What you pay to write the Red Seal exam depends on the province or territory, because each one administers the exam and sets its own fees. As checked on official pages on September 17, 2026, Newfoundland and Labrador charges nothing, having eliminated its exam fees effective April 1, 2025. Ontario charges $150 plus HST per attempt, Saskatchewan $175 per written attempt and Quebec $330, and a trade qualifier in Manitoba pays a $200 assessment fee and then $400 for the exam. Apprentices often pay less than trade qualifiers, who usually pay an application or assessment fee as well. Rewrite rules differ even more: Ontario and British Columbia set a 30-day wait, Saskatchewan sets three months after a failed first attempt in a rule worded for tradespersons, Quebec sets none, and several provinces publish no rule at all. The tables below give every jurisdiction, and each name links to the full guide with its sources.
01What the exam costs
Figures are the exam fee line from each province's guide, which quotes the official page it came from. Where a province charges trade qualifiers (challengers) a separate application or assessment fee, that is included, because you cannot write without paying it.
| Province or territory | Exam fee |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | 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. |
| Alberta | No stand-alone exam fee. Certified journeypersons pay a $150 Red Seal application. Trades Qualifier applicants pay $150 (Recognized Credential) or $450 (Work Experience), and the first theory attempt is included. Tax status is not stated. |
| Saskatchewan | Written exam $175.00 per attempt. Apprentices pay nothing for their first attempt. Trade qualifiers also pay a separate $400.00 assessment fee before they can register. Tax status is not stated. |
| Manitoba | Trade qualifiers: $200 non-refundable assessment fee, then $400 for the exam. Apprentices pay no exam fee. Tax status is not stated. |
| Ontario | $150 + HST per attempt. Waived for the first attempt if you completed an Ontario apprenticeship on or after January 1, 2025. |
| Quebec | $330.00, or $352.00 if you are certified by the CCQ, on the fee sheet headed Fees as of January 1, 2026. Non-refundable. Tax status is not stated. |
| New Brunswick | Two lines are listed: Certificate of qualification examination $250 and Interprovincial standards (Red Seal) examination $200. The fees page does not explain when each applies. Currency and tax are not stated. |
| Nova Scotia | Trade qualifiers: $350 including the exam, since October 7, 2025. Construction trades: waived until October 2026, so confirm the waiver still applies. Apprentices: a certification exam fee applies, but the amount is not published. |
| Prince Edward Island | $50 on the challenge form. The regulation fee schedule lists $25 for an apprentice's first attempt, $50 for a trades person's first attempt and $50 for later attempts. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $0. Exam, rewrite and trade qualifier application fees were eliminated effective April 1, 2025. |
| Yukon, NWT and Nunavut | Yukon: a $15 non-refundable application fee; no exam-writing fee is published. NWT: $200 non-refundable for a trade qualifier's qualification exam; none listed for apprentices. Nunavut: not published. |
Two patterns are worth noticing. First, apprentices and trade qualifiers are often charged differently: British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan charge apprentices little or nothing for a first attempt, while a trade qualifier pays to be assessed and then pays for the exam. Second, a published fee is not always the whole cost. Ontario adds HST, several provinces do not say whether tax applies, and Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island each have more than one official figure in circulation. The province pages set those out.
02If you do not pass: waits, fees and limits
This is where the provinces differ most. Some set a fixed wait, some cap the number of attempts, and some require training before a later attempt.
| Province or territory | After a fail |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | 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. |
| Alberta | Journeypersons: the Red Seal application is cancelled and you reapply with the fee. Trades Qualifiers: a paid second attempt, then a third only if you scored 60% to 69% and AIT approves a Training Plan. |
| Saskatchewan | Three-month wait after a failed first attempt, in a rule the SATCC words for the tradesperson. Upgrading is required after a failed second or later attempt. Maximum four attempts at a written exam (two for Temporary Foreign Workers). |
| Manitoba | Trade qualifiers pay a $100 re-exam fee and can re-schedule a second attempt within one year of the previous attempt without reapplying. For a third attempt the FAQs say additional approved training is required, while the certification exams page says upgrading is decided case by case. No waiting period is stated. |
| Ontario | Mandatory 30-day wait, then book again and pay $150 + HST again. |
| Quebec | No waiting period. The fee sheet lists $330.00 for enrolment to repeat a qualification exam. After two failures you must show proof that you upgraded your skills. |
| New Brunswick | Certificate of qualification re-examination fee of $120. Waiting period and attempt limit: not published. |
| Nova Scotia | No waiting period is stated. Trade qualifiers are permitted one paid re-write, then are recommended to training or an apprenticeship. Apprentices pay an exam fee each time they re-write. |
| Prince Edward Island | 30-day wait before a second attempt. A third or later attempt needs additional training approved by the Manager, and the Manager's permission. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Rewrite at least 30 calendar days later, and it should be within 90 days. A third attempt needs an ATCD-approved course of study first. |
| Yukon, NWT and Nunavut | Yukon: wait at least 1 month; a third attempt needs the Director's approval. NWT: no wait stated; under the regulations the Director decides between a supplemental exam ($50), training or more work experience. Nunavut: a three-month wait under the regulations, then technical training is mandatory after a failed supplemental exam. |
Where a cell says nothing is stated or published, that is not a promise of an immediate rewrite date. It means no official page sets a rule, and the office decides. Ask before you plan around it.
