BCIA BCM courses (BCM00–BCM15): what each module covers, with free study notes

If you work in building controls in the UK, you’ll hear people talk about “doing their BCMs”. These are the Building Controls Industry Association’s technical courses. BCM00 to BCM06 cover HVAC and controls theory, and the later modules cover the practical side of the job: installation, networking, fault-finding, energy, testing, commissioning and field devices. Plenty of engineers take them on their own, and they’re also part of the route for a lot of BEMS apprentices. Approved training partners run them up and down the country, in classrooms and online.

This page is a quick rundown of what each module is about, with links to free articles on ilovebms.com covering the same ground.

The HVAC and controls modules (BCM00–BCM06)

Module	Title	What it’s about	Study notes
BCM00	Introduction to Building Controls and HVAC	An overview of control systems and the main HVAC plant	What is a BMS?
BCM01	Fundamentals of HVAC and Building Technology	Physical principles, heating, refrigeration, hydraulics and ventilation basics	What is a BMS?, glossary
BCM02	Measuring and Control Technology	Sensors, measurement errors, controllers and control loops	Sensors, PID loops
BCM03	Hydraulics in Building Systems	Hydraulic circuits, valve characteristics, valve sizing and actuators	Valve sizing, hydraulic faults
BCM04	Control Function in Heating Plant	Boiler control, multiple boilers, heat output and hot water	Heating plant, hot water and Legionella
BCM05	Control of Ventilation and Air Conditioning Plant	AHUs, temperature and humidity control, heat recovery and frost protection	AHU strategy, frost protection
BCM06	Control of Cooling Systems	Refrigeration, chillers, heat pumps and VRF	Chillers, VRF and heat pumps

The practical BEMS modules (BCM08–BCM15)

These later modules are about doing the job: installing, networking, fixing, testing and commissioning a BEMS. They’re delivered as part of the BEMS apprenticeship, and the BCIA has also offered several as standalone courses.

Module	Title	What it’s about	Study notes
BCM08	BEMS Installation	Safe working, control circuits, motor starting, cabling, containment and panels	HOA, starters and interlocks, BMS cabling
BCM09	Networking	Serial and Ethernet networks, TCP/IP, protocols and network security	RS-485 and MS/TP, IP networking, cyber security
BCM10	Fault Diagnostics and Correction	A structured approach to finding, fixing and reporting faults	Fault-finding without guessing
BCM11	Energy Efficiency Through BEMS	Occupancy strategies, plant sequencing and inhibits, metering and optimisation	12 energy savings that work
BCM12	BEMS Control Principles	What a BEMS does, planning one, documentation and the user interface	What is a BMS?, O&M documentation
BCM13	BEMS Testing, Inspection and Certification	Electrical testing, verification and calibration	Testing and calibration
BCM14	BEMS Commissioning Principles and Practices	Off-site testing, pre-commissioning, commissioning, integration and witnessing	Commissioning step by step, integration testing
BCM15	BEMS Field Devices	Sensors, actuators and other field devices: selection, installation and maintenance	Sensors, damper actuators

How they fit together

Each module builds on the one before, so it’s worth doing them more or less in order.

BCM00 is a short introduction. It’s handy if you’re new, or if you work alongside controls engineers without needing the full technical depth.

BCM01 to BCM03 are the foundations: how buildings and HVAC plant work, how you measure and control things, and how water systems behave. That’s the stuff you’ll use every single day on site.

BCM04 to BCM06 take those foundations and apply them to specific plant: heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and cooling.

BCM08 to BCM15 switch from theory to practice. If you’re installing or servicing systems day to day, BCM10 (fault-finding) and BCM14 (commissioning) are the ones you’ll feel the benefit of fastest.

According to one BCIA training partner, finishing BCM01 to BCM03 gets you the BCIA Technical Certificate, and BCM04 to BCM06 the Advanced Technical Certificate. The exam arrangements, including the ones for ECS card applications, have changed over the years, so check the current rules with the BCIA or your provider before you book anything.

Are they worth doing?

Mostly, yes. Site experience teaches you a lot, but it leaves gaps. Plenty of engineers can program a controller without being able to explain why a valve hunts or how a heating curve ought to be set. The courses fill those gaps.

They also help with cards: the building controls ECS cards are tied to recognised qualifications, and there’s more on that in how to become a BMS engineer in the UK. And employers recognise them, because they show you understand the plant and not just one manufacturer’s software.

Cost and format

The HVAC modules are usually one or two days each. The practical modules run longer; as listed by the BCIA in 2025, BCM14 Commissioning was a five-day course and BCM11 Energy Efficiency and BCM15 Field Devices were three days each. Prices depend on the provider and on whether your employer is a BCIA member. To give you an idea, one training partner listed BCM00 at £385 + VAT and BCM05 at £666 + VAT for non-members when this was written. Lots of employers pay, so ask before you book anything yourself.

A few study tips

• Learn the plant before the controls. You can’t control an AHU properly if you’re not sure what every bit of it does.
• Draw it out. Sketch the plant, mark every sensor and valve, and write the control sequence next to it.
• Do the sums. Valve sizing, flow rates and proportional bands make a lot more sense once you’ve worked a few through yourself, starting with the Kvs example.
• Take it back to site. After each module, look at the same kind of plant on a job and see whether the strategy matches what you learned.
• Keep a fault log. Every fault you see, and how it got fixed, will teach you more than any revision sheet.

Sources

• BCIA training
• CIBSE CPD directory listing for the BCIA courses
• Course details from a BCIA training partner (British Gas Engineering Academy)
• FM Business Daily: BCIA technical training courses, BCM10 to BCM15 (2025)