Challenge an Exam

Challenge your exam to advance in your apprenticeship program without attending classroom instruction.

If you are a registered apprentice, you may request to challenge the exam for your period without attending classroom instruction. 

How to Request

If you currently have a sponsor for your apprenticeship: 

1. Ask your sponsor if they believe you have the skills and knowledge to challenge the exam.
2. If they agree, ask them to provide you with a signed Sponsor Recommends Exam Challenge letter. 
3. Upload the letter to your MyTradesecrets account to request the exam. 

If you currently do not have a sponsor for your apprenticeship: 

1. Submit (or confirm that you have submitted) a competence portfolio (blue book) showing that you completed the required work  experience (months and hours) for your period of apprenticeship with a previous sponsor.
2. Contact an AIT Office to challenge the exam.

If AIT approves your request, you will be contacted to pay a $150 fee and schedule your exam. If your trade requires a practical exam, you will also pay that exam fee. Current fee structures in specific trades will apply, and fees are subject to change.

Minimum Term

Apprentices are required to attend at least one period of classroom instruction in order to complete an apprenticeship program and qualify for journeyperson certification. Challenging the exam for all periods is not permitted, unless you qualify for a Minimum Term Exemption (see below).

Minimum Term Exemption

Apprentices in programs where classroom instruction is unavailable in all periods of their apprenticeship program, are exempt from this requirement.* 

This creates a pathway for completing their program and the opportunity to gain certification and earn their education credential. These trades have a ‘Temporarily Unavailable’ indicator in the Class Catalogue.

This does not apply to programs where classes are being offered but are currently full. If classroom instruction is re-established in a program, this exemption will be rescinded.

*This would include some exceptions, such as apprentices that had successfully challenged an exam in the first period before classroom instruction was made available, but classroom instruction is unavailable in all other periods.

See below for more information about how the exam challenge process works. 

Preparing to rewrite a Trades Qualifier Exam?

If you were unsuccessful in your Trades Qualifier exam attempt(s), you may be eligible for an exam rewrite.

See below for steps on rewriting a Trades Qualifier exam.

Click here for the fillable AIT Training Plan template.  For more information, please visit our AIT Training Plan page.