The RBQ project and site management exam is taken with five documents open on the table, but a good part of the subject matter is not in them: Civil Code, specifications, bids, planning, site prevention. And several rules have changed since the RBQ sheet, from the guarantor to Chapter I of the Construction Code. This Prof-RBQ.ca course teaches you to read the texts in force, to know which of the five documents to open, and to master in advance what will not be provided to you.
The project and site management exam at a glance
- Length: 3 h; passing mark: 60%.
- Multiple-choice questions, in French or English; the RBQ publishes neither their number nor the weighting of the subjects.
- Five subjects according to the sheet: management of construction activities; reading and interpreting plans and specifications; cost estimates and bids; quality control activities; legislation and regulations.
- Only the documents and materials provided by the invigilator are allowed (calculator, ruler, paper and pencil supplied on site).
Documents on the exam information sheet (in French; updated: December 2024): ✔ provided in the exam room, 📖 recommended reading (not provided).
- ✔ Building Act (CQLR, c. B-1.1)
- ✔ Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry (CQLR, c. R-20)
- ✔ Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (CQLR, c. B-1.1, r. 9)
- ✔ Regulation respecting the vocational training of the workforce in the construction industry (CQLR, c. R-20, r. 8)
- ✔ Construction Code (CQLR, c. B-1.1, r. 2), Chapter I – Building (the sheet lists the NBC 2015 (amended); text in force: NBC 2020 (amended))
- 📖 Engineers Act (CQLR, c. I-9)
- 📖 Architects Act (CQLR, c. A-21)
- 📖 Cultural Heritage Act (CQLR, c. P-9.002)
- 📖 Environment Quality Act (CQLR, c. Q-2)
- 📖 Regulation respecting restrictions to contractor licences for the purposes of obtaining a public contract (CQLR, c. R-20, r. 14)
- 📖 Construction Code, Chapter I.1 – Energy Efficiency of Buildings
- 📖 Civil Code of Québec
- 📖 Canadian National Master Construction Specification (NMS)
What the course contains
- 20 lessons in five sections, each illustrated with diagrams and linked to the free official texts.
- 816 explained questions in total: 739 in the question bank of the five section quizzes, 129 of them based on a figure (plans, cross-sections, title blocks, specification excerpts, Gantt charts and planning networks, quantity takeoffs), and 77 in the two method quizzes.
- Five section quizzes that draw from this question bank of 739 questions (25, 15, 25, 30 and 10 questions per attempt).
- Two method quizzes: “Which document do I open?” (32 questions, 10 per attempt in 10 minutes) to decide which of the five documents provided by the invigilator contains the rule, or whether it must be known without a document, and “Find the section” (45 questions, 15 per attempt in 20 minutes) to quickly find the section in the Building Act, B-1.1, r. 9, R-20 and R-20, r. 8.
- 16 guided calculations in the lessons: a worked example, a step to complete, then a new case to solve (amounts, time limits, quantities, costs, durations).
- 316 flashcards to review definitions, time limits, thresholds and cross-references, on screen or as audio flashcards (20 files, one per lesson: the question, a pause, then the answer).
- 21 audio capsules, one per lesson and one for the complete method guide, to review on the go.
- A quick reference per section (5), to review before each section quiz.
- A study plan: the order of activities, 4-, 6- and 8-week schedules and spaced reviews (2 days, 1 week, 3 weeks), with a target of 80% on each quiz.
- The Pilote de Code Method for the exam: which document to open, the 90-second rule, signal words, the traps specific to project and site management and a plan for the 3 hours of the exam.
- A free 14-question quiz to see the format before you enrol.
