How much does the Red Seal exam cost in BC?

It depends on your pathway and the attempt number. Apprentices pay no fee for the first and second attempts, then $100 for each of the third, fourth and fifth attempts at a certification exam. Trade Qualifiers pay a $120 application fee through the SkilledTradesBC Portal, which the rewrite table lists against the first attempt with no separate exam fee; the second attempt has no fee, and the third and fourth are $100 each. Tax status is not stated. A rescheduling fee applies after a no-show or a cancellation within 30 days, but its amount is not published.

How do you book the Red Seal exam in BC?

You book it yourself in the SkilledTradesBC Portal, where exam booking slots open 90 days before the exam date. Apprentices often write in their classroom on the last day of technical training instead. You can write at one of 15 listed venues or arrange to write at one of the 60 Service BC offices. You may reschedule up to 30 days before the exam. If you fail to attend or cancel within 30 days, no refund is issued and a rescheduling fee applies to your next booking.

What happens if you fail the Red Seal exam in BC?

You wait at least 30 days before the next attempt. The second attempt has no fee on either pathway, and the third and fourth cost $100 each. The rewrite table's apprenticeship rows require you to contact your Apprenticeship Advisor for guidance and approval before a third attempt and to submit proof of upgrading before a fourth; the challenge-pathway rows list the fees without those conditions, so Trade Qualifiers should confirm with SkilledTradesBC. Trade Qualifiers are limited to four writes inside a 24-month designation. Apprentices have no attempt limit, and before a fifth attempt the Completions Team contacts them for support.

What is the pass mark in BC, and how long do results take?

The pass mark for all SkilledTradesBC exams is 70%, and results are rounded up, so 69.5% and up is a pass. The Interprovincial Red Seal exam allows 4 hours. The Exam Results page says you receive an Exam Results Letter by email within 30 business days, with your mark on each topic area, and you can also see results in the Portal. SkilledTradesBC does not give results over the telephone.

Red Seal Exam in BC: Fees, Booking and Rewrite Rules

Q: Who can write the Red Seal exam in British Columbia?

Two groups. Active apprentices who have completed all required levels of technical training, and Trade Qualifiers, which is B.C.'s term for experienced workers SkilledTradesBC has approved to challenge the certification exam. SkilledTradesBC's rule of thumb is over five years of practical experience in the trade, but the exact hours and job task coverage are trade-specific and are listed in the Employer Declaration or Statutory Declaration form on each trade's page.

In British Columbia, SkilledTradesBC runs the Red Seal exam. You can write it one of two ways: as an active apprentice who has completed every required level of technical training, or as a Trade Qualifier, which is B.C.'s name for an experienced worker approved to challenge the certification exam. Apprentices often write in their classroom on the last day of technical training and pay nothing for the first two attempts. Trade Qualifiers apply in the SkilledTradesBC Portal, pay a $120 application fee that the rewrite table lists against the first attempt, wait roughly 10 to 12 weeks for approval, then have 24 months and a maximum of four attempts. You book your own sitting in the Portal, where slots open 90 days ahead. The exam is written in person, takes up to four hours, and the pass mark is 70%, with 69.5% and up counted as a pass. If you miss it, you wait 30 days, and the third and fourth attempts carry conditions as well as a fee.

$0 / $120First attempt: apprentice / Trade Qualifier

30 daysWait before every rewrite

70%Pass mark; 69.5% rounds up

Self-bookedIn the SkilledTradesBC Portal

Who runs it	SkilledTradesBC, an agency of the Government of British Columbia.
Exam fee	Apprentices: no fee for the first and second attempts, then $100 each for the third, fourth and fifth. Trade Qualifiers (challengers): the rewrite table lists the $120 application fee against the first attempt, no fee for the second, and $100 each for the third and fourth. Tax status is not stated.
How you book	Yourself, in the SkilledTradesBC Portal. Booking slots open 90 days before the exam date. Apprentices often write in class on the last day of technical training.
Where you write	In person at one of 15 listed venues across B.C., or at one of the 60 Service BC offices by arrangement.
Time allowed	4 hours for the Interprovincial Red Seal exam. B.C.'s own Certificate of Qualification exam is 3 hours.
Pass mark	70%. Results are rounded up, so 69.5% and up is a pass.
If you fail	30-day wait before every rewrite. The rewrite table's apprenticeship rows require Apprenticeship Advisor approval before a third attempt and proof of upgrading before a fourth. Trade Qualifiers are limited to four writes; apprentices have no attempt limit.
Results	Exam Results Letter by email within 30 business days, also visible in the Portal. Results are not given by phone.

