The advanced level. The grade that matters most for contract work and for applications abroad.
Trade Test Grade I is the highest of the three levels issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment through its Skills Development and Certification Department. It is the certification for tradesmen who have been doing the work for years.
Written as Grade 1, Grade I, TT1 or Trade Test 1. Same certificate.
Published guidance on the experience threshold varies, and it is assessed against the trade and the candidate. Ask an accredited centre what your own experience qualifies you for. Do not assume from a number you read somewhere.
Grade I assesses mastery rather than competence.
Practical and written components, with content that varies by trade. Ask for the syllabus that applies to yours.
Two reasons, and both are practical.
Government and contract work. Many contracts require certified artisans, and the grade required is usually at the upper end. A contractor assembling a bid needs people on the books who meet that bar.
Overseas applications. Countries that accept skilled tradespeople assess the credential alongside experience, language and the job offer. A stronger credential makes a stronger file. In Germany, for example, foreign vocational qualifications go through a formal recognition process, and where a qualification is not recognised outright there are routes that involve further assessment. Our international pathway page covers this in detail.
Here is the part other people will not tell you. Grade I does not get you a visa. Nobody can promise you a visa. Visa decisions are made by foreign embassies based on your individual application, your job offer, your language ability, your financial position and their own judgement. What a Grade I certificate does is give you the strongest version of the application you are entitled to make. The decision belongs to them.
Anyone who tells you a certificate guarantees a visa is lying to you, and it usually costs money to find that out.
ServHub Training is accredited by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to conduct trade test examinations, and we examine on site in Port Harcourt.
Trades we train and examine:
The Ministry uses its own trade categories, which do not always match how a trade is described in the market. Ask us which category yours falls under.
This is the most common situation we see. Fifteen years on site, work anybody would vouch for, and nothing official to show for it.
Your experience is not wasted. It counts towards the grade you are eligible to sit. Our Advanced programme exists for this, for people who need the certification to catch up with the skill. The certification fee is included, along with the international documentation package.
Walk into the centre at 127 Igwuruta Road, Atali, Port Harcourt, any weekday between 9am and 4pm. No appointment. We will tell you which grade your experience puts you in a position to sit, including if the honest answer is a lower one.
If you already hold a certificate and want to confirm it is in the records, read how to verify a trade test certificate.
💬 Ask About Grade 1Trade Test Grade I is the advanced level certification issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment. It is the highest of the three grades and is intended for experienced tradesmen.
Published guidance varies and the requirement is assessed against the trade and the candidate. Grade I is for people with several years in the trade, and an existing Grade II is a common route in. Ask an accredited centre about your own case.
No. Nothing does. Visa decisions belong to foreign embassies and are based on your whole application. A Grade I certificate strengthens the case you are able to make. It does not decide the outcome.
Your experience counts towards the grade you are eligible for. Come to the centre and we will assess what applies to you, including if the honest answer is a lower grade first.
Foreign authorities run their own recognition processes and assess each qualification on its own terms. A trade test certificate supports an application. It is not automatically recognised everywhere.
Last reviewed: September 2026. Government processes change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.