Level Examinations
Level examinations are typically written at your training institution as you complete each level of technical training.

Instead of taking a technical training course, an apprentice may choose to challenge for credit for a technical training level in programs where appropriate ITA exams exist.
Note: ITA challenge exams do not exist for all levels in all programs.

Apprentices seeking to challenge for a technical training level credit may do so by submitting a level examination application to ITA Customer Service. There is no fee for challenging a technical level exam, however, a fee may apply to re-write an exam (see Fee Schedule).

Credit for completion of a technical level will be awarded where a mark of 70 per cent or higher is attained on a challenge level exam and recorded on the apprentice's record.

Boilermaker Practice exam (408KB pdf)

Bricklayer Practice exam (412KB pdf)

Glazier Practice exam (488KB pdf)

Insulator Practice exam (412KB pdf)

Motor Vehicle Body Repairer Practice exam (412KB pdf)

Steamfitter Pipefitter Practice exam (420KB pdf)

Truck and Transport Mechanic Practice exam (416KB pdf)

Welding Level C Practice exam (204KB pdf)

Exam Schedule    2011 Exam Schedule

Exam Sessions are held monthly in:

• ITA Customer Service (Vancouver)
• Chilliwack
• Maple Ridge
• Nanaimo
• Prince George
• Victoria
• Vernon
• Penticton

Exam instructions to Candidates, Code Books & Exam Materials Supplied During Examinations

All Code Books are supplied by the ITA for use during exam sessions, please see the link Exam instructions to Candidates, Code Books & Exam Materials Supplied During Examination form above. No outside Code books will be permitted in the exam room. On September 1, 2011 exam candidates will be required to use an ITA provided calculator during the exam sessions. Please see the above link for a complete table that shows the calculator that will be provided for the trade exam.

Exams can be scheduled up to two months in advance. Sessions are filled on a first come first served basis. Examination notification letters are sent to exam candidates to confirm the date, time and location of the exam session.  

On the exam day candidates must provide one of the following types of government issued photo ID:

• British Columbia Identification Card
• Canadian Driver's License
• Canada/US passport
• Canadian Permanent Residency Card
• Certificate of Indian Status (Canada)

Examples of acceptable photo identification

For individuals who would like to schedule an exam in another area of BC, please refer to the Listing of Service BC Office locations. Examination notification letters are sent to exam candidates to confirm the exam requested has been sent to the Service BC office. Exam candidates will then have 45 days to schedule the date and time of their exam in coordination with the Service BC Office.

Certification Examinations
Certification examinations are generally the examination associated with the final level of technical training and are written during the course of scheduled technical training. In the case of a program leading to a national credential, the apprentice will write an inter-provincial (IP) Red Seal certification examination. The IP examination is cumulative, which means that it tests knowledge from all technical training levels.

In the case of a BC program, the apprentice writes a certificate of qualification examination, a completion examination or a final level examination. Certificate of qualification and completion examinations are cumulative examinations, however, the final level examination is not cumulative. There are a small number of BC programs that do not require a final examination.

Note: Prior to writing an IP or BC program examination, an apprentice must:

• be in the final level of technical training
• have earned credit for all previous technical training levels

Certification Examinations may also be challenged by those who have the required knowledge and experience in a trade. Consult the relevant industry training program profile (see BC and Red Seal TRADES Programs) regarding the required work experience. To apply, complete the Certification Challenge Application form for the appropriate trade and submit it to ITA Customer Service for assessment. Note that there is a fee associated with this application (see Fee Schedule).

Time limit of ITA Examinations

- Interprovincial Red Seal Examination maximum time limit is 4 hours.
- Certificate of Qualification Examination maximum time limit is 3 hours.
- Level Examination maximum time limit is 3 hours.
- Foundation and Completion Examination maximum time limit is 3 hours.

Modified Administration of Examinations for Candidates with Special Needs
Procedure for Administration of Requests for Accommodation in Delivery of Examinations

Exam Results
Two to four weeks after the exam, ITA will send your results by email or Canada Post, depending on which you prefer. To receive your results in a timely matter, please ensure that you give ITA your current contact information. To safeguard the privacy of individual records, ITA will not provide trade exam results over the phone to apprentices, challengers and employers.

The fastest method is email, and we encourage you to make this your preferred channel of communication.

If you have questions concerning your test results, you should direct them in writing to the Industry Training Authority. However, because of the need to maintain test security, test booklets cannot be made available for review of the questions and answers, and the ITA does NOT provide a list of questions you answered incorrectly or correctly. The only information available regarding your performance on the test is provided on your score report.

Answer sheets are electronically scanned and scored. The Assessment Department understands the importance of your test results and uses many quality-control procedures, both computer and manual, during and after the scoring process to ensure the accuracy of score reports.

Re-writes of failed examinations
Apprentice or Challengers who are not successful in their first attempt and who wish to re-write or re-schedule an exam session may do so by submitting either a Level Exam Application form or an Exam Re-write Application - Certificate of Qualification/IP Examination. There is no charge for the first re-write. Subsequent attempts are subject to a re-write fee. See the Fee Schedule for more details.

Exam re-writes are subject to a 30-day waiting period from the previous attempt. Candidates who write an exam for the first time and fail with a mark of between 60 and 70 per cent are permitted to write a second time without a fee. Individuals who write an exam for the first time and fail with a mark of less than 60 per cent must attend technical training or demonstrate equivalent upgrading before being permitted to write a second time. Individuals who write an exam for the second time or more and fail must attend technical training or demonstrate equivalent upgrading and pay the appropriate fee before being permitted to write again, regardless of the mark received. See Fee Schedule for more details. Staff at ITA Customer Service will be pleased to answer questions regarding re-writing of examinations.

Certification
A BC Certificate of Qualification (with Red Seal endorsement where an IP exam was passed) will only be issued to the apprentice once all other requirements of the relevant industry training program (including work-based training hours) have been met, regardless of when the BC Certificate of Qualification or Inter-provincial (Red Seal) examination was written.