How to Challenge the Red Seal Exam in 2026, by Province

How many hours do you need to challenge the Red Seal exam?

It depends on the trade and the province, so look up yours before you gather paperwork. Here's where each authority publishes it, as of October 2026.

Province	Who checks you	Where the hours rule is
British Columbia	SkilledTradesBC (Trade Qualifier)	The Employer or Statutory Declaration form on your trade's page
Ontario	Skilled Trades Ontario (Trade Equivalency Assessment)	Experience at least equal to the trade's total apprenticeship training time, on the job and in school
Alberta	AIT (Trades Qualifier - Work Experience)	Your trade's profile, counted on full-time work of more than 30 hours a week
Nova Scotia	Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency (Trade Qualifier)	No figure on its page: it asks for significant experience and two qualified references

Challenging in B.C.

Check your trade page for the hours and scope of work, and whether a practical assessment is needed.
Create a SkilledTradesBC Portal account and choose to challenge a certification exam.
Submit an Employer or Statutory Declaration for each period of work, in English, and pay the fee.
Wait about 10 to 12 weeks for a decision, longer for work outside Canada.
Once approved, schedule and pass the exam within 24 months. You get four attempts.

Challenging in Ontario and Alberta

Ontario's Trade Equivalency Assessment is for people who haven't finished an Ontario apprenticeship, including experience from outside Canada, from another province without a certificate, or from the Canadian Forces. You must show competency in the trade's skills, as set out in its Training Standard, with verifiable evidence. If you're approved, you can write the certifying exam.

Alberta's Trades Qualifier - Work Experience route takes letters from employers on letterhead, records of employment, T4s or pay stubs, with documents in other languages translated by a recognized translator. Processing takes about 4 to 6 weeks, or 10 to 12 weeks for experience outside Canada, and you must finish everything within 18 months. Some trades add a practical exam in Alberta.

Challenging in Nova Scotia

You read the agency's guidelines, book an interview with an Industry Training Consultant, and bring documented evidence of your experience and two references who can vouch for your skills. Then you challenge the certification exam and need 70% or more. Military members with a QL5 can be approved to write the matching Red Seal exam.

Sources: SkilledTradesBC · Skilled Trades Ontario · Alberta AIT and 2 more. Checked October 2026.