Examinations are normally written at scheduled times. There is generally at least one examination sitting per month in Halifax and Sydney, and less frequently in other locations. The sittings are usually on a Saturday, and begin at 9:30 am (see the Examination Schedule).
Please note: A listing of all exam sessions is also included in your copy of the Apprenticeship Training and Examination Schedule.
Are you eligible to write an exam? |
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To be eligible to write an Interprovincial Red Seal Exam (IP Exam), you must complete all the practical and technical training components of your apprenticeship program, and this completion must be verified by a Training Officer. Once your eligibility has been confirmed, you will be asked to submit an exam application form indicating a ‘preferred’ exam date and location (A listing of all exam sessions is included in the Examination Schedule.)
How do you apply to write an exam? |
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Click here for an exam application and guidelines. Your application, along with the applicable fee, must be received at the Halifax Office of the division prior to the “apply before” date indicated for the requested exam session. Applications received after the application deadline will be processed for the next available exam sitting.
A confirmation letter will be sent to you 10 days prior to the exam date. Do not attend an exam sitting without this written confirmation.
Exam Preparation Resources |
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Interprovincial Red Seal Exams (IP Exams): |
Exam Counselling Sheets provide IP exam breakdowns by subject area, along with the approximate percentage of questions that is assigned to each; Sample questions, typical of those found on an IP exam, are available for most trades; NOAs (National Occupational Analyses) describe the skills and knowledge needed to perform competently in the trades (An NOA is the base document used to develop IP exams, and may be used as a checklist to guide your studies.)
This is a list of resources that can help you prepare for and write exams.
Provincial Certification and Level Exams: |
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Exam Counselling Sheets provide the breakdowns for provincial or level exams by subject area, along with the approximate percentage of questions that is assigned to each. Please note: You must receive approval from your training officer in order to write a level exam.
Like NOAs, POAs describe the skills and knowledge needed to perform competently in the trades.
This is a list of resources that can help you prepare for and write exams.
Tips to help you write an exam |
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Apprenticeship exams and certification exams, including Interprovincial Red Seal Exams, are written exclusively in a multiple choice format.
- Read each question carefully so you understand exactly what is being asked. Do not make assumptions or jump to conclusions - stick to the facts. Be sure to read the whole question and not assume you know what the question is asking after you’ve read only part of it.
- Before answering a question, cover the response options with your hand. When you have finished reading the question, try to determine the answer without looking at the response options. Once you think you know the answer, uncover the response options and look for the one that matches your answer. Doing this helps to avoid being distracted by incorrect response options.
- As you read through the alternative options, make note of which ones you know are wrong to narrow your options.
- Draw a diagram or jot down a formula if it helps answer a question.
- If you are answering a question that involves calculation, it is useful to have an estimate of what the correct answer will be so that once you calculate the answer, you can check to see if it looks right.
- If you are unable to answer a question, move on and come back to the missed
one(s) later. It’s better to finish the easier questions first and come back to the more difficult ones later.
- Manage your time - it might be helpful to determine how much time you have for each question. For instance, if the exam has 120 questions and the maximum sit time for the exam is 4 hours, then you would have on average 2 minutes per question. The invigilator will usually let you know when the halfway point of the examination time been reached. Check to see if you have completed approximately half of the examination, and adjust your pace accordingly.
- Answer all questions. If at the end of the allocated time you are still unable to determine the correct answer to some questions, guess. Points are not deducted for incorrect responses, and you have at least a 25% chance of guessing correctly.
What happens when you write an exam and are unsuccessful? |
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- Try not to be discouraged! Interprovincial Red Seal Exams are very challenging, but use what you learned from your previous experience to help prepare for your next attempt. Everyone who challenges an exam receives a breakdown of how well they did in each section of the exam. Use the breakdown to identify areas where additional study will help you prepare for your next attempt.
- Re-write the exam as soon as you feel confident you will pass - don’t postpone it for a lengthy period of time. You will need to obtain another exam application and pay the exam fee prior to the application deadline, approximately 20 business days before the desired exam sitting date. (Please note: It is mandatory to wait 90 days before re-writing.)
- If you have unsuccessfully challenged an exam two times or more, you are required to contact your Training Officer to discuss completion of additional technical training.
What happens if you cannot write the exam on your scheduled date? |
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If you are unable to write the exam on your scheduled exam date, you must notify the division as soon as possible. Contact your Training Officer or telephone the Halifax Office at (902) 424-5651 or toll free at 1-800-494-5651. An exam may be rescheduled only once with penalty. If you fail to provide notice of withdrawal at least 24 hours in advance, you will be considered a no-show and your exam fee will not be refunded.
What should you bring to the exam sitting? |
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- Confirmation letter
- Photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, passport, apprenticeship ID card)
- Ordinary calculator (non-programmable and non-trade specific)
- A watch so that you can pace yourself
- Do not bring a cell phone to the exam sitting
The division provides everything else you need for your exam, including pencils, scrap paper and code books (if applicable).
Please note: You should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the exam.
When will you find out if you passed? |
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Exam scoring will start on the Wednesday after the regularly scheduled exam sitting. The exam results (marks or information as to whether or not you were successful) will not be released over the telephone.
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