Ontario Apprenticeship Testing Centre | Test Centres | Seneca Students

Apprenticeship Exemption

Seneca is authorized by the Apprenticeship Operation Unit of the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development to administer Trade Exemption and Modular Certification testing for apprentices and non-apprentices.

Dependent on job experience, as well as level of expertise, eligible applicants may challenge the in-school component of the various apprenticeship levels found within their trade-specific apprenticeship program.

Upon successfully completing a trade exemption test, applicants may be exempt from some or all of an apprenticeship’s formal instruction requirements.

Eligible applicants in specific modular programs are required to write and pass the certification test in order to work in the compulsory areas of their trade.

There is a non-transferable invigilation fee of $150 per candidate, per test. Test payment is due upon arrival, payable by debit/credit. Please note that the name on the payment card must correspond to the test taker.
Contact Us to schedule an exam appointment. Use "External Invigilation - Apprenticeship Exemption Test" and the Test Centre campus location you would like to test at in the subject line.

Requirements for Exemption Testing

• Eligible applicants must possess all the entry-level requirements for the trade they wish to obtain an exemption. Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program participants may also write an Apprenticeship Exemption test
• Exemption tests must be written in sequential order and without any omissions
• Successful completion of an Apprenticeship Exemption Test requires a grade of 70 per cent or higher
• After successfully completing an Apprenticeship Exemption Test, students have two years to become a registered apprentice
• If a student has not obtained a grade of 70 per cent or higher, they must wait three months (exemption tests) or 15 days (modular tests) before being permitted to re-write the test 
• Most exemption tests take three hours to complete
• Minimum age to write an exemption test is 16

After Test Completion

Seneca College will email test result letters directly to test applicants.

It is the responsibility of successful applicants to provide the ministry consultant at their local apprenticeship office with a copy of their results letter as proof they should be exempt from that level of classroom training.

Apprentices are to consult with their local apprenticeship office in regards to next steps in their apprenticeship. Workers who write Modular Certification Tests are to ensure that their employer is informed of their results, completes the required paperwork and submits it to the Ministry for certification documentation to be completed.