A general contractor (entrepreneur général) takes four kinds of RBQ exams: Administration, safety management, project and site management, and one execution exam for each subclass requested. A specialized contractor takes the same exams, except no execution exam for Schedule III subclasses. An owner-builder skips Administration. Each exam costs $105.27 (2026 fee).
The business’s guarantors (répondants) sit the exams. The business itself sits none.
Which exams by licence type
| Licence type | Administration | Safety | Project management | Execution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General contractor | Yes | Yes | Yes | One per Schedule I or II subclass requested; none for Schedule III |
| Specialized contractor | Yes | Yes | Yes | One per Schedule II subclass; none for Schedule III |
| General owner-builder | No | Yes | Yes | One per Schedule I subclass, except 1.1.1 and 1.1.2 |
| Specialized owner-builder | No | Yes | No | One per Schedule II subclass |
Sources: RBQ, Examens : pour qui, comment, combien (opens in a new tab) and B-1.1, r. 9 (opens in a new tab), sections 9, 10, 11.2, 11.9 and 21 to 24.
One exam is required for each subclass requested, and the RBQ says every required exam must be passed to get the subclass on the licence. The full list of subclasses and their schedules is in the article on RBQ licence subclasses.
Length of each exam: Administration 3 hours, safety management 1 hour 30 minutes, project and site management 3 hours, execution 3 hours. The pass mark is 60%.
General contractor: three management exams plus execution
For a general contractor licence, you sit:
- the Administration exam. Section 21 of the regulation lists four subjects it may cover: financial management, management, the labour relations regime, and legislation and regulation;
- the safety management exam (officially, the examination of knowledge in safety management on construction sites). Section 22 lists the possible subjects: managing prevention, managing compensation files, managing the assessment (cotisation), and legislation and regulation;
- the project and site management exam. Section 23 lists five possible subjects: construction activities, reading and interpreting plans and specifications, cost estimating and bids, quality control, and legislation and regulation;
- one exam on carrying out construction work for each Schedule I or II subclass you request.
A general licence can also include Schedule II and III subclasses. Schedule III has no execution exam (section 11.9). A general contractor with a single Schedule I subclass therefore sits four exams. The general contractor licence page describes the full path.
Specialized contractor: what changes
A specialized contractor sits the same three management exams as a general contractor. Only execution differs:
- one execution exam for each Schedule II subclass you request;
- no execution exam for Schedule III subclasses.
The execution exam is specific to each subclass. Under section 24, it may cover the standards, regulation and construction techniques of the field, and reading and interpreting plans and specifications. Practise reading plans.
With only Schedule III subclasses, you sit Administration, safety and project management, so three exams. With one Schedule II subclass, you sit four. Details are on the specialized contractor licence page.
Plumbing-heating and electricity: for contractors, qualification for subclasses 15.1 to 15.5 belongs to the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ), and for subclass 16 to the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ). Subclasses 15.6 to 15.10 stay with the RBQ. The details are in the subclasses article.
Owner-builder: who is exempt from what
An owner-builder (constructeur-propriétaire) sits fewer exams than a contractor:
- Administration: exempt, whether general or specialized (section 11.2);
- project and site management: exempt only if specialized (section 11.2);
- safety management: required in both cases;
- execution: one per subclass requested. A general owner-builder chooses from Schedule I, except 1.1.1 and 1.1.2, which an owner-builder cannot hold. A specialized owner-builder chooses from Schedule II, and Schedule III is not available.
A specialized owner-builder with one subclass therefore sits two exams, and a general owner-builder with one subclass, three.
Other exemptions. For every licence type, section 20 of the regulation provides two exemptions for an exam: having passed a training program the RBQ recognizes in that subject (see recognized training certificate), or having acted as a guarantor in the same field within the 5 years before the application.
In what order to take the exams
The RBQ publishes no required order. Once your application is complete and in order, it writes to the guarantor with the date, time and address of the regional office where the required exams are held. No postponement is accepted, except for a serious reason.
The RBQ says the guarantor should be ready to sit the exams when the application is filed. In practice, prepare for every exam on your licence before you file, rather than waiting for the convocation to start studying.
What each exam costs (2026 fee)
The exam fee is $105.27 per exam (2026 fee), and a retake after a failure is also $105.27 per exam (2026 fee). The regulation provides no refund of exam fees.
| Profile | Number of exams | Exam fees |
|---|---|---|
| General contractor, one subclass | 4 | $421.08 (2026 fee) |
| Specialized contractor, one Schedule II subclass | 4 | $421.08 (2026 fee) |
| Specialized contractor, Schedule III only | 3 | $315.81 (2026 fee) |
| General owner-builder, one subclass | 3 | $315.81 (2026 fee) |
| Specialized owner-builder, one subclass | 2 | $210.54 (2026 fee) |
Each extra subclass adds one execution exam, except in Schedule III. The duties and fees of the licence itself appear in a separate table on the RBQ fee page (opens in a new tab). Amounts are indexed every January 1 and are not taxable.
After a failure or an absence, you are entitled to one retake of that exam, to be requested within 30 days of the notice you receive. If you fail the retake or do not request it in time, you cannot be admitted to that exam again, on another licence application, until 4 months after the RBQ’s decision.
A passed exam stays valid for 5 years
A passed exam stays acquired for 5 years (section 17 of the regulation). The RBQ sets the starting point according to your situation:
- if a licence was issued and has since ended, 5 years after the licence end date;
- if you passed an exam but no licence was issued, 5 years from the date the exam was marked;
- if you filed a recognized-training certificate and no licence was issued, no credit is kept: you will need to file the certificate again.
After that period, you must retake the exam or complete a recognized training program again.
FAQ
Which exams does a general contractor have to take at the RBQ?
A general contractor sits Administration, safety management on construction sites, and project and site management, plus one execution exam for each Schedule I or II subclass requested.
How many exams for a specialized contractor licence?
Three management exams, plus one execution exam per Schedule II subclass. If the licence only has Schedule III subclasses, there is no execution exam, so three exams in all.
Does an owner-builder take the Administration exam?
No. Section 11.2 of the regulation exempts the owner-builder from Administration. A specialized owner-builder is also exempt from project and site management. Both sit safety management and execution.
How much does each RBQ exam cost in 2026?
The fee is $105.27 per exam (2026 fee), and the same for a retake after a failure. The total depends on how many exams your licence needs: $421.08 for four exams (2026 fee), for example.
How long does a passed exam stay valid?
Five years. If a licence was issued and then ended, the 5 years run from the end of the licence. If no licence was issued, they run from the date the exam was marked.
To prepare for the Administration, safety management and project management exams, you can explore RBQexam’s exams. RBQexam is not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec.
Information current as of October 1, 2026. Fees shown are the 2026 fee schedule.