To prepare for the RBQ exam, start from the competency profile (profil de compétences) for your exam: it is the official list of what can be tested. Study it module by module, learn to find answers fast in the acts and regulations you will be handed on exam day, then practise against the real clock (3 h, 1 h 30 or 3 h depending on the exam). You need 60% to pass.
Here is a concrete plan, exam by exam. Everything below applies whether you write in French or English: the exams are offered in both languages.
Start with your exam’s competency profile
For each exam, the RBQ publishes two documents on its exam preparation page (opens in a new tab):
- the competency profile: the modules and the competency elements tested;
- the information sheet (fiche d’information): duration, pass mark, and which documents are handed out or only recommended.
Download both for every exam you have to take. Check the date: the management profiles date from April and May 2025, and the construction work profile shared by 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2 and 1.3 was amended on January 19, 2026.
The profiles give no weighting by module and no question count. So do not skip a module on the assumption that it "doesn’t count for much".
Administration: 4 modules, 24 elements
The Administration profile follows section 21 of the regulation (the examination of knowledge in administration) and has 4 modules and 24 elements:
| Module | Topic | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Financial management (gestion financière) | 1 to 7 |
| Module 2 | Management | 8 to 13 |
| Module 3 | Construction labour relations (régime de relations de travail) | 14 to 19 |
| Module 4 | Legislation and regulation | 20 to 24 |
Documents handed out (March 2025 sheet): the Building Act (B-1.1), the R-20 Act, the qualification regulation (printed under its old number, B-1.1, r. 1.01, on the sheet), R-20, r. 8 and R-20, r. 5. The Civil Code, labour standards, the Québec sales tax act and the LMRSST are recommended only: they are not in the room.
Tip: module 2 (management) rests on no statute. It is material to understand, not to look up. Module 3 is the opposite: much of it plays out in R-20 and its regulations, so practise finding your way around them. More on the Administration exam page.
Site Safety Management: 4 modules, 33 elements
The Safety Management profile has 4 modules and 33 elements:
| Module | Topic | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Prevention management | 1 to 14 |
| Module 2 | Compensation claims management | 15 to 23 |
| Module 3 | Assessment (premium) management | 24 to 29 |
| Module 4 | Sustainable Development Act on the site | 30 to 33 |
Documents handed out (November 2024 sheet): the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (A-3.001), the Act respecting occupational health and safety (S-2.1) and the Safety Code for the construction industry (S-2.1, r. 4).
A known trap: the sheet still lists the Regulation respecting prevention programs (S-2.1, r. 10) as recommended reading. That regulation was repealed on October 1, 2025. Do not study it as current law. See common RBQ exam mistakes.
It is also the shortest exam (1 h 30), so pace matters. More on the Site Safety Management exam page.
Project and Site Management: 5 modules, 26 elements
Section 23 of the regulation names five topics. The profile groups them into four modules and adds a fifth on sustainable development, for 26 elements:
| Module | Topic | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Legal, normative and regulatory framework | 1 to 6 |
| Module 2 | Reading and interpreting plans and specifications | 7 to 9 |
| Module 3 | Cost estimating and bidding | 10 to 17 |
| Module 4 | Managing construction activities | 18 to 21 |
| Module 5 | Sustainable development | 22 to 26 |
Quality control, named in section 23, has no module of its own: it sits in module 4.
Documents handed out (December 2024 sheet): the Building Act, R-20, regulation B-1.1, r. 9, R-20, r. 8 and the Construction Code, Chapter I, Building, in the edition printed on the sheet (NBC 2015 as amended). For the gap between that edition and the code in force, read which building code the RBQ exam uses. More on the Project and Site Management exam page.
Construction work: one profile per group of subclasses
For 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2 and 1.3, the RBQ publishes a single construction work profile: 10 modules and 56 elements. For each competency, the profile shows which subclasses it applies to. To choose between these subclasses, see RBQ licence subclasses and their exams and the construction work exams page.
Sustainable development is not optional
According to the RBQ’s 2024-2025 annual report, 100% of the exams administered that year had at least one question on sustainable development. The topic has its own module in safety (module 4) and in project management (module 5). Do not leave it for last. Our article on sustainable development in the RBQ exams covers it.
Learn to find answers in the documents handed out
A good part of the exam is finding the right section, fast, in a text you are given. The RBQ does not allow personal notes in the room, so you cannot annotate your own copies. Practise instead:
- with the official versions on LégisQuébec, chapter by chapter, to learn how each act is laid out;
- by timing yourself as you look up a topic (a deadline, an obligation, a threshold) without a search engine;
- by noting, for your own use, which profile topics point to which act.
Full list, exam by exam: the documents provided at RBQ exams cheat sheet.
Practise in real time (3 h, 1 h 30, 3 h)
| Exam | Official duration | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| Administration | 3 h | 60% |
| Site Safety Management | 1 h 30 | 60% |
| Project and Site Management | 3 h | 60% |
| Construction work (per subclass) | 3 h | 60% |
Source: RBQ information sheets. Do at least one full mock exam per exam under these conditions, with no notes. More detail in the RBQ exam format.
Do not count on memorizing questions. According to the 2024-2025 annual report, 49% of the exams administered were new versions, and the RBQ’s target goes up every year. The "answers" that circulate go stale fast. The official sample questions page (opens in a new tab) has 4 questions, one per field: useful for the style, not for studying. For what the published figures say about how hard the exams are, see RBQ exam pass rates.
If your exam is on a computer, also do the software’s practice test with the access details the RBQ sends you.
Three ways to prepare
- A recognized training program (ACQ, APCHQ, APECQ, AMQ). It replaces the matching exam instead of preparing you for it. See getting an RBQ licence without the exam.
- A prep course, in class or online. Compare the options in our guide to RBQ courses.
- Timed practice exams, to see where you stand and target your weak modules.
Options 2 and 3 work well together. Whatever you choose, be ready when you file the licence application: the RBQ recommends it, and the convocation can arrive quickly. To place the exam within the full path to becoming a general contractor, or to look at training options that cost nothing, see those two guides.
FAQ
Where do I start studying for the RBQ exam?
With the competency profile and the information sheet for your exam, both published on the RBQ’s exam preparation page.
How long does it take to prepare?
The RBQ publishes no recommended study time. Plan around the number of modules and how comfortable you are with the documents handed out, and aim to be ready when you file your application.
Is the RBQ exam open book?
Partly. The RBQ hands out some acts and regulations, but personal notes are not allowed, and some texts are recommended only.
Can I study from old exam questions?
Not reliably: 49% of the exams administered in 2024-2025 were new versions.
Can I study in English?
Yes. The exams are offered in French and English, with the same duration and pass mark. To write in English, read how to take the RBQ exam in English.
To practise against the clock with original questions, you can start with RBQexam’s free timed practice exam. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current as of September 26, 2026.