The lessons:
- Construction law in Québec and the project and site management guarantor
- The Building Act: contractors, construction work, qualification, licences and subclasses, guarantee plan, undeclared work
- Obligations and roles: Civil Code, professionals, principal contractor, guarantors, applicable standards and consequences
- The industry framework: R-20, vocational training, licence restrictions, CCQ and compliance
- The Safety Code and the Construction Code: chapters, responsible body, Chapter I and Chapter I.1
- Chapter I in practice: definitions, occupancies, Part 9, safety and loads
- Reading plans: role, types, phases, symbols, dimensions, precedence and consistency
- Reading the specifications: the NMS, MasterFormat and the three-part section
- Supporting documents: addenda, shop drawings, drawing sheets, surveying, geotechnical report and schedules
- Calls for tenders: public and private, scope of the bid, deciding to bid and contractual capacity
- Types of contracts and standard contracts: stipulated price, unit price, cost plus, construction management, design-build, partnership and CCDC
- Preparing the bid: estimating, price analysis, agreements and payments with subcontractors and suppliers
- The Bureau des soumissions déposées du Québec (BSDQ, “Quebec Bid Depository System”): framework, coverage, filing, bid security and commitments
- Quantity takeoff: units, conversions, lengths, areas, volumes and masses
- Estimating costs: labour, materials, overheads, profit and unit prices
- Planning the work: PODC (plan, organize, direct, control), sequence, budget, requirements and critical path
- Organizing the site: start-up, planning tools, permits, storage and prevention
- Directing the site: coordination, supervision, directives, unforeseen events and site log
- Controlling the work and ensuring quality: inspections, acceptance and warranties
- Sustainable development: principles, equity, residual materials, energy, heritage and responsible procurement
What generic guides do not explain
Five mechanisms of the law and of site practice that decide a good part of the answers, and that the course works through on concrete cases:
1. The guarantor no longer has to be an officer
Since February 12, 2026, s. 2 of the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (CQLR, c. B-1.1, r. 9), replaced by O.C. 38-2026, allows a full-time manager of the partnership or legal person who is not an officer within the meaning of s. 7 of the Building Act to qualify as guarantor: a company can give this role to its project director, provided that person is a full-time manager of the company. Section 11.2, para. 2 exempts the specialized owner-builder from the project and site management examination. And since March 1, 2026, the 30-day period for the supplemental examination runs from the RBQ’s prior notice (s. 18): a manual that counts this period from the ruling is out of date.
2. Chapter I of the Construction Code has two applicable editions
The NBC 2020 (amended) has been in force since April 17, 2025 (O.C. 437-2025). Section 6 of the regulation amending the Construction Code (O.C. 437-2025), as amended by O.C. 1351-2026, still allows the former text (NBC 2015 (amended)) to be applied to work begun before October 17, 2027. What counts is when the work actually began; the date of the permit, of the contract or of the plans does not replace it. It is prudent to record this date in the project file and to check that all plans and specifications are based on the same edition.
3. Specifications no longer have 16 divisions
The NMS follows MasterFormat, whose framework has 50 divisions (NMS User’s Guide (NRC, August 2019)). A candidate trained on the former 16-division format looks for mechanical or electrical work at the end of the specifications; in the NMS table of contents (NRC, 2026-04), there is no division between 14 and 21, plumbing is in 22, heating, ventilating and air conditioning in 23, electrical in 26. The prescriptive section keeps its three parts: General, Products, Execution (PWGSC NMS user guide (2014, in French)).
4. Worker headcount triggers prevention obligations
The principal contractor notifies the CNESST in writing of the opening of the construction site at least 10 days before activities at the site begin: s. 197 of the Act respecting occupational health and safety (CQLR, c. S-2.1) refers to the regulation, and it is s. 2.4.1 of the Safety Code for the construction industry (CQLR, c. S-2.1, r. 4) that sets this period, except for major construction sites. Where it is foreseen that activities on the site will occupy at least 10 construction workers simultaneously at a stage of the work, the principal contractor must, before work begins and in collaboration with the employers, see that a prevention program is prepared (s. 198); where 20 or more are foreseen, this program is sent to the CNESST before work begins (s. 200). The principal contractor sees that each employer on the site, including subcontractors who employ workers, undertakes in writing to see that it is complied with (s. 202).
