How to write the Red Seal exam in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

01Who can write the Red Seal exam in the territories?

The Red Seal Program does not decide who writes. Its exam overview says: "The apprenticeship and certification authority in each province and territory determines who can write the Red Seal Exam." Each territory has an apprenticeship route and a route for experienced workers, but Yukon's hours rule is not the one the other two use. See our guide on challenging the Red Seal exam without an apprenticeship.

Yukon. Yukon's journeyperson certification page gives two ways to a Yukon Certificate of Qualification, with or without a Red Seal endorsement: "complete the Yukon's apprenticeship program; or apply with enough demonstrated working hours in a designated trade, including self-employment, and successfully pass the appropriate exam." On the second route, "You must have 1.5 times the amount of work hours for the designated trade." Its worked example is a plumber: the apprenticeship is 6,400 work hours, so a challenger needs at least 9,600. The application form adds a residency test. To challenge the Red Seal exam you must be a Yukon resident, with proof of residency in the application, and either hold a certificate of qualification from elsewhere in Canada or have the required trade experience, proven "to the satisfaction of the Director of Apprenticeship".

Northwest Territories. The rule sits in the Apprenticeship and Trade Regulations, not on a web page. They let the Director approve a trade qualifier who proves work in the trade "for a period that is not less than the term of the apprenticeship program for the designated trade plus 1,800 hours." That is one extra period, not 1.5 times. The trade qualification application lists the totals by trade: 9,000 hours for carpenter, 7,200 for cook, 5,400 for hairstylist. The apprentice FAQ adds a limit: "Work experience is only recognized for up to 10 years." Apprentices reach the same certificate under those regulations by holding a completion of apprenticeship certificate or by passing the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Nunavut. Nunavut's apprenticeship page says: "Certified journeypersons may obtain a Red Seal on their trade certificates by completing the interprovincial (Red Seal) examination." It points experienced workers to the Trade Qualification program but gives no hours figure. The regulations do: you are eligible to write the examination for a certificate of qualification if you prove work in the trade "in a manner that demonstrates sufficient variety of experience in the trade to establish competence" and "for a period that is not less than the term of the apprenticeship program for that trade plus 1,800 hours". Every Nunavut rule on this page rests on that consolidation, which the legislation site notes does not include amendments R-023-2015 and R-011-2018, so confirm what matters to you with the office.

02How to apply and book the exam

The Red Seal Program's registration page sends every candidate to the local office: "Complete and submit the appropriate Red Seal Examination application form or contact your provincial or territorial apprenticeship office for more information." Only Yukon publishes what happens next.

Yukon. Complete the application for examination for the Certificate of Qualification and a Trade Experience Verification form, "one form for each employer". The verification form page says your employer completes it and you both sign it; self-employed applicants "contact your Industrial Training Consultant for a list of required documents." Pay the $15 application fee, which section 03 covers. Submit in person at the Education Building, 1000 Lewes Boulevard in Whitehorse, by mail, or "By emailing a request for a secure upload link: apprenticeship@yukon.ca". Do not email the form itself, because it contains personal information. Review "can take 4 to 6 weeks." Then the office books you: "We'll contact you to schedule your written and practical exams, where applicable. You'll write your exam at the Department of Education building. We run exam sittings monthly."

Northwest Territories. Trade qualifiers apply on paper through a regional office: "Submit this completed form and the trade-related Verification of Trade Competence (VTC) Form to your local Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) Service Centre." The package also needs the "Completed Apprenticeship and TQ Fee Form", official certificates or transcripts, a self-declaration letter if it applies, and a current resume; a Career Development Officer helps. The exam fee is paid first, at a Department of Finance office or ECE Service Centre by cheque, money order, debit, or credit card by phone, and the fee form and receipt go in with the application. The regulations add: "Where the Director approves of the application, the person may take the qualification examination." How, when and where the exam is then scheduled is not published.

Nunavut. Nunavut publishes no application form, no scheduling method and no exam dates. Its apprenticeship page says only: "Please contact your regional Career Development Officer for details." The regulations state that a trade qualifier applies "in a form established by the Supervisor", and that the Canadian Interprovincial Standards Examination "must be administered in the manner established by the Supervisor". So your first step is a call or email to the regional office listed in section 09.

03What the exam costs

All amounts are as published by each territory on September 17, 2026, in Canadian dollars. The Red Seal Program sets no fee of its own: "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."

