1. About the RBQ 13.1 contractor licence exam

The RBQ sub-category 13.1 exam is the theoretical examination administered by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec for candidates seeking to act as qualified representative (répondant) for a contractor licence covering lightning protection installations. The licence excludes work exclusively reserved for electrical contractors; it covers air terminals, capture and belt conductors, downconductors, ground electrodes, and the design and installation of complete lightning protection for buildings and civil structures, plus similar or related construction work.

The exam is offered in French and English in multiple-choice format, lasts 3 hours, and the passing grade is 60%. It is built around five official modules covering definitions and types of systems, the regulatory framework, plans and specifications, design and estimation, and the standards for executing installation, verification and maintenance work.

2. Exam structure at a glance

The RBQ does not publish a percentage weighting per module for this licence. By content volume, Module 5 dominates with 30 skill statements across 6 ECs covering planning, ground electrode installation, downconductors, air terminals and capture conductors, verification and maintenance, and health and safety. Module 4 (Design and Estimation) is unique to this licence — 14 skill statements across 3 ECs covering design without plans (EC 7), estimation from tender plans (EC 8), and shop drawings (EC 9). Module 2 is the narrowest in the RBQ portfolio at only 3 skill statements, because lightning protection has a single dedicated installation code (CSA B72-M87).

3. Detailed competency elements

Module 1 — Definitions and types of systems

• EC 1 — Lightning protection terminology (6 skill statements): lightning protection system and volume of protection; material conductivity, corrosion, galvanization; building classes (I, II, III, IV, V); air terminal (borne aérienne), capture conductor (conducteur de captation), belt conductor (conducteur de ceinture), connector, tripod, downconductor (descente), disconnector / test link (sectionneur), ground electrode (prise de terre); measurement units; difference between lightning rod (paratonnerre) and surge protector (parafoudre).
• EC 2 — System characteristics and components (7 skill statements): metals (copper, aluminum, galvanized steel, copper-clad steel) and compatibility; rod system types — early streamer emission (amorçage), Faraday cage / mesh (cage maillée), catenary wire (fil tendu); components and their applications; impact of roof shape and architectural materials on protection design; damage types (galvanization loss, corrosion, temperature, mechanical) and protection methods; building elements most susceptible to lightning strikes; behaviour and impact of lightning striking a building, civil structure or site (polarization phenomenon).

Module 2 — Legislative, normative and regulatory framework

• EC 3 — Lightning protection regulatory framework (3 skill statements): certification bodies (CSA, etc.); Quebec Construction Code Chapter I — Building 1995 and NBC 1995 (Quebec modifications); CSA B72-M87 — Installation Code for Lightning Protection Systems (scope and application).

Module 3 — Plans and specifications

• EC 4 — Reading drawings and plans (6 skill statements): types of plans; area to protect and installation elements; symbols; dimensions and annotations; sections and details; general notes and tables.
• EC 5 — Reading specifications (3 skill statements): divisions and sections of a specification; general charges; particular charges (including geotechnical report).
• EC 6 — As-built drawing adaptation (4 skill statements): information required in an as-built drawing; adapting base drawings to reflect work as built; approval process for as-built plans; standards compliance verification.

Module 4 — Design and Estimation (unique to this licence)

• EC 7 — Design without plans (7 skill statements): lightning risk diagnostic for an element of a building, civil structure or site; design factors (surroundings evaluation, topography); volume-of-protection calculation; material and component selection by area to protect and building class; technical solution proposal (rod types, locations, materials); resource determination (labour, equipment, materials, productivity rate); standards compliance of proposed work.
• EC 8 — Estimation from tender plans (4 skill statements): site visit to validate plan-and-specification compliance; quantity take-off (métré); validating or establishing the technical solution; resource determination.
• EC 9 — Shop drawing production (3 skill statements): approval process for shop drawings; conformity to plans and specifications; conformity to applicable standards.

