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Construction work exam

RBQ construction work exam, subclass 1.1.1

The construction work exam for subclass 1.1.1 (“Entrepreneur en bâtiments résidentiels neufs visés à un plan de garantie, classe I”) is the one the guarantor (répondant) passes to qualify for that licence subclass. It lasts 3 h and the pass mark is 60%. On RBQexam you practise with original, corrected questions drawn from one bank shared by subclasses 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2 and 1.3.

Updated October 3, 2026

Official name: Examination of knowledge in the carrying out of construction work, subclass 1.1.1

Official duration
3 h
According to the RBQ information sheet.
Pass mark
60%
RBQ sheets and instructions.
RBQ fee per attempt
$105.27
2026 fee, not refundable.
RBQexam practice exam
60 questions
Our practice format. The RBQ does not publish the number of questions.
Competency profile
9 modules, 50 elements
Profile shared by 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2 and 1.3, dated January 19, 2026.
Language
French or English
For English: English titles on the convocation notice, otherwise tell the RBQ 7 days before.

A partly open-book exam

“Open book” (livre ouvert) means the RBQ hands out certain texts in the exam room: you consult them during the exam instead of memorizing them. It is not an exam where anything goes.

  • According to the information sheet for subclass 1.1.1, in use since July 21, 2025, these are provided: Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders, Regulation respecting the guarantee plan for new residential buildings and Construction Code.
  • Of the Construction Code, chapter I, Building, is handed out, in the edition the sheet lists: NBC 2015 (amended).
  • Personal notes are not allowed in the room. Knowing where to look for a provision counts as much as knowing it.
  • In our questions, the “Provided documents” tag marks those that rely on a text handed out in the room.

Which edition of the Construction Code

  • Our questions follow the NBC 2015 as amended for Québec, the edition the RBQ sheets list as provided.
  • Chapter I of the Construction Code now means the NBC 2020 as amended for Québec. The text as it read before April 17, 2025 can still be used for work begun before October 17, 2027, when the transition ends.
  • If the RBQ changes the edition handed out in the room, we will say so here and update the questions.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) offers the PDF of this edition of chapter I free of charge. We do not reproduce its text: read it at the source.

NRC, Quebec Construction Code, Chapter I, Building, and NBC 2015 (amended) (opens a new tab)

Who must pass this exam

  • General contractor: must pass it if requesting subclass 1.1.1.
  • Specialized contractor: cannot hold this subclass.
  • General owner-builder: cannot hold this subclass.
  • Specialized owner-builder: cannot hold this subclass.
  • Exemption possible (s. 20): having passed a recognized training program in this field, or having been guarantor in this field in the last 5 years.

One shared profile and question bank

  • Subclasses 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2 and 1.3 share one competency profile: the full profile has 10 modules. For subclass 1.1.1, 50 elements are assessed.
  • One bank of questions and lessons serves these subclasses. For 1.1.1, we show you only the questions on elements assessed in that subclass.

Modules and elements

The elements of the RBQ competency profile, grouped by module. The “Provided documents” tag means the texts the element refers to are handed out in the room.

Module 1: Legal, normative and regulatory framework

  1. 1.Building Act scope, its regulations and RBQ powers
  2. 2.Scope and chapters of the safety and construction codesPartly provided
  3. 3.New-home guarantee plan: scope, mechanisms, limits, exclusionsProvided documents
  4. 4.Qualification regulation: licence annexes and répondant dutiesProvided documents
  5. 5.Architects Act, Engineers Act and professionals on site
  6. 6.Municipal, zoning, environmental, pressure-vessel and energy rules

Module 2: Building design

  1. 7.Structure and objective-based logic of chapter IProvided documents
  2. 10.Ceiling heights, door openings and mezzaninesProvided documents
  3. 11.Barrier-free design and adaptable dwellingsProvided documents
  4. 12.Water supply, lighting and sanitary fixturesProvided documents

