How to get a Certificate of Qualification in Ontario (C of Q)

Ontario splits certified trades into two groups under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021. Compulsory trades are the ones where the law says you must be certified, or registered as an apprentice, to do the work. Voluntary trades have a certificate you can earn to prove your skill, but nobody needs it to work. Which group your trade is in decides whether the C of Q is a legal requirement or a career choice.

Which trades are compulsory in Ontario?

Ontario has 23 compulsory trades. The ones that matter most for home services are listed below; STO publishes the full list.

Gas work is separate. Furnaces, gas water heaters and gas lines need a gas technician certificate from the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), G3, G2 or G1, not a C of Q. Many HVAC technicians hold both a 313A or 313D C of Q and a TSSA gas ticket.

How do I get a C of Q through an apprenticeship?

Find an employer, or a sponsor, willing to train you, and register a training agreement with the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The apprenticeship combines paid on-the-job hours with in-school training blocks. When your sponsor confirms you have completed the hours and the skills in the training standard, you are eligible to write the certifying exam, and passing it earns the C of Q.

1. Find a sponsor: an employer in your trade willing to train you (for electrical work, a Licensed Electrical Contractor).
2. Register the training agreement through Employment Ontario's apprenticeship services; from then on you may work in a compulsory trade as a registered apprentice.
3. Complete the in-school levels and the on-the-job hours set by the trade's training standard.
4. When you finish, Skilled Trades Ontario issues a Certificate of Apprenticeship and a one-year provisional C of Q, and your first attempt at the certifying exam is free.
5. Pass the exam and receive your C of Q.

Can I challenge the exam with experience from another country?

Yes, through a Trade Equivalency Assessment (TEA). It is for experienced workers who did not finish an Ontario apprenticeship, including people trained outside Canada, in another province, or in the Canadian Forces. You have to show verifiable evidence that your experience equals the full apprenticeship, on the job and in school combined, and that you have done the tasks in the trade's training standard.

• Fees: STO lists the initial assessment at $235 and a reassessment after a denial at $100, with HST charged on each. The exam costs $150 with HST added, and a separate fee applies when the certificate is issued.
• Evidence: letters from employers on company letterhead that list your dates, hours and the specific tasks you did, plus pay stubs, tax records or contracts that back them up.
• Translations: documents not in English or French need certified translations.
• Outcome: if STO approves the assessment, you can book the certifying exam; if it is denied, you can apply again with more evidence.

The most common reason a TEA fails is thin employer letters. A letter that says you worked as a plumber for eight years is weaker than one that lists the systems you installed, the hours, and who signed off your work. If a former employer has closed, gather anything that proves the work happened: contracts, invoices, licences from your home country, and references from the foremen or managers who saw your work.

What is the certifying exam like?

It is a written multiple-choice exam of 90 to 150 questions, each with four options, and you have up to four hours. The pass mark is 70%. If you fail, you wait 30 days and pay the exam fee again. In Red Seal trades, such as 306A plumber, 309A electrician and 313A refrigeration mechanic, the Ontario exam is the interprovincial Red Seal exam, and passing it adds the Red Seal endorsement recognised across Canada. Study the trade's Red Seal occupational standard and the code you work under: the Ontario Electrical Safety Code for electricians, or the plumbing part of the Ontario Building Code for plumbers.

Do I have to renew a Certificate of Qualification?

Yes. Journeypersons in compulsory trades must renew their C of Q with Skilled Trades Ontario every year; the renewal fee is $60 with HST added. The law requires a valid certificate to work in a compulsory trade, so renew before the date: employers, customers and platforms check.

How do customers and platforms check a C of Q?

Through the STO public register, which lists people who hold a C of Q or are registered apprentices in a compulsory trade. On Doyo, plumbers must hold a 306A Certificate of Qualification, and Doyo checks it before a pro is offered plumbing work and again when it is due to renew. Electrical work on Doyo is checked against an ECRA/ESA Licensed Electrical Contractor licence, and heating against a TSSA gas technician certificate (G2 or higher).

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