The only published pass rates for the RBQ exams come from Québec’s Auditor General (Vérificateur général du Québec, VGQ): 72% for the three management exams (Administration, Site Safety Management, Project and Site Management) and 56% for the construction work exams, for the period from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020. The RBQ does not publish a rate per exam, and its 2024-2025 annual report gives none. Here are those figures, the more recent data the RBQ does publish, and what they cannot tell you.
The figures in brief
| Data point | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass rate, management exams (3 exams combined) | 72% | 2018-04-01 to 2020-03-31 | VGQ, June 2021, ch. 3, p. 13 (opens in a new tab) |
| Pass rate, construction work exams | 56% | 2018-04-01 to 2020-03-31 | VGQ, June 2021, ch. 3, p. 13 (opens in a new tab) |
| Convocations sent | 7,002 | 2024-2025 | RBQ annual report, p. 41 (opens in a new tab) |
| Convocations sent | 6,139 | 2023-2024 | RBQ annual report, p. 41 (opens in a new tab) |
| Exam sessions held | 2,342 | 2024-2025 | RBQ annual report, p. 48 (opens in a new tab) |
| Exam locations | 14 | 2024-2025 | RBQ annual report, p. 48 (opens in a new tab) |
| Exams administered that were new versions | 49% (target: 15%) | 2024-2025 | RBQ annual report, p. 29 (opens in a new tab) |
| Exams administered with at least one sustainable development question | 100% (target: 15% or more) | 2024-2025 | RBQ annual report, p. 62 (opens in a new tab) |
The only published rates: the Auditor General, 2018 to 2020
In June 2021, the VGQ published an audit of the RBQ in its 2021-2022 report to the National Assembly (chapter 3). In paragraph 29, page 13, it gives two rates for the audit period, April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020.
Management exams: 72%
This rate combines the three management exams: Administration, Site Safety Management and Project and Site Management. The VGQ does not give a separate rate for each.
Construction work: 56%
This rate covers candidates for the construction work exams (exécution des travaux), all subclasses together. Again, there is no breakdown by subclass.
As far as we know, no more recent official source gives a pass rate. On September 25, 2026, no 2025-2026 RBQ annual report was online.
How many convocations in 2024-2025
The RBQ’s 2024-2025 annual report gives two activity figures that often get mixed up.
- 7,002 convocations sent in 2024-2025, up from 6,139 the year before (page 41). According to the same table, 73% of convocations went out within 15 days of the application, against a target of 80%.
- 2,342 exam sessions held in 2024-2025, at 14 locations (page 48).
These two figures do not measure the same thing. A session seats several candidates, and a convocation is a notice sent to one candidate. Neither counts unique candidates or marked exams. So do not divide one by the other, or derive a number of candidates from them.
The 14 exam locations
Brossard, Gatineau, Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Laval, Montréal, Québec City, Repentigny, Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Saguenay, Saint-Jérôme, Sept-Îles, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières. The RBQ writes to you with the date, time and address. See RBQ exam registration and results.
Renewed exam versions
The RBQ tracks an indicator on renewing its exams. In 2024-2025, 49% of the exams administered were new versions, against a target of 15%. In 2023-2024, the result was 10%, against a target of 5%. The targets then rise to 25%, 35% and 50% by 2027-2028.
Another indicator concerns content: in 2024-2025, 100% of the exams administered had at least one sustainable development question. We cover it in sustainable development on the RBQ exams.
That renewal has a direct consequence for you: copied question banks lose their value fast. See RBQ exam PDF with answers: what actually exists.
What these figures do not tell you
It is tempting to read "72%" as your chance of passing. Here is why that would be a mistake.
- They are old. The period ends on March 31, 2020. Since then, a good share of the exams has been renewed and rules have changed.
- They are pooled. The 72% mixes three very different exams. A 1 h 30 safety exam and a 3 h administration exam are not comparable.
- The method is not in the number. On their own, the two rates do not say how retakes are counted. If that matters to you, read the full VGQ chapter.
- They say nothing about preparation. They do not separate candidates by how they prepared. And people who complete a recognized program are exempt from the matching exam: they have no exam to pass.
So we publish no other pass rate, and we suggest you be wary of any figure without a source and a period.
What actually matters for you
- The pass mark is 60% for every contractor exam, according to the RBQ.
- One retake, then a 4-month wait if you fail it, since March 1, 2026. See RBQ exam retake rules.
- The known traps cost easy points: $108, 25 workers, 75%. See common RBQ exam mistakes.
FAQ
What is the RBQ exam pass rate?
The only published rate comes from Québec’s Auditor General: 72% for the three management exams combined and 56% for the construction work exams, from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020. The RBQ publishes no more recent rate.
Is there a pass rate per exam, for example for Administration?
No. No official source gives a separate rate for Administration, Site Safety Management, Project and Site Management or any construction work subclass.
How many people take the RBQ exam each year?
The RBQ does not publish the number of candidates. It reports 7,002 convocations sent and 2,342 exam sessions held in 2024-2025, and neither figure counts people.
Why is the construction work pass rate lower?
The sources we checked do not explain it. We do not speculate on the cause.
What is the pass mark?
60% for contractor and owner-builder exams, according to the RBQ instructions page.
To see where you stand before the real session, you can try RBQexam’s free timed practice exam. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current as of September 26, 2026.