18 more students have passed the electrical exam. 15 have passed the Construction & Maintenance electrician licence exam and 3 more has passed the industrial electrical licence exam. Congrats to all.

Here is what Mr. James had to say:"Yes, I wrote in end of April. Passed. Found it all quite challenging as I'm working 12hr shifts, and was studying on off time. Thanx again for rebooting my study program."

Here is what Mr. Kyle had to say:"I wrote my 309A just over a week ago and got my results back. I passed on the first attempt! You and your course helped a ton. I wanted to thank you for the guidance.I achieved 76%. Was comfortable enough after reviewing your notes and doing a lot of the practice question over again, on top of countless hours doing mock tests on the CEPE program that I thought I could get a mark of at least 80%. But it goes to show how difficult the CofQ actually is and how the nerves/expectations of that day can affect you. I've already spread the word about your course to everyone close to writing aha"

Here is what Mr. Dan had to say:"Thanks for the phone conversation it was very informative and help me greatly. Thanks again"

Here is what Mr. Nicholas who is currently taking the course had to say:"Just wanted to mention your site is very very helpful."

Here is what Mr. Adam had to say: "Thanks again for the help with prep and for dealing with my numerous amount of questions. I wrote the test in a private sitting because I like to read the questioms out loud and I talk to myself when figuring them out. I scored 77%- First time. I think I only opened the code book 5 times."

Here is what Mr. Drago had to say:"

that's the best email i've received in a while. hey, i passed!!! thanks for all your help.excellent service always helping and messaging back promptly.
Thanks again!
I will recommend you to all the upcoming guys i know who have to write or will be in the future.
Without a doubt your structured approach helped me learn new things as well as want to study cause there's a plan laid out for success.

Take care."

Here is what Mr. Zachary had to say:"I passed 80%- First time. Thank you."

Excellent effort and well deserved. We are really happy for you. Enjoy your licences & the extra. We will be sending you a gift in the mail. Thank you for your trust & please tell more of your friends.

9 more students have passed the electrical exam. 8 have passed the Construction & Maintenance electrician licence exam and 1 more has passed the industrial electrical licence exam. Congrats to all.

Here is what Mr. Timothy had to say:"I wanted to thank you for you help and the knowledge you gave me I passed my C of Q with an 81%. To be honest when I came out of that exam I wasn't confident that I passed but I guess with the help of your course and lots of studying, it was almost a guaranteed passed."

Here is what Mr. Mike had to say:"Just wanted to let you know I passed my electrical exam with a 75%. Thank you so very much for your in class help and also the 24/7 texts. Sorry it took so long hahaha. Thank you again! Appreciate it."

Here is what Mr. Tyler had to say:"I took your class a few weeks ago just wanted to let you know that I went and wrote last week and passed on the first try. Thanks for all the pointers."

Here is what Mr. Kory who is currently taking the course had to say:"Thanks again, the support is amazing, I'm really happy with the service you provide."

Here is some of the feedback from students who attended classes

"Concise topics, thorough explanation of each code rule covered. Instructor slowed things down and made it easy to start analyzing a question effectively and quickly." "Instructor was nice & patient because I have stupid questions sometimes." "Easy navigation of questions and code book." I liked the process of getting the answer, shows how to search & destroy the questions, GTK (General Trade Knowledge), Calculations- question (methods) and WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM ME when they ask the question." I liked how complicated questions are simplified and all the GTK tricks to save time on the exam. Instructor extremely patient & supportive." "Everything was Great." "This course provided me with information that I did not pick up through my apprenticeship. Cleared up information that I was not clear on." "Lots of information." "I liked learning the little tricks about the Cfq and also clearing up stuff I was unclear about." "Instructor was very organized, very well spoken and clear in his delivery of the material." "I liked how the course was divided and taught. It was very helpful and clear and gave me much better knowledge." "The course covered all the GTK that should have been learned over an apprenticeship but have been missed. Also gave great tips and tricks when navigating the code book." "I liked the information quality." "Each question went in depth." "I liked the pace. Instructor was very informative and concise. Cleared up a lot of issues around GTK." "I liked the repetition and practice to make sure that I knew the material that I could listen and not worry about taking notes and they were emailed to me after every class." "I learned how to use the code book, gained knowledge about diagrams and working space, able to identify pictorial view and components and grasped electrical calculations." Easy to learn and well presented." "The amount of knowledge I obtained in 3 weeks increased dramatically. Many tips and tricks. I liked how to properly read test questions." "Very well presented, perfect amount of breaks and keeps you motivated." "Everything about the course is well done." "I loved everything about the course." "I cannot think of anything else to improve the course. I think you are doing a well done job and keep doing it all the time. Thank you." "Do it more often :)." "I would not improve this course. Good enough for Canada." "The course is 100%. No need to improve anything. Thank you so much for your help & support." "No improvement needed." "The course was clear & to the point. Keep up the great work." "Class environment is very motivating." "I learned more than I thought." "I have recommended this course to my friends." smart instructor." "My foreman was a previous student." "I learned about this course from a family friend who attended."