Module 3: Excavation and foundations

  1. 13.Excavation depth, bottom, slopes and soil bearing capacityProvided documents
  2. 14.Soil properties and backfill rulesProvided documents
  3. 15.Surface water and groundwater management
  4. 16.Footing types, limits and sizingProvided documents
  5. 17.Foundation walls: limits, sizing, backfill height, masonryProvided documents
  6. 18.Foundation drainage, dampproofing, waterproofing and protectionProvided documents
  7. 19.Soil gas risks and protection measuresProvided documents
  8. 20.Manage excavation, concrete placement and curing

Module 4: Building structure

  1. 21.Load types, climatic and seismic effects, bracing, spans
  2. 22.Concrete, masonry, steel and heavy or light wood structures
  3. 23.Part 9 structural limits and when Part 4 appliesProvided documents
  4. 24.Light wood frame: fastening, notching, studs, spans, bracingProvided documents
  5. 25.Supervise structural work, load paths and structural integrity

Module 5: Building envelope

  1. 26.Air, moisture and heat movement in assemblies
  2. 27.Roles of cladding, insulation, air barrier, vapour barrier
  3. 28.Part 9 envelope limits and when Part 5 appliesProvided documents
  4. 29.Climate data, rain-screen planes, vapour barrier, attic ventilationPartly provided
  5. 30.Supervise envelope integrity, insulation and air leakage

Module 6: Fire protection and means of egress

  1. 31.Fire separations, firewalls, closures, ratings, flame spreadProvided documents
  2. 32.Fire design: occupancies, construction type, sprinklers, Part 3 versus 9Partly provided
  3. 33.Compartments: ratings, continuity, suites, corridors, spatial separationProvided documents
  4. 34.Means of egress, exits, travel distance and elevatorsProvided documents
  5. 35.Firefighting access, standpipes and high buildingsProvided documents
  6. 37.Supervise fire separations, firestops and closures on siteProvided documents

Module 7: Building mechanical systems

  1. 38.HVAC role, ventilation and pressure effects on the envelope
  2. 39.HVAC equipment, fireplaces, sanitary fixtures and water heatersProvided documents
  3. 40.Part 9 HVAC limits and when Part 6 appliesProvided documents
  4. 41.Duct distribution and natural or mechanical ventilationProvided documents
  5. 42.Lighting requirements and required illumination levelsProvided documents
  6. 43.Supervise mechanical work and envelope penetrationsProvided documents

Module 8: Architectural and functional components

  1. 44.Terms for stairs, doors, windows, guards and handrails
  2. 45.Door and window installation, flashing and weather protection
  3. 46.Stair and ramp configuration, dimensions and slopesProvided documents
  4. 47.Handrails, guards and fall protection at openingsProvided documents
  5. 48.Wood and steel partitions, fire rating, sound insulationProvided documents
  6. 49.Interior finishes, fastening supports, gypsum board, floor underlayProvided documents

Module 10: Sustainable development and environment

  1. 53.Energy efficiency: principles, chapter I rules, chapter I.1 scopePartly provided
  2. 54.Sustainable Development Act, planning law and green certifications
  3. 55.Sustainable design criteria, building lifespan and energy savings
  4. 56.Site waste, resource use, stormwater and drinking water

Element titles are our paraphrases, not the RBQ profile’s text.

Provided and recommended documents

According to the RBQ information sheet for subclass 1.1.1.

Provided in the room

Recommended only (not provided)

RBQ information sheet, subclass 1.1.1, PDF (opens a new tab)

Fees, retake and validity

  • Each attempt costs $105.27 per person (2026 fee). Exam fees are not refunded.
  • After a fail, one retake is possible, requested within 30 days of the notice, with payment. Since March 1, 2026, failing or missing the retake means a 4-month wait.
  • A passed exam stays valid for 5 years (s. 17).

10 sample questions

Original questions from our bank, corrected as in our practice exams. Choose your answer first, then open the answer.

