# Red Seal Exam for Electricians



## sylvos (Oct 24, 2011)

Hi everyone - Can any of you tell me if the red seal exam for electricians is hard in terms of terminology. Is there any books or literature he can get online. My husband is just nervous about sitting the exam. We using an agency to help us get residency - its costing a lot but lets hope its worth it.


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## aussieadam (Dec 16, 2011)

Hi Syvlos

I'm an electrician also and in the same boat as you guys. This is the book you need to get hold it's at centennial college press . com 

The books called the canadian construction and maintenance exam: certificate of qualification exam preparation. 

I've had a friend sit the exam and he passed and said it's not really that difficult. I'm not the best with the theory side of electrical work so I'm a little nervous too. But it should be fine and I guess you can always just sit the exam again so it won't be the end of the world

Good luck


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## anthonyh (Dec 29, 2011)

Hi my name is anthony and i am a canadian citizen (My mother made sure i gained citizenship even though she had moved to the uk.) I am 27 and have been working as a self employed electrical contractor for the last 6 yrs. Business is very good here for me personally but i am seriously emigrating to canada with my partner and 2 children. Regarding the re-training is it a timely painful process? I am ok with the theory side of the uk electricians course but am sure the level of academia there greatly surpasses the uk's. I want to make the move there for my family and dont mind taking a fairly paid job (as long as it covers living costs.) any insight would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks..


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## uksparky (Jun 26, 2010)

Hi all I can assure you that the Red Seal is not as hard as the Canadians would have you believe. Anthony I too was running a successful contracting business in the UK and found that the key to passing the exam is exactly the same as taking a regs update back home. The Canadian electrical code is the size of a telephone directory with 86 sections and all appendices and tables, but all you have to do for the red seal is know your way around the book to find the answers.

Terminology is different but easy to learn, this exam is nowhere near as hard as city and guilds 2391. It is open book multi choice. A great learning tool is on the CSA website and is called the ESAT tool, it does cost but is well worth the money.

I used this tool for three weeks and then wrote the exam, to be fair I scraped a pass but it was a pass all the same, I think if wrote it now I would probably score above 85% but I have been working in the trade over here for 2 months now. So don't worry guys it is more than possible to come here and do it. Remember CSA website ESAT tool.

Dave


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## uksparky (Jun 26, 2010)

anthonyh said:


> Hi my name is anthony and i am a canadian citizen (My mother made sure i gained citizenship even though she had moved to the uk.) I am 27 and have been working as a self employed electrical contractor for the last 6 yrs. Business is very good here for me personally but i am seriously emigrating to canada with my partner and 2 children. Regarding the re-training is it a timely painful process? I am ok with the theory side of the uk electricians course but am sure the level of academia there greatly surpasses the uk's. I want to make the move there for my family and dont mind taking a fairly paid job (as long as it covers living costs.) any insight would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks..


They are 30 years behind the uk in regard of electrical safety and don't know the first thing about testing an installation, the way we have to back home. So just go back in time and megger the tails and all will be good. That was all we did when I was an apprentice back in the late 80's, oh how it changed.


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