Here is what Mr. Khaled had to say: "I took your course back in January. Studied hard and I really learned a lot from your class. Thank you for helping me. I passed my electrical exam with 75%."

Excellent effort and well deserved. We are really happy for you. Enjoy your licences & the extra. We will be sending you a gift in the mail. Thank you for your trust & please tell more of your friends.

Here is what Mr. Tyler had to say:"I took your class a few weeks ago just wanted to let you know that I went and wrote last week and passed on the first try. Thanks for all the pointers."

"Concise topics, thourough explanation of each code rule covered. Instructor slowed things down and made it easy to start analyzing a question effectively and quickly." "Instructor was nice & patient because I have stupid questions sometimes." "Easy navigation of questions and code book." I liked the process of getting the answer, shows how to search & destroy the questions, GTK (General Trade Knowledge), Calculations- question (methods) and WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM ME when they ask the question." I liked how complicated questions are simplified and all the GTK tricks to save time on the exam. Instructor extremely patient & supportive." "Everything was Great." "This course provided me with information that I did not pick up through my apprenticeship. Cleared up information that I was not clear on." "Lots of information." "I liked learning the little tricks about the Cfq and also clearing up stuff I was unclear about." "Instructor was very organized, very well spoken and clear in his delivery of the material." "I liked how the course was divided and taught. It was very helpful and clear and gave me much better knowledge." "The course covered all the GTK that should have been learned over an apprenticeship but have been missed. Also gave great tips and tricks when navigating the code book." "I liked the information quality." "Each question went in depth." "I liked the pace. Instructor was very informative and concise. Cleared up a lot of issues around GTK." "I liked the repetition and practice to make sure that I knew the material, that I could listen and not worry about taking notes and they were emailed to me after every class." "I learned how to use the code book, gained knowledgeabout diagrams and working space, able to identify pictorial view and components and grasped electrical calculations." Easy to learn and well presented." "The amount of knowledge I obtained in 3 weeks increased dramatically. Many tips and tricks. I liked how to properly read test questions." "Very well presented, perfect amount of breaks and keeps you motivated." "Everything about the course is well done." "I loved everything about the course." "I cannot think of anything else to improve the course. I think you are doing a well done job and keep doing it all the time. Thank you." "Do it more often :)." "I would not improve this course. Good enough for Canada." "The course is 100%. No need to improve anything. Thank you so much for your help & support." "No improvement needed." "The course was clear & to the point. Keep up the great work." "Class environment is very motivating." "I learned more than I thought." "I have recommended this course to my friends." smart instructor." "My foreman was a previous student." "I learned about this course from a family friend who attended." 

If you have work experience and training in a skilled trade from Ontario or another province, territory or country, you can have your experience and skills compared to an apprenticeship program in Ontario.

The Trade Equivalency Assessment (TEA) process assesses your skills based on one of the over 150 Ontario apprenticeship programs.  If you meet all the training requirements of a particular apprenticeship program, you will qualify to apply for certification for that trade. (http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/trades-in-ontario)

To find out if this process is right for you and instructions on how to apply, please visit our website at: http://www.collegeoftrades.ca/trade-assessment.

Please note that the TEA evaluation process takes a minimum of 8 weeks. The process may take longer if information is incomplete or references cannot be reached immediately.

Once the assessment is complete, you will be notified by letter and email (if applicable) of your assessment results. If you are approved to write the Certificate of Qualification exam, you will need to contact the Ontario College of Trades to pay the Certificate of Qualification exam fee of $169.50 ($150.00 + HST) and book a time to write your Certificate of Qualification exam at your local Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development apprenticeship office.

A list of apprenticeship offices can be found at the following link: http://services.findhelp.ca/eo/tcu/appoff.

If the application has not been approved, the applicant has 40 days to request an appeal and submit further documentation that indicates the required hours or skills. If the application is rejected again, the College may recommend that further training be acquired before re-submitting their application. If the College does not receive a request to appeal within the 60 day window, the application denial will stand.

If you have any further questions or concerns please call us at 1-855-299-0028.  Hours of operation are Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

34 more students have passed the electrical exam. 28 have passed the Construction & Maintenance electrician licence exam and 6 has passed the industrial electrical licence exam. Congrats to all.

