CCQ (EN) — Roofer

1. About the CCQ Roofer exam

The Roofer (Couvreur) 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 roofer on Quebec construction sites.

The exam covers three sections weighted as follows: Organizing the work (17%), Preparing the roofing installation (18%), and Installing and repairing roofing (65%). 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 3 dominates this exam to an unusual degree — at 65%, it is one of the heaviest single sections on the entire CCQ roster. Sections 1 and 2 are nearly equal at 17% and 18% but together still come to less than half of Section 3's weight. Anchor your preparation around Section 3.

3. Detailed competency elements

Section 1 — Organizing the work (17%)

Planning the work:

• Interpret a slope plan
• Distinguish the characteristics of different systems and membranes
• Calculate the quantity of material required for a given task
• Secure the worksite

Preparing the materials:

• Organize material handling to the roof
• Use appropriate equipment correctly and safely

Section 2 — Preparing the roofing installation (18%)

Preparing the roof:

• Prepare the decking and curbs

Preparing the membrane installation on insulated, inverted, or ventilated roofs:

• Lay the vapor barrier
• Lay the insulation
• Lay the support panel

Preparing the shingle installation:

• Mark reference points
• Install drip edges and underlayment membranes
• Install flashings and roof accessories

Section 3 — Installing and repairing roofing (65%)

Installing a membrane on insulated, inverted, or ventilated roofs:

• Lay a single-ply membrane (TPO, PVC, EPDM)
• Lay an elastomeric two-ply membrane
• Lay a multi-ply membrane (asphalt and gravel)
• Lay a liquid-applied membrane (Hydrotech)
• Waterproof the roof at drains and projections

Installing shingles:

• Install asphalt shingles

Repairing a membrane on insulated, inverted, or ventilated roofs:

• Analyze the existing roof
• Proceed with the roof repair

Repairing shingle roofing:

• Repair an asphalt shingle roof

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.

• Canadian Roofing Reference Manual — Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA / ACEC), Ottawa, 1999, 678 p. (roofingcanada.com — also publishes additional technical bulletins)
• Technical specifications for roofing installation — Association des maîtres couvreurs du Québec (AMCQ) (amcq.qc.ca)
• IKO technical sheets — installation guides for various membranes and shingles (iko.com)
• BP Canada technical sheets — installation guides for various membranes and shingles (bpcan.com)
• SOPREMA Roofer's Guide — SOPREMA, 2014, 101 p. (soprema.ca — also publishes additional technical bulletins)

6. What makes the Roofer exam different

The Roofer trade has the most installation-heavy exam on the CCQ roster. Section 3 alone is 65% of the score — nearly two-thirds of the entire exam — and it tests competence across five distinct membrane systems plus asphalt shingles. Single-ply systems (TPO, PVC, EPDM) use heat-welding or seam-bonding methods; elastomeric two-ply membranes are torch-applied; multi-ply asphalt-and-gravel systems use hot bitumen; liquid-applied membranes like Hydrotech use yet another application method; and asphalt shingles are a separate craft. Few CCQ trades require this much breadth at the installation level.

The exam also reflects the manufacturer-specific reality of modern roofing. Each major supplier (IKO, BP Canada, SOPREMA) publishes its own technical sheets covering exactly how to install its membrane and shingle products — and the CCQ explicitly points candidates to these documents. A roofer who only works with one manufacturer's system at their day job needs to broaden their study to cover the full range of methods, because the exam doesn't favor any single supplier.

Section 3 also includes diagnostic and repair work on existing roofs — analyzing an existing roof, identifying the cause of a failure, and selecting an appropriate repair method. This is harder than new installation because the candidate has to reason backward from observed symptoms. 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 3 (65%). No other CCQ trade has a single section this heavily weighted — it alone determines whether you pass.
2. Treat the exam as closed book from day one. Memorize membrane application temperatures, fastener spacings, lap dimensions, and shingle exposure rules — you will not have a manual to consult.
3. Cover all five membrane systems plus shingles. If your day job is only torch-down membrane, drill TPO/PVC/EPDM and Hydrotech. If you mostly do shingles, drill the membrane systems. The exam doesn't favor any single specialty.
4. Read the recommended documents in this order: CRCA Canadian Roofing Reference Manual (the foundation — covers all systems), then AMCQ technical specifications (Quebec-specific practice), then SOPREMA Roofer's Guide (modern Quebec-market reference), then IKO and BP Canada technical sheets for product-specific details.
5. Drill repair-and-diagnosis questions. Section 3's repair content is where field experience pays off if combined with a structured understanding of failure modes for each membrane system.
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 Roofer exam

• Aligned with the official CCQ structure — content mapped one-to-one to the three sections, with extra depth on Section 3's installation and repair content across all five membrane systems plus shingles.
• 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.

Frequently asked questions