Ah - the big question! No, you haven't heard wrong!

It is called 'Portable Appliance Testing', and so the natural abbreviation is 'PAT.' So if you hear anyone say pat testing, they are in effect saying 'Portable Appliance Testing Testing!'

If you're interested, this is known as a tautology - unnecessary repitition - just as people sometims say 'LCD Display'. The phrase 'pat testing' is so common in the electrical industry that we are happy to refer to it as this, even though we know it would be better to say 'Portable Appliance Testing' or just 'PAT'.

We also use it because it's a good talking point- in the same way that some shops deliberately mis-spell their name. And let's face it, it got your attention!

It does go against the grain slightly though, because the whole point about the pat testing industry is that we endeavour for 100% accuracy and attention to detail in the work that we do.