5. The BSDQ is not a statute, but it binds those who adhere to it
The Bureau des soumissions déposées du Québec is an organization formed by the Association de la construction du Québec (ACQ), the Corporation des maîtres électriciens du Québec (CMEQ) and the Corporation des maîtres mécaniciens en tuyauterie du Québec (CMMTQ) (s. A-2 of the BSDQ Code de soumission, in French); a contractor submits to the Code by signing a commitment. A covered specialty goes through the BSDQ when the bid is addressed to a recipient contractor (the contractor, usually the general contractor, who receives the specialty bids) and four conditions are met (s. B-2): the work is carried out in Québec, more than one offer is requested, the specialty price is at least equal to the threshold set by that section, and the documents allow comparable bids. Documents that ask bidders to participate significantly in the design do not allow this. A recipient contractor that enters into a contract in breach of the Code is liable to a penalty of 5% of the price of that contract (s. C-2).
The editions the course is based on
Our questions were developed from the following editions: Building Act and R-20, consolidated versions updated to August 12, 2026; Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (B-1.1, r. 9), consolidated version updated to July 1, 2026, which includes O.C. 38-2026; Regulation respecting the vocational training of the workforce in the construction industry (R-20, r. 8), consolidated version updated to July 1, 2026; Construction Code, Chapter I – Building: the NRC publication Quebec Construction Code, Chapter I – Building, and National Building Code of Canada 2020 (amended), second printing, in force since April 17, 2025; BSDQ Code de soumission (in French), official copy updated to January 30, 2026 (texts consulted in October 2026).
The RBQ exam information sheet (in French; updated December 2024) still lists, among the documents provided at the exam, Chapter I in its NBC 2015 (amended) edition. The text in force is the NBC 2020 (amended); the former text may still apply to work begun before October 17, 2027 (s. 6 of the regulation amending the Construction Code (O.C. 437-2025), as amended by O.C. 1351-2026). The RBQ may provide editions other than those used for our questions: on exam day, read the edition and the update date of each document provided, and work with the text you are given.
The competency profile has not kept pace with all the changes in the texts: it still describes the specifications in the former 16-division format, whereas the NMS now follows MasterFormat (a framework of 50 divisions), and it does not reflect the amendments made to B-1.1, r. 9 by O.C. 38-2026 (guarantor, exemption from the examination, supplemental examination). The course teaches the texts in force and points out each discrepancy.
The sheet names five subjects: management of construction activities; reading and interpreting plans and specifications; cost estimates and bids; quality control activities; legislation and regulations. Our five sections are inspired by the five modules of the competency profile, which the sheet recommends consulting: module 1, “Legislative, normative and regulatory framework”; module 2, “Reading and interpreting plans and specifications”; module 3, “Cost estimates and bids”; module 4, “Management of construction activities”; module 5, “Sustainable development rules”. The profile places quality control in module 4: it is part of our section 4; module 5 forms our section 5.
Free official texts: Building Act; Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders; R-20; Regulation respecting the vocational training of the workforce in the construction industry; Construction Code (LégisQuébec, English version). Both versions are official; where they differ and the ordinary rules of interpretation cannot properly resolve the discrepancy, the French text prevails (Charter of the French language, s. 7.1). The text of Chapter I and of the NBC 2020 (amended) is published by the NRC. The NMS and the CCDC standard contracts are paid publications: the course presents their organization and concepts, without reproducing their text.
Who this course is for
For people taking the project and site management exam in order to act as guarantor of a construction company. According to the RBQ sheet, project and site management covers the planning, organization, direction and control of activities and resources (material and human) during the completion of a construction project. In practice: the law that governs the company and the site, reading plans and specifications, calls for tenders, estimating and bidding, then planning, organizing, directing and controlling the work, up to acceptance. The course also shows where this field stops: the design and sealing of plans fall to engineers and architects, the workforce is governed by the CCQ, prevention by the CNESST, and administration and construction site safety management are separate examinations. It also serves a guarantor who is already qualified and wants to update what they learned before the 2024–2026 amendments.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the RBQ project and site management exam and what is the passing mark?