Question 1

Module 1: Legal, normative and regulatory frameworkRecallDocuments provided

A guarantor passed the carrying-out examination for subclass 1.2 4 years ago but never obtained a licence. Under section 17 of the regulation, is his passed examination still valid?

  1. Option A: No: it is valid for only 2 years after it was passed.
  2. Option B: No: it must be retaken with each new licence application.
  3. Option C: Yes: it remains valid for 10 years, like the licence it would allow him to obtain.
  4. Option D: Yes: a passed examination remains valid for 5 years, under section 17.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Yes: a passed examination remains valid for 5 years, under section 17.

Section 17 of the regulation sets at 5 years the period during which a person who passed an examination may rely on it. After 4 years, the guarantor’s examination therefore remains valid for one more year. He would have to retake it after that.

Source: Professional qualification regulation (B-1.1, r. 9) (opens a new tab), s. art. 17

Question 2

Module 2: Building designApplicationDocuments provided

A common laundry room of a residential building measures 15 m². It is lit by incandescent lamps. What minimum total lighting power must be provided?

  1. Option A: 75 W
  2. Option B: 150 W
  3. Option C: 300 W
  4. Option D: 3,000 W
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. 300 W

The table for common spaces, for incandescent lighting, requires 20 W/m² in a service room or laundry room, 10 W/m² in a recreation room or common washroom, and 5 W/m² in a corridor. For 15 m², that makes 300 W.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 9.34.2.7

Question 3

Module 3: Excavation and foundationsApplicationDocuments provided

Foundation drain water reaches a sump pit fitted with an automatic pump. The plumber connects the pump to a pipe that discharges the water onto the basement floor near the stairs. Where does the Code require the drainage water to be directed?

  1. Option A: Onto the finished basement floor, with an automatic pump.
  2. Option B: To the base of the exterior wall, against the foundation.
  3. Option C: To a sewer, a drainage ditch or a dry well.
  4. Option D: To an interior manhole with a watertight cover.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. To a sewer, a drainage ditch or a dry well.

Foundation drainage water must be directed to a sewer, a drainage ditch or a dry well (Article 9.14.5.1). When gravity drainage is not possible, an automatic pump moves the water from the sump pit to one of these outlets (Article 9.14.5.2), but it does not remove the need to connect the discharge.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 9.14.5.1

Question 4

Module 4: Building structureApplicationDocuments provided

The drawings of a wood floor indicate that the design accounts for partitions at 1 kPa of distributed load. The client wants to add, after the fact, a masonry partition in the middle of a room. What must the foreman require before it is built?

  1. Option A: That the structural designer review the floor design
  2. Option B: Nothing: 1 kPa of partitions covers all partitions added afterwards
  3. Option C: That the partition be centred on a joist, with no further verification
  4. Option D: That the floor be reinforced with 38 mm over its whole surface
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. That the structural designer review the floor design

The weight of partitions is part of the dead load and is shown on the drawings. A masonry partition is much heavier than the design value of 1 kPa distributed: only the designer can verify the floor before it is added.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 4.1.4.1

Question 5

Module 5: Building envelopeApplicationDocuments provided

A journeyman crushes a wool batt to slip it behind a pipe in the cavity of an exterior wall, then closes the wall. Which insulation installation requirement does this work compromise?

  1. Option A: The maximum permeance of the vapour barrier, which must remain at most 60 ng/(Pa·s·m²).
  2. Option B: A reasonably uniform insulating value over the whole area between the studs.
  3. Option C: The clearance of at least 63 mm between the insulation and the roof sheathing.
  4. Option D: The lap of at least 100 mm of the stapled joints of the air barrier sheet.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. A reasonably uniform insulating value over the whole area between the studs.

A compressed batt loses thickness, and therefore thermal resistance, and the wall no longer has a uniform insulating value. Sentence 9.25.2.3.(2) also requires the insulation to cover the whole area between the framing members. The insulation must be cut and fitted around the pipe, not crushed.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 9.25.2.3

Question 6

Module 6: Fire protection and means of egressApplicationDocuments provided

A single-storey store will be built with a building area of 750 m². The owner believes no access route for fire department vehicles is required, since the building has no more than 3 storeys. What is he told?

