1. About the CCQ Concrete former exam

The Concrete former (Coffreur à béton) 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 concrete former on Quebec construction sites.

The exam covers four sections weighted as follows: Work organization (20%), Footings and foundations (35%), Support, road, and landscape elements (25%), and Slabs, beams, and stairs (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 2 (footings and foundations) is the heaviest single block at 35% — appropriate, since footings and walls are the foundation of nearly every building project. The remaining three sections (planning, columns/roadways, slabs/beams/stairs) are weighted relatively evenly between 20% and 25%.

3. Detailed competency elements

Section 1 — Work organization (20%)

Planning the formwork:

• Interpret plans, specifications, sketches, and installation drawings
• Calculate bearing length
• Determine formwork types and required components
• Plan the work sequence
• Estimate required materials, equipment, and tooling
• Calculate concrete volume
• Site layout
• Material handling techniques
• Communication with crane operators and concrete pump operators
• Worksite health and safety risk prevention

Finalizing the work:

• Verify and adjust the formwork
• Assess the impact of the pour, vibration, troweling, and waterproofing on the formwork
• Wall alignment
• Finalization steps
• Equipment maintenance and cleaning

Section 2 — Footings and foundations (35%)

Erecting footing formwork:

• Soil condition assessment
• Determine footing type and position
• Install footing formwork panels
• Install rebar guides
• Place the key
• Install water-stops

Erecting concrete foundation and wall formwork:

• Assemble panels, ties, struts, and walers
• Install blockouts in the formwork
• Place false structures
• Install nailing keys
• Install offset/drop panels
• Install shoring
• Place walkways
• Formwork alignment method
• Place anchors
• Install pour and expansion joints

Section 3 — Support, road, and landscape elements (25%)

Erecting concrete pier and column formwork:

• Construction and installation of formwork panels
• Place collars
• Fabricate the cleanout trap
• Assemble drop panels and capitals
• Verify squareness and verticality of panels
• Bracing and shoring of formwork

Erecting roadway, sidewalk, curb, and landscape formwork:

• Soil condition assessment
• Interpret the landscape plan
• Calculate concrete volume for various geometric shapes
• Assemble formwork panels for special shapes
• Install expansion joints
• Technical specifications for sidewalks

Section 4 — Slabs, beams, and stairs (20%)

Erecting concrete slab, beam, and stair formwork:

• Install supports and scaffolding
• Place joists or walers
• Assemble beam-bottom and edge-form panels
• Verify alignment, squareness, and leveling of panels
• Assemble blockouts
• Install accessories and ties
• Place pour and expansion joints
• Calculate stair tread height, depth, and the number of treads and risers
• Produce a stair formwork template
• Methods for assembling stair-slab formwork
• Methods for assembling stair-riser formwork
• Construction standards

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.

• Concrete Materials and Methods of Concrete Construction / Test Methods and Standard Practices for Concrete (CSA A23.1-09 / A23.2-09) — CSA Group, Mississauga, 11th edition, 2009, 604 p. (shop.csa.ca)
• Les crics et les vérins (Jacks and screw jacks) — ASP Construction, Anjou, 1995, leaflet (asp-construction.org)
• Les tranchées et les excavations — Guide de prévention (Trenches and excavations prevention guide) — ASP Construction, Anjou, 2006, 85 p. (asp-construction.org)
• Alignement et nivellement (Alignment and Levelling) — CEMEQ, Sherbrooke, 2010, 126 p. (cemeq.qc.ca)
• Coffrages d'empattements et de murs (Footing and Wall Formwork) — CEMEQ, Sherbrooke, 2009, 260 p. (cemeq.qc.ca)
• Colonnes, poutres et dalles (Columns, Beams, and Slabs) — CEMEQ, Sherbrooke, 2009, 204 p. (cemeq.qc.ca)
• Quebec Construction Code, Chapter 1 — Building, and National Building Code of Canada 2005 (amended) — National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, 2005, 1281 p. (nrc-cnrc.gc.ca)
• Les échafaudages sur cadres métalliques (Tubular Frame Scaffolding) — CNESST, Montréal, 2004 (cnesst.gouv.qc.ca)
• Rigging and Lifting: Safety Guide — CSST/CNESST, Publications du Québec, 2006, 174 p. (publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca)
• Safety Code for Construction Work (S-2.1, r.6) — Éditeur officiel du Québec, 2010, 272 p. (publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca)
• Association Béton Québec — concrete industry technical resources (betonabq.org)

6. What makes the Concrete former exam different

The Concrete former trade is one of the most calculation-heavy exams on the CCQ roster. Every section involves quantitative work: Section 1 tests bearing length and concrete volume calculations; Section 3 tests geometric volume calculations for non-rectangular shapes (curbs, sidewalks, curved formwork); Section 4 tests stair geometry — calculating tread height, tread depth, and the number of treads and risers from a given rise and run, plus producing a stair template from those numbers. A candidate strong on field execution but weak on the math tends to underperform — and a closed-book exam removes the option to look up a formula.

Section 2 (35%) is the largest single block and reflects the field reality that footings and foundations are the most common formwork work on a Quebec site. The exam tests not only the panels and ties, but everything that goes with a foundation pour: rebar guides, key placement, water-stops, blockouts, false structures, nailing keys, anchors, and pour/expansion joints. A candidate who has only assembled panels but never worked through a complete foundation sequence will struggle.

Section 3 is unusual because it covers roadway and landscape work alongside columns and piers. Sidewalks, curbs, and curved curb formwork involve geometric calculations that look more like math problems than carpentry — and the exam tests them. Section 4's stair geometry is the same kind of problem in a different setting. 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.

7. Recommended preparation strategy

1. Anchor preparation around Section 2 (35%). Footings and foundations are the largest single block and the most common work on a real site. Master the full sequence — soil, footings, walls, ties, struts, blockouts, water-stops, anchors, joints.
2. Treat the exam as closed book from day one. Memorize concrete volume formulas, stair geometry rules, and key dimensional standards — you will not have a manual to consult.
3. Read the recommended documents in this order: CEMEQ Coffrages d'empattements et de murs (Section 2 foundation), then Colonnes, poutres et dalles (Sections 3 and 4), then Alignement et nivellement (Section 1 layout), then CSA A23.1/A23.2 (concrete reference), then the safety guides (CNESST, ASP Construction).
4. Drill calculation problems daily. Bearing length, concrete volume for rectangular and curved shapes, stair tread/riser counts, and stair template development. These are common across all four sections and tend to be quick points if the formulas are memorized.
5. Walk through complete foundation sequences. Don't just memorize parts — practice the order of operations from soil prep through pour-and-strip on real-world wall and footing examples.
6. Take at least two full mock exams under real conditions (3 hours, no documents, single sitting) before scheduling the real exam.
7. 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 Concrete former exam

• Aligned with the official CCQ structure — content mapped one-to-one to the four sections, with extra depth on the heavyweight Section 2 (footings and foundations) and dedicated drilling on the calculation topics that span every section.
• Closed-book training methodology — flashcards and spaced practice designed for memorization of formulas and dimensional standards.
• 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.

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