Red Seal Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic Interprovincial Exam

What the Red Seal Refrigeration Mechanic (313A) covers

How to get certified

1. 1

   Register as an apprentice with your provincial or territorial authority

   Apprenticeship is run by each province and territory. In Ontario the trade is Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic (313A), administered by Skilled Trades Ontario. It is a compulsory trade there, so you must hold the required registration or certification to work in it.

2. 2

   Complete your on-the-job hours and technical training

   Log your work-based hours with your employer and complete each level of in-school training. Ontario sets 8,280 hours on the job and 720 hours in school (three levels) for 313A, about five years in total. Other jurisdictions set their own requirements.

3. 3

   Get your refrigerant handling certification

   Handling refrigerants is regulated separately from trade certification. In Ontario you need an Ozone Depletion Prevention (ODP) certificate card to purchase and handle refrigerants; the course is one day and you need 75% to pass. Other provinces and territories have their own environmental rules, so check where you work.

4. 4

   Or apply as a trade qualifier / challenger

   Experienced workers who never registered as apprentices can usually apply to challenge the exam by documenting their trade experience. Each authority sets its own hour thresholds and evidence rules, so check before you apply.

5. 5

   Get approved and write the exam

   Once your authority confirms you are eligible, it tells you how and where to write. Expect 125 multiple-choice questions and up to 4 hours, with 70% needed to pass. A formula sheet and acronym list are supplied at the exam.

6. 6

   Receive your certificate with the Red Seal endorsement

   In Ontario, Skilled Trades Ontario issues a Certificate of Qualification when you pass the certifying exam. A pass on the interprovincial exam brings the Red Seal endorsement, which is recognized across participating provinces and territories.

How to study

• Study by the official weightings: installation (26 questions) and maintenance and service (28 questions) together make up more than 40% of the exam.
• Control systems appear in four tasks (C-8, D-10, E-12 and F-15) totalling 34 questions, so practise ladder diagrams, thermostat wiring, motor and capacitor checks, and pressure controls.
• Practise superheat, subcooling and compression ratio calculations until they are automatic, always converting gauge pressure to absolute where a ratio is needed.
• Learn to diagnose from a set of readings: work out what high or low suction pressure, head pressure, superheat and subcooling together point to.
• Take timed practice sets: 125 questions in 4 hours is just under 2 minutes per question, so skip and return to long calculations rather than stalling.

Frequently asked questions