What Is on the Red Seal Steamfitter Exam? A Complete Breakdown
If you are a pipefitter or steamfitter working toward journeyman certification in the US, your exam is structured around the UA curriculum and NCCER standards. The core trade overlaps heavily with the Canadian Red Seal — see our Red Seal Steamfitter exam breakdown for the Canadian version.
How the US Exam Differs
No single national US exam. Pathways: UA Local 5-year apprenticeship, NCCER pipefitting assessment, or state-specific licensing. Code references differ: ASME B31.1/B31.3 (US) vs CSA (Canada). AWS D1.1/ASME Section IX (US) vs CSA W47.1/W59 (Canada). Imperial units throughout. OSHA replaces provincial OHS.
What the US Exam Covers
Piping Systems: materials (ASTM A106, A312, A53, B88), pipe schedules, joining methods, system testing (hydrostatic, pneumatic).
Blueprint Reading: isometric drawings, P&IDs, spool drawings, welding symbols per AWS A2.4.
Trade Math and Offsets: constants (1.414 for 45°, 1.732 for 60°, 2.000 for 30°), rolling offsets, fitting takeoffs, cut lengths. Imperial units.
Rigging: sling types, load calculations, sling angles, hitch configurations, crane signals. ASME B30, OSHA standards.
Welding: SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, brazing for pipe. Electrode selection, joint prep, purging, WPS interpretation per ASME Section IX.
Valves and Components: gate, globe, ball, butterfly, check, plug, needle valves. ASME B16.34 pressure classes. Gaskets, bolting, steam traps, PRVs.
Codes: ASME B31.1, B31.3, B16 series, AWS D1.1, OSHA 1926/1910.
The Steamfitter / Pipefitter UA Journeyman Exam Prep book gives you 1,000 NCCER-style practice questions across 8 tests. All imperial, all US code references.
[Get the Steamfitter UA Journeyman Exam Prep book on Amazon →]
[See the full Steamfitter UA trade page → /steamfitter-pipefitter-ua/]
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the UA exam the same as the Red Seal?
No. The Canadian Red Seal is a national 130-question test. The US exam is administered by your Local Lodge or through NCCER. Core knowledge overlaps but code references, units, and structure differ.
Imperial or metric?
Imperial throughout. NPS in inches, temperatures in Fahrenheit, pressures in psi.
Which codes are tested?
ASME B31.1, B31.3, B16 series, ASME Section IX, AWS D1.1, OSHA 1926/1910.
