Canada · Trade examWhat's on the Red Seal welder exam?
Four major work activities share the 125 questions:
| Major work activity | Questions |
|---|---|
| Welding processes | 54 |
| Layout and fabrication of components for welding | 28 |
| Cutting and gouging | 23 |
| Common occupational skills | 20 |
About 40 to 50% of questions are knowledge and recall, 35 to 45% procedural and application, and 10 to 20% critical thinking. The exam page lists the number of questions for each task under these activities, so you can go one level deeper when you plan.
Formulas and acronyms
A formula sheet comes with the exam and is posted on the exam information page: area of circles and triangles, circumference, arc length and cylinder volume, with pi set at 3.1416. An acronym list is provided too.
Is the Red Seal welder exam a practical test?
The Red Seal exam itself is a written, multiple-choice exam. Your province may add practical requirements. Alberta's experienced-worker route, for example, works like this in trades that have a practical exam:
- Apply to AIT's Trades Qualifier - Work Experience program with proof of your work in the trade.
- Write the theory exam. AIT recommends scheduling the practical after you pass it.
- Pay the practical exam fee, then book it. It's run by AIT and must be done in Alberta.
- Finish every requirement within 18 months of approval.
Sources: Red Seal · Alberta AIT and 2 more. Checked October 2026.
- Red Seal: Welder ↗
- Red Seal: Welder exam information ↗
- Red Seal: Exam Preparation Guide ↗
- Alberta AIT: Trades Qualifier - Work Experience program details ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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