Red Seal Painter and Decorator Interprovincial Exam
The Red Seal Painter and Decorator exam has 130 multiple-choice questions across six major work activities, and the Red Seal pass mark is 70%. Surface preparation (30 questions), residential and commercial coatings (31) and industrial coatings (29) make up most of the exam. In Ontario the trade is Painter and Decorator – Commercial and Residential (404C), a voluntary Red Seal trade certified through Skilled Trades Ontario.
- 130 questions
- 70% to pass
- 4 hours
Last checked against Red Seal Program (with provincial and territorial apprenticeship authorities) on .
Red Seal Painter and Decorator (404C) at a glance
- Number of questions
- 130 multiple-choice questions source ↗
- Pass mark
- 70% source ↗
- Maximum time allowed
- 4 hours source ↗
- Question format
- Multiple choice, four options (A, B, C, D) with one correct answer source ↗
- Largest exam areas
- Residential, institutional and commercial paints and coatings (31 questions), surface preparation (30) and industrial paints and coatings (29) source ↗
- Question types
- 40-50% knowledge and recall, 45-55% procedural and application, under 10% critical thinking source ↗
- National Occupational Classification
- NOC 73112 source ↗
- Ontario 404C apprenticeship hours
- About 6,000 hours (5,280 on the job and 720 in school over three levels) source ↗
- Ontario status
- Voluntary (non-compulsory) Red Seal trade with a certifying exam; the Certificate of Qualification does not need to be renewed source ↗
Ready for the real Red Seal Painter and Decorator exam?
- ✓ 600 Red Seal Painter and Decorator practice questions, every answer explained and cited
- ✓ Full-length timed mock exams: 130 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 Painter and Decorator (404C) covers
| Area | Weight | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| A – Performs common occupational skills | 20 questions | Safety-related functions (21% of this area), tools and equipment (27%), routine trade practices such as estimating and job planning (31%), quality control (14%), and communication and mentoring (7%). About 15% of the exam. |
| B – Prepares surfaces | 30 questions | General surface preparation (29% of this area), wood (17%), concrete and masonry (17%), metal (19%), and plaster and drywall (18%). About 23% of the exam. |
| C – Prepares and applies residential, institutional and commercial paints, coatings and finishes | 31 questions | Preparing for application, including coatings chemistry, colour and product selection (37% of this area), applying paints and coatings by brush, roller and spray (48%), and decorative and specialty finishes (15%). About 24% of the exam, the largest single area. |
| D – Prepares and applies wall coverings | 9 questions | Preparing for wall coverings, including estimating rolls and pattern matching (40% of this area), and applying wall coverings (60%). About 7% of the exam. |
| E – Prepares and applies wood finishes | 11 questions | Preparing for wood finishing, including sanding, stains and grain fillers (48% of this area), and finishing wood surfaces with clear coats (52%). About 8% of the exam. |
| F – Prepares and applies industrial paints and coatings | 29 questions | Preparing for industrial coatings, including blast cleaning, profile and ambient conditions (53% of this area), and applying and inspecting industrial coatings (47%). About 22% of the exam. |
How to get certified
- 1
Register as an apprentice with your provincial or territorial authority
Apprenticeship is run by each province and territory, so hours, in-school levels and fees differ. In Ontario, Painter and Decorator – Commercial and Residential (404C) is a voluntary trade: you can work as a painter without a certificate, but registering as an apprentice is the usual route to certification through Skilled Trades Ontario.
- 2
Complete your on-the-job hours and in-school training
Log your work-based hours and complete each level of in-school training. Skilled Trades Ontario lists about 6,000 hours for 404C, roughly three years: 5,280 hours on the job and 720 hours in school over three levels.
- 3
Or apply as a trade qualifier / challenger
Experienced painters who never registered as apprentices can usually apply to write the exam by documenting their experience. In Ontario this is done through a Trade Equivalency Assessment. Each authority sets its own evidence rules.
- 4
Get approved and book the certifying exam
Once your authority confirms you are eligible, it tells you how to book the exam. Confirm with your authority which version of the Painter and Decorator exam you will write.
- 5
Write the exam
The Red Seal Painter and Decorator exam has 130 multiple-choice questions, a maximum of 4 hours, and a 70% pass mark. Roughly half of the questions ask you to apply procedures rather than recall facts.
- 6
Receive your certificate
Passing leads to a Certificate of Qualification. Painter and Decorator is a Red Seal trade in Ontario and most other provinces and territories, and Skilled Trades Ontario states that the 404C certificate does not have to be renewed.
How to study
- Study by the official breakdown: surface preparation (30), residential and commercial coatings (31) and industrial coatings (29) together make up 90 of the 130 questions.
- Do not skip industrial work even if you paint houses: blast cleaning standards, anchor profile, dew point and dry film thickness carry close to a quarter of the exam.
- Practise metric estimating with a calculator: wall and ceiling areas in m², coats, coverage in m²/L, waste allowances, wet-to-dry film thickness and theoretical spreading rate.
- Learn coatings by how they cure (coalescence, oxidation, evaporation, chemical reaction) and match each to its thinner, its primer needs and its common defects.
- Know your safety basics: WHMIS labels and the 16-section SDS, respirator selection and fit, lead and silica dust, ladders, scaffolds, swing stages and confined spaces.
- Take timed practice sets: 130 questions in 4 hours is just under 2 minutes per question, so mark long calculations and come back to them.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Red Seal Painter and Decorator exam?
The Red Seal Program lists 130 multiple-choice questions across six major work activities. Residential, institutional and commercial paints and coatings has the most (31), followed by surface preparation (30) and industrial paints and coatings (29).
What mark do I need to pass?
The Red Seal pass mark is 70%. On a 130-question exam, that means at least 91 correct answers. Red Seal states a maximum of 4 hours for its exams. Ask your apprenticeship authority about accommodations, because those are arranged locally.
What is the Ontario trade code for painter and decorator?
Skilled Trades Ontario lists the Red Seal trade as Painter and Decorator – Commercial and Residential, with trade code 404C. Ontario also has a separate Painter and Decorator – Industrial trade, which is a different certificate.
Do I need a certificate to work as a painter in Ontario?
No. Skilled Trades Ontario lists Painter and Decorator – Commercial and Residential as a non-compulsory (voluntary) trade. It has a certifying exam, and the Certificate of Qualification does not have to be renewed.
Is there industrial coatings content even though the Ontario trade is commercial and residential?
Yes. The Red Seal exam is built on the national occupational standard, which includes industrial paints and coatings as one of six major work activities worth 29 of the 130 questions.
What kind of questions are on the exam?
Red Seal says 40-50% of Painter and Decorator questions test knowledge and recall, 45-55% are procedural and application questions, and under 10% test critical thinking. Each question has four options and one correct answer.
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. Red Seal publishes its own sample questions for the trade.
Start practising for the Red Seal Painter and Decorator (404C) today
- ✓ 600 Red Seal Painter and Decorator practice questions, every answer explained and cited
- ✓ Full-length timed mock exams: 130 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 – Painter and Decorator trade page ↗
- Red Seal – Painter and Decorator exam information (breakdown) ↗
- Red Seal – Painter and Decorator examination weightings ↗
- Red Seal – Red Seal Occupational Standard: Painter and Decorator ↗
- Red Seal – Overview of the Red Seal Examination ↗
- Skilled Trades Ontario – Painter and Decorator, Commercial and Residential ↗
- Skilled Trades Ontario – Painter and Decorator, Commercial and Residential (404C) trade report ↗
- CCOHS – Spray painting ↗
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.