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PLC Programmer job simulation

Join a systems integrator as a junior PLC programmer on a bottling line: I/O list, programming, FAT, a change request and handover.

PLC Programmer job simulation
  • Free: days 1 to 5, about 9 h 50 min of tickets
  • Premium: days 1 to 20
  • Checked as you go
  • Reviewed 19 Oct 2026

The project

You join Tarnbrook Controls Ltd (simulated company)

Tarnbrook Controls Ltd (simulated company) is a systems integrator in Leeds. You help its team deliver a project for Larkfield Drinks Ltd (simulated company), at Bottling hall, line 2 (project BFL-200).

You are the junior PLC programmer on the control upgrade of bottling line 2 for Larkfield Drinks. The Lead Engineer gives you the client's requirements, a draft design with mistakes in it, a wiring schedule and tickets with acceptance criteria. Over four weeks you write the I/O list, check the design, program counting and level logic, run the factory acceptance test, handle a client change request, meet the faults that only show up on site, and hand over. Some people will ask you to cut corners. The skill is knowing which ones you cannot cut.

The people in the story are roles, such as Lead Engineer, not real people.

What you will do

By the end you will have

  • Review a functional design specification against the client's requirements and find the mistakes
  • Write an I/O list and a cause and effect matrix from real wiring documents
  • Program and test counting and level logic, then run and judge a factory acceptance test
  • Handle a client change request with an impact note and revised documents
  • Refuse to bypass a safety function and hand the project over with an honest pack

Day by day

The plan, ticket by ticket

Self-paced. A day opens when you hand in the previous day's tickets.
PLC Programmer job simulation plan
DayTicketKindTimeEdition
1Site induction and project standardsQuiz45 minFree
1Clarification queries on the URSWriting1 hFree
2Review FDS Rev B against the URSDocument review1 h 20 minFree
3I/O list, section BTable1 h 20 minFree
3Scale the bowl level and set the wire-break limitCalculation50 minFree
4Cause and effect matrixTable1 h 10 minFree
4A small favour from the client's supervisorDecision35 minFree
5Count bottles once each and finish the batch3D lab1 h 30 minFree
5Fill the bowl between two levels without running dry3D lab1 h 20 minFree
6Commission a variable-speed infeed drive3D lab1 h 30 minPremium
6Two engineers, one project fileDecision35 minPremium
7FAT results: pass, fail and punch categoriesTable1 h 30 minPremium
8Impact note for change request CR-01Writing1 h 30 minPremium
9I/O list Rev D from wiring schedule Rev 3Table1 h 10 minPremium
10Fire the reject pusher at the right moment3D lab1 h 30 minPremium
11A sensor of the wrong type on site3D lab1 h 30 minPremium
12Loop check the level signal on site3D lab1 h 20 minPremium
13A link across the guard switch, for today onlyDecision35 minPremium
14Sort the site acceptance findingsTable1 h 30 minPremium
15Where did the scan time go?Calculation50 minPremium
16Check the software release recordDocument review1 hPremium
17Operator note: power loss and restartWriting1 h 10 minPremium
18Capstone: the handover pack for line 2Hand-in3 h 30 minPremium
19Handover email to the clientWriting1 hPremium
20A conversation about your own workViva45 minPremium

Real documents

The documents you will work with

Project documents
NumberDocumentRevEdition
BFL200-URS-001User Requirement Specification, bottling line 2AFree
BFL200-HSE-001Site rules and project standards, one page1Free
BFL200-LAY-001Line layout and equipment list2Free
BFL200-WIR-001Field wiring schedule (PLC cabinet)2Free
BFL200-IOL-001I/O list, section A (safety, operator and infeed)CFree
BFL200-SWD-001Software design and coding standardAFree
BFL200-CEM-001Cause and effect matrixAFree
BFL200-FDS-001Functional design specification, bottling line 2BFree
BFL200-RFI-001Query log (RFI log)3Free
BFL200-FAT-001Factory acceptance test procedure and recordAPremium
BFL200-CR-001Change request CR-01APremium
BFL200-WIR-001Field wiring schedule, additions for CR-013Premium
BFL200-FDS-001Functional design specification, bottling line 2CPremium
BFL200-CEM-001Cause and effect matrix, with CR-01BPremium
BFL200-SAT-001Site acceptance test record, findings listAPremium
BFL200-REL-001Software release record, v1.12APremium
BFL200-HOV-001Handover pack requirementsAPremium

Tools

In the industry, and here

In the industryHere
PLC programming software (ladder, structured text)The PLC lab in the browser, with levels that stand in for parts of the line
Wiring and panel testing with a meterThe panel lab, with sensors, a drive and a 4 to 20 mA loop
Document control, query log and version controlNumbered, revised documents and an inbox of tickets and emails
Spreadsheets for I/O lists, FAT and SAT sheetsTables you fill in and have checked

Standards

The standards the work follows

  • IEC 61131-3
  • IEC 60204-1
  • ISO 13849-1

Prepare

Labs and study materials

Free, and linked where a ticket needs them.

3D labs used

Study before you start

What you get

Free, certificate and Premium

Free

Days 1 to 5, every ticket checked, model answers, the 3D lab and a profile entry.

Free

Certificate (optional)

  • A graded, verifiable certificate with your score and band
  • A public verification page and QR code
  • One-click add to LinkedIn as a licence or certification
  • A Verified mark on your profile entry

₹499

Premium

Premium job simulation

  • The full four-week project: change requests, site work, faults and handover
  • A capstone deliverable reviewed by an engineer
  • An AI viva on your own work
  • The graded certificate and a work record PDF with your skill scores
  • Priority help from our team
₹1,499The certificate is included. If you bought it, its price is credited.

On your profile

How it shows on your profile

It shows on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.

Work experience

PLC Programmer (job simulation)

Tarnbrook Controls Ltd (simulated company)

9 h 50 min active hours logged · Your dates

Verified, with the certificate

A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens.

Questions

Quick answers

Do I need to know a programming language first?

No. The lab levels teach ladder logic as you go, and the study links on each task point to free lessons. You will do better if you have seen a PLC program before.

Is this a real company and a real project?

No. Tarnbrook Controls and Larkfield Drinks are made-up companies and the project is a simulated one. The documents, standards and situations follow what a junior meets on a real project.

How long does it take?

The free week is about ten hours of work spread over five days. The full Premium edition runs over twenty working days and about thirty to forty hours, at your own pace.

Which PLC brand does it use?

None. The content is vendor-neutral, so what you learn applies to any controller that follows IEC 61131-3.

What do I get at the end?

A work record with your scores by task and skill, which shows on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.

Is the PLC Programmer job simulation free?

Yes, to start. Days 1 to 5 are free. The certificate and the Premium edition are optional and are priced on this page in your currency.

Does it count as work experience?

It shows on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation. It is not employment. A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens.

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Last reviewed 19 October 2026.