Do I need a Red Seal certificate to work as a Parts Technician (246A) 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 (246A) Red Seal exam?

120 multiple-choice questions across 5 Major Work Activities, with a 4-hour time limit and a 70% pass mark, set by the Red Seal Occupational Standard and identical in every province.

Which authority administers the Parts Technician (246A) Red Seal exam in Alberta?

In Alberta, exam application, trade qualifier assessment, and exam sitting scheduling are administered by Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (AIT).

Red Seal Pass › Parts Technician (246A) › Alberta

Parts Technician (246A) 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

Preparing for the Parts Technician (246A) exam in Alberta?

Start with 10 free interactive Parts Technician (246A) questions with worked explanations, or take a full 120-question timed mock exam weighted to the official RSOS breakdown.

Try the 10-Question Interactive Parts Technician (246A) Quiz & Free PDF → Take Full 120-Question Timed Mock Exam ($14.99 CAD) →

Or unlock all Parts Technician (246A) questions with the 7-Day Pass ($9.99) or 3-Month Pass ($69.99, Free-Until-You-Pass Guarantee).

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 (246A), red-seal.ca

Time allowed and pass mark

4 hours, and a 70% pass mark (84/120). 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.

Quick 3-Question Parts Technician (246A) Readiness Check

Click any option (A–D) below to grade yourself immediately and view the worked explanation:

Sample Question 1 of 3

While unloading a mixed pallet, you notice that a 20 L pail of alkaline radiator flush concentrate has split at the seam and is seeping across the dock floor toward a floor drain. Two co-workers are walking through the area with pallet jacks, and the spill kit and the SDS binder are at the far end of the dock. In what order should you deal with this?

A) Check the SDS for the hazards and PPE; stop traffic and keep people back; put on the PPE and contain the spill with the kit, starting at the drain; then report it

B) Stop traffic and keep people back; check the SDS for the hazards and PPE; report it; then put on the PPE and contain the spill with the kit, starting at the drain

C) Stop traffic and keep people back; check the SDS for the hazards and PPE; put on the PPE and contain the spill with the kit, starting at the drain; then report it

D) Check the SDS for the hazards and PPE; put on the PPE and contain the spill with the kit, starting at the drain; report it; then stop traffic and keep people back

Correct answer: C

People are protected first by isolating the area. The SDS then tells you the hazards and the PPE needed before anyone touches the product; containment and reporting follow. The other options use the same steps in the wrong order: A does 'check the SDS for the hazards and PPE' before 'stop traffic and keep people back', B does 'report it' before 'put on the PPE and contain the spill with the kit, starting at the drain', and D does 'check the SDS for the hazards and PPE' before 'stop traffic and keep people back'.

Sample Question 2 of 3

A senior customer buys a pair of wiper blades in the rain and struggles to fit them in the parking lot. Your store offers basic installation of wiper blades and bulbs at no charge when time allows, and the counter is quiet. The customer asks if someone could help. What should you do?

A) Fit the blades for them and add a labour charge, as installation is work outside the sale

B) Fit the blades for them at no charge, as basic installation is one of the store's services

C) Show them the package diagram and let them fit the blades, as staff stay at the counter

D) Fit the blades for them at no charge, but only if they also buy washer fluid today

Correct answer: B

Basic installation of wiper blades and bulbs is a no-fee value-added service, and the counter is quiet, so the blades are fitted for the customer. Charging, refusing or tying the help to another purchase goes against the store's service.

Sample Question 3 of 3

Your dealer management system requires serial numbers to be recorded for high-value assemblies such as remanufactured engines, automated transmissions and programmed control modules, from receiving through to the customer's invoice. A new receiver wants to skip the serial numbers on busy days, since the part number already identifies the item. What should you tell them?

A) Record them, as serials trace each unit for warranty, recalls and theft

B) Skip them, as the part number does the same job as the serial number

C) Record them at the physical count, instead of at receiving

D) Record them when each unit is sold, from the box at the counter

Correct answer: A

Serial numbers trace each high-value unit from receiving through stock to the customer, which supports warranty claims, recalls and loss control. A part number identifies the type, not the unit (B), and recording later (C, D) leaves a gap in the trace from receiving.

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 the Parts Technician (246A) exam

Our Parts Technician (246A) question bank is built to the official RSOS weighting above, with a worked explanation and code citation on every question.

Continue to Full 10-Question Interactive Parts Technician (246A) Quiz → Take the full 120-question timed mock exam →