, the reading or result, and the skill gained.
Is it acceptable to write that I only observed?
Yes. Observation is honest and expected, especially in the early weeks and around hazardous equipment. A clear account of a procedure you watched is far stronger than a false claim that you carried it out.
What if my placement had very little electrical work?
Record what was available in detail, including tool and instrument familiarization, workshop practice, safety procedures, record keeping, and any observation visits. Specific small tasks read better than vague large ones.
Should I include circuit diagrams in my logbook?
Yes, where your format allows space for them. Draw circuits you can explain, label the components clearly, and leave out any internal detail the organization treats as confidential.
Organize your real weekly notes
LogFolio helps turn rough activities into a clearer draft. You check the facts and keep the final report honest.
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