Based on the Red Seal Cabinetmaker exam blueprint: machining, forming, veneers and laminates, shop assembly, finishing and installation
Practice on the go and jump straight back to where you left off.
About the certification
In Ontario, Cabinet Maker is trade code 438A, administered by Skilled Trades Ontario; the apprenticeship is 7,280 on-the-job hours plus 720 hours of technical training. Across Canada it is the Red Seal trade Cabinetmaker, so passing the Certificate of Qualification exam also earns the interprovincial Red Seal endorsement.
The Red Seal exam has 120 multiple-choice questions in 8 blocks: common occupational skills (16 questions), machining (19), forming and laminating (13), installing veneers and laminates (14), shop assembly (20), finishing (14), on-site assembly and installation (15) and specialized operations (9). Machining components with stationary and portable power tools is the heaviest task with 14 questions. Between 80 and 90% of the questions test procedural knowledge and application, 5 to 15% knowledge and recall, and under 10% critical thinking. The Red Seal self-assessment guide gives the pass mark as 70%.
ExamHub's free 438A practice quiz has 180 original questions weighted to the real exam blocks and tasks, with an explanation and a source for every answer. Questions follow the Red Seal Occupational Standard, with facts drawn from the USDA Wood Handbook, Ontario's Industrial Establishments regulation (O. Reg. 851), the Ontario Building Code and free CCOHS guidance.
What's covered
Categories follow the 8 Red Seal exam blocks, weighted like the real exam.
Try a few
Five sample questions from the question bank, with the answer and explanation.
Why: The RSOS expects a malfunctioning stationary tool to be recognized by hearing, feeling and seeing, and worn or damaged parts such as knives and drive belts to be replaced before use. Running on, or lubricating a moving machine, risks injury (O. Reg. 851 s. 75).
Why: Edge treatment thickness is deducted when the cut list is adjusted. The two bands add 2 mm to the finished width, so the panel is cut at 600 - 2 = 598 mm.
Why: Table 13-2 gives an average of 8 % (individual pieces 6 to 10 %) for interior woodwork, flooring, furniture and trim. 12 % is the figure for exterior siding, trim and sheathing, 15 % is a lumber grade limit, and 19 % is the dry lumber maximum.
Why: Eye hooks and hanging bars go in the least visible locations so no holes show on the finished piece, following shop standards.
Why: OBC 9.8.4.5 allows winders in a dwelling unit if they turn through no more than 90 degrees in total, each tread turns between 30 and 45 degrees, and adjacent winders turn through the same angle. Three at 30 degrees satisfies all three conditions.
FAQ
The Red Seal Cabinetmaker exam has 120 multiple-choice questions. ExamHub's bank has 180 questions, and Test Mode draws a 120-question timed simulation.
The Red Seal self-assessment guide for this trade gives the pass mark as 70%. The Red Seal exam page does not state a time limit, and ExamHub's Test Mode allows up to 4 hours.
8 blocks: common occupational skills (16 questions), machining (19), forming and laminating (13), installing veneers and laminates (14), shop assembly (20), finishing (14), on-site assembly and installation (15) and specialized operations (9). The heaviest tasks are machining with stationary and portable power tools (14), assembling cabinets and furniture (11) and assembling architectural millwork (9).
Skilled Trades Ontario lists 7,280 hours of on-the-job training (about 4 years) and 720 hours of technical training across 3 levels.
No. These are original practice questions written from the Red Seal standard and free public sources. They are not copies of exam questions.