Yukon. "You will need to pay a non-refundable $15 application fee to apply for a Yukon certificate of qualification." You can pay by cash, cheque, debit or credit card, or by phone at 1-800-661-0408 ext. 5298; do not send cash in the mail. "The practical examination fee is $20 and is non-refundable", and it applies to hairstylist and welder.

Northwest Territories. The application form says: "There is no fee to apply for Trades Qualification. There is a non-refundable $200.00 exam fee for those writing a Qualification Examination". The regulations' Schedule B lists the same $200, a $50 non-refundable supplemental qualification examination fee payable before you write, and no exam fee for apprentices.

Nunavut. No certification exam fee appears on Nunavut's apprenticeship page or in the consolidated regulations. The only fee those regulations mention is $25 to accompany an appeal. Ask your Career Development Officer what you will be charged before you apply.

04Exam day: format, language, what to bring

The exam itself. No territory publishes its own description of the certification exam, so the Red Seal Program's rules are the reference, here and in the sections below. "The Red Seal Exam has a pass mark of 70%. The writing time is four hours." The exam centre supplies what you need, including a calculator if one is needed, and the Program's preparation guide keeps electronic devices out of the exam room and tells you to "Know what you need to bring (e.g., government issued photo ID, proof of apprenticeship, etc.)", which in the territories means asking the office. On language: "Confirm with your provincial or territorial office that your exam will be in the official language (English or French) of your choice." Our guide on what to expect on exam day covers the rest.

Yukon. You write at the Department of Education building in Whitehorse, the territory's only exam location, and hairstylist and welder candidates also take a practical exam. For the rest Yukon points to the Red Seal Exam Preparation Guide.

Northwest Territories. The regulations state: "The Director may administer an examination (a) in writing; (b) orally; or (c) by means of demonstration." No NWT page states the certification exam's pass mark or length. The 70% figure appears in the regulations for apprenticeship level exams, and on the Exam Preparation Plan form. Where you write, and whether on paper or on a computer, is not published.

Nunavut. Nunavut's website says nothing about exam day. The regulations state: "An examination under these regulations may be delivered by (a) objective written or oral questions; or (b) practical demonstration", and they set pass marks for apprenticeship level exams only. On interpreters and exam language, see section 07.

05How you get your results

Yukon. "It will take 4 to 6 business days to mark your exam. An Industrial Training Consultant with the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification office will contact you with your results."

Northwest Territories. Results come through the MyECE online portal. The MyECE FAQ says: "Course and exam results will be available within 10 to 15 business days of the last day of your course or the date the exam was written." The portal also lets you "View technical training and exam results" and "Download official copies of your marks letters", and access is by emailing apprenticeship@gov.nt.ca for a web access code.

Nunavut. Nunavut publishes neither how results are delivered nor how long marking takes. Ask your Career Development Officer when you apply.

06If you do not pass

Yukon. "You can book the future exam date right away, but you must wait at least 1 month before retaking the exam." A third attempt is allowed only with the approval of the Director of Apprenticeship, and the page warns: "You'll be required to get more training if you do not pass the exam on your 3rd try." No rewrite fee is published.

Northwest Territories. No waiting period and no maximum number of attempts is stated; the decision belongs to the Director. Under the regulations, after a failed qualification exam the Director may permit the person to "(a) take a supplemental qualification examination; (b) take technical training courses as directed; or (c) gain further work experience as directed." A supplemental exam costs $50, non-refundable and paid to the Director before you write. The Exam Preparation Plan form, used for Red Seal and trade qualification exams among others, records the subject areas where you scored below 70% and how you plan to study them.

Nunavut. The regulations are specific here: "A person who fails the examination may attempt a supplemental examination after a waiting period of three months." That is two attempts. If you fail the supplemental exam, you cannot try again "until he or she has completed and passed any course or courses of technical training as required by the Supervisor". No rewrite fee is published.

Use the wait on the areas where you lost marks. Our guide on how to study for the Red Seal exam builds a plan from the trade's exam breakdown.

07Accommodations

The Red Seal Program leaves accommodations to the local office: "ask about accommodations you may be entitled to when writing the exam. Keep in mind that the request for accommodation has to be made well in advance." None of the three territories has a dedicated accommodations page.

Yukon. Nothing is published on Yukon's apprenticeship pages. Raise it with the Apprenticeship and Trade Certification office when you apply, before the office schedules your sitting.

Northwest Territories. The trade qualification application has a field for it: "If you require special needs services, describe the services you require: (Include official documentation)". The regulations also allow an exam orally or by demonstration, and allow a candidate who "does not possess a sufficient knowledge of English or French" to write "with the assistance of an interpreter" who has no training or experience in the trade.

