Can you write your 313A exam at the campus where you trained? Possibly, but a listed exam centre is not a reservation or a promise that your trade has a seat there. This is a freshly researched candidate question, checked on 2026-09-29, rather than a new exam-rule announcement. The location, date and time in your own booking confirmation are the details to act on.
What changed when STO brought exam delivery in-house?
Skilled Trades Ontario's delivery announcement says it became the direct administrator of certifying exams on February 1, 2026, including booking, delivery, identity verification and exam-day support. It says exams can be offered at Training Delivery Agents, and that candidates should continue to follow their Authorization to Test Letter. This does not say every training campus offers every 313A sitting.
STO's current scheduling page lists onsite exam locations by region. Treat that list as a place to explore options, then confirm actual availability in the booking process. A past appointment with an earlier provider is not evidence of today's room or arrival instructions.
Which document confirms your own exam site?
Start with the instructions in your Authorization to Test Letter. STO says its portal booking flow lets an eligible candidate choose an available date, time and location and sends an email confirmation after booking. Keep that confirmation accessible and compare its site and time with your current portal record. If STO contacts you about a rebooking, use the updated confirmation rather than an older calendar entry.
For an online Red Seal sitting, STO also says to check the exam confirmation email to see whether your location administers the exam online. The rsexam.ca account checklist covers the separate activation and session-detail checks. Being able to sign into rsexam.ca does not by itself establish a location. If the trade, session, time, duration or status shown there is missing or stale, STO directs candidates to contact it promptly.
Does a campus on STO's list mean you can book 313A there?
No. The public page lists locations where STO has established onsite delivery, while the portal presents the available slots for your exam. Availability may depend on the date and sitting. For example, seeing a familiar college campus on the regional list is a reason to look for it during booking, not a reason to travel there without a confirmed appointment.
If the available location is unsuitable, use STO's published booking help number rather than assuming an accommodation or alternate site is automatic. Request an exam accommodation before booking when relevant; the scheduling page gives separate instructions for those requests. A candidate preparing for a rewrite should also check the rewrite waiting-period checklist.
What should you study once the booking is settled?
Check the 313A exam information and the current-standard explanation before using work-area weights. Red Seal's trade page, checked 2026-09-29, still identifies the previous occupational standard as the basis for current exams and says exams based on the newer standard are under development. It does not announce an Ontario changeover date.
Use the study-plan guide to target weak concepts, or try the free five-question sample. The sample is original, unofficial draft practice awaiting the site's existing certified-mechanic review; five questions cannot predict a certification result.
Sources
- Skilled Trades Ontario: certifying exams in-houseFebruary 1, 2026 transition, exam-day administration and ATTL instructions; checked 2026-09-29
- Skilled Trades Ontario: exam schedulingRegional locations, portal flow, confirmation and online-exam detail checks; checked 2026-09-29
- Red Seal: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning MechanicCurrent versus newer occupational standard status; checked 2026-09-29
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.