A trip assembly is for an electrical switching apparatus. The electrical switching apparatus has a housing, an electrical communication assembly coupled to the housing, separable contacts enclosed by the housing, and an operating mechanism for opening and closing the separable contacts. The trip assembly includes an actuating element structured to be coupled to the housing and structured to be electrically connected to the electrical communication assembly; and an indication assembly cooperating with the actuating element in order to electrically communicate a circuit status to the electrical communication assembly.