Module 5 — Standards and execution of work

• EC 10 — Planning and organizing (4 skill statements): execution sequence for installation and maintenance; material ordering and reception; work declaration filing; locating buried and aerial utilities.
• EC 11 — Ground electrode installation (7 skill statements): connector type and ground electrode installation context (proximity to other elements); ground electrode location; soil preparation (excavation); ground rod or grounding loop installation (over rock); connection to downconductors and grounding belt (ceinture de MALT); grounding requirements by soil type; materials and locations conform to codes and plans.
• EC 12 — Downconductor installation (6 skill statements): downconductor locations and fastening methods; placement along walls (methods, concrete); disconnectors and protection systems for downconductors; requirements by elevation change and building class; adjustments when adjacent trees exceed the rod height; conformity to codes and plans.
• EC 13 — Air terminal and capture conductor installation (5 skill statements): air terminal and capture conductor locations; fastening to the belt; safe charge distribution (interconnection, bonding to metallic architectural and rooftop mechanical-electrical elements); installation methods by building class and roof type and equipment (sealing, materials); conformity to codes (fastening, maximum overhang) and plans.
• EC 14 — Verification and maintenance (5 skill statements): authorized inspectors; inspection obligations; test methods (visual, resistance); ground electrode resistance measurement methods and minimum resistive values; defective component replacement.
• EC 15 — Health and safety (3 skill statements): installation and maintenance risks; precautions; fall-arrest devices per S-2.1 r.4 art. 2.9, 2.10.12, 3.8.

4. Documents at the exam — mixed-book format

Provided at the exam (open book — 3 documents)

• Code de construction du Québec (RLRQ, B-1.1, r.0.01.01) — Chapter I, Building 1995
• Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (RLRQ, S-2.1, r.4) — Safety code for construction work
• CSA B72-M87 (confirmed 2003) — Installation Code for Lightning Protection Systems. The central — and only — specialty installation reference for this licence: building class tables, conductor sizing, air terminal placement and spacing, downconductor rules, ground electrode requirements by soil type, allowed overhang, sealing, and resistance test values.

Recommended reading only (closed book — 4 documents)

• Loi sur le bâtiment (RLRQ, B-1.1) — Building Act
• Code de sécurité (RLRQ, B-1.1, r.0.01.01.1) — Safety Code (in-use buildings)
• Règlement sur la qualification professionnelle des entrepreneurs en construction et des constructeurs-propriétaires (RLRQ, B-1.1, r.1.01) — sub-category 13.1 scope
• Loi sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RLRQ, S-2.1) — Act respecting occupational health and safety

Several Quebec documents are available free of charge on publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca. CSA B72-M87 is available from the CSA store.

5. Material provided at the exam

The calculator, ruler, paper and pencil needed for the exam are supplied on site. Only the documents and material handed out by the exam supervisor may be used during the session — personal copies, notes, electronic devices, and additional reference material are not allowed.

6. What makes the RBQ 13.1 exam different

The RBQ 13.1 contractor licence is the only RBQ contractor sub-category dedicated to lightning protection systems. Four characteristics make this exam stand apart.

FIVE modules instead of four — Design and Estimation is a dedicated standalone module. No other RBQ contractor licence tests design as a separate module. Lightning protection systems are often designed by the installer (not by an outside engineer), so EC 7 (design without plans, 7 skill statements) tests the candidate ability to perform a lightning risk diagnostic, evaluate surroundings and topography, calculate the volume of protection using the rolling sphere principle, select materials and components by building class, and propose a complete technical solution. EC 8 tests estimation from issued-for-tender plans, and EC 9 tests shop drawing production.

One specialty installation code — CSA B72-M87 — and only seven documents in scope total. Among RBQ contractor licences this is the narrowest open-book set. CSA B72-M87 governs material compatibility, the five building classes (I, II, III, IV, V), air terminal placement and spacing, capture and belt conductor routing, downconductor placement and fastening, ground electrode requirements by soil type, allowed overhang, sealing, and resistance test values. Code navigation in B72-M87 is the single most important open-book skill for this exam.