01Who can write the Red Seal exam in British Columbia?

SkilledTradesBC's Administration of Certification Exams Policy names two groups who may write a certification exam: candidates "Registered as an active apprentice and successfully completed all required levels of technical training; or Qualified by SkilledTradesBC to challenge a Certification Exam." Nationally, "The apprenticeship and certification authority in each province and territory determines who can write the Red Seal Exam."

Apprentices. The About Exams page says: "When all levels of your technical training are complete, you'll write a Certification of Qualification or an Interprovincial Red Seal exam."

Trade Qualifiers, B.C.'s term for challengers. The Challenge a Certification Exam page says: "If you have extensive experience in your trade, you may be eligible to challenge the certification exam as a Trade Qualifier". The Challenge a Skilled Trade page adds a rule of thumb: "If you have over five years of practical experience in your trade, you may be eligible to challenge the certification exam". There is no single hours figure; it is set trade by trade. "Review the Employer Declaration or Statutory Declaration form (near the bottom of your trade page), where you can find the hours of work experience, percentage of job task experience and any prerequisite credentials required." See also our guide on challenging the Red Seal exam without an apprenticeship.

Level Challengers are a different group. People with one to four years of experience challenge Standard Level Exams, not the certification exam. In compulsory (STC) trades they must challenge each level in sequence, effective August 1, 2026.

People who already hold a certificate. If you hold a B.C. Certificate of Qualification issued before your trade became a Red Seal trade, the certificate holders page says you "may be eligible to obtain a Red Seal Endorsement by applying to write the Red Seal exam". Out-of-province holders pay a "$120 out-of-province assessment fee"; for military applicants, "No assessment fee is required."

02How to apply and book the exam

You book the sitting yourself in B.C., though apprentices may never need to: "These exams are often written in your classroom on the last day of technical training but may also be written at designated locations across B.C." For a Trade Qualifier the sequence is:

Open a Portal account. You "create a SkilledTradesBC Portal account by selecting the option to challenge a certification exam to start your application".
Document your experience. "For each period of work experience listed on your application, you must submit an Employer or Statutory Declaration", using the form for your trade. "All documents submitted must be in English."
Pay and submit. "Pay the $120 application fee through the Portal and submit your application and declaration form(s)."
Wait for verification. "Your references will be contacted by phone to verify your work experience. If references cannot be contacted, it will result in a denied application." "The typical processing time is approximately 10 to 12 weeks, or longer if you have work experience outside of Canada."
Note your 24-month window. "Once approved, you must schedule and pass your certification exam and practical assessment, if applicable, within 24 months of approval." The Trade Qualifier Policy allows "up to four (4) times" to write in that period, plus an "automatic 12-month extension" if it runs out while attempts remain.
Book in the Portal. The Exam Schedule page says: "Schedule your exam through the SkilledTradesBC Portal", and the Portal's Book an Exam article adds: "Exam booking slots open 90 days before the exam date." The Exam Rewrites page lists three channels: "making a request through the SkilledTradesBC Portal, calling Customer Service, or completing the Exam Application Form and emailing it".

Writing at a Service BC office. This is "a two-step process". You choose a date for your exam package to arrive at the office, and then: "Once your exam package arrives at the Service BC office, you must contact them directly within 45 days to book your exam date."

Cancelling, rescheduling and no-shows. The Portal article is direct: "You may reschedule your exam up to 30 days prior to your exam. If you fail to attend your exam or cancel it within 30 days, no refunds will be issued. A rescheduling fee will apply to your next exam booking." No dollar figure for that fee is published outside the Portal login. Arriving without acceptable photo ID has the same result (section 04). Also check SkilledTradesBC's service notice on job action, which returned an access denied error when we checked.

