The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) oversees the examination and certification of Operating Engineers and Operators in Ontario to ensure they possess the necessary qualifications and skills to safely manage, operate, and maintain registered power plants.
There are eight types of certifications specified in Ontario Regulation 219/01: Operating Engineers, each with its own study materials, certification requirements, and application guidelines. All certifications require the completion of one or more examinations and the submission of an application along with the required fee.
- Operating Engineer and Operator Mechanic Certifications
Certification and Examination
Certification requirements are outlined below, whether you are:
- Applying for a certificate
- Renewing an existing certificate
- Reinstating a certificate that has expired for more than 12 months
- A non-SOPEEC (Standardization of Power Engineers Examinations Committee) applicant with relevant work experience from outside Canada, looking to certify in Ontario
- An out-of-province certificate holder with an equivalent certificate applying for certification in Ontario
Review the category that matches your situation to get detailed steps and guidance.
Applying for a Certificate
Applicants seeking certification as an Operating Engineer or Operator can either attend training programs ─ many of which are offered by accredited training providers using a TSSA-approved curriculum ─ or take (or challenge) an exam without attending formal training.
Certification Through Attending a Training Program
Step 1. Attend Class
Enroll in a training program offered by an accredited training provider that follows a TSSA-approved curriculum. Accredited training providers are available for the following certifications:
- 4th Class Operating Engineer
- 3rd Class Operating Engineer
2nd Class Operating Engineer
- Steam Traction Operator
For the following certifications that do not offer training programs for enrolment, applicants will take the applicable exam and obtain the experience required for the certificate:
- 1st Class Operating Engineer
- Refrigeration Operator Class "B"
- Refrigeration Operator Class "A"
- Compressor Operator
Step 2: Apply for the Exams
Candidates must apply to take the exam through the Client Portal and successfully complete all exams required for the certificate.
Step 3: Obtain Qualifying Experience Time
Qualifying experience time must be obtained in a plant attended by an Operating Engineer or Operator. Please refer to Table 8 of the Operating Engineers Regulation for plant rating/capacity, Table 8 in the Director’s Order, or Alternate Table 8 in the Minister’s Order.
Step 4: Apply for the Certificate
Applicants can apply for certification through the Client Portal after they have completed all required examinations, obtained the necessary qualifying experience, and hold the prerequisites to apply for a higher-level certificate (see the accordion above for prerequisites for each certification type). Please complete and submit the Approved Training Course and Testimonial of Qualifying Experience as an Operating Engineer or Operator (pdf) as part of your application.
Certification Without Attending a Training Program (Challenge an Exam)
Step 1: Apply for the Exams
Candidates apply to take the exam through the Client Portal and complete all exams required for the certificate.
Step 2: Obtain Qualifying Experience Time
Qualifying experience time must be obtained in a plant attended by an Operating Engineer or Operator. Please refer to Table 8 of the Operating Engineers Regulation for plant rating/capacity, Table 8 in the Director’s Order, or Alternate Table 8 in the Minister’s Order.
Step 3: Apply for the Certificate: After completing all required examinations for the certificate, along with obtaining the required qualifying experience time and holding the appropriate prerequisites to apply for a higher-level certificate, applicants need to apply for certification via the Client Portal. Please complete and submit only section B of the Approved Training Course and Testimonial of Qualifying Experience as an Operating Engineer or Operator (pdf) as part of your application.
Exam and Certificate Validity
For Operating Engineers, passed exams and certificates have expiry dates that vary, depending on the certification type and when the exam was passed.
Exams: Operating Engineer and Operator exams are valid for five years from the date the exam was taken. For instance, if an exam was passed on January 15, 2020, it remains valid until January 15, 2025. If exams expire before an applicant applies for the certificate, the applicant will need to retake the exams.
Certificates: An initial or new Operating Engineer or Operator certificate is valid from the date of issuance and expires on the holder’s date of birth. Certificate holders must renew their certificates before they expire. Renewed certificates are valid for one year and expire on the holder’s date of birth.
Certificate Renewal
Certificate holders must renew their certificates before expiry. TSSA will send a certificate renewal invoice 60 days before the expiry date. To avoid late renewal fees, certificate holders should renew their certificates before the expiry date. If you did not receive the invoice, please log in to the Client Portal to review and pay the invoice.
Certificate Reinstatement
If an Operating Engineer or Operator certificate has not been renewed within 12 months of its expiry, the certificate holder must apply to reinstate the expired certificate as outlined in Ontario Regulation 219/01: Operating Engineers.
How to Reinstate a Certificate
Step 1: Submit a request through the Client Portal
In the ‘Applications’ section, select ‘Apply for Examination, Certification or Training Provider Services, and follow the instructions to submit a reinstatement application.
Step 2: Complete a written reinstatement examination
The minimum passing mark for the 1.5-hour reinstatement exam, comprising 50 multiple-choice questions, is 65%. Rewrites are not permitted.
The Operating Engineers or Operator reinstatement examination syllabus focuses on the following subjects:
• Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000
• Ontario Regulation 219/01, Operating Engineers and Director’s Order
• Ontario Regulation 220/01, Boilers and Pressure Vessels and Code Adoption Document
Step 3: Notification from TSSA
If you pass the exam, TSSA’s Certification and Examinations Department will send you a written notification via email with details about certification fees that need to be paid to reinstate the certificate, along with instructions on how to make your payment. Certification fees are set annually based on the current Operating Engineers Fee Schedule.
A certificate holder who did not obtain a pass mark for the reinstatement exam will have to retake the applicable exams for the certification type.
Out-of-Province Applicants with Experience Obtained Outside of Ontario
A candidate who holds an equivalent certificate from a province outside of Ontario is eligible to apply for certification to work in Ontario through the Client Portal. TSSA honours a combination of certificates in some circumstances where exact matches do not exist. For more information on recognized out-of-province equivalent certificates and how to apply, visit Out-of-Province Certificate Holders.
Non-SOPEEC Assessment
The non-SOPEEC (Standardization of Power Engineers Examinations Committee) assessment is for applicants who have acquired work experience from their home jurisdiction outside of Canada and are seeking to apply for an Operating Engineer or Operator certificate in Ontario.
How to Apply
Step 1: Send Documents
Applicants need to email their resume, work experience letter, copy of certificate, degrees and/or diplomas, and any other documentation that demonstrates experience to certandexams@tssa.org for assessment. Documents not written in English must be translated into English by a certified translator. Please allow 10 to 15 business days for a response.
Step 2: Apply for the Exams
Applicants who are approved and issued an approval letter must register to take the applicable exam(s) via the Client Portal and complete all required exams for the certificate class within the timeframe specified in the approval letter.
Step 3: Apply for the Certificate
After passing all required exams, applicants should apply for the certificate through the Client Portal.
Open Data
For transparency and accountability, TSSA releases data related to certified Operating Engineers or Operators. Please refer to the list of certified Operating Engineers updated quarterly.