What Do I need to Know and What Can I do to Prepare?
Many of the skilled trades in Ontario have a final certification examination that you must
pass to become certified in your trade. Passing the examination gives you the right to join
the Journeypersons’ class of members at the Ontario College of Trades and receive a
Certificate of Qualification in your trade.
There are two types of trade certification examinations in Ontario:
1) Provincial (Ontario) examinations – which lead to a Certificate of Qualification (CofQ)
2) Red Seal examinations –which lead to a Certificate of Qualification (CofQ) with an
Interprovincial Red Seal endorsement
If a trade is designated as Red Seal in Ontario, you will be writing the Red Seal examination.
You will write an Ontario-only examination when your trade is not designated as Red Seal
trade in Ontario.
The Ontario College of Trades develops the certification examinations. The Ministry of
Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) offers the examinations on our behalf at their
examination centres across the province.