03What the exam costs

$0for an apprentice's first and second attempts. The rewrite table lists a $120 application fee against a Trade Qualifier's first attempt, and $100 for each attempt from the third.

B.C. charges by pathway and by attempt number, not a flat fee per sitting. The amounts below are from the Exam Rewrites and Challenge a Certification Exam pages, checked on September 17, 2026. They appear as bare dollar figures; neither currency nor tax status is stated.

Item	Fee
Apprentice, first and second attempt	No fee
Apprentice, third, fourth and fifth attempt at a certification exam	$100 each
Trade Qualifier, first attempt (the application fee, listed against the first attempt)	$120
Trade Qualifier, second attempt	No fee
Trade Qualifier, third attempt	$100
Trade Qualifier, fourth and final attempt	$100
Level exams and level challenges, including rewrites	No fee
B.C. Certificate of Qualification holder writing the Red Seal exam to add the endorsement, first and second attempts	No fee
Out-of-province certificate holder seeking Red Seal endorsement, assessment fee	$120
Military applicants, assessment fee	None
Rescheduling fee after a no-show or a cancellation within 30 days	Applies; amount not published

Where the $120 sits. For a Trade Qualifier it is the application fee paid in the Portal with your declarations. The challenge-pathway rewrite table shows $120 against the first attempt and "No fee" against the second, with no separate exam fee listed for the first write.

How you pay. The Fees & Payments page says: "Online payments for all exam and document replacement fees must be made through the Portal by Apprentices, Trade Qualifiers, and Youth Program Participants." That page carries no fee schedule of its own, and the rewrite table shows no page date. Nationally, "The cost of the exam varies by province and territory."

04Exam day: format, language, what to bring

Format. SkilledTradesBC's What to Expect on Exam Day page gives the time limits: 4 hours for the Interprovincial Red Seal exam, and 3 hours each for the Certificate of Qualification exam and the Standard Level Exam. The questions are multiple-choice, each worth one mark, with four choices and one correct answer. SkilledTradesBC does not publish the question count; it varies by trade, and our guide lists the question count for each trade.

Where and how. Exams are written in person, and you should "Arrive 30 minutes prior to the exam." The exam-day page separates paper-based from online exams, and the online list adds an access code to scrap paper, a pencil and an eraser; those exams appear to be delivered at venues. No B.C. page mentions remote proctoring from home.

Photo ID. "Your photo ID must be valid and current on the day you write your exam. Expired ID or ID with no expiry date will not be accepted." Bring one of these:

Driver's licence from a Canadian province or territory
Passport, Canadian or foreign
Canadian Permanent Residency Card
Canadian Firearms Licence
Provincial Identification Card
BC Services Card, or the combination Driver's Licence and BC Services Card
NEXUS Card
Canadian Certificate of Indian Status

"Copies or certified copies will not be accepted." Without acceptable ID, "You will need to reschedule with SkilledTradesBC and pay any rescheduling fees."

What is supplied. For Certificate of Qualification and Red Seal exams, "Study materials, code book or personal calculators are not permitted in the exam room for these exams. All required materials will be provided": exam booklet, pencil, eraser, calculator, answer sheet, exam question feedback form, a diagram booklet if required, and code books when required. Your own publisher-bound code book and a cordless non-programmable calculator are allowed only for Standard Level Exams.

What is banned from your desk.

Cell phones, laptops and tablets, cameras and smart glasses, recorders, fitness trackers, Wi-Fi devices and headphones.
"Smart watches and watches of any kind (digital, electronic, or analog)". Invigilators call out the time.
"Paper, notes, binders, or course materials", and your own pens and pencils.
Bags. Wallets and keys must be stored, and "Lockers will not be available at venues."
"Food and beverages are not allowed". The exception: "Water is permitted only if it is in a fully transparent container, fully sealable and free of labels or stickers".

Anything else needs approval: "Candidates must receive prior written approval from SkilledTradesBC to have any additional items with them during exams. Approval must be arranged a minimum of 30 days before exam day." Our exam day guide covers the national rules.

