The pass mark for exams set by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) is 60%. The Administration exam takes 3 hours, Safety Management 1 h 30, Project and Site Management 3 hours, and each carrying-out-of-construction-work exam 3 hours. All questions are multiple choice with one correct answer, and you can write the exam in French or English. The RBQ does not publish how many questions each exam has.
Here are the details, with a source for every number.
The format at a glance
| Exam | Duration | Pass mark | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | 3 h | 60% | ADM sheet, March 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| Safety Management | 1 h 30 | 60% | GSC sheet, November 2024 (opens in a new tab) |
| Project and Site Management | 3 h | 60% | GPC sheet, December 2024 (opens in a new tab) |
| Carrying out of construction work (one per subclass) | 3 h | 60% | General sheet, 2019 (opens in a new tab) and the 1.2 and 1.3 sheets |
The information sheets (fiches d’information) are published in French. Every sheet we read gives these durations: the general sheet dates from November 2019, and the newer 2024 and 2025 sheets show the same times.
The official English exam names
The English version of the regulation (CQLR, c. B-1.1, r. 9, ss. 21 to 24) names the four exams:
- examination of knowledge in administration (administration);
- examination of knowledge in safety management on construction sites (gestion de la sécurité);
- examination of knowledge in project and site management (gestion de projets et de chantiers);
- examination of knowledge in the carrying out of construction work (exécution des travaux de construction).
How long each exam takes
Safety Management is the only short exam, at 1 h 30. The other three take 3 hours each. If you need Administration, Safety Management, Project and Site Management and one trade exam, that is 10 h 30 of exam time in total, spread over the sessions the RBQ assigns.
Time is tight mainly because several exams rely on documents handed out in the room (statutes, regulations, the code, plans). Finding a section in a text you have never opened takes time. That is the skill to practise first.
The pass mark: 60%
The 60% is stated in two official places:
- on each RBQ exam information sheet;
- on the RBQ "Examinations: instructions and results" page, which adds that passing lets you act as a guarantor (répondant).
The regulation itself gives no percentage. Section 17 of the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders only requires the passing mark, for each module where applicable, without setting a percentage. Once you have it, it stays valid for 5 years.
Why you sometimes see 75%
The 75% figure shows up on some sites, but it belongs to a different exam: the home-inspector certificate (certificat d’inspecteur en bâtiments d’habitation). The same RBQ instructions page gives 60% for licence exams and 75% for the inspector exam. For a contractor or owner-builder licence, the number is 60%.
Multiple-choice questions
The RBQ sample-questions page says all exams are multiple choice with one correct answer. Its four examples each have four options, A to D. Some questions rely on plans, specifications or reference documents lent to you.
On the number of options, the sources differ slightly:
- the November 2019 general sheet says 4 options;
- the recent sheets (2024 and 2025) only say multiple choice, with no number.
So expect A-to-D multiple-choice questions, but note that the RBQ no longer commits to a number in its recent sheets.
How many questions? The RBQ does not publish it
Some sites list a number of questions per exam. We do not, because the RBQ does not publish it in its information sheets, its competency profiles (profils de compétences) or its exam pages. The profiles give no module weightings either.
An unsourced question count may be years old. To plan your time, rely on the published duration.
What each exam covers
The regulation sets the subjects of each exam (ss. 21 to 24):
- Administration (s. 21): financial management, management, labour relations, and legislation and regulations.
- Safety Management (s. 22): prevention management, compensation file management, assessment (cotisation) management, and legislation and regulations. In the RBQ competency profile, the fourth module covers sustainable development.
- Project and Site Management (s. 23): managing construction activities, reading and interpreting plans and specifications, cost estimating and bids, quality control, and legislation and regulations.
- Carrying out of construction work (s. 24): one exam per subclass, on standards, regulations, construction techniques, and reading plans and specifications.
Open book? Only partly
You bring nothing of your own: notes and documents are put away. The RBQ hands out some statutes, regulations and codes, depending on the exam, along with a ruler, pencil, calculator and dictionary. Some texts are only "recommended reading" on the information sheet and are not handed out. Check the sheet for your exam before you study.
French or English
Each sheet says the exam can be written in French or English. To write in English, the exam titles must appear in English on your convocation notice (avis de convocation); if they do not, notify the RBQ at least 7 days before the exam. The full process is in how to take the RBQ exam in English.
Some exams are taken on a computer. In that case, the RBQ sends you access data that also opens a practice test of the exam software.
FAQ
What is the pass mark for the RBQ exam?
60% for contractor and owner-builder licence exams. The 75% applies to the home-inspector certificate exam.
How long is the RBQ exam?
3 h for Administration, 1 h 30 for Safety Management, 3 h for Project and Site Management, and 3 h for each carrying-out-of-work exam.
How many questions are on the RBQ exam?
The RBQ does not publish the number of questions per exam. Be wary of unsourced figures.
Is the RBQ exam hard?
The RBQ publishes no pass rate by exam. The Vérificateur général du Québec published overall rates for April 2018 to March 2020: 72% for the three management exams and 56% for the carrying-out-of-work exams. If you fail, see the RBQ exam retake rules. These figures and their limits are covered in RBQ exam pass rates.
To get used to the format and the clock, try RBQexam’s free timed practice exam, built with original questions. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current as of September 26, 2026.