Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) Interprovincial Exam
The Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) exam is the interprovincial certification exam for the trade Ontario calls Ironworker – Generalist (420B). It has 120 multiple-choice questions across seven areas of the trade, with erection, assembly and installation the largest at 34 questions, and the Red Seal pass mark is 70%. You apply for and write it through your provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority.
- 120 questions
- 70% to pass
- 4 hours
Last checked against Red Seal Program (with provincial and territorial apprenticeship authorities) on .
Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) (420B) at a glance
- Number of questions
- 120 multiple-choice questions source ↗
- Pass mark
- 70% source ↗
- Maximum time allowed
- 4 hours source ↗
- Question format
- Multiple choice, four options with one correct answer source ↗
- Largest exam area
- Erection, assembly and installation: 34 of 120 questions source ↗
- Provided during the exam
- Mathematical formulas source ↗
- National Occupational Classification
- NOC 72105 source ↗
- Ontario trade code and status
- 420B, non-compulsory source ↗
- Ontario 420B apprenticeship hours
- About 8,000 hours (7,280 on the job and 720 in school) source ↗
Ready for the real Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) exam?
- ✓ 600 Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) practice questions, every answer explained and cited
- ✓ Full-length timed mock exams: 120 questions, 4 hours, scored against 70%
- ✓ Practise by topic and review every question you missed
- ✓ Every other Canadian exam on VoltExam included
What the Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) (420B) covers
| Area | Weight | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| A – Occupational skills | 15 questions | Interpreting occupational documentation (4), communicating in the workplace (2), using and maintaining tools and equipment (5) and organizing work (4): drawings, signals, cutting and welding equipment, and safety such as fall protection. |
| B – Rigging and hoisting | 22 questions | Selecting rigging equipment (10) and using hoisting and lifting equipment (12): slings, hitches, hardware, sling angles, load and centre-of-gravity calculations, blocks, hoists and jacks. |
| C – Cranes | 11 questions | Selecting, assembling and erecting cranes and components (7) and disassembling cranes (4): mobile, crawler and tower cranes, booms, counterweights, derricks and gin poles. |
| D – Reinforcing | 19 questions | Fabricating on site (6) and installing reinforcing material (13): bar sizes and grades, cutting and bending, placing drawings, supports, cover, ties, splices and coated bars. |
| E – Pre-stresses/post-tensions | 8 questions | Placing pre-stressed/post-tensioning systems (4), stressing tendons (3) and grouting tendons (1). |
| F – Erection, assembly and installation | 34 questions | Installing primary and secondary structural members (17), ornamental components and systems (9), and conveyors, machinery and equipment (8): bolting, plumbing, decking, precast, stairs, rails, curtain wall and machinery setting. |
| G – Maintenance and upgrading | 11 questions | Repairing components (5) and dismantling and removing structural, mechanical and miscellaneous components (6). |
How to get certified
- 1
Register as an apprentice with your provincial or territorial authority
Apprenticeship is run by each province and territory (for example Skilled Trades Ontario, SkilledTradesBC or Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training). Hours, in-school levels and fees differ, so confirm the requirements where you work. In Ontario, Ironworker – Generalist (420B) is a non-compulsory trade.
- 2
Complete your on-the-job hours and technical training
Log your work-based hours and complete each level of in-school training. Ontario's 420B training standard lists about 8,000 hours: a benchmark of 7,280 hours on the job and 720 hours in school.
- 3
Or apply as a trade qualifier / challenger
Experienced ironworkers who never registered as apprentices can usually apply to challenge the exam by documenting their trade experience (in Ontario, through a Trade Equivalency Assessment). Each authority sets its own hour thresholds and evidence rules.
- 4
Get approved and book the written exam
Once your authority confirms you are eligible, it tells you how and where to write. Use the official exam breakdown on red-seal.ca to plan your study by area and task.
- 5
Write the exam and receive your certificate
Expect 120 multiple-choice questions and up to 4 hours; you need 70% to pass. Passing, along with your jurisdiction's other requirements, leads to a certificate of qualification with the Red Seal endorsement, recognized across participating provinces and territories.