Language. You can request a French version of the Interprovincial Red Seal exam (section 07). The Exam Instructions to Candidates say: "Paper translation dictionaries are only permitted with prior permission from SkilledTradesBC. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted."

05How you get your results

SkilledTradesBC's Exam Results page says you receive an Exam Results Letter within 30 business days after your exam, sent "to the e-mail address you provided to SkilledTradesBC." Your results appear in the Portal within the same period, and the letter "will have details of your mark on each topic area", the part to keep if you have to write again. A banner on the same page words the timing differently: "Current processing times for receiving exam results is up to 30 days." Do not phone for your mark: "SkilledTradesBC will not provide exam results over the telephone; all results will be provided via email."

The pass mark and the rounding rule. B.C. states the rounding rule explicitly: "The pass mark for all exams is 70% (exam results are rounded up, so 69.5% and up is a pass)." The page's worked example of the scoring formula is "89/120 X 100 = 74.1%". Our guide explains what 70% means in marks for each trade.

Disputing a result. You must "contact Customer Service or an Apprenticeship Advisor within 30 days of receiving your exam results". There is a cost: "you may not reschedule the exam you are disputing until the Request for Review process is complete. This could take up to 120 days."

06If you do not pass

30dayswait before every rewrite. Trade Qualifiers are limited to four writes; apprentices have no attempt limit.

Every rewrite carries the same wait: "Rewrites, if permitted, will be subject to a fee and a 30-day waiting period from the previous attempt (refer to table)." What changes by attempt is the fee and the approval you need first:

Second attempt. No fee on either pathway. Wait 30 days and book.
Third attempt. $100 for a certification exam on both pathways. The condition published in the apprenticeship rows of the rewrite table is "Contact your Apprenticeship Advisor for guidance and approval before scheduling a rewrite exam".
Fourth attempt. $100 on both pathways. The apprenticeship rows add "Submit proof of upgrading before scheduling a rewrite exam", using SkilledTradesBC's Proof of Upgrading form. For a Trade Qualifier this is the last attempt.
Fifth attempt, apprentices only. $100. "Individuals will be contacted by a member of our Completions Team for support before a rewrite exam can be scheduled".

The challenge-pathway rows list fees without those conditions, so a Trade Qualifier should ask SkilledTradesBC whether the two steps apply. Attempts needing either step cannot be booked online; they go through an Exam Request.

Apprentices have no attempt limit: "Apprentices are eligible to rewrite Certification Exams with no attempt limitations." The published table lists apprentice attempts only up to the fifth, so ask SkilledTradesBC what applies after that.

Trade Qualifiers have a hard limit of four. "As of December 1, 2023, Trade Qualifiers are limited to four writes of their Certification Exam." All four must fit inside the 24-month designation, or the 12-month extension if it applies. After four failures, a person in a compulsory (STC) trade "must register as an apprentice", and a person in any other trade "may register as an apprentice".

Use the 30 days on the topic areas where your results letter shows the lowest marks. Our guide on how to study for the Red Seal exam builds a plan from it.

07Accommodations

The deadline is 30 days. From SkilledTradesBC's Exam Accommodations page: "You can make accommodation requests through the SkilledTradesBC Portal while scheduling an exam. Alternatively, you can complete the Exam Application form, indicate which accommodations you require, and submit it to customerservice@skilledtradesbc.ca. For any accommodation requests, SkilledTradesBC must receive your application 30 days before your exam."

The full list, from Appendix A of the Exam Application form, is: blue paper, increased font size, a straight edge, earplugs, a language dictionary, a sign language interpreter, a translator, a reader, text-to-speech software, a bilingual exam (Red Seal only), extra time (a one-hour extension), a private sitting, and other.

Language support. B.C. accepts language as grounds for a request: "If English is your second language, you may apply to use a Translator/Interpreter, a translation dictionary, or request a French version of your Interprovincial Red Seal exam."

