This Internatiional Standard applies to a.c. circuit-breakers within the scope of IEC 60056. It provides the general rules for testing a.c. circuit-breakers, for making and breaking capacities over the range of test-duties described in sub-clauses 6.102 to 6.111 of IEC 60056, by synthetic methods. The purpose of this standard is to establish criteria for synthetic testing and for the proper evaluation of results. Such criteria will establish the validity of the test method without imposing restraints on innovation of test circuitry.