How to study
- Study by the official breakdown: erection, assembly and installation (34) plus rigging and hoisting (22) make up almost half of the 120 questions.
- Practise sling-angle and load calculations in metric until they are automatic: leg tension = (load ÷ number of legs) ÷ sin(angle from horizontal), giving factors of 1.155 at 60°, 1.414 at 45° and 2.0 at 30°.
- Learn to estimate weights from designations and densities: a W310x39 is 39 kg/m, steel is about 7850 kg/m³, concrete about 2400 kg/m³, and CSA G30.18 bar masses (10M 0.785, 15M 1.570, 20M 2.355, 25M 3.925 kg/m).
- Know your codes by what they cover: CSA Z150 (mobile cranes), CSA Z248 (tower cranes), CSA S16 (steel structures, including bolting and erection), CSA A23.1 (concrete construction and cover), CSA W59 and W47.1 (welding), and your province's construction safety rules such as Ontario's O. Reg. 213/91 for fall protection and power-line distances.
- Take timed practice sets: 120 questions in 4 hours is 2 minutes per question, so mark long calculations and come back to them.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) exam?
The Red Seal exam breakdown lists 120 multiple-choice questions in seven areas: occupational skills (15), rigging and hoisting (22), cranes (11), reinforcing (19), pre-stressing and post-tensioning (8), erection, assembly and installation (34), and maintenance and upgrading (11).
What score do I need to pass, and how long do I get?
The Red Seal pass mark is 70%, which on a 120-question exam means 84 correct answers. Red Seal states a maximum of 4 hours for its exams. Ask your apprenticeship authority about accommodations, because those are arranged locally.
Are formulas provided during the exam?
Yes. Red Seal's Ironworker (Generalist) page says some questions may need mathematical formulas and that these are provided during the exam. You still need to know when and how to apply them, so practise load, sling-angle and area calculations beforehand.
Is 420B the same as 420A in Ontario?
No. Skilled Trades Ontario lists two ironworker trades: Ironworker – Generalist (420B) and Ironworker – Structural and Ornamental (420A). Both are non-compulsory and carry a Red Seal endorsement, but they line up with different Red Seal trades. 420B matches Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist), which also covers reinforcing, post-tensioning and crane erection.
Is the exam changing soon?
Red Seal published a new Red Seal Occupational Standard for Ironworker (Generalist) in 2025, and its trade page says exams based on it are under development; current exams are based on the previous standard. The new standard's weightings regroup the trade into six major work activities, with rigging, hoisting and cranes at 26% and erection, assembly and installation at 26%. Check red-seal.ca and your authority before you write.
Are these practice questions from the real exam?
No. VoltExam's questions are original items written to practise the topics in the official exam breakdown. They are not official Red Seal questions, and doing well on them does not guarantee a pass.
Start practising for the Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) (420B) today
- ✓ 600 Red Seal Ironworker (Generalist) practice questions, every answer explained and cited
- ✓ Full-length timed mock exams: 120 questions, 4 hours, scored against 70%
- ✓ Practise by topic and review every question you missed
- ✓ Every other Canadian exam on VoltExam included
Official sources
- Red Seal – Ironworker (Generalist) trade page ↗
- Red Seal – Ironworker (Generalist) exam breakdown ↗
- Red Seal – Ironworker (Generalist) RSOS examination weightings ↗
- Red Seal – Red Seal Occupational Standard: Ironworker (Generalist) ↗
- Red Seal – Overview of the Red Seal Examination ↗
- Skilled Trades Ontario – Ironworker – Generalist ↗
- Skilled Trades Ontario – Trades information (420A and 420B) ↗
- Skilled Trades Ontario – Ironworker – Generalist (420B) apprenticeship training standard (PDF) ↗
Sources checked November 3, 2026. VoltExam is independent and not affiliated with Red Seal Program (with provincial and territorial apprenticeship authorities). Rules change: confirm details with the official source before your exam.