Translator or reader. The person "must be at least 19 years old, have no practical experience or knowledge in the trade, and may not assist with the same exam more than once in any 90-day period". With one, "You will be given an additional hour to write your exam." There is also a ceiling: "A Translator can only translate a particular exam up to a maximum of two times."
Translation dictionary. "The translations must be word-for-word only", it must be paper, and it needs prior permission. "You will not be given extra exam time to use a translation dictionary."

08Certificate and Red Seal endorsement

In B.C. the exam you write determines the credential. If your trade's certification exam is the Interprovincial Red Seal exam, passing it puts the Red Seal endorsement on your B.C. Certificate of Qualification, and no separate endorsement application or fee is described for apprentices or Trade Qualifiers. The Red Seal Program's own description: "Tradespersons who have successfully passed the Red Seal examination receive a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial trade certificate."

The mark is not always the whole requirement: "Achieving an exam result of 70 percent or greater may not be the sole requirement for certification." Trade Qualifiers must also pass a practical assessment, where one applies to the trade, inside the 24-month window. Then "Once you have met all of the completion requirements, a certificate will be mailed to the address we have on file."

Adding the Red Seal later. Holders of a B.C. Certificate of Qualification from before their trade became a Red Seal trade (section 01) apply by submitting an Exam Application and a photocopy of the certificate. "There is no fee to challenge the Red Seal exam for the first and second attempts."

No expiry or renewal rule for the certificate or the endorsement appears on any official page we found, and no certificate issuance fee is stated. An endorsement "can be confirmed with the provincial or territorial apprenticeship authority that issued the Red Seal."

09Contact and exam locations

SkilledTradesBC Customer Service. 778 328 8700, or toll-free in British Columbia 1 866 660 6011, open 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday. Email: customerservice@skilledtradesbc.ca. Head office: 8100 Granville Avenue, 8th floor, Richmond, BC V6Y 3T6. The numbers, hours and address are from the Contact Us page; the email appears in the exams policy and the Portal's Book an Exam article. The Red Seal Program's directory of provincial and territorial authorities is the national reference.

Exam venues. The 2026 Exam Schedule lists 15 in-person venues, each with a maximum capacity per session, so check availability when the 90-day booking window opens.

Surrey (60), Burnaby (48), Kelowna (24), Victoria (24), Nanaimo (20).
Kamloops (18), Fort St John (16), Courtenay (15), Cranbrook (15).
Penticton (12), Golden (12), Chilliwack (11), Smithers (11), Squamish (11), Prince George (10).

Service BC offices. If none of those is practical, the Exam Schedule page says "we can arrange for you to write your exam at one of the 60 Service BC offices around the province." The two-step booking for these offices is in section 02.

10What British Columbia does not publish

We looked for each of these on SkilledTradesBC's pages and the Red Seal Program's pages on September 17, 2026 and could not find them stated. Rather than guess, we list them, so you know what to ask the office directly.

The dollar amount of the rescheduling fee charged after a no-show or a cancellation within 30 days. Three official pages refer to the fee; none gives a figure outside the Portal login. Ask Customer Service before you cancel.
Whether the $120 and $100 fees include tax, and the currency. The amounts appear as bare dollar figures.
Whether the Apprenticeship Advisor approval and Proof of Upgrading conditions that the rewrite table sets out for apprentices also apply to Trade Qualifiers. The challenge-pathway rows list the fees without those conditions.
Whether any exam can be written from home with remote proctoring. No official page mentions it; the online exams described appear to be delivered at venues.
The number of questions on each exam. SkilledTradesBC does not state it; only the Red Seal Program's per-trade exam information pages give counts.
Any expiry or renewal rule for the Certificate of Qualification or the Red Seal endorsement, and any fee to issue the certificate.
A single work-experience hours figure for Trade Qualifiers. The requirement is trade-specific and sits in each trade's Employer or Statutory Declaration form. The Trade Qualifier Policy names 6,000 hours only for military Construction Electrician applicants.
What the job action service notice says. The page returned an access denied error on September 17, 2026, so check it yourself for current disruptions to exams and certificates.
A fee schedule on the Fees & Payments page. An older exam application PDF points there for amounts, but the page lists none.
The fee and conditions for an apprentice's sixth or later attempt. The policy sets no attempt limit for apprentices, but the rewrite table we reviewed lists attempts only up to the fifth.