Nunavut. Nothing is published on Nunavut's website. The regulations allow oral delivery, and a written examination in French at the equivalent level where a French examination is available from another jurisdiction. They allow an interpreter only for exams "other than an entrance examination or a Canadian Interprovincial Standards Examination", which rules one out for the Red Seal exam. Tell your Career Development Officer what you need as early as you can.

08Certificate and Red Seal endorsement

The Red Seal Program's program page describes the endorsement the same way for every jurisdiction: "Tradespersons who have successfully passed the Red Seal examination receive a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial trade certificate."

Yukon. "If you pass the exam, you'll receive a Certificate of Qualification. We'll mail the certificate within 4 to 6 weeks." A credentials letter is available sooner on request. yukon.ca frames the endorsement as "Those who pass the Red Seal exam receive a Red Seal endorsement on their territorial trade certificate". Some Yukon trades, including electrician, gasfitter, oil-burner mechanic, power engineer and elevator technician, also need a Building Safety Branch licence, which is separate from certification.

Northwest Territories. Under the regulations you may request a certificate of qualification if you hold a completion of apprenticeship certificate, have passed the qualification examination or the interprovincial Red Seal examination, or hold equivalent certification from another province or territory. Schedule B shows no fee for the certificate itself. The department's main apprenticeship page says: "If you complete the Red Seal (interprovincial standards) Program, you can work anywhere in the country without having to take another exam."

Nunavut. Nunavut's page says: "Tradespeople with a valid Red Seal endorsed trade certificate can work anywhere in Canada." The regulations add that a person holding a certificate from a province or territory listed in their Schedule B is eligible for a Nunavut certificate of qualification.

09Contact and exam locations

The Red Seal Program's list of apprenticeship authorities carries the official listing for each territory.

Yukon. Apprenticeship and Trade Certification, Department of Education. Phone 867-667-5298, or toll-free in Yukon 1-800-661-0408 ext. 5298. Email apprenticeship@yukon.ca for general questions and to request a secure upload link. Office and exam location: Department of Education building, 1000 Lewes Boulevard, Whitehorse (the entrance to parking is on Hospital Road), Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Mail: Government of Yukon, Apprenticeship (E-13), Box 2703, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6.

Northwest Territories. Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupation Certification, Department of Education, Culture and Employment. Phone (867) 767-9351 ext 71152. Email apprenticeship@gov.nt.ca. Office: 1st Floor, Lahm Ridge Tower, 4501 50 Avenue, Yellowknife X1A 2P9. Mail: P.O. Box 1320, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9. No list of exam centres is published. Applications and fee payments go through the regional ECE Service Centres listed on the fee form:

• Fort Simpson (Deh Cho): 867-695-7338
• Fort Smith (South Slave): 867-872-7425
• Hay River: 867-874-5050
• Inuvik (Beaufort Delta): 867-777-7212
• Norman Wells (Sahtu): 867-587-7158
• Yellowknife: 867-767-9356

Nunavut. Nunavut Apprenticeship Certification Unit, Department of Family Services, led by the Supervisor of Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification. Phone 867-975-5280. Email nuapprenticeship@gov.nu.ca. Mail: P.O. Box 1000, Stn 920, Iqaluit, Nunavut X0A 0H0. No exam centres are listed. Your first contact is the regional Career Development office:

• Qikiqtani, North Baffin: 1-800-567-1514, northbaffincdo@gov.nu.ca
• Qikiqtani, South Baffin: 1-855-975-6580, southbaffincdo@gov.nu.ca
• Kivalliq: 1-800-953-8516, kivalliqcdo@gov.nu.ca
• Kitikmeot: 1-800-661-0845, kitikmeotcdo@gov.nu.ca

10What the territories do not publish

We looked for each of these on the three territorial governments' pages, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut apprenticeship regulations, 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. Nunavut publishes least of all.

