Do I need a Red Seal certificate to work as a Parts Technician in Alberta?

No. This trade is not on Alberta's compulsory list, so certification is voluntary there. The Red Seal is a recognised credential rather than a licence to work.

How many questions is the Parts Technician Red Seal exam?

120 multiple-choice questions across 5 Major Work Activities, set by the Red Seal Occupational Standard and identical in every province.

Red Seal Pass › Parts Technician › Alberta

Parts Technician Red Seal Exam in Alberta

Certifying authority: Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT). Last checked 2026-09-10.

Certification is voluntary in Alberta

This trade is not on Alberta’s compulsory list, so you may work in it without a certificate. The Red Seal still travels across Canada as a recognised credential, and employers frequently ask for it — but in Alberta it is a qualification, not a licence.

Source: Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (Tradesecrets) — Compulsory Certification Trades

Whether it is required or not, the exam itself is the same paper everywhere in Canada. What your province decides is whether you must hold the certificate, how you apply, and where you sit it.

The exam: 120 questions, 5 Major Work Activities

The Red Seal Occupational Standard sets the split below. It does not change by province.

Major Work Activity	Weighting	Questions
MWA A: Performs common occupational skills	16%	19 Qs
MWA B: Performs customer service	22%	26 Qs
MWA C: Performs parts acquisition	24%	29 Qs
MWA D: Performs warehousing and inventory	25%	30 Qs
MWA E: Applies business practices	13%	16 Qs

Source: Red Seal Exam Breakdown — Parts Technician, red-seal.ca

Time allowed and pass mark

4 hours, and a 70% pass mark. These are set provincially rather than by the Red Seal standard, and the four hours is the same whether your paper is 100 or 150 questions.

Confirmed against Skilled Trades Ontario’s Exam Preparation Guide and SkilledTradesBC. Check your own authority before exam day.

Where you write it in Alberta

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) — Edmonton, AB
Main testing center for Northern Alberta
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) — Calgary, AB
Primary testing center for Southern Alberta
Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) — Red Deer, AB
Central Alberta regional examination center
Lethbridge College — Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta regional trades testing hub
Keyano College — Fort McMurray, AB
Wood Buffalo region heavy equipment & industrial testing facility

Booking is handled by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT); confirm current locations and dates with them.

Preparing for it

Our Parts Technician bank is built to the weighting above, with a worked explanation on every question.

Start Parts Technician practice questions → Take the full 120-question timed mock exam →