Step testing is a professional process, not instructions for removing covers or using a meter. It starts with the reported pattern and follows the evidence from the point or connected equipment towards the relevant circuit.

The diagnostic sequence

  • Confirm the symptom and whether it can be reproduced safely.
  • Isolate and prove dead before opening electrical equipment.
  • Use the relevant tests to separate the accessory, connected equipment, supply and circuit.
  • Repair only the cause supported by evidence, then retest.

Why this avoids wasted work

  • A dead socket can be caused by the socket, a connected item, a local connection or something elsewhere on the circuit. Changing the socket first may not solve it.
  • The result can support a focused repair or show that wider work needs a separate plan.
  • For an intermittent fault, the useful outcome may be a clearer pattern and next test rather than an instant repair.
Official sources and further guidance

Need to know whether your fault needs step testing?

Describe what fails, what still works and any repeatable trigger. The electrical tests themselves are for the electrician.