1. About the RBQ 2.1 contractor licence exam

The RBQ sub-category 2.1 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 well drilling and water catchment work. The sub-category authorizes construction work that concerns the drilling of wells and the catchment of water, as well as 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 four official modules covering hydrogeology and well types, the regulatory framework, plans and site assessment, and the standards for executing the work — from drilling and casing to development, plugging, and compliance.

2. Exam structure at a glance

The RBQ does not publish a percentage weighting per module for this licence. By content volume, Module 4 (Standards and execution of work) is the largest by a wide margin — it contains 9 competency elements covering tubular wells, surface wells, well points, spring catchments, well sealing, plugging unused wells, compliance upgrades, and health and safety. Module 1 is the next-largest study block, covering hydrogeology and the four well types.

3. Detailed competency elements

Module 1 — Definitions and types of systems

• EC 1 — Define the notions and terms of water-catchment works: the hydrological cycle; aquifer characteristics and groundwater movement; water demand (instantaneous required flow vs. average operating flow); sealed and non-sealed wastewater treatment systems; aquifer vulnerability, hydrofracturing, and cementation; static and dynamic water levels; specific capacity and pumping tests; well components (casing, drive shoe, screen, cap, drain, overflow); measurement units (L/min, gal/min); and the characteristics of materials cut during drilling (gravel, sand, clay, rock).
• EC 2 — Describe the four types of water-catchment works and their applications: the tubular (drilled) well, the surface well, the well point, and the spring catchment.

Module 2 — Legislative, normative and regulatory framework

• EC 3 — Situate the work within the regulatory framework: knowing the Quebec Regulation on the catchment of groundwater (Q-2, r.6) — its object and scope; identifying which works require a municipal permit versus ministerial approval; understanding the role of the municipality in applying the regulation; identifying the certification bodies and conformity marks on well components (ASTM); and determining the qualifications required of workers to perform the work.

Module 3 — Plans and specifications

• EC 4 — Read and interpret plans and specifications for a water-catchment work: locating the exact drilling spot on a location sketch; reading the section detail of the installation; interpreting specification information for water-catchment works.
• EC 5 — When working without plans and specs, determine the type and location of the work: listing the site-implantation characteristics linked to the Q-2 r.6 regulation (sealed and non-sealed wastewater treatment systems, cropland parcels, watercourses, livestock facilities, manure storage, flood zones); gathering site information (soils, neighbouring works, water-table level, hydrology); evaluating water demand; choosing the type of work to install; and confirming compliance with the regulatory setback margins.

Module 4 — Standards and execution of work

• EC 6 — Plan and organize the work: ordering and receiving materials suited to the chosen work type (respecting manufacturer-specified uses); determining the logical work sequence; obtaining required permits and authorizations; planning site access; and characterizing the equipment and machinery used (cleanliness, no oil leaks, etc.).
• EC 7 — Build a tubular well (12 skill statements): choosing the right drilling technique and equipment; explaining machinery operation and the role of its components; explaining the characteristics and role of drilling materials; selecting screen materials and opening size according to site granulometry; knowing the conformity marks for casing; identifying casing installation characteristics; explaining bedrock anchoring standards; explaining installation details when bedrock is less than 5 m below natural ground; describing situations requiring well sealing; explaining the good practice rules for adequate sealing; describing the good practice rules for a geothermal well installation; and managing drilling cuttings.
• EC 8 — Build a surface well: identifying casing installation characteristics; explaining the role, minimum dimensions, and fill-material properties of the annular space; explaining why an unsaturated zone is desirable and how to ensure its presence; and managing spoil.
• EC 9 — Build a well point: identifying installation characteristics; explaining the rationale for an unsaturated zone and how to ensure its presence; and knowing the conformity marks for casing.
• EC 10 — Build a spring catchment: identifying installation characteristics; characterizing the horizontal drain installation (depth, surface configuration, ditch); and selecting drain materials and opening size based on site granulometry.
• EC 11 — Finalize the work: defining and explaining the different development techniques; performing pumping tests for water-catchment works; cleaning and disinfecting the work; establishing the coordinates of the work (latitude-longitude or UTM X and Y by GPS); producing a compliant drilling report within the required time; and notifying the owner of their regulatory obligations (surface configuration, water analysis, etc.).
• EC 12 — Bring existing wells into compliance: naming the modifications that trigger an upgrade of an existing installation; and naming the good-practice upgrades that should be recommended to the owner.
• EC 13 — Plug unused wells: explaining the situations that require plugging; and knowing the plugging methods for tubular wells, well points, and surface wells.
• EC 14 — Health and safety: identifying the risks tied to well installation, inspection, and maintenance (noise, dust, working at height, electrical lines, presence of ground gases); and explaining the precautions to take during installation.