Three rod-system types in scope. Early streamer emission (amorçage), Faraday cage / mesh (cage maillée), and catenary wire (fil tendu). Each operates on a different physical principle and applies to different building geometries. The exam also distinguishes a lightning rod (paratonnerre) from a surge protector (parafoudre) — different devices that solve different problems.

As-built drawing competence is tested directly. EC 6 of Module 3 dedicates 4 skill statements to adapting base drawings to reflect work as built, including the approval process and standards conformity. This is the deliverable handed to the owner once the lightning protection system is installed and is essential for future inspections and maintenance under EC 14.

7. Recommended preparation strategy

1. Master CSA B72-M87 navigation. It is the only specialty open-book code and the daily reference on the job. Drill the table of contents — building classes, material requirements, air terminal placement, capture conductor sizing, downconductor rules, ground electrode requirements by soil — until you can locate any clause in seconds.
2. Master the five building classes (I, II, III, IV, V). Each class drives different material and installation requirements per B72-M87. Expect multiple exam questions on class-driven specifications.
3. Master the three rod-system types. Early streamer emission (amorçage), Faraday cage / mesh (cage maillée), catenary wire (fil tendu). Know the physical principle of each and where each applies.
4. Master material compatibility. Copper, aluminum (alloyed and unalloyed), galvanized steel, copper-clad steel. Galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals is a classic exam trap.
5. Master the volume-of-protection calculation. EC 7.3 tests this directly. Understand the rolling-sphere principle and how the protection volume scales with rod height and building geometry.
6. Anchor preparation around Module 5 (30 skill statements). EC 11 (ground electrode, 7 statements), EC 12 (downconductors, 6 statements), EC 13 (air terminals and capture conductors, 5 statements). Read them as a sequenced installation workflow from ground up.
7. Master Module 4 (Design and Estimation) — unique to this licence. EC 7 (design without plans, 7 statements) carries lightning risk diagnostic, surroundings and topography evaluation, volume-of-protection calculation, materials and components by area and building class, and the full technical solution proposal.
8. Master the lightning rod vs. surge protector distinction. Paratonnerre and parafoudre solve different problems — air-strike protection vs. transient voltage protection. EC 1.6 tests this directly.
9. Master ground resistance measurement. EC 14.4 tests measurement methods and minimum resistive values. Know the test procedure and acceptable resistance ranges.
10. Take at least two full mock exams under real conditions (3 hours, only the Quebec Construction Code Chapter I, S-2.1 r.4, and CSA B72-M87 on the desk) before scheduling the real exam.

8. Why Prof-RBQ.ca for the RBQ 13.1 exam

• Aligned with the official RBQ structure — content mapped one-to-one to the five modules and their 15 competency elements, including the unique Design and Estimation module (Module 4).
• CSA B72-M87 navigation drills — practice finding any clause (building class tables, conductor sizing, air terminal spacing, ground resistance values) in seconds, so the code works for you on exam day.
• Building class focus — material and installation requirements for classes I, II, III, IV and V drilled until automatic.
• Three-rod-system training — early streamer emission, Faraday cage / mesh, catenary wire — each walked through with its physical principle and application.
• Volume-of-protection calculation practice — rolling-sphere geometry, rod height, building geometry — with worked exam-style examples.
• Closed-book training methodology — flashcards and spaced practice for the four closed-book documents, with navigation drills for the three open-book references (Quebec Construction Code Chapter I, S-2.1 r.4, CSA B72-M87).
• Mock exams in RBQ format — multiple choice, 3-hour timing, 60% passing grade — so exam day feels familiar.
• Detailed answer explanations — every question, right or wrong, comes with a written rationale citing the underlying article, code, or standard.
• Bilingual — full course in English and French. The RBQ exam itself is offered in both languages.
• A free section is available so you can try the platform before committing.

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