According to the RBQ exam information sheet (in French; updated December 2024), the project and site management exam lasts 3 hours and the passing mark is 60%. It consists of multiple-choice questions and is taken in French or English.
Who must pass the project and site management exam?
A person who passes it can act as project and site management guarantor for all authorized construction work, depending on the licence subclasses held by the construction company (RBQ competency profile). Contractors, general or specialized, and general owner-builders are subject to it; s. 11.2, para. 2 of the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (CQLR, c. B-1.1, r. 9) exempts the specialized owner-builder. Section 20 of the same regulation exempts a person who has successfully completed a training program in the subject-matter of the examination related to the licence subclass applied for that is recognized by the Board (s. 20, para. 1), or who has acted, in the 5 years preceding the licence application, as a project and site management guarantor for the licence class or subclass applied for, to the extent that the examination takes into account that class or subclass (s. 20, para. 2(3)). In the English texts of the Building Act and its regulations, “the Board” means the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ).
Which documents may I consult during the exam?
Only the documents and materials provided by the invigilator are allowed: the Building Act (CQLR, c. B-1.1), the Act respecting labour relations, vocational training and workforce management in the construction industry (CQLR, c. R-20), the Regulation respecting the professional qualification of contractors and owner-builders (CQLR, c. B-1.1, r. 9), the Regulation respecting the vocational training of the workforce in the construction industry (CQLR, c. R-20, r. 8) and the Construction Code (CQLR, c. B-1.1, r. 2), Chapter I – Building, with a calculator, ruler, paper and pencil supplied on site. The other documents on the sheet (the Engineers Act (CQLR, c. I-9), the Architects Act (CQLR, c. A-21), the Cultural Heritage Act (CQLR, c. P-9.002), the Environment Quality Act (CQLR, c. Q-2), the Regulation respecting restrictions to contractor licences for the purposes of obtaining a public contract (CQLR, c. R-20, r. 14), the Construction Code, Chapter I.1 – Energy Efficiency of Buildings, the Civil Code of Québec and the Canadian National Master Construction Specification (NMS)) are recommended reading only: they must be understood beforehand.
Which edition of Chapter I of the Construction Code should I study?
The RBQ sheet (December 2024) still names the NBC 2015 (amended). Since April 17, 2025, Chapter I incorporates the NBC 2020 (amended) (O.C. 437-2025); the former text may still apply to work begun before October 17, 2027 (s. 6 of the regulation amending the Construction Code (O.C. 437-2025), as amended by O.C. 1351-2026), and it is the actual date the work began that decides. The course teaches the text in force and points out the differences between the two editions that change an answer; on exam day, check the edition you are given.
How many questions are on the exam and how are the subjects weighted?
The RBQ publishes neither the number of questions nor the weighting of the subjects. The course covers the five sections inspired by the modules of the competency profile, and each section quiz draws its questions from its own bank (25, 15, 25, 30 and 10 questions per attempt, from section 1 to section 5).
Why does the course cover sustainable development when the sheet does not name it?
The sheet names five subjects (management of construction activities; reading and interpreting plans and specifications; cost estimates and bids; quality control activities; legislation and regulations) and recommends consulting the competency profile, which describes the skills that may be assessed. That profile has five modules, including “Sustainable development rules” (module 5); it places quality control in module 4, “Management of construction activities”. The course sections are inspired by these modules: module 5 forms section 5, with its lesson (Lesson 20) and a section quiz drawn from a bank of 43 questions.
What does the Prof-RBQ.ca RBQ GPC course contain?
Twenty lessons and 816 explained questions in total: a question bank of 739 questions divided into five section quizzes and 77 questions in two method quizzes, “Which document do I open?” (32 questions, 10 per attempt in 10 minutes) and “Find the section” (45 questions, 15 per attempt in 20 minutes). There are also 316 flashcards, on screen and as audio flashcards (20 files, one per lesson), 21 audio capsules (one per lesson and one for the complete method guide), 16 step-by-step guided calculations, a quick reference per section, a study plan with schedules and reviews, and the Pilote de Code Method for the exam. Each explanation names the source behind the answer.