Excellent effort and well deserved. We are really happy for you. Enjoy your licences & the extra. We will be sending you a gift in the mail. Thank you for your trust & please tell more of your friends.

13 more students have passed the electrical exam. 12 have passed the Construction & Maintenance electrician licence exam and 1 has passed the industrial electrical licence exam. Congrats to all.

This is what Mr. Andrew had to say:"Thank you very much for your help.  Your course has been instrumental in my success. I passed. 81%- First Time."

This is what Mr. Jeff had to say:"I got my marks back finally!! I got 84%!! Your course was definitely a huge part of that mark! Thank you for all your help and having the patients to respond to all of my questions! I will keep recommending your course to every apprentice I talk to. Take care of yourself! Keep up the amazing help! It's one thing to just give answers and memorize but I learned a lot in your course! Thank you very much! Yes, it definitely was a lot of hard work and it feels great! I definitely will tell everyone!"

This is what Mr. Graham had to say:"thanks for everything. Just got my results 77% on the c of q. I will recommend your course to everyone coming up."

This is what Mr. Rob had to say:"I am a journeyman now. Thank you so much. I could not have done it without your. Your support and teaching were excellent."

This is what Mr. Brett had to say:"I just wanted to let you know I just got the results of my IP and I passed. I just wanted to say thanks for the use of your app it helped me tremendously. Thanks again. I've told anybody I know who is writing the IP about your app"

Excellent effort and well deserved. We are really happy for you. Enjoy your licences & the extra. We will be sending you a gift in the mail. Thank you for your trust & please tell more of your friends.

13 more students have passed the electrical exam. All have passed the Construction & Maintenance electrician licence exam. Congrats to all.

This is what Mr. Ivan had to say:" Just got an email that I

passed my electrical exam. Thanks for everything. All the best to you ! :)

wooooooopppiiieeee!!!!!!!!"

Excellent effort and well deserved. We are really happy for you. Enjoy your licences & the extra. We will be sending you a gift in the mail. Thank you for your trust & please tell more of your friends.

10 more students have passed the electrical exam. All have passed the Construction & Maintenance electrician licence exam. Congrats to all.

This is what Mr. Jason had to say:"I found out I passed my exam today. I was in your March class 2017. Thank you."

This is what Mr. Mike had to say:"I passed my C of Q exam based on your material and classes- 78% - First Time. I was in your January class. Your class was fantastic and I have recommended it to others. Thanks for all your help."

This is what Mr. Jason E. had to say:"Thanks for the help on passing my 309A red seal exam in February. I feel I would have failed if I did not get through most of your exercise questions. Thanks again."

Excellent effort and well deserved. We are really happy for you. Enjoy your licences & the extra. We will be sending you a gift in the mail. Thank you for your trust & please tell more of your friends.

The operational and energy efficiency of lamps and their longevity depend to a large extent on the type of ballast that has been fitted to the light. The ballast is an electrical component that controls the amount of electric current flowing through the lamp, when the latter is switched on and while it is running.

The ballast provides adequate voltage to establish an arc between the two electrodes to switch on the lamp. It then reduces and regulates the voltage to a steady amount as the electrodes are heated to keep the lamp powered on and make it emit light at a consistent level of brightness. When a lamp is hooked directly to a source of electrical power without a ballast to regulate the flow, there is always the risk of the lamp becoming overheated and burning out.

Must be Compatible

There are many different types of ballast. Each type is suited to the specific operational patterns of various different lamps. For instance, some ballasts are not suitable for lamps that are switched on and off frequently. When the ballast and the lamp are not compatible, you can end up reducing the operational efficiency and longevity of the lamp.

Frequent lamp replacement eats into your savings, and you cannot optimize the returns on your infrastructural investment. That is why, business owners should know about the principal types of lamp ballasts—instant and programmed start ballasts—to ensure that they make the right choice for the lamps at their commercial premises.

What are Instant Start Ballasts?

Instant start ballasts are ideal for use with fluorescent lamps that are not switched on and off frequently. Such a type of ballast provides a high amount of voltage to the lamp when it is switched on, but without pre-heating the cathodes either during the start or while the lamp is lighted.

The ballast provides this high mount of voltage to all parts of the lamp, and this usually has the lamp emitting light within about 50 milliseconds. Instant start ballasts do not heat the cathodes of the lamp, so emissive material is released to keep the lamp powered and emitting light.

The greatest advantage of the instant start ballast is that it consumes far less amount of energy than any other type of lamp ballast. In fact, it is considered to be the most energy-efficient ballast solution for most types of fluorescent lamps. This ballast is commonly used by business owners in spaces like restrooms, reception areas, and retail exhibition areas where the lights are not frequently switched on and off. However, this ballast reduces the life span of lamps if fitted on lighting devices that have frequent on/off cycles.