• Yukon: any fee to write or rewrite the exam, for apprentices or challengers. Only the $15 application fee and the $20 practical exam fee are published.
• Yukon: what to bring, what ID is required, what materials are allowed, and a pass mark or exam format of its own. Yukon's pages point to the Red Seal Program's guide instead.
• Yukon: an accommodations policy, and how apprentices, as opposed to challengers, register for their final exam.
• Yukon: the Apprentice Training and Tradesperson's Qualifications Regulation returned an access error on September 17, 2026, so its fee schedule could not be checked.
• Northwest Territories: how the exam is scheduled, on what dates, at which locations, and whether it is written on paper or online.
• Northwest Territories: what to bring, ID requirements and calculator rules.
• Northwest Territories: the certification exam's pass mark and length. The regulations give 70% for apprenticeship level exams only, and the Exam Preparation Plan form uses 70% as its threshold.
• Northwest Territories: a waiting period before a rewrite, a maximum number of attempts, and whether apprentices pay any fee for the final Red Seal exam. The first two are left to the Director, and the regulations' fee schedule lists no apprentice exam fee.
• Northwest Territories: the department's Technical Training Guide page returned an access error on September 17, 2026 and could not be read.
• Nunavut: any fee. No certification exam fee, rewrite fee or trade qualification application fee is published.
• Nunavut: the application form, how exams are scheduled, where they are written, whether on paper or online, what to bring, ID and calculator rules, and an accommodations process.
• Nunavut: how and when results are released, and a pass mark for the certification exam. The Red Seal Program states 70%; Nunavut does not restate it.
• Nunavut: two secondary government pages, on supports for apprentices and the Family Services apprenticeship page, were blocked by a bot check on September 17, 2026 and could not be read.
• Nunavut: the consolidated regulations we read do not include amendments R-023-2015 and R-011-2018, so the hours rule, the three-month wait and the interpreter rule may have changed. Confirm them with the office.
• Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut: a separate Red Seal endorsement fee, or any renewal or expiry rule for the certificate. None of the three lists one.

11Sources

• Yukon: Apply to certify as a journeyperson in a designated trade — the two routes, 1.5 times the work hours, the $15 application fee and $20 practical exam fee, 4 to 6 weeks' processing, monthly sittings in Whitehorse, marking in 4 to 6 business days, the one-month wait and third-attempt rules, certificate mailing.
• Yukon: Application for Journeyperson Certificate of Qualification (Rev. 02/2025, PDF) — the Yukon residency requirement, hours proven to the Director's satisfaction, payment methods, submission routes.
• Yukon: Find a Trade Experience Verification form — the employer-completed verification form, one per trade.
• Yukon: Apprentices and trades — the Yukon apprenticeship office's main page.
• NWT: Trade Qualification and Designated Trainer Application (NWT9318/1023, PDF) — no application fee, the $200 non-refundable exam fee, trade qualifier hours by trade, the VTC form, the special needs field, submission to an ECE Service Centre.
• NWT: Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupation Certification Fee Form (NWT9309/0722, PDF) — the $200 and $50 examination fees, other certificate fees, where to pay, the regional service centre phone numbers.
• NWT: Apprenticeship and Trade Regulations (consolidated, PDF) — how exams may be administered, the interpreter rule, the apprenticeship term plus 1,800 hours, the Director's options after a failed exam, the certificate of qualification, the Schedule B fees.
• NWT: FAQs for apprentices — the trade qualification process and the 10-year limit on recognized work experience.
• NWT: MyECE FAQ — exam results within 10 to 15 business days.
• NWT: ATOC online portal — viewing exam results and downloading marks letters.
• NWT: Exam Preparation Plan (PDF) — the study plan form used after a previous attempt, with its 70% threshold.
• NWT: Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupation Certification — contact details and the Red Seal mobility statement.
• Nunavut: Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification — the Red Seal through the interprovincial exam, the Trade Qualification program, the Career Development Officer contacts.
• Nunavut: Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Regulations, consolidation — the legislation site's page for the regulations, which notes the amendments not included.
• Nunavut: Apprenticeship, Trade and Occupations Certification Regulations (PDF) — the apprenticeship term plus 1,800 hours, the three-month wait, technical training after a failed supplemental exam, the interpreter and French rules, how exams may be delivered, the $25 appeal fee.
• Red Seal Program: Provincial and Territorial Authorities — the listings for Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
• Red Seal Program: Exam Overview and Preparation — who decides eligibility, the national 70% pass mark and four-hour writing time, the question format, what the exam centre supplies.
• Red Seal Program: Exam Preparation Guide (PDF) — the ban on electronic devices in the exam room, and knowing what to bring.
• Red Seal Program: Register for your Red Seal Examination — applying through the territorial office, fees set by each jurisdiction, exam language, asking about accommodations well in advance.
• Red Seal Program: About the program — the endorsement on the territorial trade certificate.

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:

Related: all guides · challenging the exam without an apprenticeship · exam day: what to expect · the 70% pass mark · if you fail: rewrite rules compared

13Practice for this exam

The exam you write in Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut 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.