03How you apply and book
In some provinces you pick your own date in an online portal. In others the office schedules you, and in a few the published process ends at contacting an office.
| Province or territory | How it works |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | 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. |
| Alberta | Through an approved MyTradesecrets application. AIT's Trades Qualifier and Red Seal pages say AIT schedules the exam for you, while its booking page lists Red Seal and Trades Qualifier exams among those you can book yourself, within 21 days of approval and for a date 14 to 90 days after approval. Apprentices get details from their instructors. |
| Saskatchewan | Tradespersons register for a sitting themselves in MyATC, the SATCC's online account. So do apprentices on a second or later attempt. |
| Manitoba | Trade qualifiers fill in an Exam Application form that is emailed after approval, choosing a preferred time, date and place. Apprentices usually write in class at the end of their last level. |
| Ontario | Yourself, in the Skilled Trades Ontario Portal, after paying the fee and receiving an Authorization to Test Letter. |
| Quebec | On paper, by mail: enrolment form, photocopies of your certificates, and a cheque or money order. An application without payment is refused. The Ministère sends you a notice to register for an exam session. You do not book your own date. |
| New Brunswick | Contact a regional apprenticeship office. The AMS self-serve portal lists exam registration among its functions. No step-by-step procedure is published. |
| Nova Scotia | Trade qualifiers are scheduled by the Agency as part of their application. Apprentices apply in the Apprenticeship Management System (AMS), generally a month before the sitting. |
| Prince Edward Island | Trade qualifiers complete a trade-specific PDF form with employer declarations and forward it to the Examination and Development Officer in Charlottetown. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Apprentices submit a Statement of Eligibility. Trade qualifiers submit an Application to be Examined, then the online Certification Exam Registration Form. |
| Yukon, NWT and Nunavut | Yukon: the office contacts you to schedule; sittings run monthly in Whitehorse. NWT: apply through your local ECE Service Centre; scheduling is not published. Nunavut: contact your regional Career Development Officer; scheduling is not published. |
04How and when you get results
| Province or territory | Results |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | Exam Results Letter by email within 30 business days, also visible in the Portal. Results are not given by phone. |
| Alberta | Under Marks in MyTradesecrets, with a mark for each section. No release time is published for theory exams. |
| Saskatchewan | Through MyATC, with an email generated from MyATC. No turnaround time is published for written exams. A results review can be bought for $175.00. |
| Manitoba | Exam results plus a trade exam report showing how you did in each section. No turnaround time or delivery method is published. |
| Ontario | By email and in the Portal, with section-by-section marks. No turnaround time is published. |
| Quebec | Your certificate with the Red Seal endorsement is mailed to you. No separate endorsement fee is listed. |
| New Brunswick | The AMS self-serve portal lists viewing exam results. Timing: not published. |
| Nova Scotia | Mailed by Canada Post within 10 working days, with a breakdown by section. Marks can also be viewed in AMS. |
| Prince Edward Island | Not stated in the regulations or forms we could read. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | By email, usually 10 business days after the exam. If you do not pass, the email breaks your results down by exam section. |
| Yukon, NWT and Nunavut | Yukon: marked in 4 to 6 business days, then an Industrial Training Consultant contacts you. NWT: in the MyECE portal within 10 to 15 business days. Nunavut: not published. |
05Why the fees differ
The exam is national. The administration is not. The Red Seal Program's registration page says: "The cost of the exam varies by province and territory. Your provincial or territorial office will let you know the cost when you register for your exam." Its exam preparation guide adds: "The apprenticeship and certification authority in each province and territory determines who can write the Red Seal Exam." So each authority sets its own fees, eligibility, booking and rewrite rules, while the exam itself, the four hours and the 70% pass mark stay the same everywhere.
That also means the cheapest province is not a choice most people get to make. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Yukon state a residency or address requirement, and each authority's process is built for people who trained or work in its own jurisdiction. If you hold a certificate from one province and want it recognized in another, that is a different process from writing the exam; ask the authority where you plan to work.
06Sources and how to read these tables
Every figure on this page is taken from the matching province guide, and each guide links the official page and quotes the wording it relied on. The guides were checked against the apprenticeship authorities' own pages and the Red Seal Program's pages on September 17, 2026. Fees and rules change, and the office's own page is the final word. If you find one of ours out of date, tell us.
Related: all guides · challenging the exam without an apprenticeship · exam day: what to expect · the 70% pass mark · if you fail: rewrite rules compared
07Practice for this exam
Whatever the fee, a rewrite costs more than the money: it costs the wait. TicketPrep practice tests are weighted to the Red Seal Program's published breakdown for each trade, every answer is explained, and the first test is free.
Ten free questions per trade, no account: free practice questions.