CCQ (EN) — Boilermaker
Prepare for the CCQ Boilermaker qualification exam with an online course: lessons, quizzes with explained answers and review tools, available anytime for 3 months.
The trade at a glance
Under the Regulation respecting the vocational training of workforce in the construction industry (R-20, r. 8), a boilermaker performs the operations connected with the construction of steam generators, among other work.
- Schedule B of the regulation sets 3 apprenticeship periods of 2,000 hours (6,000 hours) for this trade.
- Eligible candidates register for the CCQ qualification examination with the Commission (R-20, r. 8, s. 6); the examination pertains to the trade, specialty or shared activity (s. 7).
Please note — This course prepares you for the CCQ qualification exam. Its content is educational: before applying any concept on a job site, consult the codes, regulations and standards in force, which take precedence in case of discrepancy. Some quizzes refer to paid codes, standards or manuals that are not included and may be required; they are available separately from their publishers. If you do not have the document a question refers to, simply skip that question. Prof-RBQ is independent of the CCQ and the RBQ and does not guarantee success on the exam.
Online course
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3 months
Course Lessons
CCQ Boilermaker Qualification Exam Preparation
Online course aligned with the four official sections of the CCQ Boilermaker (Chaudronnier) qualification exam — practice questions, flashcards, mock exams, and detailed answer explanations.
1. About the CCQ Boilermaker exam
The Boilermaker (Chaudronnier) qualification exam is the official theoretical evaluation administered by the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ). Passing this exam is a key step toward obtaining a journeyman competency certificate and being authorized to work as a boilermaker on Quebec construction sites.
The exam covers four sections weighted as follows: General competencies (35%), Fabrication and installation (25%), Erection and repair (20%), and Assembly and demolition (20%). It is offered in French and English in multiple-choice format and lasts approximately 3 hours, with a passing grade of 60%.
2. Exam structure at a glance
| Section | Title | Weight | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | General competencies | 35 % | Safety, blueprints, welding, rigging, scaffolding, quality control |
| 2 | Fabrication and installation | 25 % | Furnaces, ovens, incinerators; penstocks, spiral casings, purification |
| 3 | Erection and repair | 20 % | Fractionation towers, tanks, silos; heat exchangers and tube bundles |
| 4 | Assembly and demolition | 20 % | Boiler assembly; demolition and dismantling of boilers, tanks, towers |
Section 1 is the heaviest single block of the exam — neglecting it is the most common cause of failure. Prioritize Section 1 in your preparation.
3. Detailed competency elements
Section 1 — General competencies (35%)
- Safety measures
- Blueprint and specification interpretation
- Welding procedures
- Communication using signals
- Tools and equipment
- Scaffolding erection
- Level surveys
- Anchor installation
- Rigging and handling of parts and components
- Quality control of work
- Site mobilization and demobilization
Section 2 — Fabrication and installation (25%)
Fabrication of parts and assembly of furnaces, ovens, and incinerators:
- Parts preparation
- Pre-assembly of components
- Erection of supports and structures
- Wall assembly
- Installation of tube supports and tubes
- Chimney and branch assembly
- Installation of ducts and equipment
Installation of penstocks, spiral casings, and purification systems:
- Component assembly
- Dismantling of reinforcements in penstocks
Section 3 — Erection and repair (20%)
Erection of fractionation towers, tanks, and silos:
- Section assembly
- Erection of a fractionation tower
- Placement, assembly, and welding of floor, wall, and roof plates
- Plumbing the fractionation tower
- Fabrication of an access door
- Installation of rafters, center columns, roof angle iron, and roof plates
Repair of exchangers, components, and equipment:
- Sealing of ducts and nozzles
- Taking measurements
- Repair
- Removal of tube bundle and components
- Bundle cleaning and repair
- Reinstallation of the bundle
- Leak testing of tubes and shell
Section 4 — Assembly and demolition (20%)
Boiler assembly:
- Placement of columns, steel beams, and other structural elements of the boiler
Demolition and dismantling of boilers, tanks, towers, components, and equipment:
- Unsealing of nozzles
- Identification of equipment and component weights
- Dismantling of components
- Handling of dismantled elements and debris
4. Documents provided at the exam
This is a defining feature of all CCQ trade qualification exams: unlike RBQ contractor exams (some of which are open book), CCQ exams are systematically closed book regardless of the trade. Plan your study accordingly.
5. Recommended study documents
The CCQ suggests the following references for preparation. None of them will be available during the exam — they are study aids only. Use them to build understanding, then test recall with practice questions and flashcards.
- IPT's Guide to Blueprint Interpretation — Grant E. Jacobs, IPT Publishing and Training Ltd., Alberta, 2008, 379 p. (iptbooks.com)
- IPT's Metal Trades and Welding Handbook — Ronald G. Garby and Bruce J. Ashton, IPT Publishing and Training Ltd., Alberta, 2008, 579 p. (iptbooks.com)
- Rigging and Lifting: Safety Guide — CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail), Publications du Québec, 2007, 192 p. (cnesst.gouv.qc.ca)
6. What makes the Boilermaker exam different
The Boilermaker trade sits at the intersection of structural steelwork, pressure-vessel fabrication, and high-precision welding. The CCQ exam reflects that breadth: candidates must reason about load paths in multi-piece assemblies (boilers, fractionation towers), sequence-sensitive operations (pre-assembly, plumbing of vertical structures, leak testing of heat exchangers), and safety-critical demolition (sealing and unsealing of nozzles, weight identification before lifting).
