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Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) Red Seal Exam in Alberta

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

Certification is required in Alberta

This trade is on Alberta’s compulsory list as Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic. Under Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training (Tradesecrets), to perform restricted activities a worker must be a registered apprentice under supervision, a certified journeyperson, or hold a recognized trade certificate.

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

Preparing for the Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) exam in Alberta?

Start with 10 free interactive Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) questions with worked explanations, or take a full 125-question timed mock exam weighted to the official RSOS breakdown.

Try the 10-Question Interactive Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) Quiz & Free PDF → Take Full 125-Question Timed Mock Exam ($14.99 CAD) →

Or unlock all Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) 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: 125 questions, 6 Major Work Activities

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

Major Work ActivityWeightingQuestions
MWA A: Performs common occupational skills 10% 13 Qs
MWA B: Performs routine trade activities 15% 19 Qs
MWA C: Plans installation 14% 18 Qs
MWA D: Performs installation 21% 26 Qs
MWA E: Performs commissioning 17% 21 Qs
MWA F: Performs maintenance and service 22% 28 Qs

Source: Red Seal Exam Breakdown — Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A), red-seal.ca

Time allowed and pass mark

4 hours, and a 70% pass mark (88/125). 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 Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) Readiness Check

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

Sample Question 1 of 3
At a supermarket distribution centre in Mississauga, a refrigeration mechanic must replace a burnt contactor on a 600 V semi-hermetic compressor on the parallel rack. The mechanic opens the compressor's disconnect, applies a personal lock and tag, and sees the rack controller show the compressor as offline. Before touching the contactor terminals, what must the mechanic do next?
A) Test each phase at the disconnect with a tester proven on a known live source
B) Test one phase at the contactor with a clamp meter set on its amps range
C) Test each phase at the contactor with a tester proven on a known live source
D) Check the rack controller again, and take the offline status as proof of no voltage
Correct answer: C

A lock on the disconnect does not prove the conductors are dead: the wrong switch may have been opened, or there may be a second feed. The absence of voltage is proven on every phase at the point of work, with a tester checked on a known live source. A test at the disconnect does not reach the contactor, a clamp meter shows current rather than voltage, and a controller status is not a test of the conductors.

Sample Question 2 of 3
A mechanic in Laval is piping a PVC condensate drain from a ducted fan coil above an office ceiling to a floor drain in a utility room. On the old units in this building, slime blocked the traps, and they had to be cut out to clean them. What should the new drain include to make cleaning easier?
A) A cleanout tee or removable plug at the trap, within reach
B) A smaller pipe at the trap, with no cleanout or plug fitted
C) A fully glued trap with no openings, within reach of the ceiling
D) No trap at all, with no cleanout or plug fitted along the line
Correct answer: A

A cleanout tee with a plug, or a trap made to be opened, lets the drain and trap be flushed and cleared without cutting the pipe. It is located where it can be reached through the ceiling access.

Sample Question 3 of 3
The electronically commutated evaporator fan motors in a walk-in cooler at a Regina restaurant have stopped. One motor does not turn at all, and the others run. The mechanic measures full 120 V at the dead motor's connector, the plug is tight, and the fan blade spins freely by hand with the power off. What is the most likely conclusion?
A) The box thermostat is open, so the cooler is simply not calling for cooling
B) The supply voltage is too low, so a larger supply wire must be run to it
C) The fan blade is too heavy for the motor, so a lighter blade is needed
D) The motor or its built-in electronics have failed, so the motor is replaced
Correct answer: D

Full voltage at a tight connector with a free-turning blade, while the other motors run on the same circuit, means the motor or its electronics have failed. Most ECM fan motors of this type are replaced as a unit.

Where you write it in Alberta

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

Preparing for the Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) exam

Our Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) 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 Refrigeration & AC Mechanic (313A) Quiz → Take the full 125-question timed mock exam →

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