If you are booked to write 313A, the newest document is not automatically the one behind your exam. As checked on 2026-09-23, the Red Seal trade page labels its newer Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic standard “New” and says exams based on it are still under development. It separately links an occupational standard for current exams. Check that distinction before allocating study time by task code or percentage.
Why are there two standards on the Red Seal trade page?
The Red Seal trade page deliberately separates the newer occupational standard from the standard used for current exams. That is an exam-development status, not an announcement that every Ontario candidate has moved to the newer exam. Follow the link marked “Occupational Standard for current exams” when you are mapping a near-term exam. Read the newer standard to see how the trade is evolving, but do not silently swap its task numbers into a current-exam plan.
What should you check before using an exam breakdown?
Open the Red Seal trade page and read the status labels first. Then compare the task numbers on the linked current-exam standard with any study sheet or course you use. For example, the Red Seal current-exam materials list “Services HVAC/R systems” as F-14; the newer examination-weightings page lists service under F-16. A task code without its standard version can send you to the wrong outline.
The two versions also present different work-area distributions. The current-exam self-assessment guide lists 13, 19, 18, 26, 21 and 28 questions across areas A to F, adding to 125. The newer weighting page lists 8%, 16%, 13%, 21%, 17% and 25%. Treat these as different published outlines, not as a change in your booked exam unless Skilled Trades Ontario confirms a transition for your sitting.
Does Ontario's 2023 apprenticeship standard settle the exam version?
No. Skilled Trades Ontario's notice says its updated Apprenticeship Training Standard took effect on December 4, 2023 for training agreements registered from that date. It also lets apprentices who began under the former 2004 standard finish on that standard. That notice addresses on-the-job training records; it does not give an effective date for a new Red Seal certifying exam. Keep your logbook requirements and exam outline as separate checks.
What should you do if your exam date is close?
- Keep your Skilled Trades Ontario Authorization to Test Letter and booking confirmation.
- Use the Red Seal trade page's “current exams” link as your starting outline, then ask Skilled Trades Ontario which exam version applies if your materials conflict.
- Study the underlying skill, not just the code: explain a fault, the measurements that test it, and the next safe step.
For a concept check, read the undercharge versus restriction walkthrough. The free five-question sample uses original, unofficial draft material; it is not an official exam preview. Examen Studio's exam information page shows both the current-exam distribution and the newer standard used to organize the preview bank.
Sources
- Red Seal: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic trade pageNew versus current-exam labels; checked 2026-09-23
- Red Seal: current-exam self-assessment guideCurrent-exam work-area counts; checked 2026-09-23
- Red Seal: newer examination weightingsNewer task codes and weights; checked 2026-09-23
- Skilled Trades Ontario: 313A training-standard noticeTraining-standard effective date; checked 2026-09-23
Examen Studio is independent and not affiliated with the Red Seal Program or Skilled Trades Ontario. This article is a study aid; on the job, follow current codes, regulations and manufacturer instructions.