Section 1's emphasis on rigging, signals, scaffolding, and welding procedures means a candidate fluent only in fabrication can still fail. Conversely, candidates strong on field practice often underestimate the precision required for blueprint interpretation and level surveys. The Prof-RBQ.ca preparation is built around this asymmetry — every Section 1 sub-topic gets dedicated practice, with mock-exam questions calibrated to the same multi-step reasoning the CCQ uses.
Because the exam is closed book, the platform also tracks what you've actually memorized — flashcards spaced over multiple sessions surface weak areas before exam day, when there is no manual to fall back on.
7. Recommended preparation strategy
- Start with Section 1 (35%). It is the largest single block and the broadest in scope. Master it first.
- Treat the exam as closed book from day one. Memorize tolerances, signal codes, and rigging capacities — do not rely on references you will not have.
- Work through the recommended documents in this order: IPT's Guide to Blueprint Interpretation → IPT's Metal Trades and Welding Handbook → CNESST Rigging and Lifting guide. Each builds on the previous.
- Use flashcards daily for vocabulary, weights, and sequence steps. Short, frequent sessions outperform long cram days for closed-book recall.
- Take at least two full mock exams under real conditions (3 hours, no documents, single sitting) before scheduling the real exam.
- Review every wrong answer. The Prof-RBQ.ca platform shows the reasoning behind each correct answer — read every explanation, even on questions you got right.
8. Why Prof-RBQ.ca for the Boilermaker exam
- Aligned with the official CCQ structure — content mapped one-to-one to the four sections and their weight, so you spend time where it counts.
- Closed-book training methodology — flashcards and spaced practice designed for memorization, not lookup.
- Mock exams in CCQ format — multiple choice, 3-hour timing, scoring out of 60% — so exam day feels familiar.
- Detailed answer explanations — every question, right or wrong, comes with a written rationale.
- Bilingual — full course in English and French. The CCQ exam itself is offered in both languages.
- A free section is available so you can try the platform before committing.
Get ready for your CCQ Boilermaker exam
Online course, mock exams, flashcards, and answer explanations — built for the closed-book CCQ format.
Access Prof-RBQ.caFrequently asked questions
What is the CCQ Boilermaker qualification exam?
The CCQ qualification exam for the Boilermaker trade is the official theoretical exam administered by the Commission de la construction du Québec to obtain a journeyman competency certificate. It evaluates competencies across four sections: General competencies (35%), Fabrication and installation (25%), Erection and repair (20%), and Assembly and demolition (20%).
Is the Boilermaker exam open book or closed book?
The CCQ Boilermaker exam is entirely closed book. No reference document is provided during the exam and personal documents are not allowed. All study materials must be memorized — focus your preparation on understanding rather than locating information in a manual.
How long is the exam and what is the passing grade?
The CCQ Boilermaker exam typically lasts 3 hours and the passing grade is 60%. The exam is offered in French and English in multiple-choice format. Confirm the official details on the CCQ website before your exam date.
What are the four sections of the Boilermaker exam?
The exam is divided into four sections: Section 1 — General competencies (35%); Section 2 — Fabrication and installation (25%); Section 3 — Erection and repair (20%); Section 4 — Assembly and demolition (20%). Section 1 carries the most weight — prioritize it in your preparation.
What competencies does Section 1 cover?
Section 1 (35%) covers safety measures, blueprint and specification interpretation, welding procedures, signal communication, tools and equipment, scaffolding erection, level surveys, anchor installation, rigging and material handling, quality control, and site mobilization and demobilization.
What does Section 2 — Fabrication and installation cover?
Section 2 (25%) covers the fabrication of parts and assembly of furnaces, ovens, and incinerators — including parts preparation, pre-assembly, erection of supports and structures, wall assembly, tube supports and tubes, chimney and branch assembly, and duct and equipment installation — as well as the installation of penstocks, spiral casings, and purification systems, including dismantling of reinforcements in penstocks.
What does Section 3 — Erection and repair cover?
Section 3 (20%) covers the erection of fractionation towers, tanks, and silos — section assembly, tower erection, placement and welding of floor, wall, and roof plates, plumbing of the tower, access door fabrication, rafters, center columns, and roof plate installation — and the repair of exchangers, components, and equipment, including sealing of ducts and nozzles, measurements, repair, removal and cleaning of the tube bundle, reinstallation, and leak testing of tubes and shell.
What does Section 4 — Assembly and demolition cover?
Section 4 (20%) covers the assembly of boilers — placement of columns, steel beams, and other structural elements — and the demolition and dismantling of boilers, tanks, towers, components, and equipment, including unsealing of nozzles, identification of equipment and component weights, dismantling of components, and handling of dismantled elements and debris.
What documents are recommended for exam preparation?
The CCQ recommends three reference works: IPT's Guide to Blueprint Interpretation (Grant E. Jacobs), IPT's Metal Trades and Welding Handbook (Garby and Ashton), and the CNESST guide Rigging and Lifting: Safety Guide. None of these documents are provided at the exam — they are study references only.
How does Prof-RBQ.ca prepare me for the Boilermaker exam?
Prof-RBQ.ca offers an online preparation course aligned with the four official CCQ sections, with practice questions, flashcards, mock exams, and detailed explanations for every wrong answer. The platform mirrors the multiple-choice format of the actual exam so you arrive prepared.
Is the preparation course available in English?
Yes. Prof-RBQ.ca offers the Boilermaker preparation in English and French. The official CCQ exam is also offered in both languages — choose your exam language when registering with the CCQ.
How do I register for the Boilermaker preparation course?
Visit Prof-RBQ.ca to access the Boilermaker preparation course. A free section is available so you can try the platform before committing. Pricing and registration are available on Prof-RBQ.ca.