4. Documents at the exam — mixed-book format

Provided at the exam (open book — 2 documents)

• Règlement sur le captage des eaux souterraines (RLRQ, Q-2, r.6) — Quebec Regulation on the catchment of groundwater
• Code de sécurité pour les travaux de construction (RLRQ, S-2.1, r.4) — Safety code for construction work

Recommended reading only (closed book — 4 documents)

• Loi sur le bâtiment (RLRQ, B-1.1) — Building Act
• Règlement sur la qualification professionnelle des entrepreneurs et des constructeurs-propriétaires (RLRQ, B-1.1, r.9)
• Loi sur la qualité de l'environnement (RLRQ, Q-2) — Environment Quality Act
• Loi sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (RLRQ, S-2.1) — Act respecting occupational health and safety

Several of these documents are available free of charge on publicationsduquebec.gouv.qc.ca.

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 2.1 exam different

The RBQ 2.1 contractor licence sits at the intersection of hydrogeology, drilling technique, and environmental regulation. The work involves extracting water from the ground without compromising the aquifer that holds it — every drilled well is a potential pathway for surface contamination to reach groundwater, which is why the Quebec Regulation on the catchment of groundwater (Q-2, r.6) sets strict rules on setbacks, sealing, casing, and reporting. The exam reflects that priority: Q-2 r.6 is the only domain-specific regulation in the entire exam, and it's the document candidates have on the desk during the test.

The exam is mixed book, and that has direct study consequences. The two open-book references — Q-2 r.6 and the construction-work safety code S-2.1 r.4 — must be read carefully before the exam so you know where to find a setback distance, a sealing requirement, or an excavation rule quickly during the session. Closed-book content is different: outright recall. The Environment Quality Act, the Building Act, the contractor-qualification regulation, and the occupational health and safety act are not available at the exam, so their principles and scope rules must be memorized.

The largest content block by volume is Module 4 (Standards and execution of work) — 41 skill statements across 9 competency elements covering the four well types (tubular, surface, well point, spring catchment), well sealing, development, pumping tests, disinfection, GPS recording, drilling reports, compliance upgrades, plugging unused wells, and health and safety. This is where the trade is judged on whether the candidate can build, finish, document, and decommission a well correctly. Module 1 (14 skill statements) is the second-largest block — hydrogeology fundamentals, the four well types, and the parts and measurement units used throughout the trade. Together, Modules 1 and 4 account for 55 of the 68 skill statements (about 81% of the content volume) — they deserve the bulk of study time.

7. Recommended preparation strategy

1. Memorize the closed-book content first. The 4 closed-book documents include the Environment Quality Act, the Building Act, the contractor-qualification regulation, and the occupational health and safety act. Build flashcards around scope, key articles, and the boundary between this licence and others — you won't have them on exam day.
2. Read Q-2 r.6 cover to cover until you know the structure. The Quebec Regulation on the catchment of groundwater is the only domain-specific text you'll have on the desk. Memorize the setback table (distances to wastewater systems, watercourses, livestock facilities, manure storage), the sealing requirements, and the casing and drilling-report rules. Practice locating a specific setback in under 30 seconds.
3. Anchor preparation around Module 4 (41 skill statements). Standards and execution of work is the largest module. Master the tubular-well construction sequence first (12 skill statements — the deepest single block), then surface wells, well points, and spring catchments, then the cross-cutting topics (finalization, compliance, plugging, health and safety).
4. Build a clear mental map of the four well types. Tubular (drilled) well, surface well, well point, and spring catchment — know the application, casing characteristics, annular-space rules, screen/drain selection, and unsaturated-zone requirement for each. Module 1 EC 2 and most of Module 4 lean on these distinctions.
5. Drill granulometry and screen/drain selection. Multiple competency elements (EC 7.4 for tubular, EC 10.3 for spring catchment) test the candidate's ability to choose materials and opening sizes based on the granulometry of the site. This is high-value, repeat-test content.
6. Practice site assessment without plans. Module 3 EC 5 tests whether you can determine the type and location of a well in the field, applying Q-2 r.6 setbacks to a real site (wastewater systems, watercourses, livestock, flood zones). This is open-book territory — practice the workflow with the regulation in hand.
7. Take at least two full mock exams under real conditions (3 hours, only the 2 open-book documents on the desk, single sitting) before scheduling the real exam.
8. 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 RBQ 2.1 exam

• Aligned with the official RBQ structure — content mapped one-to-one to the four modules and their 14 competency elements, with extra depth on Module 4 (the largest module by volume) and Module 1 (hydrogeology and the four well types).
• Mixed-book training methodology — separate tracks for the 4 closed-book documents (memorization with flashcards and spaced practice) and the 2 open-book documents (Q-2 r.6 navigation drills, setback lookup speed exercises).
• Mock exams in RBQ format — multiple choice, 3-hour timing, 60% passing grade, with the 2 open-book references on the desk — 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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