SIWES Report for Electrical and Electronics Engineering Students: Structure and Sample

Electrical and Electronics students train in power companies, telecoms, factories, contractors and electronics workshops. The jobs are very different, so the report needs a clear structure. Writing "I did wiring and maintenance" tells your supervisor nothing about your skills.

We already have a general guide to the SIWES technical report for Electrical Engineering. This post is about how to write up EEE tasks and shape each chapter. Follow your department's format first.

What makes an EEE report different

• Safety comes first. Mention PPE, isolation, lock out and tag out, earthing and the rules you followed.
• Name the system. Is it domestic wiring, a distribution board, a transformer, a generator, a motor control circuit or a telecom site?
• Give measurements. State voltage, current or resistance readings you took, and the instrument you used. Use only values you really measured.
• Show your reasoning when fault finding. Say what you suspected, what you tested and what you found.
• Draw or describe the circuit. A clear diagram with a short explanation is stronger than a long paragraph.

Where EEE students usually train

• Electricity distribution companies
• Electrical contracting and installation firms
• Manufacturing plants (maintenance units)
• Telecom companies and tower sites
• Solar and inverter installers
• Electronics repair workshops
• Broadcasting stations and hospitals (biomedical or electrical units)

Use the SIWES Finder to look for companies that suit your course.

Tasks you can write about

Power and installation

• Domestic and industrial wiring (conduit, cable routing, termination)
• Distribution boards, circuit breakers and earthing
• Installing lighting, sockets and switches
• Generator and transformer maintenance
• Solar panel and inverter installation, battery connection

Control and machines

• Motor starters, contactors and relays
• Reading single-line and wiring diagrams
• Fault finding on motors and control circuits
• Preventive maintenance schedules

Electronics and communications

• Soldering and testing circuit boards
• Repairing power supplies, amplifiers and other devices
• Telecom site work: power systems, antennas, cabling
• Testing with an oscilloscope or signal generator

Support

• Site surveys and load estimates
• Keeping job cards and maintenance records

Chapter by chapter

Chapter One: Introduction

Background of SIWES, aims and objectives, and scope. Keep it short. See how to write SIWES Chapter One.

Chapter Two: Profile of the organisation

History, services, structure, departments and an organogram. Mark the unit you worked in. See the organogram guide.

Chapter Three: Work done

Group by system or job. For example:

1. Safety induction
2. Wiring and installation
3. Motor control and maintenance
4. Fault finding and repairs
5. Records and reports

Example (fictional, for style only):

In the sixth week, I helped to trace a fault on a three-phase motor that tripped its circuit breaker each time it started. After isolating the supply and applying lock out and tag out, I measured the insulation resistance of the windings with a megger and found one winding reading far lower than the other two. The supervisor concluded that the winding was damaged, and the motor was sent for rewinding. I learned that insulation testing helps find faults before they cause bigger damage.

Chapter Four: Equipment and tools used

Explain each tool in three or four sentences. Examples:

• Digital multimeter and clamp meter
• Megger (insulation tester)
• Earth resistance tester
• Wire strippers, crimping tool and cable cutter
• Soldering iron and desoldering pump
• Oscilloscope and signal generator
• Contactors, relays, circuit breakers (components)
• Safety gear: insulated gloves, safety boots, helmet

Chapter Five: Summary, problems and recommendations

Summarise your training, name real problems (limited equipment, power outages, safety concerns, supervision gaps), how you dealt with each, a conclusion and practical recommendations.

Common mistakes

• Leaving out safety.
• No measurements or test results.
• Listing equipment without explanation.
• Writing the company manual instead of your own work.
• Copying a sample. Samples are for structure only.
• Mixing chapters. Tasks go in Chapter Three, tools in Chapter Four.

Saving time

Describe your training in a few lines and the MonoEd SIWES Report Generator drafts the report in your school's layout. Try the first two chapters free. Pair it with the SIWES Logbook for your weekly entries.

For logbook examples, see the Electrical Engineering logbook guide.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What should an EEE SIWES report contain?

A cover page, certification, acknowledgement, abstract or overview, table of contents, and chapters on introduction, company profile, work done, equipment used, and summary with recommendations. Check whether your school uses four or five chapters.

How do I write about fault finding?

Describe the symptom, what you checked, which instrument you used, what you found and how it was fixed, in that order.

Should I include circuit diagrams?

Yes, if they're yours or you have permission. Label each figure and explain it in words.

What if my placement was far from my course?

Write what you actually did and connect it to what you studied, such as power systems, machines or electronics. See what to write when there was little work.

How is this different from a Mechanical or Mechatronics report?

EEE reports focus on electrical systems, safety, measurements and circuits. For comparison, see Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering.