Yes, sustainable development is tested on the RBQ exams, and it is not a side topic. According to its 2024-2025 annual report, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec put at least one sustainable development question on 100% of the exams administered that year, against a target of 15% or more. The topic fills a whole module in two competency profiles: module 4 of Site Safety Management and module 5 of Project and Site Management. Here is where it shows up and how to prepare.
Every exam in 2024-2025 had at least one question on it
The figure comes from a sustainable development indicator in the RBQ’s 2024-2025 annual management report (opens in a new tab) (p. 62).
| 2024-2025 indicator | Target | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Exams administered with at least one sustainable development question | 15% or more | 100% |
Source: RBQ, 2024-2025 annual management report, p. 62.
Two points to read the figure correctly:
- The unit is the exam administered. The report does not talk about sessions or candidates. It says every exam administered had at least one question on the topic.
- The report does not say how many questions. One question per exam is enough to reach 100%. Do not read it as a share of the exam. The RBQ’s competency profiles publish no weighting by module either.
The takeaway: whichever exam you take, expect at least one question on this theme.
The Act and its 16 principles
The base text is the Sustainable Development Act (opens in a new tab) (Loi sur le développement durable, CQLR, c. D-8.1.1). Section 6 sets out 16 principles, lettered (a) to (p). The list opens with health and quality of life and ends with internalization of costs. The section has not been amended since the Act was passed in 2006.
We do not reproduce the list here: read section 6 on LégisQuébec. For the exam, three habits help:
- Know there are 16. An answer choice that talks about 10 or 12 principles is wrong.
- Know the name of each principle. Without the text in hand, your memory is what separates two similar principles.
- Tie each principle to something concrete. Sorting materials, managing water, relations with the site’s neighbours, choosing suppliers: think of examples from your own work for each one.
If you write the exam in English, learn the English names of the principles as the English version of the Act states them. If you write in French, learn the French ones. Do not mix translations.
Is the Act handed out on exam day?
Not for the management exams. According to the RBQ information sheets, the Safety Management exam hands out three texts (A-3.001, S-2.1 and S-2.1, r. 4), and the Project and Site Management exam hands out the Building Act, the R-20 Act, regulations B-1.1, r. 9 and R-20, r. 8, and the Construction Code (NBC 2015 as amended). The Sustainable Development Act is not on either list.
In practice: the 16 principles have to be learned before the exam. You will not be able to look them up in the room. Our documents provided at RBQ exams cheat sheet has the full list by exam.
Where it shows up in the safety exam
Section 22 of the qualification regulation (opens in a new tab) (B-1.1, r. 9) names four topics for the examination of knowledge in safety management on construction sites: prevention, compensation files, assessments (premiums) and legislation. The RBQ’s competency profile (opens in a new tab) (dated April 2025) organizes the exam differently: its fourth module is about applying the principles of the Sustainable Development Act.
| Site Safety Management exam | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 h 30 |
| Profile modules | 4 modules, 33 elements |
| Sustainable development module | Module 4, elements 30 to 33 |
Sources: Safety Management competency profile (RBQ, 2025); November 2024 information sheet.
So 4 of the profile’s 33 elements are about sustainable development. It is a small module, but since the exam lasts only 1 h 30, every question counts. See the Site Safety Management exam page.
Where it shows up in the project management exam
For Project and Site Management, section 23 of the regulation lists five topics, including quality control activities. The competency profile (opens in a new tab) (dated May 2025) groups these five topics into four modules, puts quality control inside module 4, and adds a fifth module on sustainable development.
| Project and Site Management exam | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | 3 h |
| Profile modules | 5 modules, 26 elements |
| Sustainable development module | Module 5, elements 22 to 26 |
Sources: Project and Site Management competency profile (RBQ, 2025); December 2024 information sheet.
Here, 5 of the 26 elements cover the topic: one full module out of five. Read those elements in the profile to see what the RBQ wants to test. See the Project and Site Management exam page.
How to prepare without spending weeks on it
The topic is short, but it turns up everywhere. A simple plan:
- Read section 6 of the Act once, start to finish, then make your own sheet with the 16 principle names and a site example for each.
- Read elements 30 to 33 of the safety profile and 22 to 26 of the project management profile. They tell you what the RBQ wants to test. Do not try to memorize them word for word.
- Practise with scenarios. RBQ questions are multiple choice. Applying a principle to a real case is better practice than reciting a list.
- Do not skip it because it looks easy. Without the Act in hand, mixing up two similar principles costs you a question.
To fit this topic into a full study plan, read how to prepare for the RBQ exam.
FAQ
Is there really a sustainable development question on every RBQ exam?
In 2024-2025, yes: according to the RBQ annual report, 100% of the exams administered had at least one question on the topic. That figure covers 2024-2025 only; check the next annual report for later years.
How many principles does the Sustainable Development Act have?
Sixteen, set out in section 6 of the Act (D-8.1.1) and lettered (a) to (p).
Is the Sustainable Development Act handed out at the exam?
No. According to the RBQ information sheets, it is not among the documents handed out for the Safety Management or Project and Site Management exams.
Which module covers sustainable development?
Module 4 of the Safety Management profile (elements 30 to 33) and module 5 of the Project and Site Management profile (elements 22 to 26).
To test yourself on applying the principles to site situations, 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.