Section 21 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 21 sets out how apprenticeship training concludes. A trade apprentice who has completed the period of training may appear for a test, and one who passes is granted a certificate of proficiency in the trade. A graduate or technician apprentice is assessed by the employer from time to time, and a graduate, technician or technician (vocational) apprentice who completes training to the satisfaction of the concerned Regional Board is granted a certificate by that Board.
This article is based on the consolidated text of the Act consulted (amended up to Act 29 of 2014). Later amendments should be checked before you rely on it.
A trade apprentice who has completed the period of training may appear for a test conducted by the National Council or another agency authorised by the Central Government. One who passes is granted a certificate of proficiency in the trade. A graduate or technician apprentice is assessed by the employer from time to time, and the Regional Board grants a certificate to a graduate, technician or technician (vocational) apprentice who completes training to its satisfaction.
Sub-section by sub-section
| Sub-section | Who | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | Trade apprentice | Every trade apprentice who has completed the period of training may appear for a test conducted by the National Council or any other agency authorised by the Central Government, to determine proficiency in the designated trade in which the apprenticeship training was undergone |
| (2) | Trade apprentice who passes | Shall be granted a certificate of proficiency in the trade by the National Council or by the other agency authorised by the Central Government |
| (3) | Graduate or technician apprentice | The progress in apprenticeship training shall be assessed by the employer from time to time |
| (4) | Graduate, technician or technician (vocational) apprentice | Who completes apprenticeship training to the satisfaction of the concerned Regional Board shall be granted a certificate of proficiency by that Board |
The trade test: sub-section (1)
Sub-section (1) is marked as substituted by Act 29 of 2014. We checked it against the Gazette copy of the Apprentices (Amendment) Act, 2014. The Gazette wording is "to determine his proficiency in the designated trade in which he has undergone apprenticeship training"; the consolidated copy prints "undergone his apprenticeship training", with an extra "his". That is a slip in the consolidated copy.
Three points are worth noting. First, the verb is "may appear": the Act frames the test as something the apprentice may take once the period of training is complete. Second, the body that conducts the test is the National Council "or any other agency authorised by the Central Government", so the Act does not name the agency. Third, the test is of proficiency "in the designated trade", so it is tied to the trade for which the contract was made. The Act prints no fee, form, date or syllabus for the test; nothing in the sources fills these in. Our labour law compliance team can help you keep the contract, training and test records aligned.
The period of training that must be completed is the one specified in the contract under section 6; see our article on sections 6-8.
The certificate: sub-section (2)
Every trade apprentice who passes the test "shall be granted" a certificate of proficiency in the trade by the National Council or by the other agency authorised by the Central Government. The words "or by the other agency authorised by the Central Government" are marked as substituted by Act 29 of 2014, and the Gazette copy inserts them after "National Council" in sub-section (2). The grant is mandatory once the test is passed. The Act does not state who delivers the certificate to the apprentice, or by when.
Graduate and technician apprentices: sub-sections (3) and (4)
Sub-section (3) puts the assessment of a graduate or technician apprentice in the employer's hands: progress in apprenticeship training is assessed by the employer from time to time. The words "from time to time" leave the frequency open. The Act prints no form of assessment, and no rule in the sources fills it, so we state none. It refers to graduate or technician apprentices only and does not name technician (vocational) apprentices.
Sub-section (4) applies to every graduate or technician apprentice or technician (vocational) apprentice who completes apprenticeship training to the satisfaction of the concerned Regional Board. That apprentice "shall be granted a certificate of proficiency by that Board". A "Regional Board" is defined in section 2(mm) as a board of Apprenticeship Training registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (21 of 1860), at Bombay, Calcutta, Madras or Kanpur, as printed; check the current law for the corresponding provision. Our article on section 2 (trade apprentice, graduate apprentice, optional trade and worker) sets out the definition.
For these classes the Act does not describe a test. The route is the Regional Board's satisfaction, backed by the employer's assessment under sub-section (3). The report to the Regional Board that Rule 14(4) prints for graduate, technician and technician (vocational) apprentices is explained in our article on sections 19-20 and rule 14.
Printing points
- Sub-section (4) ends with a closing square bracket for which the copy shows no opening bracket on the same sub-section.
- The footnote numbers stand on a line of their own above the words they mark, and the footnote for sub-section (1) reads "Subs. by Act 29 of 2014".
- Sub-section (1) prints "his apprenticeship training" as noted above.
An example
Rahul completes his four-year period as a trade apprentice at Pinnacle Tools. He appears for the proficiency test conducted by the agency authorised by the Central Government and passes. Under sub-section (2), he is granted a certificate of proficiency in the trade. At the same firm, Sneha is a graduate or technician apprentice. Pinnacle assesses her progress from time to time under sub-section (3), and on completion of training, to the satisfaction of the concerned Regional Board, she is granted a certificate by that Board under sub-section (4).
The four Labour Codes are in force from 21 November 2025; check the current position before relying on any other labour law.
Need help with apprentice assessment and certification?
Training that ends cleanly is easier to document when assessment notes, attendance and contract dates are all in one file. Our labour law compliance service can help you put that file together for each apprentice.
Key takeaways
- A trade apprentice who has completed the period of training may appear for a test by the National Council or another agency authorised by the Central Government.
- A trade apprentice who passes shall be granted a certificate of proficiency in the trade.
- The employer assesses a graduate or technician apprentice from time to time.
- The Regional Board grants a certificate to a graduate, technician or technician (vocational) apprentice who completes training to its satisfaction.
- The consolidated copy's "his apprenticeship training" in sub-section (1) is a slip against the Gazette.
Read next
- Section 22: offer and acceptance of employment
- Sections 19-20: records, returns and settlement of disputes
- Sections 6-8: period of training, termination and number of apprentices
- Labour law compliance checklist for employers
Disclaimer: Based on a consolidated text of the Apprentices Act, 1961 amended up to Act 29 of 2014, on the Gazette of India copy of the Apprentices (Amendment) Act, 2014, and on a consolidated copy of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 in which the latest amendment marked is dated 20 January 2017, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Stipend rates and other figures are as printed in those texts and may have been revised; later amendments and the position under the Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025 should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.