  1. Option A: He is right: only the number of storeys determines whether an access route is required.
  2. Option B: He is right, as long as the building is sprinklered throughout.
  3. Option C: He is wrong: a route is required as soon as the area exceeds 1,000 m².
  4. Option D: He is wrong: a route is required as soon as the area exceeds 600 m².
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. He is wrong: a route is required as soon as the area exceeds 600 m².

Under the NBC 2015 (Quebec amendments), two criteria trigger an access route for fire department vehicles: more than 3 storeys or more than 600 m² of building area. Either one is enough, and here the area of 750 m² exceeds the threshold.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 3.2.5.4

Question 7

Module 7: Building mechanical systemsApplicationDocuments provided

A house will be built in a locality where the value of Sa(0.2) is 0.60. The furnace is connected to natural gas and to electricity. Must the contractor provide for anchoring this equipment to the structure?

  1. Option A: No, anchoring is required only above 1.0
  2. Option B: No, anchoring applies only to water heaters
  3. Option C: Yes, because 0.60 exceeds the threshold of 0.55
  4. Option D: Yes, but only for oil-fired equipment
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Yes, because 0.60 exceeds the threshold of 0.55

When Sa(0.2) is greater than 0.55, heating and air-conditioning equipment connected to a fuel or electrical supply must be securely fastened to the structure to resist overturning and displacement. With 0.60, the threshold is exceeded.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 9.33.4.7

Question 8

Module 8: Architectural and functional componentsApplicationDocuments provided

An unfinished aluminum patio door frame will be installed against a stucco wall. What protection does the code require on the aluminum parts that touch the stucco?

  1. Option A: A boiled linseed oil primer
  2. Option B: An alkali-resistant coating
  3. Option C: A thin polyethylene film
  4. Option D: A bead of polyurethane foam
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. An alkali-resistant coating

The cement in stucco, concrete or plaster is alkaline and attacks bare aluminum. Article 9.7.6.2 therefore requires an alkali-resistant coating on every unfinished aluminum part that touches these materials.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 9.7.6.2

Question 9

Module 10: Sustainable development and environmentApplication

An excavator sits idling two hours a day while waiting for trucks. Which measure reduces fuel waste?

  1. Option A: Keeping the engine idling to avoid wear on the starter
  2. Option B: Using a bigger engine to reduce the digging time
  3. Option C: Shutting off the engine during prolonged waits
  4. Option D: Running the engine at full throttle to keep it warm
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. Shutting off the engine during prolonged waits

An idling engine burns fuel and produces exhaust gases without doing any work. Shutting off the engine during prolonged waits reduces consumption and emissions.

Source: RBQ competency profile (opens a new tab), element 56

Question 10

Module 6: Fire protection and means of egressApplicationDocuments provided

An exit stair in an office building is built with runs of 280 mm and risers of 195 mm. Is this configuration compliant?

  1. Option A: Yes, because the run meets the 280 mm minimum.
  2. Option B: Yes, because the riser height may go up to 200 mm.
  3. Option C: No, the run must be at least 300 mm.
  4. Option D: No, the riser height may not exceed 180 mm.
Show the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. No, the riser height may not exceed 180 mm.

The steps of an exit stair have a run of at least 280 mm and a riser height between 125 and 180 mm. At 195 mm, the riser exceeds the limit, even though the run is correct.

Source: Construction Code (B-1.1, r. 2) (opens a new tab), s. chapitre I, art. 3.4.6.8

These questions are examples we wrote. They are not real exam questions: the RBQ publishes neither the number of questions nor the module weights.

Prepare for the construction work exam 1.1.1

Start with the free diagnostic: it shows your weak spots, module by module. Module 1, legal, normative and regulatory framework, is part of the free level.

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