Someone who has learned a trade on the job, without an apprenticeship, can still earn the regular qualification. Under § 45 of the Vocational Training Act, he may sit the final exam as an external candidate. As a rule, he must show that he has worked in the occupation for at least one and a half times the prescribed training period. For a three-year apprenticeship, that means four and a half years of work. The minimum can be waived if certificates or other evidence show the skill. He then takes the same final exam as the apprentices.