What are Programmed Start Ballasts?

The programmed start ballast is markedly different from the instant start ballast in that the former applies heat to the cathodes of a lamp to switch it on. Also unlike the instant start ballast, the programmed start ballast triggers a specific sequence of events to ultimately power on the light. The steps initiated by the programmed start ballast are listed below.

1.     Application of Low-Degree of Heat to the Cathodes or Pre-Heating of the Cathodes

The programmed start ballast reduces the amount of voltage across the lamp before supplying voltage to pre-heat the cathodes. The ballast is programmed to continue supplying voltage till the cathodes reach a temperature of at least 700-degree Celsius. The time until the cathodes are being pre-heated is called the preheat interval.

The voltage across the lamp is kept low during the preheat interval to reduce the amount of glow current. Glow current is the actual electrical current that flows across the cathodes. The more the amount of glow current flowing across the body of the lamp, the more is the blackening of the lamp body. What is more, a large amount of glow current passing between the cathodes results in greater loss of the emissive material. These two developments reduce lamp life significantly. So by doing away with these occurrences, programmed start ballasts prolong the life span of lamps with frequent on/off cycles.

After the above-mentioned first step is complete, the programmed start ballast automatically proceeds to the second step, which is applying voltage across the lamp to establish an arc. The completion of this step results in the lamp emitting light. There is minimal loss of emissive material while voltage is being applied throughout the lamp, and this prolongs the life span of the lighting device.

2.     Application of Voltage Across the Lamp

Most sophisticated programmed start ballasts move on from pre-heating the cathodes to supplying voltage across the lamp within 30 milliseconds. This fast transition time minimizes the loss of cathode emissive material that, in turn, increases the life span and improves the operational efficiency of the lamp. Although the instant start ballasts are more energy-efficient, some varieties of programmed start ballasts can reduce the amount of voltage supplied to the cathode to save more electricity. However, the most prolific advantage of programmed start ballasts is that they can facilitate 40,000 starts without degrading the lamp quality.

The above-mentioned differences between instant and programmed start ballasts will help you analyze the lighting operational conditions at your workplace and buy ballasts accordingly.

Am I required to pass an examination to qualify for a Certificate of Qualification in my trade?

Not all trades in Ontario are subject to a Certificate of Qualification (C of Q) examination. For a list of trades with C of Q examinations, click here. If your trade is not subject to a C of Q exam and you have a Certificate of Apprenticeship or an approved Trade Equivalency Assessment, you are eligible to apply directly for a C of Q and membership in the Journeypersons Class.

Am I eligible to take a C of Q examination in Ontario?

You are eligible to take the C of Q examination for your trade if:

• You have a Certificate of Apprenticeship for your trade; or
• You have applied for the Journeypersons Class and your Trade Equivalency Assessment application has been approved.

 
Once you have determined your eligibility to take the exam, here are the steps you’ll need to follow to prepare and schedule an exam:

Step 1
Contact the Ontario College of Trades’ Client Services at 1-855-299-0028 (toll-free) or 647-847-3000 (in the GTA) to pay your exam fee (of $150 +HST); Payment can be made by: credit card over the phone, cheque or in person, using Debit.

Step 2
Now that you have paid your exam fee you can begin preparing. To help you, the College has developed a helpful Exam Preparation Guide that provides you with a wealth of information including but not limited to; specialized supports, exam preparation resources, information on study plans and study schedules, exam day tips and requirements, self-assessment checklists, getting your results and more. Click here to download the Guide. Click here to download the entire package (Guide and additional resources).

The College has also created Examination Counselling Sheets that outline the details of the Certificate of Qualification examination. For Ontario Provincial Certificate of Qualification examinations, the counselling sheet specifically details the percentage of questions for each Skill Set (key topic area). These Skill Sets are broken down into further detail in the trade’s Apprenticeship Training Standard Log Book. These are important tools to assist writers in their preparation for their examination. To locate an examination counselling sheet for one of Ontario’s provincial trades, click here(hyperlink to Training Standards page) then select the sector and trade you are seeking. Exam Counselling Sheets for trades with Interprovincial (Red Seal) examinations can be found on the Red Seal website at www.red-seal.ca.

Step 3 
Once you think you’re prepared to take the exam, you have to contact the nearest Employment Ontario Apprenticeship Office to schedule your exam. Click here to see the list of locations. If you require any accommodations under the Human Rights Code that may assist you in writing the exam, they can be scheduled when you book a time.
Good luck.

Step 4
Once your exam has been scored, the College will contact you to inform you of your status, and next steps.

For more information, see Frequently Asked Questions – Certificate of Qualification Exam.