The RBQ exam is not hard because the material is obscure. It is hard because many of the numbers going around are out of date or belong to a different exam. Here are ten common traps, each checked against RBQ or LégisQuébec pages in September 2026. If you already know the right answer to each, you start ahead.
The traps at a glance
| Common belief | What is true in 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The exam costs $108 | $105.27 per exam (2026 fee) | RBQ fees (opens in a new tab) |
| Prevention program from 20 workers | Drawn up from 10 workers, sent to the CNESST from 20 | LSST, ss. 198 and 200 (opens in a new tab) |
| Sent in from 25 workers | Old threshold, replaced by 20 on January 1, 2023 | LSST, s. 200 history (opens in a new tab) |
| The prevention program regulation applies | Repealed on October 1, 2025 | S-2.1, r. 10 (opens in a new tab) |
| The pass mark is 75% | 60% for contractor exams | RBQ instructions (opens in a new tab) |
| 6-month wait after failing the retake | 4 months since March 1, 2026 | RBQ failure or absence (opens in a new tab) |
| Everything recommended is handed out | Some texts are recommended reading only | Administration sheet (opens in a new tab) |
| B-1.1, r. 0.2 and r. 1.01 | These numbers no longer exist | LégisQuébec (opens in a new tab) |
| A $10,000 or $20,000 bond | $40,000 or $20,000 since 2016 | RBQ bond (opens in a new tab) |
| An owner-builder can hold 1.1.1 | No, neither 1.1.1 nor 1.1.2 | B-1.1, r. 9, s. 9 (opens in a new tab) |
1. "The exam costs $108": wrong in 2026
$108 does not appear in any version of section 53. The history of section 53 of regulation B-1.1, r. 9 shows $100.51 in 2024, $103.22 in 2025 and $105.27 in 2026. So the 2026 fee is $105.27 per person, per exam, and the same amount applies to a retake. RBQ fees are indexed every January 1 and are not taxable. To total your application, use our RBQ licence fee calculator.
2. 10 or 20 workers: two thresholds, two duties
This is the classic trap on the Site Safety Management exam. Under section 198 of the Act respecting occupational health and safety (LSST), the principal contractor (maître d’oeuvre) must have a site-specific prevention program drawn up with the employers, before work starts, when at least 10 construction workers are expected on site at the same time. Section 200 adds a second duty: send that program to the CNESST (the Commission) before work starts when at least 20 workers are expected at the same time.
Remember: at 10, you draw it up. At 20, you send it in. 20 is not the threshold for drawing it up. Our article on the construction site prevention program goes through both steps.
3. The 25-worker threshold is no longer in force
You will still see "25 workers" in old course notes. That was the sending threshold in the old section 200. It was replaced by 20 workers in the version in force since January 1, 2023.
4. The prevention program regulation is repealed
The Regulation respecting prevention programs (S-2.1, r. 10) was repealed on October 1, 2025 by order in council 1155-2025. Do not study it as current law. If your prep material relies on it, it predates the repeal.
5. 75% is not the pass mark
The pass mark for contractor and owner-builder exams is 60%, according to the RBQ instructions page. 75% does exist, but on the same page, in the section on the residential building inspector certificate. That is a different exam. See our article on the RBQ exam format.
6. The 6-month wait after a failure is the old rule
Before March 1, 2026, section 18 imposed a 6-month wait after failing the retake. Since then, it is 4 months after the RBQ’s decision recording the failure or absence. A second trap on the way: the 3-month wait on the instructions page applies to the residential building inspector exam, not to contractor exams. It is all explained in RBQ exam retake rules.
7. Recommended does not mean handed out
The information sheet for the Administration exam (March 2025 update) has two columns: texts handed out at the exam, and texts recommended for reading only. The Civil Code, the Act respecting labour standards, the Act respecting the Québec sales tax and the 2021 act modernizing the occupational health and safety regime are recommended reading. In module 3, two regulations under the R-20 Act (r. 6.1 and r. 11) are recommended only as well. For these items, you need to know the material without the text in front of you. The full list, exam by exam, is in our documents provided at RBQ exams cheat sheet.
8. Old citations: r. 0.2 and r. 1.01
The numbers B-1.1, r. 0.2 and B-1.1, r. 1.01 no longer match any document on LégisQuébec. The guarantee plan regulation is now cited as B-1.1, r. 8, and the professional qualification regulation as B-1.1, r. 9. Some RBQ documents still use the old numbers. Do not let that throw you: the content is what counts, not the number printed.
9. The bond: $40,000 or $20,000 depending on the licence
The licence bond is $40,000 as soon as you hold at least one general contractor subclass, even alongside specialized ones. It is $20,000 if you hold specialized subclasses only. These amounts have applied since September 18, 2016. The $10,000 and $20,000 figures still seen online are from 2012 to 2016. Details and exceptions in our article on the RBQ licence bond.
10. An owner-builder cannot hold 1.1.1 or 1.1.2
The general subclasses open to an owner-builder are those in Schedule I, except 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 (section 9 of regulation B-1.1, r. 9). If a scenario involves an owner-builder who wants to build new homes covered by the guarantee plan, that detail is the key. See the owner-builder licence page.
How to avoid these traps
- Check the date on your notes. Anything from before October 2025 (safety) or March 2026 (retakes) needs rechecking.
- Tie each number to its exam. 60% and 4 months for contractors; 75% and 3 months for the residential building inspector.
- Read your exam’s information sheet to see what will be handed out.
- Practise with questions that test exactly these distinctions. Our free timed practice exam includes some. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
FAQ
Is the RBQ exam hard?
The RBQ publishes no recent pass rate. The only published rates come from Québec’s Auditor General (Vérificateur général du Québec), for 2018 to 2020. See our article on RBQ exam pass rates. In practice, what makes the exam hard is often the misremembered numbers listed here.
How much does the RBQ exam cost in 2026?
$105.27 per person, per exam (2026 fee), and the same for a retake. Fees are indexed on January 1, so check again if you are reading this in 2027.
What is the threshold for sending the prevention program to the CNESST?
At least 20 construction workers expected on site at the same time (LSST, s. 200). From 10, the program must be drawn up (s. 198).
Is the pass mark 60% or 75%?
60% for contractor and owner-builder exams. 75% is for the residential building inspector certificate exam.
How long do I wait after failing the retake?
4 months after the RBQ’s decision, since March 1, 2026. Before that, it was 6 months.