11Sources

SkilledTradesBC: Challenge a Certification Exam — the Trade Qualifier route, Portal application, declarations, the $120 application fee, reference checks, 10 to 12 week processing, the 24-month window, the four-attempt maximum, certificate mailing.
SkilledTradesBC: Challenge a Skilled Trade — the five-year rule of thumb, where the trade-specific hours are found, no fee for level exams.
SkilledTradesBC: Exam Schedule — booking through the Portal, the rescheduling fee, the 15 venues and their capacities, the 60 Service BC offices.
SkilledTradesBC Portal: Book an Exam (KA-01327, last updated December 2025) — slots open 90 days ahead, rescheduling up to 30 days before, no refund for a no-show or late cancellation, the two-step Service BC booking and its 45-day limit.
SkilledTradesBC: Exam Rewrites — the 30-day wait, the fee table by pathway and attempt, the conditions listed for third, fourth and fifth attempts, the four-write limit for Trade Qualifiers, other ways to book. The same content appears at Results and Rewrites.
SkilledTradesBC: Exam Results — results within 30 business days by email and in the Portal, the banner on current processing times, the 70% pass mark and the 69.5% rounding rule, Scantron marking, topic-area marks, the Request for Review process.
SkilledTradesBC: What to Expect on Exam Day — time limits by exam type, accepted photo ID, supplied materials, prohibited items, the 30-day approval rule for extra items, arrival time.
SkilledTradesBC: Exam Instructions to Candidates Writing Certification Exams (February 2023, PDF) — no results by telephone, paper translation dictionaries only with prior permission.
SkilledTradesBC: Exam Accommodations — how to request accommodations, the 30-day lead time, translator, reader and dictionary rules, the French version of the Red Seal exam.
SkilledTradesBC: All Exam Accommodations — the full list of available accommodations.
SkilledTradesBC: Administration of Certification Exams Policy No. E.02.2025 (approved July 29, 2025, PDF) — who may write, exam durations, the 70% pass mark, the 30-day minimum wait, no attempt limit for apprentices, the customer service email address.
SkilledTradesBC: Trade Qualifier Policy No. E.03.2023 v.2 (last updated December 16, 2025, PDF) — the 24-month designation, up to four attempts, the automatic 12-month extension, what happens after four failures, the Level Challenger definition.
SkilledTradesBC: About Exams — apprentices write a Certificate of Qualification or Interprovincial Red Seal exam, often in class on the last day of technical training.
SkilledTradesBC: Canadian and Military Certificate Holders — adding a Red Seal endorsement to an existing B.C. certificate, the $120 out-of-province assessment fee, no assessment fee for military applicants.
SkilledTradesBC: Fees & Payments — fees are paid through the Portal; the page carries no fee schedule.
SkilledTradesBC: Contact Us — phone numbers, hours and head office address.
SkilledTradesBC: Important Update: Exams, Registration and Certification Services Impacted by Job Action — a service notice that returned an access denied error on September 17, 2026; listed so you can check it yourself.
Red Seal Program: Exam Overview and Preparation — who decides eligibility, the multiple-choice format, the national 70% pass mark and four-hour writing time.
Red Seal Program: Register for your Red Seal Examination — exam cost varies by province and territory.
Red Seal Program: About the program — the endorsement is added to the provincial certificate; who can confirm it.
Red Seal Program: Provincial and Territorial Authorities — British Columbia's listing.

Every figure above was read on an official page on September 17, 2026. Fees and rules change; the office's own pages are the final word, and if you find one of ours out of date, tell us.

12Other provinces and territories

Eligibility, fees and rewrite rules are set by each province and territory, not by the Red Seal Program. The same guide for the others:

13Practice for this exam

The exam you write in British Columbia is the same Red Seal exam written everywhere else in Canada, built from the trade's published breakdown and marked to the same 70%. TicketPrep practice tests are weighted to that breakdown for each trade, every answer is explained, and the first test is free.

Ten free questions per trade, no account: free practice questions. How our questions are written and checked: how our questions are made.