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By: Ronda Payne
Published On: August 21, 2020You're a welder, and you're good at it. You've been welding for years and you enjoy it. But you don't have a Red Seal Welder designation. Is it time for you to get one? If it is, you'll need help to study and pass the Red Seal Welder Exam Challenge. Even if you have advanced hands-on welding skills, knowing the theory behind those skills is essential to passing the exam.
Before applying to take the Red Seal Welder exam, you must prove your eligibility. In BC, this includes a minimum of 5,400 documented hours of trade-specific work experience and Welder Level B or Welder Level A certification. Requirements may be different in other provinces or territories, so be sure to check with your region. Once your application to take the exam has been approved, you can book your exam time and prepare to take it.
You can ask your Red Seal certified colleagues how they prepared for their exam, what their results were and what they would do the same or differently. But keep in mind that everyone learns in different ways. What worked for one person may not work for you. Some people need more structure around their education while others are self-disciplined and can push themselves to do the studying required. You might find that a preparation course is best for you.
If you want to be a welder, it is important to remember that you will need to balance work and studying. This can be difficult for people who already have a lot of things going on in their lives. However, if you choose to take an online welding course through Ashton College, you will find that the flexible learning options will help you succeed. Ashton's Live Online platform has been providing students with flexible learning options for years, so it is perfect for those who need more flexibility in their schedules.
When you are looking for a prep course to help you pass the Red Seal Welder Exam Challenge, make sure that the instructor has already earned their certification and that they can teach you both the theory and practical aspects of welding. The course should also include practice exams so that you will be familiar with the types of questions on the real exam and how it is structured.
Look for a school that offers an online format with ways to interact with fellow students and the instructor. This can help you get information on the areas you specifically need help with. You may know a lot about identifying discrepancies in drawings, but you may need help interpreting the symbols on drawings.
While preparation courses are likely to offer exam guides, you don’t need to take a course to access these materials. If you feel confident in studying without an instructor, classmates or integrated online tools, you can download the PDF version of the guide from the Red Seal program website.
The guide is comprehensive and explains what you need to do before applying to challenge the welding trade exam. It also tells you how to find out what the exam will be like, how to prepare for it and more.
Browse exam sample questions to give you an idea of what to expect during the exam. Knowing the format and how questions are worded is extremely valuable during studying.
In order to study for the welding trade, you need to focus on the National Occupation Analysis (NOA). The NOA is like a study guide, and it can also be found on Red Seal's website. The NOA includes sections on the different sub-tasks of welding. These are what the exam questions are based on. The sub-task sections explain what functions a welder needs to be able to do, and what skills are needed to be competent at this trade.
The task profile chart at the end of the NOA shows all the tasks and sub-tasks needed for a welder. This can be used to check your skills. Which tasks and sub-tasks do you feel you know well? Which ones do you need more information about in order to explain them to someone else? Once you know which areas you need more information, talk to others in the field, students or instructors to gain a better understanding of those sections.
The Red Seal site and preparation courses offer sample tests. These are one of the most valuable study resources because they give you a real-life idea of how the test will flow and what you can expect. If you think you’re ready without studying, take a sample test! It will quickly let you know if you’re ready or not.
The information contained in this post is considered true and accurate as of the publication date. However, the accuracy of this information may be impacted by changes in circumstances that occur after the time of publication. Ashton College assumes no liability for any error or omissions in the information contained in this post or any other post in our blog.
