What the grades mean, which trades are covered, and how a tradesman actually gets certified.
If you work with your hands in Nigeria and you have no certificate, the trade test is how you fix that. This page explains the system in plain terms.
Trade test certificates are issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment through its Skills Development and Certification Department. It is the only government body that issues them. The system has been running since 1957 and it exists to put a recognised standard on skilled work.
Every trade test certificate carries a grade. There are three, and they run from entry level upwards.
You move up by working and then sitting the next level. Nobody jumps from nothing to Grade I. If somebody offers to sell you one, you know what that is.
The Ministry runs testing across a wide range of trades nationally. At our Port Harcourt centre we train and examine in:
One thing worth knowing. The Ministry uses its own trade categories, and they do not always match the way a trade is described in the market. Solar and inverter work, for example, is usually examined under electrical installation. Ask us which category yours falls under and we will tell you plainly.
A trade test has a practical part and a written part. The practical is the main event, because the whole point is whether you can do the work. The written part covers the theory behind it at a level appropriate to the grade.
Content varies by trade and by grade, so ask the centre for the syllabus that applies to you rather than preparing blind.
Documents usually required include a means of identification, passport photographs, proof of your training or experience, a completed application form and your payment receipt. Confirm the current list with the centre before you come.
It is worth being straight about this, because plenty of people are not.
A trade test certificate proves you are trained to a recognised standard. Contractors bidding for site work need certified artisans. Companies hiring welders, electricians and plumbers increasingly check credentials rather than taking your word. Recruitment agencies assembling overseas applications need documents that hold up.
What it does not do is guarantee a job or a visa. Those decisions belong to employers and embassies. A certificate gives you a stronger case to make. It does not make the decision for you.
ServHub Training is accredited by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to conduct trade test examinations, and we examine on site. You train here and you test here.
Both include materials, the certification fee, the international documentation package and lifetime alumni access. No extras at any stage.
If you hold a trade test certificate and want to confirm it is genuine, read our guide on how to verify a trade test certificate. There is no online portal, and knowing what does work saves you a wasted journey.
127 Igwuruta Road, Atali, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Any weekday, 9am to 4pm. No appointment. Bring somebody with you.
Tell us your trade and how long you have been doing it, and we will tell you which grade you are in a position to sit. Including if the honest answer is a lower one than you hoped.
💬 Ask About CertificationA trade test is a practical and written examination that certifies an artisan's competence in a specific trade. It is conducted under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, which issues the certificate.
The Ministry runs testing across a wide range of trades nationally. At our Port Harcourt centre we train and examine in welding and fabrication, electrical installation, plumbing, carpentry and furniture making, refrigeration and air conditioning, generator repair, CCTV installation, and fashion and tailoring.
Our Foundation programme is N90,000 and our Advanced programme is N120,000, single payment. Materials, the certification fee, the international documentation package and lifetime alumni access are included.
No. A trade test assesses practical skill in your trade, not academic results.
It depends on your trade and how long you have worked in it. Come to the centre and we will assess it with you rather than guessing from a website.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Government processes change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.