Can I try the course before enrolling?
Yes: a free quiz of 14 questions, taken from the five sections of the course and including 2 diagrams, shows the format of the questions and explanations of the full course.
What happens if I fail the exam?
Under s. 18 of B-1.1, r. 9, as amended by O.C. 38-2026 (in force on this point since March 1, 2026), a person who fails may register for only one supplemental examination, within 30 days of the date of the prior notice by which the Board notifies them of its intention to refuse the application for the issue or the amendment of a licence. A person who fails the supplemental examination, or does not register within that period, may not sit for that examination again, as part of another licence application, before 4 months have passed since the Board’s ruling regarding the failure (or, in the absence of a ruling, since the discontinuance of the application). Not attending an examination session for which you are registered results in failure.
Must the guarantor be an officer of the company?
Not necessarily. Since February 12, 2026, s. 2 of B-1.1, r. 9, replaced by O.C. 38-2026, allows a person who is not an officer to qualify as guarantor if they are a full-time manager of the partnership or legal person. O.C. 38-2026 also changed the supplemental examination: since March 1, 2026, the 30-day period runs from the Board’s prior notice (s. 18 of B-1.1, r. 9).
Is the Canadian National Master Construction Specification (NMS) provided at the exam?
No: the sheet lists it among the recommended reading. Its organization must therefore be known without a document. The NMS follows MasterFormat, whose framework has 50 divisions, and each prescriptive section has three parts, named General, Products and Execution (NMS User’s Guide (NRC, August 2019); PWGSC NMS user guide (2014, in French)). In the NMS table of contents (NRC, 2026-04), plumbing is in Division 22, heating, ventilating and air conditioning in 23, electrical in 26.
How does the course train you to find the right document and the right section?
Through two method quizzes. “Which document do I open?” draws 10 questions from 32, in 10 minutes: for each situation, choose among the five documents provided by the invigilator and “No document provided: must be known”. “Find the section” draws 15 questions from 45, in 20 minutes: quickly find the section in the Building Act, B-1.1, r. 9, R-20 and R-20, r. 8. Chapter I of the Construction Code is not part of this quiz: the RBQ sheet lists the 2015 (amended) edition, the text in force is the 2020 (amended) edition, and the edition provided in the exam room is not confirmed.
Are the questions the same from one attempt to the next?
No. Each section quiz draws its questions at random from its section’s group, and the order of the choices may be shuffled: retaking a quiz largely means meeting other questions. The two method quizzes also draw at random from their own group; in “Which document do I open?”, the six choices remain the same from one question to the next.
How should I prepare in the last weeks before the exam?
Retake each section quiz after 2 days, 1 week and 3 weeks, aiming for 80%; the course study plan suggests 4-, 6- and 8-week schedules. In the last week, retake the five section quizzes in real conditions: timed by you, without interruption, with only the five texts provided at the exam; also take the “Which document do I open?” and “Find the section” quizzes.
Why is the RBQ competency profile not enough to study?
Because part of what it describes has changed: it still presents the specifications in the former 16-division format, whereas the NMS follows MasterFormat; it does not reflect the amendments made to B-1.1, r. 9 by O.C. 38-2026 (guarantor, exemption from the examination, supplemental examination); for its part, the exam information sheet still names the 2015 edition of Chapter I of the Construction Code. The course teaches the law in force and points out each discrepancy.
Is Prof-RBQ.ca linked to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec?
No. Prof-RBQ.ca is an independent preparation service, not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) or the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ).
Our approach
Prof-RBQ.ca is an independent preparation service, not affiliated with the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) or the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ). In case of discrepancy, the official text governs. The course is a review tool: it does not replace the texts in force or the advice of a professional, and it does not guarantee the exam result.
