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Every Ontario Building Code exam has 70 multiple choice questions, 3 hours, and a 70% pass mark. It is open book: you can use the 2024 Building Code Compendium, a few listed guides and a non-programmable calculator, so the test is really about finding and applying the right article quickly.
The format is the same for all 16 exams. What changes is the content, which the Ministry's study guide for each exam spells out.
The numbers
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 70 |
| Answer options | 4 per question, choose the best answer |
| Weighting | Each question carries equal weight |
| Time | 3 hours (180 minutes) |
| Pass mark | 70%, which is 49 of 70 |
| Average time per question | About 2.5 minutes |
| Code edition | 2024 Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24) and the Building Code Act, 1992 |
| Delivery | Meazure Learning platform, online with a remote proctor or at a test centre |
| Language | English; French on request, paper only |
Two history notes, in case you read older advice online. Exams had 75 questions until July 4, 2023, when the Ministry cut them to 70. And until March 15, 2026, the exams were based on the 2012 Building Code. Anything written before then may cite the old article numbers.
What "open book" means here
Humber's candidate protocol lists the only materials allowed in the test space:
- the 2024 Building Code Compendium, Volumes 1 and 2, in hard copy and/or the PDF that Humber provides
- material included in the Compendium, such as the Building Code Act, 1992 and the Building Code
- the Code and Construction Guide for Housing, the Code and Guide for Sewage Systems, and the Code and Guide for Plumbing
- a handheld standard calculator, or a scientific calculator that is not programmable
- blank sheets of paper
You may not use your own digital copy of the Compendium. Humber recommends having a hard copy as backup in case the PDF gives you trouble. Hard copies can be highlighted or tabbed, with minimal annotations, but you must not write in them during the exam. That counts as misconduct.
The Compendium contains far more than any one exam tests. Each Ministry study guide lists the exact sections, articles and sentences that are in scope, and the ones that are excluded. Mark those before exam day.
How the code is organized
You will move around these parts constantly, so know them cold:
| Part of the Compendium | What is in it | Typical exam use |
|---|---|---|
| Building Code Act, 1992 | Permits, orders, enforcement, qualifications, appeals | Legal/process exams |
| Division A | Compliance, application of each Part, defined terms, objectives | Which Part applies; definitions |
| Division B | Technical requirements, Parts 1 to 12 (Part 9 for housing and small buildings) | Technical exams |
| Division C | Administration: permits, inspections, qualifications, alternative solutions | Legal exams and some technical questions |
| Supplementary Standards | For example SB-1 climatic data, SB-7 guards, SB-12 energy efficiency for housing | House, Small Buildings and other technical exams |
Question styles
The Ministry does not publish sample questions, so nobody outside the Ministry can tell you the exact mix. Based on the exam rules and the content of the study guides, expect these kinds of questions:
Lookup
A direct question with one answer in one sentence of the code. "What is the minimum height of a guard for..." The skill is finding it fast and reading the whole sentence, including the exceptions.
Scenario
A short description of a building or situation, and you decide what applies. These often turn on a definition or on which Part of the code governs. For example, whether a building falls under Part 9 depends on its building height, building area and major occupancy in Division A.
Calculation
You take values from the code and do arithmetic: areas, limiting distances, spans, rise and run, loads or ventilation. This is why a calculator is allowed. Units matter.
Table and diagram
Many answers sit in tables: span tables, fastening tables, spatial separation tables and the Supplementary Standards. Candidates also report questions that describe or show a detail, such as a footing, a connection or a guard, and ask what the code requires. Practise reading table notes, because the limits are often there.
Legal and process
On the legal exams, questions test the Act and Division C: who can issue an order, time limits for permit decisions, what a registered code agency may do, when an inspection must happen. Wording is precise, so read "shall", "may" and "except" carefully.
How scoring works
All 70 questions count equally, so a hard calculation is worth the same as a quick definition. Humber's pages say nothing about a penalty for wrong answers, so never leave a question blank. Results come from the Ministry, by email and in QuARTS, within 14 business days.
Rules that affect your pace
- Online exams: no washroom breaks, and you must stay in view of the webcam.
- Test centre exams: washroom breaks are monitored, one person at a time, and the time is not added back.
- The proctor cannot answer or clarify exam questions, only technical problems.
- Reading questions aloud is not allowed.
What this means for your study
Because the code is in front of you, recall matters less than navigation. With about 2.5 minutes per question, you cannot read the code from scratch for each one. What helps is knowing the layout of your syllabus, knowing the defined terms in Division A, and having a search method you have practised. Our guide How to Pass the Open Book BCIN Exam covers that method, and BCIN Exam Day covers the setup.
To see the format for yourself, try a free timed quiz on any exam page, such as House, Small Buildings or General Legal/Process, and read the free study guide for your exam.
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